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Real ID
Topic Started: Jul 7 2010, 05:01 PM (376 Views)
Telosan
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The Foremost Intellectual Badass
When Blizzard launched Battle.net, they linked the player bases of all their games. This was a mandatory thing since everyone's account for any Blizzard game would be converted to a Battle.net account. Through this, you would be able to communicated with your friend who was playing StarCraft, while you were playing WoW. It was a great idea.

Now, Blizzard has announced Real ID. In this post, Blizzard has explained how it will work.
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The first and most significant change is that in the near future, anyone posting or replying to a post on official Blizzard forums will be doing so using their Real ID -- that is, their real-life first and last name -- with the option to also display the name of their primary in-game character alongside it.
Wait, so now everyone, including those vicious trolls, have unfettered access to your real life name? What the fuck is Blizzard thinking? Apparently, this.
Quote:
 
The official forums have always been a great place to discuss the latest info on our games, offer ideas and suggestions, and share experiences with other players -- however, the forums have also earned a reputation as a place where flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness run wild. Removing the veil of anonymity typical to online dialogue will contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations, and connect the Blizzard community in ways they haven’t been connected before.
How will that improve anything? Various incidents in the past have shown the dangers of real names being leaked to the public. This blog post provides an example. And then there's a NY Daily News article that gives another example.
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Back in the start of World of Warcraft, several years ago, I knew a guy who knew a guy. He was a forum warrior of sorts. He posted inflammatory stuff all day and night. One day, a group of people decided to reign him in and right the wrongs he’d besieged the community with. Long hours spent with search engines occurred and eventually a real life name was found. A few weeks later, a bouquet of roses and a dildo was sent to his door in care of his mother.
With the tables turned, the forum warrior was discovered to be just a helpless boy. He didn’t have an actual shield or sword like the name forum warrior implied. And his mother wasn’t very happy about the whole situation. The troll became trolled–and the realm of the internet carried over somewhat viciously into the real world.
Okay, so Blizzard somehow thinks that removing the internet's sacred anonymity will help? If anything, it'll save these lunatics time since they'll no longer have to spend so much time searching for who that one poster or player is since their name is ever so kindly provided by the boys at BlizzHQ.

Blizzard isn't even looking after it's employees!
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With this change, you’ll see blue posters (i.e. Blizzard employees) posting by their real first and last names on our forums as well.
What?! They somehow want the employees to moderate this clusterfuck while having to endure the same problems as the posters they're trying to assist?

The blog I mentioned earlier goes on to point out other problems as well.
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Women might find it harsher with new avenues of harassment opened. Transgendered people could be inadvertently outted when someone sees Sally, the friendly Paladin chick, posting under the name Steve. Someone could have a distinctive name and be disregarded solely because their name sounded like a person of a certain background, race, religion, or otherwise.
The internet is well known for its blatant, barely kept-in-check racism and sexual harassment.

Oh, and that's not all! Facebook has managed to make it's influence known everywhere. Certain posts and threads can now be "liked" on these forums. There's also the "friends of friends" thing, as the FAQ points out.
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Similar to other social-networking platforms, when you click on one of your Real ID friends, you will be able to see the names of his or her other Real ID friends, even if you are not Real ID friends with those players yourself. If you happen to know someone on that list, you will be able to quickly send a Real ID friend request to that player. This feature is designed to make it easy to populate your Real ID friends list with people you might enjoy playing with.

So what are your thoughts?
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Menhad
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ET2(IDW)
Blizzard wants to rule the world....
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

Anonymity does tend to put people on bad behavior, generally speaking, but I'm not sure this is a good idea. I'll have to think about this more.

By the way, Telo, its weird seeing you talk about "When Blizzard launched Battle.net". How old were you? Like 4 or 5? Or maybe I misunderstood and you weren't saying you were playing on it then...
Edited by Rhadamanthus, Jul 7 2010, 06:16 PM.
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Telosan
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The Foremost Intellectual Badass
How long was Battle.net around? 2 years ago Blizzard told all WoW players that a Battle.net account was interchangeable with a WoW account. Last year, they said everyone had to convert their WoW account to a Battle.net account. That's what I was referring to. I didn't know it existed before that.
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

Telosan
Jul 7 2010, 06:20 PM
How long was Battle.net around? 2 years ago Blizzard told all WoW players that a Battle.net account was interchangeable with a WoW account. Last year, they said everyone had to convert their WoW account to a Battle.net account. That's what I was referring to. I didn't know it existed before that.
I could play Diablo on Battle.net as a teenager in 1997 or 1998.
Edited by Rhadamanthus, Jul 7 2010, 06:21 PM.
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Sedulius
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Field Marshal
I've never cared for Blizzard. I think it's silly how much people like their games. They kinda sucked. I did a playthrough of the Diablo games and they were okay. I can see why people liked Starcraft, though I seriously cannot get into it. Warcraft is just gay. WoW is even gayer.

