Would you trade a character name if someone asked?

Firstly I am NOT asking this because I want a name which is taken, and certainly not because I feel entitled to a name someone else got first. It's just an idea I came across a while ago and thought was interesting, and I'd like to know other people's thoughts.

How would you feel, hypothetically, if one day you received a mail or a whisper in-game from someone saying they really like one of your character names and they want to know if you'd be willing to give it to them, or sell it. Would you do it? Would you ask them to pay for the name change contract? Maybe charge extra? Would it depend on the name? Would it depend on who was asking and why/how badly they seemed to want it?

Usually people who want taken names seem to assume they're on inactive accounts and a 'name purge' would free it up. But someone a while ago pointed out that you'd be better off if it was an active player because then they might give it up, whereas you can't even ask and inactive one, and I thought the idea was really interesting.

Although with me the chances are the answer would be no. I spend a lot of time making my permanent characters, before I even get into the character creator. I come up with a whole concept - what they look like, what they'll do, what their personality is etc. and the name is part of that. It's usually a description, although not obviously so, for example my white, black and pale green sylvari is called Bethe Arian which means silver birch. If not then it has another meaning. (The one exception is my asuran guardian Xexxi, that's literally just something that sounded like an asuran name to me, but even then I've had it for 5 years now. I think I'd only change it if the person who beat me to Xixxi wanted to swap.)

Although I usually go through several variants of the name before picking one, and make 'demo' versions of the character so I know many of those variants are/were free (apparently not many people share my taste in names) so I could suggest an alternative.

But then I also have at least 1 character slot reserved for temporary characters - ones I've made for a specific purpose (playing alternate versions of the personal story, trying builds, key farming etc.) and I'm going to delete them after I'm done. In that case I'd let them know when I deleted the character so they could get the name 24 hours later. Unless it was going to be weeks/months, then I might ask if they want to buy me a name change contract so they don't need to wait.

I'm not enough of a stand up citizen to delete any character (or change my username), even if it would make someone else happy. What I CAN do is help the person make a new username.

No, I love my characters' names and they are too important to me.

Nope. (Insert more letters here)

If there was an easy, profitable way, I'd probably do it. Why not? I'm too much of a cheapskate to spend $10 a pop for additional character slots, so I don't get too attached to most of my toons. Heck, I deleted a couple of my two year-old level 80s last month without a pang to give myself room to make new alts.

It's a bit of an adjustment to see a new name on my toons, but nothing major. I'm kind of used to it after using the old cheap server transfer rates in SWTOR to swap toons everywhere.

For the right price, sure, as long as I have a suitably fitting name to use after giving it up. They'd also have to pay for the Name change contract as I wont delete my permanent characters.I think only 2 of my character names might be desirable though.

I don't have a single character that someone would want the name of. At all.

Most of my 30 current characters have names I am fond of, and most of those to a degree that I would not even consider release of their names regardless of what was on offer as compensation for them.

However, I do have 6 or 7 characters with names that I am not too attached to, but they're also not likely to be of interest to anyone else.

If anyone did show interest in any of those characters' names, I would consider changing and releasing the name to them if the name change contract purchase cost was paid for up front (I don't think they are able to be gifted, are they?).Also, I'd possibly consider requiring some form of compensation of a sort that is equal to or greater than what I could gain had I done something else instead of using my time to perform the change. Whether I were to require compensation or not would be dependent upon several factors.

It takes me a lot of effort and thought to come up with a good name i'd feel comfortable with, so i definitely wouldn't release one just because someone else asked me for it. And i don't really know how much would that someone need to offer to me before i'd ever consider agreeing, but it would be definitely way, way more than just a price of a name change contract.

The name of my main or the other thematically RPy characters I have, probably not. And nobody would want the names of them anyways.For some of the other characters, some people may want the names. And if they offer the right price and include a name change contract, sure.For free? Nope.

All of my characters' names are based on colors, so it shouldn't be that difficult to decide on a new one. I'd need a proper incentive, though.

for me, I'd have to go with no. all of my characters have very in depth back stories, and their names are part of who they are. I spend hours creating new characters, sometimes days. if I was going to give a name away I would have to remake the entire character, so name change, makeover and a new story would have to be created.

@Ayumi Spender.1082 said:I don't have a single character that someone would want the name of. At all.

I suspect the same is true for me, since I never seem to have trouble finding names which are available. I guess no one else likes the kind of names I do. Although I did once meet another charr whose name was almost identical. Mine was Uncia Snowfur and theirs was something like Uncia Whitefur or Uncia Snowmane. Same meaning, one synonym out.

The only time I have trouble is if I've given it no thought and just try to make up a random name in the character creator, then I usually start with something a bit like a real name and add/remove/change letters until I get one that's not taken.

nope i sure would not ever no matter what they offered me !! if i got the name you just out of luck and need to really use your mind and come up with a more better one !!

My issue is my characters names are part of my characters. Unless I didn't particularly like a characters name (sometimes I really like a name for a while and then as it gets older I like it less) I wouldn't part with it. I love some of my character's names: Nyridae Dawnsong, Shattered Morals, I even have a character I keep parked at the diving goggles in Gendarran called Not So Secret Agent. I can't really see selling or trading any of my character names, because I'm pretty attached to them.

Sure but it depends on how much they would pay me to do it.

Depends. On my main account most of my char names are the same as Guild Wars 1 char names. I’ve had them for years and it’s not likely I’ll take any amount to change. On my alt account maybe. I’m not as attached and I’d be willing to consider an offer.

Mm... well. Definitely not for my main or my main-alt for at least until she repays the “sin” out of her name (Sinmiri) =PBut hey if you’re willing to pay 10,000g + name contract change for Tasted of Brew, then sure! I may even be willing to sell Wisped of Willow!And of course if you had your eye on a name of someone that I’d already deleted, before I deleted them, and offered me any sum of money to free it up before I could explain that they were goners anyway, then I’d happily accept your money! Lol.

But really though, i find that buying names is reserved only for the toxic communities. Wrote about it somewhere in the old forums.

None of my characters have names that would be popular as source material. No uppity-edgy drow, childhood nostalgia, Rule 34s, etcetera.So.. no, I wouldn't be selling my names to someone else.

Though, my alt account is a slightly different story, since it's full of joke names and has gotten the occasional whispered compliment. :P Still wouldn't sell it, though.

No. Each of the names I use has a story behind and the corresponding char has been created according to it (appearance, character...). I would never give away my names to someone else, whatever the earning would be. I am attached to those names, that are for most of them the ones I was using in GW1 already.

No, cause my characters are named towards my gw1 characters, and those i would not trade...

No, I spend time coming up with their names. They are always related to the character in some way (race, profession).

I would gladly trade if the player asking is truly committed and their reasons are solid enough. Aside from basic needs, I always try to not keep to myself something that other will enjoy more than me.

Sure, I don't care. I would not delete a character but I would get a name change contract.

No. I spent a lot of time carefully crafting all of my characters, including their names, and I'm far too attached to them now.