Does real world identity doesn't matter if/when City of Heroes comes back?

[Dev7on]

After City of Heroes was shut down on November 30, 2012 the community have drawn close together by using social media like Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch. Then, later on there's a site called "CoH Faces Behind the Mask!" where City of Heroes players revealed their real identity.

My question is if/when City of Heroes comes back is it "OK" to use your real name in the game even though some people know who you are in social media? For example, when we global friend someone it will show the @Globalname on your Global Friends list. If the players wants to get to know each other more personal they'll say "My name is ______" or someone will say "Hi I'm _____ from the Titan Network." We all know who Tony V is. I understand we have Paragon Chat but, I don't think that counts in my opinion.

[LateNights]

I am Batman...

I'd share my identity, but I'd rather keep it in game rather than share it on Facebook etc, because I keep Facebook strictly for family and I rarely post there myself...

On most servers I'm @The Ruined Mind

In fact that's my gaming email and Xbox gamer tag, if not that I'm LateNight or LateNights.

Although I only play WoW, Vainglory on iPad or Gta V and rarely Fable 2 on Xbox...

But no - my identity itself doesn't matter - however I'd still like to spare my family from hearing about CoH every other time they checked Facebook.

[Remaugen]

The wording of the thread title is very confusing.

As for player identity, the nature of the net is towards anonymity, if you choose to make your identity public, then when (not if), the crazies get personal (and sooner or later they do), you will have no safe refuge.

[Surelle]

After City of Heroes was shut down on November 30, 2012 the community have drawn close together by using social media like Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch. Then, later on there's a site called "CoH Faces Behind the Mask!" where City of Heroes players revealed their real identity.

My question is if/when City of Heroes comes back is it "OK" to use your real name in the game even though some people know who you are in social media? For example, when we global friend someone it will show the @Globalname on your Global Friends list. If the players wants to get to know each other more personal they'll say "My name is ______" or someone will say "Hi I'm _____ from the Titan Network." We all know who Tony V is. I understand we have Paragon Chat but, I don't think that counts in my opinion.

I wouldn't bother wasting much time thinking about this.  If someday there really is a CoH rez at some point you can decide what to do then.  (Although it's been 3 1/2 years now, during which time multiple groups tried to buy CoH unsuccessfully, between the original dev team, then Mercedes Lackey's Hail Mary group, then a couple years ago Nate Downes and some investors tried again.)  If NCSoft had even the slightest interest in rezzing CoH or leasing the IP for sequels, they'd have done it many years before now, let's face it. 

[Soul Resonance]

I wouldn't bother wasting much time thinking about this.  If someday there really is a CoH rez at some point you can decide what to do then.  (Although it's been 3 1/2 years now, during which time multiple groups tried to buy CoH unsuccessfully, between the original dev team, then Mercedes Lackey's Hail Mary group, then a couple years ago Nate Downes and some investors tried again.)  If NCSoft had even the slightest interest in rezzing CoH or leasing the IP for sequels, they'd have done it many years before now, let's face it.

Okay, and that's fine to have this pregotive(more power to you!! ). For others, I implore you to see the front page of New Efforts! Thread and read through the timeline for all your current infoz. .

Back on topic: Meh, I'm of the mindset that this community is waaay more mature than pretty much any other out there(my experiences being the basis for this assumption, ofc.). Feel free to post w/e in-game, just, as always with anything pretty much anywhere, be mindful

[Burnt Toast]

We get it; you think things have stopped in the negotiations... you're wrong. End of story.

I wouldn't bother wasting much time thinking about this.  If someday there really is a CoH rez at some point you can decide what to do then.  (Although it's been 3 1/2 years now, during which time multiple groups tried to buy CoH unsuccessfully, between the original dev team, then Mercedes Lackey's Hail Mary group, then a couple years ago Nate Downes and some investors tried again.)  If NCSoft had even the slightest interest in rezzing CoH or leasing the IP for sequels, they'd have done it many years before now, let's face it.

[Ironwolf]

I wouldn't bother wasting much time thinking about this.  If someday there really is a CoH rez at some point you can decide what to do then.  (Although it's been 3 1/2 years now, during which time multiple groups tried to buy CoH unsuccessfully, between the original dev team, then Mercedes Lackey's Hail Mary group, then a couple years ago Nate Downes and some investors tried again.)  If NCSoft had even the slightest interest in rezzing CoH or leasing the IP for sequels, they'd have done it many years before now, let's face it.

