Turbine expects their customers to pay for Turbines mistakesFollow

What do I mean with this bold statement? Turbines Character Naming Policy for Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) (http://support.turbine.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=37&) states, among other things, that no player character my share a name with an in-game NPC. This is fine at first glance. Problems arise however, when Turbine introduces new NPCs – they never check if those names are already used by player characters. A reoccurring theme therefore, is that people with well researched, lore appropriate names, who have been playing that character for months or years and made “a name for themselves” suddenly have their name requisitioned by turbine.

The immediate result of this is that the character in question is accused of a Naming Policy violation (which, btw, is automatically threatening with bans and other account action, even if I have never heard of a case like this actually resulting in a ban) and the “offending” player character gets renamed with a generic fantasy name from the random name generator. Results can be as nice, fitting and lore-appropriate as “Lakgorbor” as name for a hobbit. If you picture that name should belong to an orc-chief… well, Turbine disagrees. This renaming to a randomly generated name happens without talking to the player at all – even if the player is online, on that very character, in the moment of renaming.

Obviously these events are more likely to hit players with Tolkien styled names rather than the various “IgankOrcs” running around. And it’s those players who are well invested in their names, who find it difficult to “live” with a name from the random generator. However, adding insult to injury, Turbine does not even offer affected players a free character rename to an appropriate name. Instead customers who effectively have their names “stolen” by Turbine are referred to the LotRO store, where they can buy a rename for 995 Turbine points (close to 10 dollar/euro)

So effectively, Turbine expects their customers to pay for mistakes / oversight from Turbine.

This, in my opinion, is a very underhanded business practice

Well, depends on the name. I could see someone choosing a plant or flower (Aspen, Marigold) or other common-word style thing (Cliff, River, Ironfist, Blaze, Birdsong) and it getting used as an NPC name. Or someone basing their name off the Tolkien languages. I also disagree with "All MMOs have this policy" -- I know City of Heroes had PCs with grandfathered in NPC names and I believe Everquest did as well. They'd block new players from selecting the name but let the existing names stand.

I'll admit the chances are very small but, when it happens, it happens and the developers should have a better plan for it than "sucks to be you".

That's true. I have no real stake in this or care what Turbine does since I don't play LotRO. I was just saying that not all MMOs have a "too bad, so sad" policy when it comes up.

They really should at least allow a free name change. I cannot see any valid argument against that since the player is not breaking any rule until Turbine changes things by introducing the player's name as an NPC name.

I read the LotR trilogy in college in the '70s and fell head over heals in love with it. I read it again, and again, and again - I've lost count how many times (I do that with books I like, there is unquestionably something wrong with me - Shogun, seven times). So LotRO was a natural for me and I played it on and off since beta. But I walked away from it six months or so ago because of the pure mercenary attitude Turbine developed after it was purchased by WB, coupled with horrible (I'm being generous) customer service. It was not unusual to have a ticket simply closed without notice.

I fully understand that a game must be profitable to continue growing, and even to remain alive. I also understand the dichotomy between players investing time for something and other players investing money for the same thing because they don't have the time to spend. However, when certain things became available through the store only, that crossed the line for me. Turbine made promises to their loyal fans of LotRO at the outset of Free to Play that such would never happen.

Unfortunately for the OP, his only recourse is no recourse at all, but he can post his frustration and hope for some sympathy.

Not all mmorpg do this. My iksar monk on Everquest named Lodizal disagrees. Honestly in a situation like this the player should be allowed to petition and get a free namechange. I know it can't take that much effort for any MMORPG to actually change somebodies name.