Allow multiple characters of the same name

[A D L]

I'd really like to have multiple characters named AlexanderDeLarge because that's how everyone knows me. Since I'm able to tell what character it is based on my gear, I don't see what harm it'd do.

[powbam]

Originally posted by Alexander DeLarge:

I'd really like to have multiple characters named AlexanderDeLarge because that's how everyone knows me. Since I'm able to tell what character it is based on my gear, I don't see what harm it'd do.

Sounds like the problem is more a technical issue. When you create a character it makes a character folder in the save folder's location (in this case, one named _AlexanderDeLarge, like so with the underscore character preceding the name). You can't have two folders (or files) within the same folder that contain identical names as one would have to overwrite (or merge) with the other in order to exist, or take on a different name in order to exist separately.

While they could probably make it so that the folder appends some extra characters onto the name in the case of name duplication, I have no idea if it could still display in-game together with duplicates in an unmodified state. There could very well be restrictions there also that prevent this.

[Jackal]

It'd be nice if there was a designation on the main menu for you (even AlexanderDelarge01, AlexanderDelarge02, etc) but then in-game it simply showed the name without the number assigned to it for indexing purposes.

That's a pretty good idea, I think, because I'd like to have the same name for a couple of my characters, too.

As something additional, it'd be cool to be able to give tags to each character on the character select menu if you wanted to somehow organize them yourself. Probably would never be a priority for the devs, but it's an idea.

[powbam]

Originally posted by Hungry Timberwolf:

As something additional, it'd be cool to be able to give tags to each character on the character select menu if you wanted to somehow organize them yourself. Probably would never be a priority for the devs, but it's an idea.

That could possibly solve it. Add an extra (optional) "tag" field under the name field on character creation to further differentiate the main name. Once created it could add the tag in with the main field as it creates the folder. The tag would also display along (or under the real name in-game). Perhaps have it display in some unobtrusive coloring, grey or the like, so it doesn't detract from the actual name.

This could solve the duplication problem and make it easier to differentiate your duplicates (for yourself and others in multi-player).

If they implement such a thing tho is a different story.

[Dialtone]

Wouldn't it just be simpler to have the option to display your steam name in game? You can always rename your steam profile too.

[powbam]

Originally posted by Dialtone:

Wouldn't it just be simpler to have the option to display your steam name in game? You can always rename your steam profile too.

Dunno.. Does Steam have a simple plug-in that they can use to implement it? Of course that would leave out anyone using the non-Steam version after release from naming their characters all the same.

I'm sure there's a number of ways it could be handled (for both versions). Still, it's honestly not that huge a deal and it would probably have to be a real slow day for them to putz around with something so trivial.

[Dialtone]

Originally posted by powbam:

Dunno.. Does Steam have a simple plug-in that they can use to implement it?

I think so, I've seen it in other games, but can't remember exactly which ones atm.

Originally posted by powbam:

Of course that would leave out anyone using the non-Steam version after release from naming their characters all the same.

I thought of that after I posted, it's true, but that's not out so you never know if it will have an associated account name.

Originally posted by powbam:

I'm sure there's a number of ways it could be handled. Still, it's honestly not that huge a deal and it would probably have to be a real slow day for them to putz around with something so trivial.

True it's trivial, but if it was simple and only took a coder a very short time to add it might be worth it.

One final thought, what if they just added a blank space in the options for "In-game name", if left blank the game displays your character name, if you fill it in that's what shows in-game.

[powbam]

Originally posted by Dialtone:

One final thought, what if they just added a blank space in the options for "In-game name", if left blank the game displays your character name, if you fill it in that's what shows in-game.

Yeah something like that would probably be the simplest way, as far as multi-player chat goes. Perhaps have a section in the options to set one display name that shows as you chat and perhaps displays along with the characters name. This would be pretty useful for that. The times I did multi-player I did think to myself that it could get confusing for a person's friends in multi-player if they had a lot of characters since it only shows the character name.

[Ricky Sauce]

I don't think it's a plugin for displaying the name, more likely that they're using steams API to display such information which is more than just using a plugin and it changes stuff. You have to actually call functions from their API in your software to display such information which requires changing the software in question if it doesn't already use the API in such a way.

Though, to the meat of the discussion, the best option I could think of would be to append a number to the end of a save folder if there's already one of that name.

Otherwise, you have to have multiple loading and saving methods depending on character version on top of what they already have which just seems like more work than what it's worth.

[Ceno]

Reminder that at release, the DRM free versions of the game will not be playing via Steam. So any usage of the Steam API for this sort of stuff will not apply to these users.

The "In Game Name" option is probably the best idea for this, universally.

[Ricky Sauce]

Originally posted by Ceno:

Reminder that at release, the DRM free versions of the game will not be playing via Steam. So any usage of the Steam API for this sort of stuff will not apply to these users.

The "In Game Name" option is probably the best idea for this, universally.

That would require adding a lot of code to check for their new name rather than just the name they chose.

The best option in my opinion would be to add a number to the end of the save file and keep the rest of the game the same. You'd only have to change the save/loading methods rather than a lot of the in game client code. At least, if the client is written in some sensible way.

[A D L]

Originally posted by Ceno:

Reminder that at release, the DRM free versions of the game will not be playing via Steam. So any usage of the Steam API for this sort of stuff will not apply to these users.

The "In Game Name" option is probably the best idea for this, universally.

This is why I prefer Steam as a developer, it's an accepted standard, and there's such useful convenience features available for use in the Steamworks SDK, I don't see the point of DRM-free content when you're sacrificing the aforementioned luxuries.

I love the leaderboards. I love the achievements. I love the username functionality. I love the matchmaking. I love the anti-cheat. I love the cloud saving.

Don't get me wrong, I love GOG and what they're doing and I'm against monopolies but if the average PC gamer has Steam open at all times, and their primary game library is Steam, and Steam offers some significant advantages to their experience, why not use it to my advantage, not to mention theirs as well?

Overall, I don't think people have an issue with DRM, they just don't like external services that significantly impact their experience in a negative way. As we've seen with Steam over the last decade, they don't have an issue with it when it's actually beneficial to use it. There's certainly a group of people who care about their freedom away from DRM, but that's a really really small niche of the market.

[Ceno]

Originally posted by Alexander DeLarge:

Overall, I don't think people have an issue with DRM

You a wrong on a level in which I literally stood up out of my chair from reading this.

Thanks making me get exercise. +1 cool dude.

[Ricky Sauce]

Originally posted by Ceno:

Originally posted by Alexander DeLarge:

Overall, I don't think people have an issue with DRM

You a wrong on a level in which I literally stood up out of my chair from reading this.

Thanks making me get exercise. +1 cool dude.

People are completely opposed to this. Nobody likes DRM here. :(

Though, I still stand by my idea being the best. lol

[feliscon]

Steam doesn't have to be DRM, that's the developers choice. Of course the vast majority of Steam games do also use it as DRM, but there are DRM free Steam games where it's purely the delivery mechanism and then you can do what you want with the game afterwards.

[A D L]

Originally posted by Ceno:

Originally posted by Alexander DeLarge:

Overall, I don't think people have an issue with DRM

You a wrong on a level in which I literally stood up out of my chair from reading this.

Thanks making me get exercise. +1 cool dude.

But why? As I said earlier, you likely have Steam open at all times anyways. It doesn't hit your performance. It offers valuable features that you wouldn't have otherwise.

I understand hating ♥♥♥♥ like SecuROM and that sort of stuff, but I think everyone's kneejerk reaction to hearing DRM is "NO GET IT AWAY FROM ME", but I can't think of a reason why that should apply to something like Steam.