Unique Pet Name Changes

July 26, 2020 7:18 pm

It's happening! This change is a massive shift over what we've done for the past 15 years and we know upfront that this change will make some people happy, and some people upset. We're making this change to preserve the future of Subeta, and to keep excitement for new users as high as for those of us who've been here for the last 15 years.

We've listened to feedback on this for years, and have looked at how other popular modern games handle unique names like this. We've come to a decision and are implementing it today.

The goal at the center of these changes is to give everyone on the site the freedom to be as creative as they'd like, and build characters around their pets without having to scour for the name you want for months - and to honor those who fought for names and waited months.

Pet Names

From this point forward pet names are no longer unique. That means, for example, there can be two pets named Spot on the site at the same time. You can build stories and characters around a name, without needing to add numbers or strange spellings. We're looking forward to seeing a burst of creativity!

Changes: The new URL structure for your pets looks like: https://subeta.net/pets/keith/AwesomePetName

And the sCode for linking to pets is: [pet not found] ...where "keith" is the username of the pet's owner, and AwesomePetName is the (hopefully awesome) pet name!

All of the links around the site have been updated to reflect this change.

Changing Pet Name

You can now change your pet name once per month with a gold account. That means one name change per pet, per month. We'll have a way for everyone to rename their pets soon!

Legacy Pet Names

To honor those who have spent time, effort and money in obtaining unique pet names up until now, every pet created on the site up until this news post now also has a legacy pet name that links them to their names prior to this update. The old URL structure and sCode will still work, and will link to the pet with that legacy name.

For example, if I owned AwesomePetName before this update, then https://subeta.net/pets/AwesomePetName here will still link to my pet AwesomePetName for the rest of time!

If I change my pets name to "TotallyAwesomePetname" the legacy name will continue to be AwesomePetName. This status will persist even if your pet is transferred to a new owner.

There is a line on the pet profile designating the legacy name, and this can be removed targeting the .legacy-name class with CSS. For example, the following CSS will hide it completely: .legacy-name { display: none; }

Other Changes

We will no longer be clearing old pet names - all old pets will retain those legacy names.

We will still be clearing usernames at the same time, as they continue to be unique. No pet names will be cleared.

[edit] There is a helpful user-made FAQ here which compiles information from various staff posts/comments: FAQ about Legacy Names/Non-Unique Pet Names

July 27, 2020, 4:41 pm by

I don't think anyone would like any of my pets names, maybe entomology and cranidos? xD Unless someone loves Impractical Jokers and wants one of those guys. IDC though. I;m lazy with pet profiles and if someone else wants the same name to make them a fancy profile, let them make it. But this is also awesome cause I can get my babies names. <3 My son Odin, and my kitty Peppermint (I can change Pepperment :D)!

July 27, 2020, 4:39 pm by

Dissapointed to see people berating those who are not happy about the change. There is nothing greedy or stupid about being proud of an achievment in a game, and for many that is what finding special pet names was about. Regardless, people are allowed to feel differently. I also see a lot of people arguing that there is no possible bad side to giving more options to people, and I disagree. There is a thing called choice overload that can actually make a game less fun and more stressful. People often think they want more choice when in reality it doesn't actually make people more satisfied with their eventual choice. There are studies on this! Imagine trying to pick a brand of ketchup at the store and there are 20+ options. You'd be paralyzed! After picking, you'd still be wondering if it was the right one. Finding a good untaken name allows for limited decisions, pressures creativity, and takes away the stress of thinking of the "perfect" name. For those thinking "well, that seems dramatic and I don't have this problem", the point is that many people do prefer less choice. So it's fair to be upset about the change! Lastly, the third reason people may be upset is that there was no warning or concensus. I'm happy for those who see this change as something positive and exciting, but I expect them to accept that others feel differently.

July 27, 2020, 4:12 pm by

This is the best news I've heard all week! Thank you so much!

