Does Blizzard still enforce naming violations

09/25/2011 01:30 PMPosted by Fevoriun

They do enforce Offensive names, i know from experience.

Our primary goal is to remove obviously inappropriate names but we also do enforce the roleplay specific policies on RP realms. Keep in mind that roleplay is extremely subjective and not everyone agrees on what is or is not acceptable, even amongst RP communities.

It is often the denizens of the realm that help determine what level of roleplay is acceptable on a given realm. The reports from players on the realm can be extremely useful in determining if a name will or will not be changed so please continue to report any name that you feel is not appropriate for the realm but also encourage others to do so as well.

09/25/2011 04:39 PMPosted by Nork

If a name is reported on an RP server and a GM goes to take action, is the name changed even if it is justified ICly?

A name should be able to stand on its own without the need of a backstory. Technically, any name you can create could be rationalized as "In Character".

I created a character with a name that wasn't offensive on a different Rp-PvP realm and When I logged in I had to change it. Now there is a level 80 with that same name not even a year later.

If a name is determined as a violation of our policies and is flagged for a name change, the name isn't generally added to a list the prevents its use by anyone else on any realm. It is entirely possible fore someone else to take the name in most cases.

You can report the name, noting in your petition that it was previously found in violation since you had it changed yourself.

Keep in mind that policies do change, some become more strict and others are relaxed based on many factors, it will be looked into and appropriate actions taken.

09/25/2011 04:48 PMPosted by Nork

My own opinion just states that people report the names for the purpose of boosting their own ego.

People report for a variety of reasons. As someone who actively plays on two different RP realms (RP-PVP and RP-PVE), I report names that I feel do not fit within the genre of World of Warcraft.

Rolling on an RP realm is a choice and there are certain rules and circumstances that can come about because of that choice. Just like if you roll on a PVP realm. You do not have to actively PvP to the degree that others do, but if you are out and about it is entirely possible that you will be attacked and killed.

It is similar with RP. You do not have to actively RP while on an RP realm but you must take the atmosphere of the realm into account when deciding your actions.

I hope that helps, Nork. :)

09/25/2011 06:31 PMPosted by Zulandir

Ultimately, I do not understand why naming policies exist if they aren't going to be actioned when reported. I reported a name once that was a clear violation of a naming policy, and the GM responded and told me specifically it was not Blizzard's policy to change names unless they're offensive (not an RP server that this happened on).

The policies within the Terms of Use are guidelines for naming. It is an "If this, then that", kind of thing. If you create a name, then that name should not fall into one of the listed categories. If it does, the name may, at our sole discretion, be changed and the account actioned accordingly.

Names that are partial/incomplete sentences or otherwise go against what is considered within the RP genre, would likely be left alone on any realm that is not designated, by Blizzard Entertainment, as a roleplay realm.

I reported someone for a name that is a slang term for breasts, and the GM responded to the ticket with the usual "we cant tell you if something is done about it"

then a week later i see the same player, same name. nothing done.

Exact same name, Øtaku? Are you certain about that?

While I am not at liberty to discuss what may or may not have happened on another person's account I can guarantee, that if you are referring to a report you made about 2 weeks ago... you did not see the same player with the same name.

09/25/2011 07:47 PMPosted by Trollroy

When i played on a RP server my friend got reported for a blizzard generated name. Does this mean blizzard generated names arn't RP on RP realms?

No, they may not be. The random name generator is just that, random. It is entirely possible for the combination of letters it provides to be inappropriate or against our policies in some way.

I love how this toon's previous name, "[not appropriate]" was reported & I had to change it, while there are atleast 9 other toons with that name. Lol

How many others out there that may have a particular name is entirely irrelevant, Waggy. Our policies are reactive in nature. If your name isn't reported to us for review, it is unlikely to be changed. Others with the name may not have been reported yet.

Also, the Armory is a poor investigation tool for possible naming violations. A character can exist within the Armory for a fairly long time and may not reflect any recent changes to it. For example, if a name was reported and found in violation it would be flagged for a rename, if that person had not logged into the character since then, the character would still have the same name. It also could save a copy of the character with the previous name or list a character that has already been deleted.