Curse

vodka · Jan 26, 2008, 10:00 AM // 10:00

How many of you would like a feature that allows to "lock" a character and prevent it from deletion?

I'm not talking about accidental deletion, since you need to input your char name to delete it.
This kind of lock would be meant to prevent your character from being deleted by malicious people that in one way or the other get to know username and password of your account.

The lock is time based. For a set period of time that character can't be deleted from the account.
That period can be "renewed" before expiration.

Here are some screens on how this would appear in the character selection screen:

When you click on the "Lock Character" button, a popup comes out telling you: "WARNING! If you proceed with this option your character will become locked. This will prevent deletion for the next 6 months, so you won't be able to change your mind. You are allowed to renew the lock in the 15 days before expiration of the current one. Click on "Yes" if you are sure, click on "No" if you don't want to lock your character."

Then the character is locked. On the window appear the remaining lock days, and the buttons "Lock" and "Delete" are greyed out. (Obviously the lock isn't just a greyed out button for 6 months, it needs a server side check before deletion anyway).

___________________________________

On the technical side here is how I think it could be done.
Option (1): easier codewise, puts a bit of server stress.

The database records of characters need to get a new field: "Days_before_unlock".
This field is set by default to 0, which means that the character can be deleted at any time. (So, if this was to be implemented all current characters, as well as newly created characters would have a "Days_before_unlock" = 0).
When a player clicks on "Lock Character", the server sets "Days_before_unlock" to 180, and each day that counter is decremented.
When the server receives a "Delete Character" command, it checks against the "Days_before_unlock":

If Days_before_unlock!=0 then {
message: "Sorry, this character can't be deleted";
exit;
};
Else Delete();

If option (1) puts too much stress on the db servers, updating each day a single field for each character, here is
Option (2): a little bit more complex codewise, less server stress.

The database records of characters need to get a new field: "Date_of_lock".
This field is set by default to 0, which means that the character can be deleted at any time. (So, if this was to be implemented all current characters, as well as newly created characters would have a "Date_of_lock" = 0).
When a player clicks on "Lock Character", the server writes the current date in "Date_of_lock" (the same way as it does for character creation date, for example).
This way the servers don't need to update the field each day.
The code should then check against time spans, so it is a little bit more complicated than just check if a field is empty or not.

If ( Current_date - Date_of_lock < 180days) then {
message: "Sorry, this character can't be deleted";
exit;
};
Else Delete();

On the bandwidth usage, it is just a few bytes to tell the client if a given charachter is locked or not, and how many days are needed before unlock. (Maybe just 1 more byte per character is needed when the client at login retrieves character info from the server)

___________________________________

Pros:
1) Gives Anet some breath (people bitching to Anet to get their char restored.).
2) Players would be able to "save" their precious characters.

(I myself would feel bad if my mesmer would be deleted... I created that char 19 months ago and played the nice amount of ~350hrs... I can't imagine how it would be, for those fellow players who have invested 2.000+ hrs on a single char, only to find it deleted)

Cons:
1) If you change your mind you can't go back for 6 months, so it is a feature that must be used with care.
2) If someone steals a user/pass and enters an account could vandalize it by locking the remaining unlocked characters (but then, I think that many would prefer to have all their character locked for 6 months instead of losing their main).

___________________________________

The coding part just speculation, I'm sure that Anet developers can do much better than those 2 crappy coding ideas I had (they are there just to show that the concept is quite simple).
What I ask you is:
How many of you find useful a feature like that?
Would you use it?
Would you ask Anet to implement this?
Do I need to buy me a stock of fire extinguishers?

Awakener · Jan 26, 2008, 10:04 AM // 10:04

Yes I'd use it.
It would be handy in the case of account thefts.
And It would be a good idea for Anet to implement some type of system as such to help protect their customers.

RTSFirebat · Jan 26, 2008, 10:06 AM // 10:06

Please moved to suggestions forum, but cool idea nevertheless.

Dronte · Jan 26, 2008, 10:07 AM // 10:07

It should be in Sardelac.
edit: ops too late

Btw, I've never had a problem with character deleting, if you dont want to delete it, just dont do it ^^. But probably would help for a few ppl.

