...The hell? Didn't even notice till I looked at one of my past posts then saw this. Well. Incoming wall of Text. Sorry for this.
Alright. So. Have at this. The main issue I have with this is the subject fact that the forums doesn't even see you as premium unless your forum name matches your IGN. Why this is so, when you can literally just go off the one IGN field in personal info when they're getting set up is beyond me. Yes, I could totes change my IGN field to some other derp, but what would this accomplish? Minor trolling? Pah.
Expanding on this point, I note that some people literally cannot change their forums name for various reasons. Yes, this can be worked out. But truly, it isn't really...That worth it, to be honest. Especially when our forum names have some meaning. I'd absolutely refuse to change my forums name to cambar, mainly due to 1: Cambar as a forums name is horrifically stupid and bland. 2. Mostlyhuman is my...Persona, so to speak. This is true with many others. It's a main aesthetic choice. We picked these forum names for one reason or another. There is more than likely, though not always, a reason to keep said forums name. It's a part of us. Yes you might argue "Well that's a sacrifice you make." But, why should it be? There's no point to that. You're dealing with people who are highly focused on persona and Aesthetic, and, to a point, individualism. Just look at our characters if you don't believe that.
I understand you need to shell out new features due to the EULA, but this isn't the way to go about it. It isn't required to do this. I already saw some pretty nice ideas above, such as client-sided aesthetic changes to the forums. I could say that you could add more..Eye-candy, or even options to tone down certain effects or looks to the forums. And, frankly, the banner for a lot of people, is enough. Those who can't change the name, well, they can live without it. They have before, and I doubt it's like "OMGINEEDTOGETTHEBANNERNOWwgerhbgjherbghberbgjer". No. It's an aesthetic addition. In essence, it comes down to the fact that you're reducing core functionality to the forums from certain groups of people, whilst it'd more than likely be optimal to add in aesthetic choices and freedom to looks.
Most of the community I'm seeing that has voiced opinion on this are disliking this insofar. It may change, but, again, it may not. Yes, you can inform us it's due to the EULA, and offer to change names, but it does not change the above two points. Far as I'm seeing, the community sees your offerings and information as moot, and, yes while it's a mob mentality at times, it's still a very ill-taken change, and feedback should not be ignored. Already, I'm seeing boycotting and the like occuring. Yes, it may seem petty, but frankly, it's still a core part of functionality and personality to us. You simply cannot take that away. It will not work out well.
...My fingers are tired now.
Tl;dr:
1: Change the forums name variable to IGN field variable in personal details, in terms of matching premiums on the forums to IG.
2: Please do not force a highly aesthetic and individualized community to change one of their core items for aesthetic and invidualization.
3: Use other ideas that do not reduce core functionality to the forums. Premium should, for RP'ers, really be a large array of aesthetic additions and expansion on personalization, even if it's just client sided.
4: The Community feedback must be accounted. Making posts trying to push us away will only do just that: Push us away. I don't wish to see any friends or people who are intelligent boycott things and run the server down.
I tip my hat, and bid you farewell then, hoping my voice has some effect upon this.