You have no information and so as humans do you fill it in as your personal leaning takes you. Some turn to despair, some turn to believing it was all a hoax. Others will fill the vacuum believing in the best.

I know people are still working to get the game. How long will it take? I don't know, but I do know they will not throw all the time invested to just violate an NDA to give us an update.

[saipaman]

To a large extent, I feel exactly opposite.

As long as you can get someone to listen, the odds should go up as the amount of time goes by.  The emotional investment in the situation should depreciate with time.

[Angel Phoenix77]

You have no information and so as humans do you fill it in as your personal leaning takes you. Some turn to despair, some turn to believing it was all a hoax. Others will fill the vacuum believing in the best.

I know people are still working to get the game. How long will it take? I don't know, but I do know they will not throw all the time invested to just violate an NDA to give us an update.

BingoBingoBingo !!!! Drink bingo all the time. (sorry for the Secret World Reference ) You nailed it Wolf as always, while I like others would like some new news, I can understand that 3+ years should not be wasted due to a break in the NDA. I personally believe we will be flying once more at some point, just not at the moment. another way of thinking about this, all the enemy groups have to major recruiting due to all of the MIA's we all caused both hero and villain; and this takes a long time.

[Victoria Victrix]

We get it; you think things have stopped in the negotiations... you're wrong. End of story.

I heart you.

[Mister Hassenpheffer]

The wording of the thread title is very confusing.

As for player identity, the nature of the net is towards anonymity, if you choose to make your identity public, then when (not if), the crazies get personal (and sooner or later they do), you will have no safe refuge.

Iv'e never had safe refuge. This is something I'm used to and have always lived with.

If there is such a thing as safe refuge, I am an illegal alien and thus not allowed there. There must be big signs out front.

A moving target for some crazies that don't have anything better to do. ho-hum.

I get attacked. Often. I kind of quit caring about the big scary evils out to get me because it got to the point, I can either live my life, or hide in the shadows and never shine.

Also; my secret identity was doomed ....slightly before the moment I got married.

For me... it goes with the territory.

[Surelle]

We get it; you think things have stopped in the negotiations... you're wrong. End of story.

You don't have to shrink your font down and hide it, lol.  However, if you take a peek at another thread in this forum, you will find that I am far from the only rational person who thinks the 3rd attempt to rez CoH/lease the IP has failed.  You're entitled to your opinion, like we are to ours.  *shrug*

As always, though, we are no worse off than we ever were, personally I am grateful to Nate and the team that tried (as well as to the previous teams who also tried), and we do still have Paragon Chat.     It's better than nothing.

[Waffles]

When it comes to an MMO, close friends know my name, if someone decides to spread it, I don't really give a damn.

[Harpospoke]

You don't have to shrink your font down and hide it, lol.  However, if you take a peek at another thread in this forum, you will find that I am far from the only rational person who thinks the 3rd attempt to rez CoH/lease the IP has failed.  You're entitled to your opinion, like we are to ours.  *shrug*

As always, though, we are no worse off than we ever were, personally I am grateful to Nate and the team that tried (as well as to the previous teams who also tried), and we do still have Paragon Chat.     It's better than nothing.

I guess there are two ways to look at it.   Pessimistic or optimistic.    I kinda think it doesn't hurt to be optimistic.   If you ultimately find out you were wrong, it hurts that one time.   If you are pessimistic, you avoid the one big hurt in favor of being in that negative state of mind for years.

And I know pessimistic and optimistic people in real life.   I think the pessimistic people take that route to "never be disappointed".   But optimistic people don't really work like that.....they are just happy all the time.  Any disappointment which comes their way is very temporary as they go right back to being optimistic about life in general.   I think I want to be on their team.

[Tahquitz]

When it comes to an MMO, close friends know my name, if someone decides to spread it, I don't really give a damn.

I'm not going to speak to the "Is City of Heroes coming back?" point.  It's a sore subject around here and I'm a babe in the woods.  I know nothing concerning any of the Plan Z projects (past what is on their websites, which you have just as much access to) or the "New Efforts" talks (which I'm not a party of... if I signed an NDA, I couldn't even say that much) so I'm out of my element in that regard.