So Blizzard can just suck it.
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

Sedulius
Jul 7 2010, 06:39 PM
I've never cared for Blizzard. I think it's silly how much people like their games. They kinda sucked. I did a playthrough of the Diablo games and they were okay. I can see why people liked Starcraft, though I seriously cannot get into it. Warcraft is just gay. WoW is even gayer.

So Blizzard can just suck it.
Honestly, its just that you are wrong. The Diablo games, Starcraft, and Warcraft games were among the best in their genres. This is an objective fact.
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Aelius
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Norman Warlord
Rhadamanthus
Jul 7 2010, 06:43 PM
Sedulius
Jul 7 2010, 06:39 PM
I've never cared for Blizzard. I think it's silly how much people like their games. They kinda sucked. I did a playthrough of the Diablo games and they were okay. I can see why people liked Starcraft, though I seriously cannot get into it. Warcraft is just gay. WoW is even gayer.

So Blizzard can just suck it.
Honestly, its just that you are wrong. The Diablo games, Starcraft, and Warcraft games were among the best in their genres. This is an objective fact.
This. Well, except for WoW. Old Republic will force choke it to death.
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Rhadamanthus
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Lansdallius
Jul 7 2010, 06:52 PM
Rhadamanthus
Jul 7 2010, 06:43 PM
Sedulius
Jul 7 2010, 06:39 PM
I've never cared for Blizzard. I think it's silly how much people like their games. They kinda sucked. I did a playthrough of the Diablo games and they were okay. I can see why people liked Starcraft, though I seriously cannot get into it. Warcraft is just gay. WoW is even gayer.

So Blizzard can just suck it.
Honestly, its just that you are wrong. The Diablo games, Starcraft, and Warcraft games were among the best in their genres. This is an objective fact.
This. Well, except for WoW. Old Republic will force choke it to death.
Oh, I didn't mean to include WoW. It held no interest for me.
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Sedulius
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Field Marshal
Rhadamanthus
Jul 7 2010, 06:43 PM
Sedulius
Jul 7 2010, 06:39 PM
I've never cared for Blizzard. I think it's silly how much people like their games. They kinda sucked. I did a playthrough of the Diablo games and they were okay. I can see why people liked Starcraft, though I seriously cannot get into it. Warcraft is just gay. WoW is even gayer.

So Blizzard can just suck it.
Honestly, its just that you are wrong. The Diablo games, Starcraft, and Warcraft games were among the best in their genres. This is an objective fact.
I prefer Bethesda and Bioware RPGs fully to Diablo. Mount& Blade is simply awesome. I prefer the original Command & Conquer and Red Alert, as well as C&C 3, entirely over Starcraft. Warcraft is just gay to me. Age of Empires II was way better, and now that we have the Total War series, most strategic and tactical games can say bye-bye when it comes to me. MMO wise, I will never, ever play WoW. I'll hold out for The Old Republic as far as those go. In general, I don't really like MMOs.

To me, a game has to be a mix of fun and realism. I absolutely cannot stand the artistic style of Blizzard games, while the other games above, I love their style.

But, to each their own.

EDIT: Let me summarize. Nothing in a Blizzard game is cooler than a historically accurate Ritterbruder or Gothic Knight, and Starcraft can't compare to the awesomeness of Star Wars.
Edited by Sedulius, Jul 7 2010, 06:58 PM.
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

You're free to be wrong, of course. To each his own. ^^

In any case, let's get back on topic, since Telo's topic is an interesting one.
http://us.battle.net/realid/
"Real ID is a completely voluntary and optional level of identity that keeps players connected across all of Battle.net."

