SWTOR Server Merges - Character Renames - Who Is At Risk? Who Is Safe?

If more than one player have the same character name, that name could be at risk of being lost. The way SWTOR prioritises it is as such: Subscribers have priority, then Preferred (ex-subs), and last Free-to-Play players. Then, they look at stats, the most times in game on that character, so the most played characters are safer than the least played characters, plus the higher level character is safer than a lower level character.

So the servers merged, but are still offline at the moment. Bioware is still fixing some issues found when they launched the European servers.

So let's analyse MY characters and assess which ones are safe or at risk. Then I'll be able to compare and see which ones needed a new name. I am a non-recurring subscriber and I only log in when I am subbed.

First off, let's look at my Mains:

• Rosiet - Main Main and Republic Main, name might be used, but I play on her all the time and she is lvl 70 (max lvl)
• Shadiesse - Imperial Main, probably safe, not a common name, she is between 65 and 70.
• Alagos - Male Main, rare name, lvl 70, not too often played, but with that name, I'm sure he's safe.
• Medeusa - Dark Side Main, less played, spelling different than normal spelling of that name though, so he might be safe, but might also be at risk.

Okay, now onto the my girls:

• Eidahs - Unique name, my alter ego's name, lvl 65, not played often, but chances are she's safe.
• Daenerys - I KNOW she's not safe. I don't play her enough anymore, She's lvl 65, or lower, but above 60, and I have A LOT of special characters in her name.
• Kalros - She might be at risk, I'm nto the only one with that name, but maybe, just maybe, the other Kalros is not a sub. I could add in some special characters to keep the same name.
• Hawke - She is totally UNsafe. Probably the most unsafe after Daenerys. Already has 2 special characters in her name, unless the special characters I used make her unique, but I won't hold my breath. Barely above lvl 60.
• Isabella - same thing here, same lvl as Hawke, but again, the special characters I use might actually save her, who knows, totally underplayed character.
• Tiamat - might be unsafe, had to use special characters in the name, but I could use other special characters and get the same name if required, she was an insta 60 character.

Oh, and by the way, I mention these characters as they are in each image, from left to right.

Now onto the boys:

• Brenum - unique name, seldom played but more often than some of my girls. Named after a character in one of my stories. Probably safe.
• Shayder - I'm sure he's safe. Just hit lvl 68, I've been playing a lot with him recently and his name is not common either, plus I spelled it purposely so that he'd be unique. Most my guys were created after the girls, so I switched up my themes and backstories when creating them.
• Desmond - The name is common so he could be at risk. I play with him from time to time (that sounds funny), barely lvl 60 though, so who knows. Time for more special characters.
• Shadereth - Another unique name, another bro of Shadiesse, bro to Shayder, all in the same family. I'm sure he's fine, even if he's lvl 30 something or 40 something only.
• Killian - I know someone else has this name because I had to choose special characters, but maybe that will save this character. He's a lower lvl too, so I won't be surprised if he's flagged as requiring a name change when I log in later.
• Shadowlynx - A more recent character I created during an event, got up to 50, he might be 55 now. Unique name, so I doubt anyone else has it on another server that will be merging in with mine.
• Ravas'din - Unique name, I know I'm the only one with it, so I have no worries, even if he's in the 20s for his lvl.

So now I wait and see when I log in who need a name change. I will prioritise special characters, of course, and give priority to some Mains and such, but I'm sure my Mains are safe.

The servers merging with mine are smaller in population. If I was able to have these names on one of the most populated servers in North America (The Ebon Hawk), then I'm sure there aren't many people with that same name on another server. most of my unsafe characters I had to use special characters when I created them because the normal versions or other special characters were taken. One specials character, versus 3 special characters, the person with 3 is pretty much guaranteed to be more unique than the person with only 1 special character. So if anyone on the other merging servers have for example Hawke, it might be written normally. Mine is written Hâwké. I'll just have to wait and see.

However, this assessment allows me to determine who might be safe and I have been cycling through everyone daily for the past few days and frequently cycling through everyone for the past month, so fingers crossed, I won't have many characters with renaming required.

I've already decided to try the special characters first. There is no way I am changing the names itself. I'm keeping them, the question is, will there be double of triple letters at the end or what special characters will the have this time.

I hope any of you other SWTOR players have prepared yourselves for this major change. The character name thing is the biggest and most "worrisome" aspect of the merge. I'm not worried about data, Legacy, or anything else for that matter. The names are my only concern, and perhaps it's because I've created so much backstory and fan-fiction around so many of these characters.

Anyway, I'll see you all on the other side of the merge!