Login security consists of two parts. By making the username public, you are effectively eliminating half of your security.

They should definitely set up a public/private username system, so that the account name you are known by publicly is not the same as the username you use to login to the game (and your account!)

I despise it, if we could set a universal handle, sure, but I don't want any part of my login information known by ANYONE, even my friends, and without an authenticator this is a problem.

As far as I know that system has been changed when NDA was lifted. @Username should no longer be visible in the chat of future betas and the launch.

Personally, I like how it is, because someone who wants to troll or be an [explicit deleted]hole, cannot run and hide on an alt. I hate when people are a total tool on one toon and as sweet as ghetto koolaid on another. At least there are consequences for acting like a turd, this way.

As far as security goes, apparently there is IP authentication through email. I used this on GW2, which also uses your screenname, and I was NEVER hacked. Been hacked in almost every other game I played for an extended amount of time without an authenticator.

I'm stealing this.

One advantage of this, is that if you ignore someone the whole account is ignored, allowing a whole new level of community ostracism of trolls.

This same argument comes up prior to every game that implements this system. Once the game launches and everyone sees the benefits the argument goes away. I became used to it in other games and so will everyone here.

Accountability is a priority for guild management. It also didn't affect RP in any way in the games that have it. A real role player sees only the character, not the player controlling it.

Saw this in beta inviting my friend to a group. I was like WTH, anyone can easily know your username to hack into your account. This isn't really needed to be known to another player. Specially a stranger.

STO did it, bad idea.

WoW handled it right, strangers can't see it, only certain friends.

Like I said earlier.. They need to use the toon name and NOT the ACCOUNT login user name in guild chat. Others may disagree, at least until their account gets hacked because their excuse for a "stronger" password just didn't pan out for them... Wow didn't do this because its an EASY way for a hacker to get half of your account login information, and thats NEVER a good idea. YMMV as always... Oh yea, and the pole numbers Im seeing here seem to agree...

Gw2 did it and it was the only game I played without an authenticator in which I was not hacked. This is because they are using the same system ESO will use of verifying new IP addresses.
Also...WoW is one of the worst of the trolled games...I'd hesitate to say they did it right.

Both of these. There are no upsides to it as far as I'm concerned.

I think your discounting that they are also still "king of the hill" subscription wise, and have been for 8 years. That record in itself means that they did something right, and their user base (abt 5 mil) is still intact atm, and which has NOTHING to do with the trolls.... Make excuses all you want, but no one in their right mind gives away login information and then expects not to be hacked at some point...

I used to troll WoW when every damn MMO like SWG and EQ2, and LOTR copied so badly from WoW I ended up playing it.

The playerbase is lower than crap, moonguard goldshire anyone?

The service and polish quality is superb, and developers copy WoW not the other way around most of the time.

I'm here more because of new mechanics (aka TES) rather than your every day WOW clone like SW the old republic.

Give credit where it's due.

Most of what WoW did right was in vanilla and they've been living off that glory ever since...but that is another tale.
I have actually used the system that ESO uses and it is effective in limiting trolls, asshats, AND hackers. That is from experience...which I doubt many who are against it have.

I have too, and joined a guild last beta. When I typed in guild chat it showed everyone in guild chat my ACCOUNT LOGIN name. If you can not agree thats a security risk, then I don't know what else there is to say....

HolyDrumstickoflove that's only your opinion, not a fact.

I've been playing MMO's since 1999. Online games in general 1996.

It's also my opinion, let experience count.

Well end of discussion for me, off these forums until next beta Good day.

I really like this system, however ZOS really needs to learn from previous uses of it and add to it instead of going backwards.

For the security conscious, showing a Username can be a nono, a separate @name (one you would also see on the forums instead of a username) can take care of this. So you might login as Jojorox, but people will see you as @Superjohnny.

Such a system should allow for multiple same character names. In the real world there's plenty of John Smiths, with this system you can accomplish the same thing with John Smith@Superjohnny and John Smith@RocksRCool. This eliminates the rush to hoard character names and has worked quite well in games that have used it.

RPers should have the ability to toggle whether they want to see other peoples @names or not since it can annoy some of us.

There should be an appear offline mode, perhaps with a secondary @name just in case you come across the very people you want to avoid.

I do believe Cryptic actually uses a separate username/@name system now, if you don't have it you should be able to contact their support to get your @name changed.

Oh I'm sorry my concerns for the security of my personal account mean nothing because you have some form of "experience". Experience in what may I ask?

All it takes now is someone with enough time, correct software and they will brute force their way into your account simply by trying every letter/number combination possible until they hit a positive and can access your account. It doesn't take a lot of common sense (ironic as its obviously not that common!!) to see that it would be much better off having your in game handle and your login ID as separate things. I'm not in favour of this type of system at all, but my god if were going to have it forced upon us at least give us the added security to our accounts that we deserve.

It isnt a security risk because a hacker would also need your email login and password with the IP authentication process. I have no idea why you have so much difficulty grasping that.

I don't have a difficulty in any of this except the part where you refuse to admit giving others your Account log in isn't a security risk, and the polls here agree with me. So maybe its you with the difficulty? Lets just say we disagree. Yes I will agree that even with this information it may be hard to hack into your account, but why give them any help ? Wow knew this and its why the BIGGEST MMO to date didn't do this in the same way. It wasn't just a willy nilly decision on their part either. You wouldn't care to give others half of you SS number and drivers license would you? How about your master card number? Care to give half of it out here? I think not....

You've just hacked my account, you access my account through the TESO portal.

http://postimg.org/image/gilegwj73/

You get my real name, email address and can now begin also hacking my emails as well.

Why should we be deprived of the added security of a hidden login ID separate from our in game handle, what possible reason do you have that makes this inappropriate or useless.

You can't hack the account without hacking the email first. To do that you would need to know someone's email address. Nothing is unhackable....I realize your safety concerns....but I hace used this system...and it WORKS.

Until your account is hacked, yes... It works well... Its not a "safety" concern. Its a security issue. Feeding others ANY ability to do that is just wrong, no matter the difficulties because its just one more step they don't have to figure out. Cant you agree to that? I am in agreement with Allumis on his point made. Why would you even fight against better security of your own account?

Sorry, I did mean security.
I am fighting against it because I have used this system, and it is plenty secure. I never have had an account hacked with this system...and I have been hacked in Rift and WoW. A few times before I bought an authenticator. I have never had this problem in GW2 which uses the same system ESO is going to use...
So, since security WON'T be an issue on ESO...regardless of whether you think it will or not...let's focus on accountability for behavior in-game. How do we do that? By showing people's usernames so that people will face the consequences of acting like an ass, regardless of what character they're on.
THAT'S WHY.

A few lines of code can simply trace a character to its account and /ignore that entire account for you. YOU, as the user, don't need to know it for it to work.

I just see this being a very big headache in roleplay if you want to use more than one character in the same roleplay guild. You're going to have to remind people in guild chat constantly which character you're using and which RP you're doing, which kind of defeats the purpose of RP.