Scary Raebbit · Jan 26, 2008, 10:07 AM // 10:07

I think 3 months instead of six, or having to type out some extremely long confirmation would be better.

Spider Pig · Jan 26, 2008, 10:08 AM // 10:08

/signed

It will be great to have an option of locking your favorite characters.

I think we should have an option of choosing how many time will the lock last, because 6 months seems like too much.

vodka · Jan 26, 2008, 10:09 AM // 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by RTSFirebat

Please moved to suggestions forum, but cool idea nevertheless.

I was asked by a friend to post this idea here on GWGuru, but I didn't look carefully where.
I am sorry I posted in the wrong forum section.
Thanks for moving it into the proper section.

_______________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scary Raebbit

I think 3 months instead of six, or having to type out some extremely long confirmation would be better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spider Pig

I think we should have an option of choosing how many time will the lock last, because 6 months seems like too much.

I agree with you, I just said 6 months to say a timeframe for the example, I didn't think about additional options to keep the suggestion the most simple it could be, but if Arenanet Developers feel the need to add this feature, and with it the options to choose the timeframe, it would be really great.

MarxF · Jan 26, 2008, 10:10 AM // 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scary Raebbit

I think 3 months instead of six, or having to type out some extremely long confirmation would be better.

Confirmation via e-mail sounds better.

MisterB · Jan 26, 2008, 10:10 AM // 10:10

I saw this idea suggested yesterday, but I still think it's a good one. I like it.
Other thread
That thread got "locked," perhaps this one will gain some attention.

Prof Of Black · Jan 26, 2008, 10:11 AM // 10:11

Good idea, but 6 months is too long imo, you should be able to choose an amount of days manually.

~Prof.

Sethellington · Jan 26, 2008, 10:11 AM // 10:11

yeah i think i'd use it. I'd never delete my main so it'd be good to have just in case!

vodka · Jan 26, 2008, 10:17 AM // 10:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterB

I saw this idea suggested yesterday, but I still think it's a good one. I like it.
Other thread
That thread got "locked," perhaps this one will gain some attention.

That is my friend that asked me to post this suggestion.

**cosyfiep** · Jan 26, 2008, 10:18 AM // 10:18

an idea that is well past its time to be implemented (should have been done looooooonnng time ago)!

/signed!

I Will Heal You Ally · Jan 26, 2008, 10:30 AM // 10:30

/signed I like the idea

Jay Em · Jan 26, 2008, 10:45 AM // 10:45

/signed
I would definetely use it even if the time was 100 years.

Mangione · Jan 26, 2008, 11:38 AM // 11:38

I think it would be a great feature.
From the explanation of vodka it seems stuff preatty easy to put into the game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterB

I saw this idea suggested yesterday, but I still think it's a good one. I like it.
Other thread
That thread got "locked," perhaps this one will gain some attention.

Thats my post

It was a thing vodka he told me some time ago, I just repeated that.
I insisted that was him to post all this on guru because he knows English better than me, can give coding ideas I wouldn't know where to start with, and because it was his idea.

About attention, I hope this will gain some, but:
does Anet ever looks in Sardelac, home of the wackiest ideas?

Shayne Hawke · Jan 26, 2008, 11:51 AM // 11:51

I would use this as a measure for myself to not accidentally delete one of my better characters, even though that isn't what this is about.

You seem to at least understand that locking characters shouldn't be to just put in your password and they're locked. If a person could get into their account, they could undo those locks in the same way.

/signed

Lykan · Jan 26, 2008, 12:14 PM // 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof Of Black

Good idea, but 6 months is too long imo, you should be able to choose an amount of days manually.

~Prof.

Ding ding we have a winner...
7/14/28days.. 3/6month etc etc... option would be great

/signed

TheLichMonky · Jan 26, 2008, 12:30 PM // 12:30

/not signed..

Just keep your account safe -_-

willypiggy · Jan 26, 2008, 01:31 PM // 13:31

Would be cool, there could also be a method so that if the user's account details are changed they have to wait 15-30 days to delete a character...