Anyone know if that is true? If it is voluntary and optional, then no problem, right?
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Aelius
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Norman Warlord
Sedulius
Jul 7 2010, 06:56 PM
Rhadamanthus
Jul 7 2010, 06:43 PM
Sedulius
Jul 7 2010, 06:39 PM
I've never cared for Blizzard. I think it's silly how much people like their games. They kinda sucked. I did a playthrough of the Diablo games and they were okay. I can see why people liked Starcraft, though I seriously cannot get into it. Warcraft is just gay. WoW is even gayer.

So Blizzard can just suck it.
Honestly, its just that you are wrong. The Diablo games, Starcraft, and Warcraft games were among the best in their genres. This is an objective fact.
I prefer Bethesda and Bioware RPGs fully to Diablo. Mount& Blade is simply awesome. I prefer the original Command & Conquer and Red Alert, as well as C&C 3, entirely over Starcraft. Warcraft is just gay to me. Age of Empires II was way better, and now that we have the Total War series, most strategic and tactical games can say bye-bye when it comes to me. MMO wise, I will never, ever play WoW. I'll hold out for The Old Republic as far as those go. In general, I don't really like MMOs.

To me, a game has to be a mix of fun and realism. I absolutely cannot stand the artistic style of Blizzard games, while the other games above, I love their style.

But, to each their own.

EDIT: Let me summarize. Nothing in a Blizzard game is cooler than a historically accurate Ritterbruder or Gothic Knight, and Starcraft can't compare to the awesomeness of Star Wars.
I'll give you BioWare over Diablo. Keep in mind, the original Diablo came out in '97, predating all BioWare and most of the Elder Scrolls series. Really, a lot of these games have borrowed some aspects that Blizzard has and built on them. If Blizzard had been doing something besides pushing WoW the last five years, maybe they would have kept pace. We'll have to see how the new games are.
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Telosan
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The Foremost Intellectual Badass
Rhadamanthus
Jul 7 2010, 07:01 PM
You're free to be wrong, of course. To each his own. ^^

In any case, let's get back on topic, since Telo's topic is an interesting one.
http://us.battle.net/realid/
"Real ID is a completely voluntary and optional level of identity that keeps players connected across all of Battle.net."

Anyone know if that is true? If it is voluntary and optional, then no problem, right?
Quote:
 
The first and most significant change is that in the near future, anyone posting or replying to a post on official Blizzard forums will be doing so using their Real ID -- that is, their real-life first and last name -- with the option to also display the name of their primary in-game character alongside it.
Second paragraph, first line. The forums are forcing you to use it, but not the games... for now, anyway. That's bad. Trolling will be horrible. Instead of just arguing back, you can not post anything in reply and do something more terrifying IRL.

This is also concerning, from the FAQ.

Quote:
 
You will also be able to see the first and last name of your Real ID friends and their Real ID friends.
So say my friend, who I know IRL, becomes a friend of that guy he hung out with online the night before. That person now has access to my full name, as well as everyone else on his friend list.
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Rhadamanthus
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Telosan
Jul 7 2010, 07:50 PM
The forums are forcing you to use it, but not the games... for now, anyway. That's bad. Trolling will be horrible. Instead of just arguing back, you can not post anything in reply and do something more terrifying IRL.
Ok. A couple things:

1. Isn't it harder to just troll when people can hold you accountable and it reflects on you in real life?

2. Never used Blizzard's forums and probably won't. As long as I don't have to get this Real ID to play Starcraft 2, I don't care. That game is coming out around the bar exam, and I want to play it after I'm done with the exam, while I'm looking for a job.
Edited by Rhadamanthus, Jul 7 2010, 07:53 PM.
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Quaon
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A Prince Amoung Men-Shoot First and Ask Questions Later
From looking up shit for political jobs - give me a name that is not Bob Smith and a vague geographical area and I will have the name within five minutes, unless the person has taken proactive steps not to be listed online.
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Deleted User
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Quaon
Jul 7 2010, 08:14 PM
From looking up shit for political jobs - give me a name that is not Bob Smith and a vague geographical area and I will have the name within five minutes, unless the person has taken proactive steps not to be listed online.
Find me.

