They should definitely make trial accounts a permanent thing. A week for trial isn't bad at all.
I wanted to clarify this post. I think they should make the trial accounts permanent but I think they should have an internal system that everyone who makes a trial account after character creation, sends an email (behind the scenes) to he GMs and the GMs should monitor what kind of character name is being made.
If its HJHHHJJJJJOOO776 or something like that, you know its probably a bot account and it should be investigated and banned. Heck in fact, I think they should enforce a name creation system, where it needs to be pending approval by GMs or admins before its made permanent.
And then the bots would be stealing all "normal" names all of a sudden. Or even better.. Just take a look at Franz. Russians don't name their characters BraveSirRobin they are like 6H4bopLLy
How would you tell the difference? But i agree on the idea on somehow verifying the trial account users. Bots are born bots. just stop them from where they first spawn.
just make it easy. Let them be used for bots (like they are now), but make it so under a free trial, nothing can be dropped by the player or by being red, nothing can be traded, and nothing can be sold in a player shop.
This way they cant equip the character for 7 days, and manually drop the items to be traded to another character.
They cant pk to 10 pk's and drop the stuff by going red.
They cant trade the items back to be traded to another character.
They cant sell the items back for 1a to be traded to another character.
They also cant move the materials (spoiler) from the trial account to the main. After all, that is the reason why 99% of the free trials are made. They get the account and make them spoilers. After the trial is over, they take everything off and let the account die only to redo it all on another character.
Now once the trial is over, in order to get stuff off, they must activate the account. I dont think NCsoft would have a problem with this, do you? This would mean they would be making more money.
Also, if a new player was trying the game out, and they didnt like it, it isnt like they need to move the gear to another account.
I dont think there would be a huge problem if for 7 days, a trial account couldnt remove anything from the character at all. Once the account is paid for, they can do what ever.