User and pet name chasing is something I enjoy doing on many other sites and games. It's obviously something that is widely done here at Subeta. After some discussion on another topic, I wanted to put forth the suggestion of varying the name clearing times. Why is it always at 3pm? That's 4am my time, and I'm not really complaining about that, as I've gotten up at that time more than I can count for names here and even on other games. I don't mind, but it would be nice to have the chance to also catch a clearing in the middle of MY afternoon, instead of ridiculous hours of the morning. I feel this would make it more fair to users all around the world that participate in stalking name clearings, rather than just everyone on or close to Subeta's time zone.

Another suggestion for fairness, is to add a CAPTCHA or something similar to the create a pet/name change pages to stop people from sniping names. Even if there isn't a huge advantage, using external programs or code outside the site I feel is unfair. For example, when Minecraft came out with name changes, you literally wouldn't have the smallest chance of grabbing a name when it cleared unless you paid real money for someone else to use their super-computer to catch it right as it cleared. Even then it was a small chance.

This seems so unnecessary tbh not everything needs a captcha

I agree with you, the original idea of this was from someone else, I wanted to continue the discussion. But with a site where pet and usernames are so desirable, and with people who are trying to cheat that system to get advantage over others, it becomes necessary. :/

there will be a captcha and people still won't get the names they want and we will eventually arrive at this very same point except it'll be remove the captcha because 'i can't type that fast' or 'i made a typo' or w/e reason really

i think this is unnecessary and it would just be downright annoying tbh

i don't like varying times, but i wouldn't mind clearings later in the day (6pm/7pm) because i'm usually around then and not at 3pm for varying reasons

No support for either of these suggestions. 3pm isn't exactly a convenient time for people in the US either, as a lot of people have work or other responsibilities. It's up to the person themselves to make time for a clearing if there's a name that they really want. Even then, plenty of people are SOL because I highly doubt employers let their employees take time off to play a game.

Also, it makes no sense to re-add captchas to the site. They were removed from buying items in NPC shops, so adding them back for pet creation is counterproductive in that sense. Using an external program is not against the rules, plus plenty of people have gotten names without the use of such. It really boils down to luck.

Honestly I would love if clearings were something that just happened on the weekend at a set time, then everything for that week actually cleared then. It would give more people a chance at getting things since (potentially) more things are being cleared up and people have to decide what they want verses just go for whatever's there everyday. It also frees up that "the same people get everything all the time forever" because well, if they can get literally everything every weekend then they prob deserve it or something.

Also people typically have more free time on the weekends and stuff. But also 3pm is a weird time.. I feel like it was picked because it's literally the worst for everyone.

It would also give people a last minute chance to log back in, which subeta could probably really use... I can't imagine "hey all that stuff you prob already gave to your friends before you noped the hell out is still here but all those names, yeah they're gone. But here's a free name change to try and get a new name! hope 3pm est is good for you but it prob isn't lol sry" is a good ploy to get people back into the site. Judging at how many accounts I see re-clear every year, I think I'm on the money here.

Subeta Time Zone can't be convenient for everybody. I don't see the point in changing the clearing time. And captchas would just create more issues. There's a reason they were done away with.

Also. Oh. My. God. Autorefreshers are NOT cheating. The exact same result of an AR can be achieved via just button mashing the refresh keys. Clearings really just come down to luck and your connection speed. We don't always get the names we want. It sucks, but that's the way it is.

I'm not saying getting rid of the 3pm time at all, just different ones or a new method of clearing because no, 3pm is not convenient for everyone and neither will 3am. But it'll be more fair across the board.

Yeesh, I get captcha's are annoying, I agree with you.

On one hand I wouldn’t mind changing the time for clearings, but on the other hand a more ‘convenient’ time would mean a time where more people are active so it’ll put more strain on the server and the odds of clearings skipping a day or something would probably be more likely.

Also a big NO WAY to captcha. They are ALWAYS a pain.

I also found button smashing is FASTER than AR so really it all comes down to luck.

Even if they made account clear at varying times, who's the say the account you are waiting on to clear would still clear at a convenient time for you? Can't please everybody.

That's not the point here, again personally I'm fine with getting up at 4am for the chance to grab names. I just feel it'll be fair for it to be spaced out so others, who don't or can't get online at those times, get a chance for some accounts, too. It's not just for me or people completely out of the timezone, as sentinel said, a lot of people could be at school or work at 3pm majority of the time. This will give those people a chance as well.

