2.0 doesn't support my call sign

[The one and only ;-)]

So, I've been a member of the bzflag community for about 3 years now. That entire time, I've used the callsign ";-)" (a winking smilie emoticon).
2.0 tells me I need to use more letters. Humbug.

I guess I'll have to change my call to something else. This sucks.

++Doug

[RPG]

Yeah the shortest a callsign can be is 3 characters.

[The one and only ;-)]

Mine was three characters: ';', '-', and ')'. Ask the old ones -- they'll tell legends of the eerie winking smilie haunting the playing field.

Alas, the legend lives no more -- killed by punctuation rules.

Now, Opteron will ride along with the rest of the ProXS team on a quest to destroy and dominate all who cross our path.

See ya on Hepcat.

++Opteron
; - )[/i]

[RPG]

As a PHP developer, I do understand why ; - and ) aren't allowed in a database system probably made cross-language (mysql, php, raw TCP). They have good reason to do that too, otherwise stuff goes REALLY wrong. I know THAT feeling.

This is what can happen if that stuff is used in programming:

</td></tr></table>

[The one and only ;-)]

As a microprocessor design engineer who uses Perl, PHP and mysql daily to manipulate verilog-like processor source code that includes pretty much all the punctuation characters, I can not for the life of me figure out why we can't have pretty much any character in the call sign. Only convention dictates these rules. Someone felt, in their opinion, that a lot of punctuation isn't nice in the call sign, so the changed the program between 1.10 and 2.0 to eliminate it.

So be it. ;-) is dead, long live ;-). All hail Opteron!

++Opteron
;-)

[RPG]

oh, wow, you're definately more experinced than me .

[JeffM]

Yes punctuation and "extra" characters are not allowd in names anymore. they have not been since the 1.11.xx beta versions. There was even an anncoucemnt post on it ( it's still sicky in the news and announcements forum ). The choice was made because 1) it made things easyer, 2) It makes the names easyer to read by players, and easyer to type by admins, and 3) the majority of the names that used them ( but not all ) were used by cheaters and griefers.

Yes the code can allways be changed to work with anything. The author of the feature ( tim ) was doing a 'least amount of work" implementaon. At one point he even wanted to not allow special characters in passworeds, but it was shown it was easy to URL encode the passwords.

Patches or commits to the system are allways welcome. The source is out there for a reason

Since we now have the ability to change user info by ID in game, it may not be that important to be able to type the names. I personaly think all punctuation names are prety lame. I like some words in them so it's more memorable. Some are funny sure, but for a long term identity something that is more descriptive is better I fell. But that's just my opinion.

[The one and only ;-)]

I personaly think all punctuation names are prety lame. I like some words in them so it's more memorable. Some are funny sure, but for a long term identity something that is more descriptive is better I fell. But that's just my opinion.

Clearly just your opinion. You don't have a nice, nifty all-punctuation name like mine. (At least, like mine was. )

; - )
oops, I mean
++Opteron

[wiz]

I remember exactly two all-punctuation callsigns that were memorable:

winky (yours) ;-) and
kitty - I don't even remember what that one looked like, but it looked like a cat...

[Rebel Chik0rita]

i kinda liked winkys' old callsign (u will always be winky to mee ;-)

and don't forget..

=^_^=

d:op

and bullseye too

(((o)))

heehe