Regarding Name Changes (fao crystal & platinum members)

The battle server is always in need of activity from forum users so having this special rank might encourage some activity. For those wondering it is this ★ symbol and is typically bought for BP. As already stated it has no power and you are only able to use ! commands, but would put your username right under staff at the top and give you a cute little name. Wolf might be able to code in "Crystal Tier Supporter" or "Platinum Tier Supporter" to appear on your server profile as well(thought I would have to ask and see).

My activity had been quite on-and-off lately but I think this suggestion may actually help encourage more users to come, and given that black star never really had any purpose as you said it could serve as a new special rank for the high-tiered supporters.

I'd say go for it, because even if the extra name change might be abolished due to abuse (I guess what Razor wanted was to put us on equal ground with the regular users and lower-tiered supporters in regards to name changes by making us wait at the same time as they do) it will at least still give us something unique in return.
 
(flying post, lack of detail so sorry about that - but I have been reading your replies so far and a lot of interesting ideas have come up)

I think the idea of a rank on the Battle Server is really cool. Anything aligning the server more with PC is good in my books. I would need to make any such decisions with wolf, Castform, Anti and Zeffy though so I can't comment much on its viability just now.
 
What I meant is that it isn't made by pokecommunity so we have limited control. I don't oppose the server getting some VIP perks but I was saying in response the removing username changes it would be a poor compromise. Like I suggested in the Skype chat, some sort of username related perk would be a fine replacement

That's a bit of a stretch for a counterargument, wouldn't you say? Steve didn't make vbulletin either, and if anything psim is more controllable because it's open source. It's also worth noting that there doesn't have to be just one replacement, and also that you're not necessarily entitled to any replacement anyway :x.
 
Now, I'm not a supporter of any tier myself so perhaps what I say doesn't matter a whole lot, but I do kinda agree that swapping the extra name change for this black star on the server is probably not the best course here. Yes, we want the battle server to be an integral part of the community, and I'm all for that, y'all see me there sometimes, but while a lot of supporters do visit the battle server, a lot of them also don't and probably won't ever have any interest in going to the battle server. And the black star is pretty much an aesthetic change (everyone can use ! commands, right?), which is something that I thought Alex didn't wanna do.

I do think that getting rid of the extra name change is something to do though, because does anyone really need FIVE username changes a year? Just as long as we come up with a good replacement perk.....not like I have any ideas lol
 
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God offending battle server is worse then offending feminists. You win, i surrender
haha, all i have to say is that if you are going to deliberately call out a particular facet of the community, be prepared to face the heat when the people associated with that particular facet read what you say.

anyway, something that came to mind when someone said postbit customization was just being able to... set a background for your postbit, or at least some portion of it. idk, audy was playing around with something like that once and it seemed really neat.
 
I didn't mean to call out a specific group so I deleted that post, I was more referring to my own personal experiences, but I do see how others can easily take it that way
 
There's an ongoing discussion re: supporter rank on the server. It's unlikely that the additional name change will be returning.
 
It's unlikely that the additional name change will be returning.

As I expected, the theory I came up of us getting treated the same as regular users and lower-tiered supporters regarding name changes (in that we have to wait at the same time as they do) is going to be nothing but true. It will be interesting to see what feature replaces it, but at least the special rank on the Battle Server is being considered.
 
The main issue if we get like nothing in trade for extra name change abolishment would mean we won't have much difference from Gold Tier other than customizable usertitles and bigger profile pics. The reason behind this is because we still need every tier to be drastically different from each other and to not have much difference from another tier would be kinda boring.
 
Or, those supporters who actually can visit the battle server get a fancy rank (however insignificant it may sound) and it may, even just by a little, enhance their experience there as the battle server and the forums are drawn a bit closer, as there's incentive in visiting the battle server for the supporters, and if that doesn't sound like your thing, then you don't have to take advantage of it, much like you don't have to take advantage of 99% of the other optional perks we have.

I really don't mean to be demeaning or anything, but I really hate seeing people putting the idea of a rank on the battle server down when they don't have anything themselves to suggest as a possible alternative.

I haven't suggested an alternative because I don't believe there should be an alternative.
 
Honestly I'm just opposed entirely to the idea of sacrificing the extra name change for something else.

There are a number of things you could do to mitigate the load that puts on the team; such as having a 4th name change period held here in the VIP forum instead of having it be whenever the user wants. At least then it'd be fair enough to lock people into the normal cycle of name changes.

