A simple suggestion. A place to store pets without names.
Currently, the main reason we need to limit pets is because of names. However, for a lot of people the names of many pets are irrelevant, they keep them because they need the colors for Kir for example. I propose a location (not limited in space or at least far, far cheaper than the showroom to upgrade, magnitudes cheaper) where we can simply store unnamed pets instead. Once a pet gets placed in it, it loses its name, freeing it up for anyone to use, exactly like the forest (except you get to keep the pet).
Now, to avoid name tags becoming totally useless, in order to name the pet again, you would have to use one. That would keep them relevant and not devalue them (because, again, you can just forest a pet to drop its name right now).
An extremely important point to this is that the pets wouldn't be trapped in this pen. The unnamed pets could still be sent between accounts (in case two people want to trade albinos for Kir or something), given directly to Kir/Kirbot/seasonal events (seasonal events access would be absolutely crucial), given to the shrine, or simply released into the forest if the user chooses to do so, all without naming them. You would also be able to send a pet directly to the pen from the hatchery if you wanted. Without being able to do these things this feature would be completely pointless.
The number of names this would free up because people don't have to make up names to store pets would be enormous. I know over 50% of my showroom (which is admittedly huge) is pets I'm saving for Kir or trading, all of which are sitting on names that could be free and used elsewhere by people that actually like them.
People currently use the graveyard like this quite often, and some still would if they just wanted some easy unnameds to access (resurrection potions are much cheaper than name tags) but it has the disadvantage of not being able to trade or turn in to Kir from there.
Summary:
- place to put pets without names
- pets lose names upon entering
- pets can still be transferred between accounts (without naming)
- pets can be released to forest from here (without naming)
- pets can be shrined (without naming) (this one is far less crucial)
- pets can be given to kir/kirbot/seasonal events (without naming)
- infinite space or extremely cheap upgrades
- name tags required to name a pet again
- Easier for newbies to find names
Edit:
Some anonymous points that a user suggested including
- Make sure IDs are easily visible just like in the graveyard
- Include sorting options just like the graveyard (maybe even more, not just filter by species but sort by species, sort by color, etc)
Edit 2 (a different take on where this could go, also from an anonymous source):
"Merging your idea with the graveyard makes the most sense to me. Off the top of my head, the Graveyard could have two layers/categories - named and unnamed. Named is the Graveyard as it is today, including the ability to resurrect.
Unnamed is your idea (Name Tag required to take out) with the connection being that when a pet loses its name from the Graveyard/named section, it would automatically move to the unnamed section (i.e. the pen)."
Obviously this would require a rework of the graveyard, including a button to allow users to see each others' and adding several features to it. If not that to prevent it turning into another showroom situation, maybe at least a count of the number of each color/species if it's not your showroom? Just something to provide transparency so people don't try to scam others. I'm neutral to the idea personally but I wanted to put it here for posterity.