July 27, 2020, 4:08 pm by

Pretty dope, happy thinkin' about all the possibilities for myself & other users with this update!

July 27, 2020, 3:42 pm by

I personally think that this is a great idea. I'm happy with the pet names that I have now and I don't mind if someone else wants to use one of them for their pet(s). You can still build a unique character, personality, story, and plot around the same name. A name isn't the only thing that should make your pets unique. :D

July 27, 2020, 3:26 pm by

bless whoever included the css for hiding the legacy names. always a step ahead of me lmao ♥

July 27, 2020, 3:26 pm by

Ohh! I think this is a good move. I have mixed feelings on it, but in the end each pet is still uniquely what each user makes it and that's a really great thing. Now maybe I can get rid of that random period that is messing with me on my food pet.

July 27, 2020, 3:24 pm by

There are some things I don't love about this, especially since I'd spent so much time waiting and trying to get good names... HOWEVER, if it keeps interest in the site up, then it is a wonderful thing. And I'm glad the site won't be filled with nonsense names (I hope!). The only thing I'll miss is looking up pets by name to see what people have done with those names, and adding those pets as friends when appropriate. The legacy name thing helps me feel a tiny bit better about investing time in getting good names.

Even when I'm not 100% on board, I am for any change that keeps people coming back. As long as it doesn't fundamentally change this site into something else, I will also keep coming back and I'll get used to those changes. I'm glad to see the site is abuzz and moving into the future.

July 27, 2020, 3:23 pm by

I’ve been in this site for over a decade, and there are pet names I’ve always wanted and never been able to get, so YES this is good, but also a bit disheartening after collecting the unique names I have no longer matters as anyone can grab this entire names now (I know that sounds selfish), it makes my pet feel a little less unique. I am so 50/50 on this haha. Also the adopt r us is a total shame right now. I imagine a lot of people can’t afford or can’t wait to rename their pet so are just abandoning and creating a new pet with the name they want. Maybe just for now free pet names shouldn’t be limited to one a month?

July 27, 2020, 2:46 pm by

I posted in the forums too but just wanted to say, once again, how happy this change makes me! Finally being able to get the proper spelling for some of my pet's names (including those who are tributes to real pets) really made my day. And there are so many other names I've wanted for years that I'd completely given up on. Thank you, Subeta. You rock! :"D

July 27, 2020, 2:26 pm by

I am extremely pleased by this change. Thank you!

July 27, 2020, 2:21 pm by

Personally I was never really into names, so I'm totally neutral on this change lol. But the majority seems to be thrilled, so I'm happy for y'all ^-^

July 27, 2020, 2:09 pm by

I absolutely love that we can do this now - it makes getting my pets for characters with non-unique names easy and is wonderful!

I do, however, wish that legacy names could still be cleared, so that way if I wanted to pick up a name and have it be a direct link instead of going behind my username, I could. That's just a personal preference, though! Either that, or only refer to pets as their IDs and user-linked names, and not "Legacy Names", because otherwise I can see things heating up for Legacy name exchanges and adoptions!

I second the opinion that a heads up would have been nice, or I wouldn't have spent $50 or whatever in the last month on CSC to change my pet's names.

July 27, 2020, 1:59 pm by

echoing a few others to say I rarely post/comment outside of event threads, but I really love this change!! i think it's a great move for the site going forward.

July 27, 2020, 1:54 pm by

Apparently Petname Loyalty Tokens no longer work, so if anyone was thinking of using one don't use it now. Especially because it seems to be glitched - mine was taken out of my inventory without being used.

All I got was an error that said names can only be changed when using a gold account, and to file a ticket if I thought I had a free name change. Which...I did, becuase I thought that's what a petname loyalty token WAS. A free name change. But apparently I was wrong about that, so I'm now waiting for my token back even if it's useless now (since you get a free name change with a gold account anyway, and apparently need a gold account to use your token). At the very least I can hold onto it. It's my token after all.