Secondly, I don't see how a forum perk is equal to a battle server perk. It isn't in my opinion and I don't think this should be a thing. I wish I had noticed this earlier so I could raise more of a noisy objection to this; I feel like there should be a forum equivalent privilege gain, if only for the people who choose not to go to the battle server.

I'm not opposed to the battle server perk; if the battle server staff want to do this independently for supporters, but I feel like it's not an equal exchange.
 
There are a number of things you could do to mitigate the load that puts on the team; such as having a 4th name change period held here in the VIP forum instead of having it be whenever the user wants. At least then it'd be fair enough to lock people into the normal cycle of name changes.

You know, I didn't think of this sooner. If Razor still wants us to be locked into the same normal cycle of name changes as lower-tiered and non-supporters then we could still have an extra name change, but it can only be available at a specific time and that means we all can't choose when to do a name change willy-nilly but still have the perk.

Secondly, I don't see how a forum perk is equal to a battle server perk. It isn't in my opinion and I don't think this should be a thing. I wish I had noticed this earlier so I could raise more of a noisy objection to this; I feel like there should be a forum equivalent privilege gain, if only for the people who choose not to go to the battle server.

While this may have benefits, I can start to see the flaws as well since we have loads of supporters who don't dedicate time to the Showdown server. For the higher-ups currently discussing the possible replacement perks, they do also have to consider those who aren't active on the server just as much as those who are active.

I'm not opposed to the battle server perk; if the battle server staff want to do this independently for supporters, but I feel like it's not an equal exchange.

We could still have this special rank as a perk, just for something as an addition onto the other possible replacement perk being considered by higher staff.
 
After reading all of this, it appears the special battle server rank's flaws outweigh the benefits. I guess the side who doesn't visit the server is winning the war here...
 
Yes but you can't deny that if you were promised to get something, even if you'd have given for free, then you don't actually get it it kinda sucks.

Anyway, I'm opposed to Battle Server perks in exchange for the extra name change. For clarification I wouldn't use that name change anyway, most likely, and it makes no difference to me if it stays or goes. But if it does go, then I would want some perk of equal value in return. To me, as Melody said earlier, a small perk on the battle server is in no way equivalent to a perk here on the forums. Especially for those who don't even go on the battle server; like myself. I don't go on there, at all, and to be given a perk there to make myself look special isn't really what I'd call fair.

I also understand some of the problems with giving higher-level supporters inside access to beta features of PokéCommunity, and I don't think that should be a perk given to Crystal tiers, simply because of the sheer number of crystal tiers. Plat tiers maybe, since there are what? Seven or eight of us (not sure on numbers) that I actually see posting around. But we want a perk for both Crystal tiers and Plat tiers, so in my opinion that too is a no go.

What I do really like the idea of is giving Crystal and Plat tiers a small bit of customisability across PC, as Team Fail earlier suggested. I particularly like the floating widget he created, and would love to see that implemented. If it was an option for Crystal tiers and Plat tiers only, then it's something practical, that also looks quite nice. Perhaps if there were a few more bits added to it, for example saved threads where you can save perhaps three threads you visit often to keep up to date with them easily.

In my opinion, a perk shouldn't be something necessarily visible to all users to "show off" because they can already see your userbar that tells them exactly what supporter level you are. Creating something that pushes that in their face, like customisable post bits would be going a bit too far, and risks turning PC into more of a paid service rather than a free forum. There has to be a balance between what everyone can see, and what others can see with regards to perks, so something big and flashy shouldn't be considered unless you want to push all of the regular users away, or force them to pay up. Donations to PC shouldn't be because you want the stuff supporter tiers give you, it should be because you want to support the site.

Lastly, in response to Hikari, there is no war, we are simply discussing the pros and cons of the suggestions for the replacement (if any) of extra name changes. Replacing it with something on the Battle Server is like taking away toys from a group of children, and giving them all to one. Hardly fair, is it?
 
Truly I don't care about the removal of the extra name change. Having the public thread come around thrice a year will suffice most people and anything more than that could get a bit excessive, in my opinion.

About the battle server rank though….why? I don't quite understand the point of implementing a rank that only a small portion of us would actually utilize. The majority of the Crystal/Platinum tier supporters don't even visit the server and I am a firm believer that some special rank wouldn't change that. As others have said, a battle server perk wouldn't be an equal replacement for a forum perk anyways. I don't really have any (good) ideas for a replacement, and I'm on the fence about even something else. I feel like we have enough as is.
 
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