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Quaon
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A Prince Amoung Men-Shoot First and Ask Questions Later
I don't know your name. Also, you're a minor, so that task would be much harder, as you don't own your own house and don't have a steady job.
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

What is Blizzard's motivation with regard to this whole real name thing?
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Al Araam
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Demigod of Death & Inactivity

Anyone else think it's bizarre that a male playing a female character is considered "transgender"? It's just a picture on a computer screen. It has no bearing on what gender they actually identify with whatsoever. In games with somewhat realistic physics, a lot of my friends choose to play as female characters rather than male because they prefer to admire that particular character model for the 50+ hours they'll be playing the game. Furthermore, I know of several players in EVE who are represented by female avatars. Given that they use the voice functionality and have voices which are clearly deep and male, I don't see that there's any reality behind the "OMG what about the transgenders" hysterics. They're grasping at straws in an obvious way and it undermines the otherwise somewhat serious content of the post.
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

Al Araam
Jul 7 2010, 08:54 PM
Anyone else think it's bizarre that a male playing a female character is considered "transgender"? It's just a picture on a computer screen. It has no bearing on what gender they actually identify with whatsoever. In games with somewhat realistic physics, a lot of my friends choose to play as female characters rather than male because they prefer to admire that particular character model for the 50+ hours they'll be playing the game. Furthermore, I know of several players in EVE who are represented by female avatars. Given that they use the voice functionality and have voices which are clearly deep and male, I don't see that there's any reality behind the "OMG what about the transgenders" hysterics. They're grasping at straws in an obvious way and it undermines the otherwise somewhat serious content of the post.
I think in most games it's taken for granted that a large portion of the female characters are played by males.
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Al Araam
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Demigod of Death & Inactivity

Rhadamanthus
Jul 7 2010, 08:58 PM
Al Araam
Jul 7 2010, 08:54 PM
Anyone else think it's bizarre that a male playing a female character is considered "transgender"? It's just a picture on a computer screen. It has no bearing on what gender they actually identify with whatsoever. In games with somewhat realistic physics, a lot of my friends choose to play as female characters rather than male because they prefer to admire that particular character model for the 50+ hours they'll be playing the game. Furthermore, I know of several players in EVE who are represented by female avatars. Given that they use the voice functionality and have voices which are clearly deep and male, I don't see that there's any reality behind the "OMG what about the transgenders" hysterics. They're grasping at straws in an obvious way and it undermines the otherwise somewhat serious content of the post.
I think in most games it's taken for granted that a large portion of the female characters are played by males.
As do I. I don't think the people actually playing the female character expects to be mistaken for a female, as by and large the internets are devoid of those with two X chromosomes. Don't tell the author though or his dreams of internet dating through WoW will surely be crushed.
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

Al Araam
Jul 7 2010, 09:08 PM
Rhadamanthus
Jul 7 2010, 08:58 PM
Al Araam
Jul 7 2010, 08:54 PM
Anyone else think it's bizarre that a male playing a female character is considered "transgender"? It's just a picture on a computer screen. It has no bearing on what gender they actually identify with whatsoever. In games with somewhat realistic physics, a lot of my friends choose to play as female characters rather than male because they prefer to admire that particular character model for the 50+ hours they'll be playing the game. Furthermore, I know of several players in EVE who are represented by female avatars. Given that they use the voice functionality and have voices which are clearly deep and male, I don't see that there's any reality behind the "OMG what about the transgenders" hysterics. They're grasping at straws in an obvious way and it undermines the otherwise somewhat serious content of the post.
I think in most games it's taken for granted that a large portion of the female characters are played by males.
As do I. I don't think the people actually playing the female character expects to be mistaken for a female, as by and large the internets are devoid of those with two X chromosomes. Don't tell the author though or his dreams of internet dating through WoW will surely be crushed.
I agree generally speaking. Though, as I understand it, WoW actually did attract a substantial female fanbase. A friend even told me story about an acquaintance of his whose girlfriend abandoned him to marry someone she met on WoW.
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New Harumf
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
Quaon
Jul 7 2010, 08:25 PM
I don't know your name. Also, you're a minor, so that task would be much harder, as you don't own your own house and don't have a steady job.
OK, Quaon;

William Paxson, Midwest USA. Find me.

Also, Telo, you are right, this is bad. Ban the interwebs!
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Nag Ehgoeg
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The Devil's Advocate

The fact that people already look up other's real names with great success anyway... meh.
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Deleted User
Deleted User

I'm still waiting.
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