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[JustGreat]

A while back I played a small German MMORPG that was strictly for Role playing (you got banned if you didn't RP, doesn't mean there were no PKers ). One unique feature that they had, and I don't believe I have seen it in other MMOs, is that each player's name is not known to other players, unless that player introduced himself. So any players you didn't know had the name Player[Random String]. For example, a chat log would look something like this:

Player128213: Hi
Player212322: What's up?
Player128213: Not much.

Now here, I am an observer, hence I don't know their names, but they actually might be in the same clan and introduced, so from Player128213 perspective, whose name is Bob, it would look something like this:

Bob: Hi
Tom: What's up?
Bob: Not much.

Over time, or upon leaving an area (I don't remember which, maybe both), the random string is generated again. So if Bob was Player128213, two hours later for example, he now becomes Player232993.
Now to go from Player[Random String] to your actual name, you type /i, and everyone in the area knows who you are, forever.
Now that I introduced the mechanics of the idea, I am going to argue why this would be a good idea to implement (maybe low priority), other than for a RP aesthetic value (which is important in my opinion) and not necessarily with the same mechanics.

- It is a lot more exciting to wonder through a town where the people are total strangers, instead of magically know who everyone is.
- While this idea might sound as the Holy Grail for the griefers, I disagree, right now a griefer can easily create a new alt and put all his problems behind him. With this feature, I imagine, that the griefer will not have to create as many alts (less stress on the server I suppose), because his/her identity is hidden.
- You form better relationships, because interactions with players because more personal and special (not everyone knows your name, probably only people you trust).

I guess the main problem would be if it is possible to implement, and if it is, with what difficulty.

[RavenousRat]

Yea, I really liked it in Arcanum, there was "Human Noble", "Dward Smith", until he say something, so it can be used too, like simple "Wastelander". It'll also solve all problems with name colorizing, because you won't see any names at all ^_^ But... just imagine yourself, players who use outgame chat like mumble/steam/skype will have great advantage, and game will become totally FFA Deathmatch.

[JustGreat]

players who use outgame chat like mumble/steam/skype will have great advantage, and game will become totally FFA Deathmatch.

Isn't like this already? All the PvP gangs who participate in TC are using such programs. I don't know about FFA Deathmatch, but I doubt because your name isn't shown,it will increase or decrease the amount of PKing going on, it will probably stay the same.

[Surf]

I really like that and had similar ideas in mind.
Although I can imagine it's very difficult to integrate.

[Saumax]

JustGreat, i thinked about it too, seem a great idea

[Enzo]

I hate this one... now when someone is killing me constantly, I can write his name to Colorizer and recognize him next time, which is corresponding with real life too: you remember the bitches forever... with this feature all PKers become nameless and unrecognizeable, which is bad, I think... it will cause more paranoic thinking through-out the wasteland in the way "better shoot, than been shot"
The second reason is, that I am trader, and people can recognize by my name... with this feature I will be nameless wastelander for everyone....
and as already mentioned, many players are using voice chats or irc, so this feature will be useful only for hardcore RPers, but still its imho pretty shitty one...

[Janusz2238]

The character (Bob from Klamath) is emulated in the mind of the player(Jean from France, who play fonline). So player know names of strangers, but character who is emulated in his mind, dont know stranger name.

Everyone has a characteristic appearance. Unfortunately, in fonline everyone looks identical. The name of character is like md5, or sha-one. The name is information for player, no for character(Bob from Klamath) who is played by the actor(Jean from France).

[JustGreat]

I hate this one... now when someone is killing me constantly, I can write his name to Colorizer and recognize him next time, which is corresponding with real life too: you remember the bitches forever... with this feature all PKers become nameless and unrecognizeable, which is bad, I think...

Yes, in real life we have name colorizer, that is why people never make mistakes when picking people out of a line up. Anyway part of the problem, and I suppose it is a valid one, is you cannot decipher if someone is an enemy (because you cannot know the name). My response to that is you will die/get attacked regardless if you know this guy is a PKer or not, and if you know for a fact that he isn't it is most likely that you have met him before and introduced each other. Also being constantly killed is a separate issue in it of itself.

it will cause more paranoic thinking through-out the wasteland in the way "better shoot, than been shot"

This is already a common occurrence in the game, or the alternative is to run away.

many players are using voice chats or irc, so this feature will be useful only for hardcore RPers, but still its imho pretty shitty one...

What exactly does IRC and voice chat have to do with this? As a means of recognition? I don't understand.

The second reason is, that I am trader, and people can recognize by my name... with this feature I will be nameless wastelander for everyone....

In the beginning, yes, but as I said in my OP, you can introduce yourself. I think this is rather realistic as a trader to gain reputation of the wastelanders.

The character (Bob from Klamath) is emulated in the mind of the player(Jean from France, who play fonline). So player know names of strangers, but character who is emulated in his mind, dont know stranger name.

Everyone has a characteristic appearance. Unfortunately, in fonline everyone looks identical. The name of character is like md5, or sha-one. The name is information for player, no for character(Bob from Klamath) who is played by the actor(Jean from France).

Yes, this is why it is a unique string, and over time it changes (I mean you don't remember all facial features if a man ran by you, and over time you forget). I suppose the mechanics (such as how often a string changes and under what conditions) need to be further polished, but I am just bringing out the general idea and not the specifics ( I see no point of doing this, if it cannot be implemented or the Devs are against this idea).


In addition, this mechanic rewards players who play one character as they would be better familiar with the wastelanders, and behind each name will be some sort of story. Where as someone who keeps creating alts will not be able to tell who is who, or at least would need to be constantly reintroduced to the same people.

[corosive]

it would make roleplaying in towns a lot more fun, I was actually thinking about this same idea last night lol   if only we could make it work

[Enzo]

ok... you all convinced me... +1

[LagMaster]

idk,sound good,but i simply do not like it

idk why i must introduce to PKs to be hinted,we now are using out ingame nicks to trade whit others

i think this will create more confusion, the reason that the player 12135 was implemented i thing is becoze is 100% roleplay,in FOnline, is 20% roleplay only

[Ned Logan]

I don't really understand how this idea is supposed to work, for me it seems like current system with added inconvenience.
If I expose myself, everyone in the area knows my name forever? I dunno what interesting this could bring... gang mates would be exposed to each other and except making name colorizing pretty much useless I see nothing new, and man, some FOnline areas are huge (NCR) so everyone there would know you name forever?

Much more fun would be if for each player, others players names were partially covered up by random characters, how much would depend on the amount of previous interaction between them, but could be very hard to implement.

[avv]

Sure. But not until alts cease existing. Right now this is basically "implemented" because players create new chars all the time.

ok... you all convinced me... +1

Impossible. Nobody can be convinced in the internet.

[Michaelh139]

idk,sound good,but i simply do not like it

idk why i must introduce to PKs to be hinted,we now are using out ingame nicks to trade whit others

i think this will create more confusion, the reason that the player 12135 was implemented i thing is becoze is 100% roleplay,in FOnline, is 20% roleplay only

More like 1%..

[Gunduz]

This really makes a lot of sense. Just two things. Maybe this would be the case anyway, but I think flagging someone as green or red should stay regardless of what their number is. Also, a command, like /i , would be nice for some areas, bases etc. but there should be an option to only introduce yourself to specific people. For example, by adding the other player's name after /i , the introduction would be restricted to them. Another way to do this would be to add a button to the menu you get on each player, but that is already getting fairly long.