But I'm with Waffles. I partook in the thread when the COH Boards were around, even threw in a grainy photo.  I'm not ever going to think that people will remember my real identity outside of a small handful who contact me more frequently than once per month.  The rest of you, well...  It's not hate, nor apathy, it's just the human attention span.  The City of Heroes community at a point was in the 100s of thousands to million (perhaps millions) level of membership.  Much like a real City, "here" is big enough for two people to be in close proximity for years (decades if NCSoft would have allowed it), maybe possible soulmates, potentially mutual nemeses, and yet never come into contact with each other based on probability alone.

If somebody knows my name, it doesn't matter.  They can search Google for goofy college photos someone posted of me back in the early 2000's that I can't take down now, but that's about all they'll find. 

Or they can find the wrong match of my name, and that's where things get entertaining.  They can learn I'm either a college student on a Football scholarship in Louisiana, a preacher who just got married in Texas, or (if you ignore my middle initial) a woman in Minnesota (My first name is apparently a unisex name, so that's fun) who recently is pursuing Wicca after leaving a Jehovah's Witness church 25 years into her life. 

All three of which is probably more interesting than my life currently is in any regard.

[TimtheEnchanter]

After seeing what has happened to a number of PvP'ers in multiple games who have let their IRL names be known, anonymity generally seems to be the best policy. Some people don't know how to keep the fighting limited to the battlefield.

[ukaserex]

Honestly, after years of being @ukase, I think people would get confused with my real name suddenly being known.

[Taceus Jiwede]

I am already using my real name. 

I am Mr. Jiwede.  Taceus Jiwede.

[ryuplaneswalker]

My given name is Shawn, but my real name is Ryu anyways so I prefer Ryu in real life and on the net.

[Goddangit]

Goddangit was an NPC I invented for the role-playing game Superworld.  He was one of a set of NPCs players could choose to take on their adventures for support.  When I decided to Keep It Simple and make a tank as my first CoH hero he seemed ideal.

In short, only a handful of people could possibly link my Real Life identity to this name.  And even if they did it's No Big Deal.  In summation, if they make the connection I don't care.

(P.S. I do come from an era that you DO NOT give out your correct name.)

[Vee]

My given name is Shawn, but my real name is Ryu anyways so I prefer Ryu in real life and on the net.

Which way do you go if there's a Shawn and a Ryu bathroom?

[Minotaur]

I've been to a number of RL meets and also post on CoH and other game FBs under my real name, so many people know who I am anyway.

[LaughingAlex]

Some people may have figured out my rl identity thanks to facebook, but i tend to keep that to a minimum because i do not wish trolls to attack my real life identity.  I am even considering a second alias specifically for the purpose of privacy if coh comes back.

[ryuplaneswalker]

Which way do you go if there's a Shawn and a Ryu bathroom?

Home because using public bathrooms are worse than being lost than Oranbrega.

[slickriptide]

When I google Slickriptide I come up with 3,860 results, and three of the "Images for Slickriptide" feature my actual face.

I'm pretty sure that anybody who was truly dedicated to finding out my "secret identity" would be able to do so without much trouble.

I normally don't advertise my real name and address and etc... just because it's not relevant. The only situation I can see where I might correlate the two things (Slickriptide and my offline identity) is drawing some connection between something on a forum or in a game, and something on a social media site like Facebook where the person might only know me by my everyday identity. For instance, one of the "Remember CoH" groups on Facebook, or my old supergroup on Facebook that still occasionally communicate with each other.

Otherwise, I don't see where "real world" identity really comes into things in reference to a game and its social environment. (Though, I would dearly love to know who Venture was and what he did for a living. I always pictured him as some sort of cynical English Lit professor.)

[Safehouse]

A bit late to this discussion, but in response to OP, I think this all comes down to personal preference. I'm a sporadic poster on here - come in and lurk multiple times a day, but only post occasionally. When I'm really missing the game, my presence is much more pronounced, and I'll post many times on a given day. In all the time I've been here, I've never shared my irl name.

Everyone here is very kind, and there are of course some well known posters here for whom I have respect that is akin to "rockstar idolization," but I have not personally been well known. That said, if I communicate with folks and make some good friends on this forum, I might SOMEDAY reveal my real name PRIVATELY.

