Material retrieved from original Zone caches available at http://web.archive.org.
Original Link (now dead) - http://www.zone.com/asheronscall/news/ASHENETpassport1.asp
Sign In to Asheron's Call
On December 11th, players will experience a slightly different method of signing in to the Zone and Asheron's Call. Starting that day, players will need to sign in using their .NET Passport ID instead of their previous MSN Zone ID.
Please note that .NET Passport accounts are free, and registration is simple and secure. Also, in order to answer many of our players' questions, we have provided the following FAQ:
How will the sign in process change?
The only difference is that, starting December 11th, players will sign in using their .NET Passport ID instead of their Zone ID. Players will then need to "claim" their Zone Names--essentially migrating their Zone Names to MSN Nicknames. This association of the Zone Name to the Passport ID will be a one-time step. From then on, the Zone name will be associated and will be automatically recognized when you are logged into .NET Passport and come to the Zone.
The MSN Nickname service will be shared between MSN Chat and the Zone. Note that players who have been to both Chat and the Zone will arrive on the Zone and already be associated to the name they were using in Chat. These players will have to drop their Chat name to be able to claim their Zone name. Previously claimed names are kept and can be reclaimed without reentering a user name and password. So one .NET Passport ID can have several MSN Nicknames attached to it, but only one nickname can be the active name at any given time.
What if I don't have a .NET Passport account?
Players will need to register for a free .NET Passport account in order to access the game. Register here for a .NET Passport account.
So, there are more account names and passwords to remember?
No. There is no longer a Zone name and password to remember--this will be replaced by the .Net Passport name and password. (Although not recommended, players even have the option for .NET Passport to remember their account name and password on their computers.)
What if someone registers for my .NET Passport account name before I do? Will they be able to steal my Asheron's Call account?
No. You need to know the password for that Zone ID in order to associate it with a .NET Passport account.
If my Hotmail account is discontinued due to lack of use for thirty days, how will this affect my Asheron's Call account?
Although it is possible for a Hotmail account to expire, this will not affect a player's .NET Passport or Asheron's Call accounts in any way. Even if someone else takes over an inactive Hotmail account name, he or she will still not have access to the original owner's Asheron's Call account. Also note that .NET Passport no longer requires users to sign up for a Hotmail account when registering.
What will change with Asheron's Call Account Billing?
Nothing. There is no integration to MS Wallet currently planned. Account Billing for Asheron's Call will function as it always has.
Once Asheron's Call accounts are associated with .NET Passport, can they be given to other players?
Switching accounts with other players is not officially supported by the Zone or Asheron's Call. Once a Zone account has been tied to .NET Passport, that association is permanent.
How about logging in using multiple accounts? Will that still be possible?
Again, it must first be said that “dual-logging” is not officially supported by the Zone or Asheron's Call. To log in with multiple accounts, it will be possible for players to log in using multiple .NET Passport accounts. However, players cannot log in as two accounts on the same computer at the same time.
Account Security and Further Information
Always remember to take appropriate measures to ensure the security of your account. First and foremost is to never give out your account password. Not even a Zone official or support technician will ever ask for that. For more on account security, read the following Asheron's Call article.
For further information on the .NET Passport integration, please read the following Zone article.