July 27, 2020, 1:50 pm by

My pet names look so much better without all the numbers behind them. I'm happiest about Remus and Rex. I had to use Remus14 and Rex Rocks because both names were taken. Now I won't have to add extra baggage to the names I want.
It sucked when you had a name you really liked and then you find out you can't use it because someone already has it. So you have to improvise and come up with something you don't really want to use ,because you don't have a choice. So i'm psyched about this.

July 27, 2020, 1:37 pm by

I think this is great. Thank you!

July 27, 2020, 1:25 pm by

I was on the fence about non-unique names. there were a lot of pros and cons to either side, so I was fine if the switch came. But I kind of wish legacy names weren't a thing. It's only adding to my indecision about characters/name switching. Ultimately it's only me holding me back, not the system itself. But OOF.

July 27, 2020, 1:23 pm by

Thank you! I actually saw this notice on tumblr first and it made me very excited! Excited to work on my pets! ..... Shoot, now I have to work on my pets...

July 27, 2020, 1:19 pm by

Now this open up to so many opportunities.

July 27, 2020, 1:18 pm by

I just snagged Valentine from the Pound and I'm hollering.

Naturally it means basically nothing now, but still. I've been dreaming of that name for so long...

July 27, 2020, 1:17 pm by

Make Battling more appealing for new users next. :)

July 27, 2020, 1:16 pm by

Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly Antonio the Flutist) is now named Antonio! Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly Melody the Tough Woman) is now named Melody! Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly Charles HERO) is now named Charles! Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly Ballerina Pearl) is now named Pearl! Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly OceanWave Alexander) is now named Alexander! Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly Alice in Dreamland) is now named Alice! Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly Lucian from Space) is now named Lucian! Congratulations!!! Your pet (formerly Arthur the Bear) is now named Arthur!

July 27, 2020, 1:14 pm by

I am neutral.

The challenge of finding a good name is lost, but so is the stress of finding a good name.

July 27, 2020, 1:13 pm by

Cue the hallelujah chorus. I know not everyone is going to be happy with this but y'all. this is a fantastic change, I swear. Was it nice to be the only one with a highly coveted name? Sure, but now you can have every name you have ever wanted. Everyone benefits from this. I'm so glad to see it happen.

July 27, 2020, 1:11 pm by

As a member here for nearly 15 years I haven't left a comment/posted anywhere in forever, and only check the site occasionally, but this is an excellent update. It's a bit sad to me how people are commenting that they're disappointed in the change.. I thought the point of nicely named pets was because you wanted those particular names, and not that you just wanted to show off being the only one who owned them? Hopefully those people warm up to this update in time, because I sadly can't see it as anything other than greed/wanting names to themselves, and that makes me so sad because this update opens up soo many possibilities for pet owners on Subeta and will make a lot of people happy. This will obviously contribute to the longevity of the site. Thank you!!

July 27, 2020, 1:11 pm by

AWESOME! That means I can change Tuc back to Metallica!!! I was so upset I had to change his name. Tuc just doesn't fit him, to me. Thank you for this!

July 27, 2020, 1:09 pm by

July 27, 2020, 12:50 pm by

this is a very nice quality of life update !!

July 27, 2020, 12:33 pm by

Thank you so much! I was so sad when I came back on after being absent and found I had lost my old pets name :( It was pretty cruel the previous system tbh

July 27, 2020, 12:12 pm by

I love this, honestly. One of my pets is a tribute to my heart rat, and it was awful not having the right name.

And, honestly, being elitist over names is so damn stupid. You don't lose your pet's name just because someone else has it too, and you don't lose it's value or your pet's story or it's significance to you. All you lose is an ego trip.

July 27, 2020, 11:52 am by

I dig it. Nice move with the legacy pet names, letting the OG's keep that "special" status in some way, while also letting everyone fully express themselves. I'm lucky with some of my pet names...but only because I've been lurking around here for 14 years and got in early on a few. Anyone under 10 never stood a chance for names without a serious dose of luck and patience. This is an AWESOME change, team!

