I don't know if you're familiar with GMs and active ingame CS or not, but let me help shed some light from past experience, if I might:

Let's say (for sake of argument) that you named your dwarf Twinkletoes Taterbum. Ok, so that might actually pass, so let's try Woodjumary Metrisha. (GM ALERT: Update the name filter!)

Somehow, it made it thru a few levels before someone actually saw you and put in a petition about inappropriate name for the game, and let's take worse case...you're not online when it's reviewed.

What happens?

When they see you're not online, chances are they will access the name in the wonderful way that GMs have, and change it to Jumarie Tishma. Not really a bad name, but you don't like it. What happened and what do you do? How else is Trisha going to know you want to marry her???

You petition. A Squire or Knight answers the petition and you explain the situation. They escalate it to the Gods of Names (which could be anyone on the GM staff!) and let you know that you will be helped as soon as possible. When a GM comes on, you are greeted with something like, "Greetings, Jumarie. I understand you don't like your new name. Is there something you'd like better? I'd be happy to change it for you, as long as it remains within the guidelines set by the game." (*Note: And no, I'm not a GM...~A~)

They will be more than happy (as would the people from the Crimson Fellowship) to explain to you why your original name was not allowed, if you needed help, and maybe even make another suggestion, but more like they would ask you if you had another name you would prefer. Some will even give you time to think of one and tell you to repetition with the new name. That way, if they're busy, they might be able to do it for you offline.

In a nutshell, this is pretty much standard. They might have a few variances that I've missed, but I don't think it will be too far off. If the names you have selected are extremely ill-conceived, there will probably be notes on your account, like any support department would do, so in case it happens again, or a problem arises, they will know that it is possibly habitual. Shoot...I did this when I worked customer service in the medical field! Nothing new!

So, does that help at all??? Is there something in particular that you're wanting to know that I maybe missed?

Well .....

I was hopeing someone whom this has actually happened to in Vanguard would come and tell what their name was and what it is now.

Really, I would like to know if Sigil has started implementing Name policy Enforcement yet?
Since this is such a hot topic.
A lot of people have opinions about the name policy but.... I have yet to ever see any one on here saying that Sigil actually changed their name for them.

Ohmar

This may well be a combination of the maturity of the vanguard player (or at least those who frequent our forums) in not pushing the envelop on naming or the natural reticence of people to advertise their mistakes. I would only expect to hear about long cherished names found legal in other games but illegal here; not the obvious violations.

It is quite possible that Sigil isn't enforcing the full letter of the rules, but using a bit of common sense when no one specifically complains. It was an overly literal interpretation of the policy that some of us were many of use were worried about.

In actuality, they have been enforcing the rules since beta!

After launch, we were told that they had a list of names a mile long...well, ok...about 2-300 names...that they were checking on. I know that we've had people here at Spheres discuss their name changes, but like Mage said, it has a lot to do with maturity of thought and even more about respecting the spirit of the game.

If they do read this...there are a couple that had long-existing names that were changed. Maybe they'll add their thoughts. Sometimes, it does get a bit wierd and what one person deems wrong, another might not!

Personally I don't think it matters what any person deems wrong.

Just what the name policy deems wrong. No matter what it is really.... weather it is a name forming a sentence like "Eyewill Killyou" or a name having the word "The" at the beginning like "Theamerican". Or what ever it is ...... If it violates the Name policy in any way, I would think, that Sigil would change it eventually.

Actually the name Policy that Sigil set forth is quite complete and really does not seem to leave any room for argument what so ever.
It's pretty cut and dry..... Either the name you have chosen is with in the policy parameters or it is not.
Their really is no grey area that I can see.

I was just wondering if anyone had actually seen a name change in action.

Ohmar

I am disappointed with the naming policy in this game. I have the name Mischievous and have been using it for sometime. I found out the other day someone is using the name Mischievious on the same server infineum. How did I find out, well someone sent me a tell asking me not to kill steal mobs from them ever again or they would petition me.

I replied to the person telling them I was not even on the same continent as them, he told me I must of recalled, I replied not true and then did a /who all Misch to find to my horror this other idiot who had obviously tried to get my name and failed so added an extra i in the name. I then /petitioned it to be told by the Gm there was nothing he could do about it.

WHAT A JOKE.

So do not be asking for my support in this issue because there are double standards in this game. It clearly depends if you have a GM who has the balls or even the inclination to make any effort at all. I still have an email in my mail box which I got from a certain lady while I was in beta assuring me that there would be a strict naming policy. It is obvious that it was all rubbish and just another fob off.

In fact the customer service in the game has been very poor indeed, they spent more time chasing GMfarmers than supporting the paying customers, taken so long to respond to petitions unless they are GMfarmers of course.

I used to trust Brad + Co.... Not any more I am afraid you words will fall on deaf ears in the future. So many promises which turned into lies....

First, I'd appreciate it if you would chose not to go on the attack without fully understanding the policy! It's not a double standard in any way. It's very straight forward!

If you've played many games, you know that there are always multiple players who like the same name, but since there can be only one, it is very legal to slightly change the name by adding or changing one letter. It's common policy and nothing is different here. Should someone have given you the impression that this wouldn't happen, then it was in error. The GM can do nothing.

Strict naming policy? Yes, it is, and for all the names you see floating around that are in violation, feel free to /petition them. They do keep track!

There are dedicated GMs that do investigation, i.e. gold farmers, so that leaves more for other considerations. As stated previously, CS is getting better as they increase their numbers, from the Fellowship up.

To the person who contacted you, I would have asked him to do the /who all Mich and let him see the similarities for himself. It's happened to me more than once and you pick your battles. This wouldn't be one, unless he persued it, and then you could /petition for harrassment after sending in a /report to substantiate your claim.

Sorry you had problems, hon...really! But it's not the fault of the CS staff, much less Brad!

How is it sigil's fault that someone made a name similar to you?

So you are upset that the GM didn't change the other players name? How would you feel if a GM came up to you and said...."sorry someone has a name 1 letter off from you, so YOU have to change your name, not the other person"

I applaud the GMs for standing up to you and not changing the other player's name just because it was similar.

I don't think you'd be too happy to have your name changed because of someone else. (when it doesn't break any rules)

I have always thought that the line between good and bad names in the naming policy was set a bit too tight and felt that that was to make life a bit easier on the GMs. If they draw the enforcement line a bit less strictly, then the names they change will not be rignt on the edge and there will be less argument.

It does imply that some people who took the policy to heart may have given up on a name that would not be changed; however, I think most of us, if we had a long-time favorite name that was well regarded in other games would at least try it out hope for the best.