Now, since the shutdown I have played two MMOs: Final Fantasy XIV and The Secret World. I currently play and love both, although TSW is more my style than FFXIV. In XIV, I have joined a Free Company (guild) and have made some close friends with whom I have bonded in real life as well as in-game. These people have been there for me and with me while I have suffered from depression, sudden deaths, illness, difficult living situations. They have also been there when I have finished my book, gotten engaged, found a new job, and new home. It was only after a long period of connection and bonding - over two years in this game - that I finally revealed my real name and some information about the "IRL Me." Even then, I only told that information privately to people who I trusted most.

That isn't to say that I "only share that information with people who are worthy." I am, quite simply, extremely guarded with my personal information. I'll be happy to share my struggles with mental disorder and excitement about my books, of course. However, sharing details about who I am and where I can be found I treat very differently.

As with many of these things YMMV. You're welcome to share as much or as little information as you are comfortable sharing, but I guard my "real identity" somewhat selfishly.

[Dev7on]

I can't believe this thread was just a speculation/theory but, now it's became reality. I've come to conclusion that it's up to the person. I've been seeing a lot of live streamers that plays the game so it doesn't really matter. 

[duane]

I am Starro. 

[Abraxus]

We'll see how it goes, though I'm not sure what is accomplished by taking off the mask, so to speak.  I typically play with a group of folks who know exactly who I am, and I interact with a lot more folks via forums, and Discord who I will likely never attain the comfort level to go any further than what appears in the chat windows.

[Taceus Jiwede]

I personally would always encourage caution on the internet.  Anonymity is a good thing, and while someone who REALLY wants to/knows how to could find out whatever they wanted about you already.  It is always smart to make it a little harder.

Now it probably wouldn't be an issue, considering there are plenty of streamers who play and you can find their real name in their profile.  But I always say why to risk it if you don't have to.  I can't think of any beneficial reason for using your real name so I would personally encourage caution.

[Korbian]

Sorry, I don't mean to be the grammar police but the title of this thread makes me writhe in discomfort.

On Topic:  If you have things you want to keep private, be anonymous.  If you don't care, then don't.  It's a personal preference, or I'm sure in some cases, a necessity, but still up to the individual.

I can't believe this thread was just a speculation/theory but, now it's became reality. I've come to conclusion that it's up to the person. I've been seeing a lot of live streamers that plays the game so it doesn't really matter. 

Yes, it's very cool that the game came back.  Did you ever doubt that it would?  I never had any doubt, personally.

[WanderingAries]

I'm not going to directly answer this, but here's how I've "lived" online for the entirety of my digital existence.

Even down to my email, I have a "RL/Business" type email and I have a "Gaming/Online Persona" type email. Now the point isn't to hide my identity so much as to actually allow me to be more open with my personality. IRL I have to hold back VERY much so because my personality can get quite out there, quite reserved, or simply confusing to most people. So Much so that it'll quite easily cause a distancing and/or separation between others and myself. So yes, this fragmentation makes its way to the digital realm.

Online this persona is intentionally gender neutral. Not because I'm part of the "community", but because the various aspects of my personality tends to cross boundaries that cause confusion and I HATE being misunderstood as it is. I've found in life that we have a habit of extending our (gender, ethnic, age, etc) templates onto those we interact with in order to satisfy that part of our minds that likes to classify someone. It's just an extension of our social selves to want to be grouped (even the introverted/hermits) only in reverse. My "self" is just too varied and I've found that when people know some of who I am (demographically) it can alter our interactions. Now I don't mind if somebody knows and I don't lie about it either. I just Be myself if that makes sense.

Steering back to the game, this is probably WHY I've enjoyed *coughs*altitis*coughs* the game so much. I can create an alt and push a part of my personality Into that build. Then through play/customization/etc I can Be myself. Granted, the concept is borderline multiple personality disorder, but damn it does help TBH. To be able to play And be myself at the same time and not have to worry about being thought of as a false presenter or the like. The game has also been a nice outlet for my general creativity...as loosely as that truly is applicable.

Hopefully this all came out as intended. My eyes have been extra messed up this week and it's a bit blurry.