July 27, 2020, 11:48 am by

This should be fixed now! This post got more comments than we've got in awhile on a news post and it was going REALLY SLOW, so we added some additional caching which made some people see comments as other people.

July 27, 2020, 11:45 am by

Subeta: You guys have more flexibility and options now!

Crazy Subeta users: NOOOOO WHY YOU RUIN A GOOD THING!!11!

July 27, 2020, 11:44 am by

I can get the names I want. ;o;

July 27, 2020, 11:42 am by

Thanks--it's not so much about people knowing which comments I've heart'd though and which ones I haven't. It's just, all of the "false hearts" have seem to fallen on comments that are the polar opposite of how I feel.

July 27, 2020, 11:40 am by

I'm so happy to see this change! Definitely felt a twinge of sadness at first, but honestly the elitism around having the "perfect name" was kind of a bummer. I'm glad to see that the majority of comments here are so positive, and I can't wait to find out what else is coming.

July 27, 2020, 11:39 am by

I think this was implemented well and I'm happy people will be able to get the names they want. I don't think I will change any of my current names as I've become attached to them, but if I get more pet slots in the future this will make it a lot easier to get a name I like. :)

July 27, 2020, 11:15 am by

I really like this idea! <3

July 27, 2020, 11:13 am by

- I think these comments are glitching because there are so many of them. I’m getting an option on a few random comments to edit or delete them, but the link just says “you don’t have access to this part of the site!” If it makes you feel any better, I believe the hearts are anonymous.

- They’re talking about the normal username clearings, which I think they do after an account is inactive for a year? Up until now, they would clear usernames and petnames, but they only have to clear usernames now. (That part was phrased really weirdly in the news post, lol.)

July 27, 2020, 11:10 am by

The majority of people who I've invited to Subeta over the past 14 years have said no PURELY because of the naming issue. This is the only sustainable move that could be made and I'm glad Keith finally decided to just make a CHOICE. Do that more. Do it often. Seriously.

July 27, 2020, 10:50 am by

Okay, I have no idea what's going on with hearts...but I started reading the comments for the very first time, and I've come across several that I supposedly heart'd--when I've never been here before and haven't heart'd anything! I've been removing the ones I see, but no idea at all why random things are getting like'd without me.

July 27, 2020, 10:37 am by

I'm pleased with most of my pet names as they are now but I am excited about the possibility of having a real name with their legacy RW name displayed as one of their defining characteristics. That's a pretty neat feature. I might wait around for the linking issue to be permanently resolved before I start changing anything though.

July 27, 2020, 10:35 am by

I'm just happy I don't have to wake up at 3am to grab a pet name during clearing. 8'D

July 27, 2020, 10:35 am by

I love this! I can't wait to see what others come up with using my pet names!

July 27, 2020, 10:30 am by

This is the best move the site has made in eons, hands down. Names are not exclusive to singular individuals in real life, and they certainly shouldn't be in a creative space like Subeta. Well done! It's really lovely to see folks in the comments, after often YEARS, finally getting to bring their characters on sight in a way that feels whole. <3

July 27, 2020, 10:24 am by

Omg, yesssss. I finally have the names I've always wanted! This makes me so happy. No more looking in different languages to find a good name!

July 27, 2020, 10:23 am by

Oh good. I've had 'No my pets aren't UFA, don't ask.' forever, and yet: people still asked. Does it kinda suck my pets aren't special anymore? Yea, I guess. But then again, I pop in here once every few months so shrugs.

July 27, 2020, 9:58 am by

Absolutely hollering @ people ragequitting and dumping their pets in the pound over this Subeta is the only petsite i still use that still used unique pet names, i don't understand this reaction. It's only game, why you heff to b mad

July 27, 2020, 9:58 am by

changes my pets' names to ones owned by people freaking out about this

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