I'm not quite deep enough in the game to be informed as to the whole of any power set (or the main storyline.) However, I'm finding my RPG legs now, and I think I've noticed a gap to fill in the naming guides. I agree with what has been written about developing a history and/or utilizing assorted online random name generators.
However, this is a mature game and name availability is problematic on most servers. I understand the temptation to cheese it up with xXxNamexXx or Mr..Superhero after putting a great deal of effort into costume creation. Yet that effort and whatever follows will all be more meaningful if labeled by a non-cheesy name.
At the risk of disagreeing with another guide author, I believe a good way around the name problem is the use of a simple modifier. I don't think there is anything wrong with Dark Whatever or Lord Thingamajig, at least for those characters that are distinctively dark or lordly. Here's a smattering of possibilities that might go before a taken name to make a credible yet available name . . .
Mighty -- Remember to "/e flex" a lot.
Super -- . . . unless your original idea was "man" or "girl"
Hyper -- a natural choice for speedsters
Abiding -- a natural choice for tanks
Arcane -- magic on board
Phantom -- no, not the Phantom
High -- a personal favorite
Military ranks also fit in well here. Sergeant, Captain, Major, and General are all standards in hero naming. Also, some variations may be valid (like a Capitan with Latin American roots or a Serjeant born in the Middle Ages.) Noble titles also may be fitting, and they also may offer variations depending on culture of origin. Then there are a few more vague ways to go here, like Mister/Miss/Madame, Doctor, or Agent.
If sticking something in front of the name you wanted doesn't produce anything with a ring of heroism you seek, consider modifiers that work well at the other end.
Prime -- If you meet the non-prime, you can RP your claim.
Royale -- If Shaft was taken, the real Shaft would be Shaft Royale.
Reborn -- with a subtle "new and improved" implication
Ascendant -- Ooh, almost poetic, that is.
Supreme -- not subtle, but strong . . . very strong
For the sake of thoroughness I'll offer three other categories to help people avoid the cheese . . .
-- Color terms may work wonderfully if they are supported by a bold costume or a distinctive feature. Funky color spellings are usually not a good idea, but the vocabulary of color may offer many choices for a similar concept (e.g. crimson, scarlet, sanguine, cardinal, rose, bloodshot, et al. for red.)
-- Animal terms go well with particular concepts. Commandos or other warriors might be Something Wolf or Whosit Tiger, for example. Winged heroes might try something like Falcon Character or Toon of the Dove. Then there are various alternatives like Lupine, Aquiline, Pachyderm, Insectoid; words that invoke animal concepts but are not the actual names of animals.
-- Substance terms can work in most of the same ways as colors. It could be a literal reference (e.g. the Electrum Sentinel in gold-plated armor) or more metaphorical (e.g. the Quicksilver Bandit who is fast and elusive but devoid of mercury gear.) Again, there may be many words that get to the same idea when using a material to modify a hero name.
Also, don't forget about making up new compound words, such as Demonweed. *fanfare* Characters with Native American roots and/or magical origins might be well suited to such an approach. -walker, -strider, -runner, and -rider often work in this context. (Though I'm pretty sure administrators would frown on Skywalker characters.)
Hopefully these notions will help people generate heroic-sounding names as an alternative to alternative spellings (though occasionally that approach actually is cool) or the addition of numbers/meaningless characters to the name. Yet I did also want to add that it may be for the best not to pounce at the first good combination that comes to mind after mulling these techniques.
Matters of tone and style depend on intent (i.e. some people are into dark and brooding RP, while others are exclusively whimsical in the development of a character's persona.) Thus it is difficult to offer advice that applies in a general sense to name quality. Yet there are a few points worth a mention.
--Alliteration: A huge Brute who was unable to get the name "Tower" might think "Horrible Tower" works well for him. Yet a few more thoughts might take him to "Terrible Tower," which has a cool ring whether it is uttered in an angsty corner of some supergroup's base or shouted in a pre-epic-battle battlecry. You may not feel so bad about adding on to the name you desired if the result involves repeating the first consonant sound in each major term of the final name.
--Length: The longer a name becomes, the more awkward it is both in terms of usage and in terms of justification via background story. If the original plan was for a normal Firstname Lastname character, consider ditching one of those names. For example, Granite Jake and Granite Crenshaw are each a little less cumbersome than Granite Jake Crenshaw.
--Meter: This is a subtle thing, rooted in the music of language. Long and short "beats" (a.k.a. feet) define a pattern that good poets sense keenly. As cumbersome as Granite Jake Crenshaw is, I still kinda like it. I suspect the Xx X xX rhythm of it accounts for that appeal. Silly as it may seem to some, it is probably wise to say a name out loud a few times before committing to its use for a character you intend to spend many hours playing.
There, now however many people read this are well-deprived of excuses for tacking random numbers or decorative ASCII onto the names of new characters. Remember to use this power only for awesome! By that I mean, do not go making trouble with Wolverine Reborn or Lord Spider-Man. The idea here is to promote originality, not to undermine it. If Granite Jake is taken, by all means become Granite Jake Prime. Just don't go telling people you had the same idea when the name "Optimus" was unavailable.
Regards,
Demonweed