I wouldn't mind altering the times as long as the time the account will clear is still listed on the profile.

But 100% N O to adding a captcha. "Sniping names" lol isn't that what everyone is doing

I don't go after names so I don't really have strong opinions about this, but it does seem like introducing a couple different "clearing hours" might be a good idea. It might be kind of complicated to implement, though.

Yes, let's do this. Let's make the clearings in the middle of the night, Subeta time. I will so happily lose a half hour of sleep to get up at 4am for a clearing.

Australian users, have fun trying to figure out how to get home by 3pm when you don't get out of work until 3:30pm or later. It's great.

Also, you guys feel like you didn't have a chance just because you were getting some 502s when you were refreshing but you think things are going to be better for you by adding captchas? They didn't load half the time even when the site would run smoothly. If popular names were clearing, you'd be getting 502's AND THEN a captcha that didn't load the one time the page does.

I help a lot of people during clearings and ARs are not really the best way to get a name. But again, however much you might disagree with it, it's not "cheating" for someone to use one because there's no rule against it. There's no rule against it because pet names have no actual value on this site. We can't sell or trade them so no one is really getting ahead by having a bunch of names you want.

Definitely no to captchas, they drive me crazy on other sites and really seem unnecessary for here.

Definitely don't go back to mass clearings either (not even just once a week!) - I remember the site crashes & trouble that came from the previous mass clearings, and no name is ever worth that!

Most of the times of things like this aren't the most convenient times for me (I'm 5 hours ahead of Subeta time and have to blag my way to a computer to be online when the names clear). However, I don't think that varying the times would be any benefit really. I'm guessing that 3pm was originally chosen so staff were available if there was a site problem that meant the name clearing didn't go to plan, and if that was the case, I wouldn't want to be the staff member who had to be online at silly-o-clock just for a different clearing time.

Yes there's some names I've managed to catch (one I actually managed to create 12 hours after the clearing, despite thinking it would be a highly popular name), and there's also some I've missed (literally was two seconds too slow), but that's part of playing the game.

Please do not change the time. Its perfect as it is. captcha? Also a big fat no from me.

No thanks. I know the chaptcha is now crossed out, but that would cause a lot of rage for even those who don't use af. Specially if their net lags.

As for the time...if it was changed to a non work time I'd wake up to get a name haha. 3pm is probably meant to be a challenge for people to get on so they can cut the amount going for a name and lagging it out. I honestly liked the switching clearings to weekends suggestion, but if the stress on the server is bad every day I can't imagine what it would be with all the names on just the weekends.

It amuses me when people say that af is cheating. It reminds me of playing COD when someone manages to snipe someone out and the other person resorts to "omg Ur cheating!!!" I believe it was said, but hard refreshing is faster than afs. Regardless of all this, they are not against the rules and anyone can use them so imo it's a moot point.

You can't expect to get everyone name when a dozen or more could going for it as well. There will always be another good one clearing down the road.

There will always be a time zone where clearings happen in the middle of night so I'd say let's keep it at 3pm.

Other than that I would prefer a monthly or even weekly clearing over the current daily system.

The thing is no matter what the clearing time is, if somebody really wants a name, they are going to try their best to be online at that particular time, or ask for friends' help. You may filter out the casual name collectors, but not the hardcore (usually also very skilled) ones. Maybe if the names clear in the middle of the night subeta time, there could be less people online, thus less stress on the server. But remember, if those users are fast enough to snag a name at 3pm, they will probably be even faster at 3am...

I lose names all the time, and I know clearing time really isn't the root of the problem. To be honest, I think was on point. I've compared my name snagging success rate before and after the clearing system change, I used to be able to get 60% of the names I wanted, and with the new daily clearing system it's usually just 20%. I agree that we can't go back to the old and glitchy mass clearing system, and I doubt we'll switch to weekly or monthly clearing since the current system is working properly (most of the time). I guess the only thing to do is to adapt to the new system. It's a hard pill to swallow when you lose a name, but it is what it is.

This is a terrible idea. No support. It's not like names are the way accounts are listed on this site or that we've got tons of players so that it's impossible to come up with an excellent one with just a little trying.

Names cannot be sold or traded. Pets cannot be sold or traded. Accounts cannot be sold or traded. It's against the Rules here. Really.

I'm betting 3pm was chosen to be a time when there's minimal server load, or a time where if there is a demand on servers someone could be around and do something about it. The time chosen, if it changes, should be at the convenience of the staff member who administers this.