Character names becoming hard to come by
By
Ad Astra,
Posted on: 2009-09-30 09:22 in Suggestions and Ideas
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They messed around with this a bit a few years ago and I don't remember the final outcome. I think the final outcome was that name on inactive account under level 10 = available? |
Originally Posted by Jadeus
I have noticed that when I create a new character that the hardest part of character creation has been finding a name that is not already in use. If there is anything a player wants it is unique character with a cool name. I do not like the idea of throwing a number after a name just to have a certain title. How about a name generator or giving veteran players some priority on names. I am sure there are pleanty of dead accounts that are soaking up some very cool names. Just a suggection.
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Server transfers have caused me to lose some of my older names, "The Flashlight" being the saddest.
However, I was tickled to get Tooth Ache yesterday on my new evil dentist.
My Characters
Giving veterans priority on names...? How...?
"Alright, Timmy, you can create Wraith, provided that no one who's played for more than 4 years makes one before you."
"But I just made it."
"Well, we're gonna keep it inactive for a few days... Just to give the vets some time."
"..."
Honestly, I was enthralled by how Champions did things to an extent; using global names to attach a lot of tells and emails. The only thing missing was a default [Charname] that would cut off the lengthy bits in /tells.
For instance: I make Wraith, and 3 of my buddies make Wraith.
We team with Joe the Plumber, who makes MY Wraith his primary 'Wraith', so whenever he wants to send an email, he just types 'wraith', but for the other three, he needs to type in the server name.
Hmm...
I think 'enthralled' might've been a strong word for my feelings. I'd rather say it was liberating to use any name I pleased for any reason. It was FUN to know I could make a character named 'Heretic' just because i wanted to, and it wouldn't be taken.
If they developed a system to work around it while still giving us more freedom with names? Sure. Lovely.
Well this won't end well. By the way, I suggest a thesaurus and an encyclopedia.
"Samual_Tow - Be disappointed all you want, people. You just don't appreciate the miracles that are taking place here."
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Out of curiosity, what were some of the names you tried? I usually don't have an issue getting names and I have been quite surprised at some of the names I have been able to obtain.
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Originally Posted by Jadeus
I have noticed that when I create a new character that the hardest part of character creation has been finding a name that is not already in use. If there is anything a player wants it is unique character with a cool name. I do not like the idea of throwing a number after a name just to have a certain title. How about a name generator or giving veteran players some priority on names. I am sure there are pleanty of dead accounts that are soaking up some very cool names. Just a suggection.
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~ Infinity Heroes ~
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The best part is that you learn a little bit doing the research. |
Originally Posted by Anti_Proton
Well this won't end well. By the way, I suggest a thesaurus and an encyclopedia.
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Of course, you get some interesting names too. When I couldn't get any combination of Nettle for my spines/fa, I ended up using the name "Urticaceae" No one types the slash command to invite to a team and my husband keeps declaring that it sounds like a female body part.
My Characters
Nonsense! Why, just yesterday I was able to get Robot Double. On Virtue, no less. If a name so connected to the mainline of the super-hero tropeome* is available on the Unofficial RP Server, there can be no naming crisis.
*a word I have just now this very moment coined: the full set of tropes expressed by a genre, body, or work of fiction, by analogy with biology terms such as "genome" and "proteome"
Vet Priority=No
Random hero/villain name generator=Wouldn't be bad.
Trust me, it just takes a bit of thinking to get a good name 
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I agree that a unique character with a cool name is a priority for many, including myself. And I too, do not like the idea of throwing a number or some other random letters (or random/silly punctuation) onto a name to get it, as...<Opinion Warning!>..it usually looks stupid.|
Originally Posted by Jadeus
I have noticed that when I create a new character that the hardest part of character creation has been finding a name that is not already in use. If there is anything a player wants it is unique character with a cool name. I do not like the idea of throwing a number after a name just to have a certain title. How about a name generator or giving veteran players some priority on names. I am sure there are pleanty of dead accounts that are soaking up some very cool names. Just a suggection.
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The name generator idea sounds interesting. I think there is one already available online if you google hard enough, but to have a good one tied into the game might be promising.
Of course, you'll get the thesaurus suggestion above, and some folks like to use English-<OtherLanguage> dictionaries, but I used the yellow pages to grab what I thought was an interesting name. Cinae Genesis. Just two random names of streets and businesses from the phone book.
There's also the fact that a name being taken on one server doesn't mean its taken on another. If you were a new player, you wouldn't have known that, and you probably wouldn't care which server you start on.
That's why I've suggested that the "Name Unavailable" pop-up should suggest other servers where the given name IS available, if there are any.
The veterans getting priority? I suppose that I would qualify for that priority, and yet I'm not a fan of that idea. I've had five years (and 8 slots per server) to grab whatever name I wanted, so if I didn't grab it then, I'll live without it.
Dead accounts soaking up names? They did a name purge once (or twice?) of names of low-level characters on dead accounts and found that it didn't free up that many names. Now, if I logged onto my dead account during a reactivation weekend and found my L40 or L50 characters were now "generic45632"? And they had not been EULA-breakers like "Sup3RM4n" or "<expletive>-Guy", do you think I'd consider renewing my subscription? Not too likely, even if the new issue had really cool features added since my last paid time.
A L4 that had been sitting around? I probably wouldn't care.
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I'm a vet player, and I have no problem coming up with unique names. And they don't even include numbers or weird characters or anything |
Originally Posted by Jadeus
I have noticed that when I create a new character that the hardest part of character creation has been finding a name that is not already in use. If there is anything a player wants it is unique character with a cool name. I do not like the idea of throwing a number after a name just to have a certain title. How about a name generator or giving veteran players some priority on names. I am sure there are pleanty of dead accounts that are soaking up some very cool names. Just a suggection.
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I don't mind throwing in a number every now and then if it means I can get the name I want. But usually, a little clever maneuvering and you can get plenty of good names.
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Originally Posted by Obsidius
I'm a vet player, and I have no problem coming up with unique names. And they don't even include numbers or weird characters or anything
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Never argue with stupid people. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
@vanda1 and @nakoa2
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I'd like to know too. As always, we can brainjam to see if there are better - less obvious, or more available - names right here for you.|
Originally Posted by CodeJunkie
Out of curiosity, what were some of the names you tried? I usually don't have an issue getting names and I have been quite surprised at some of the names I have been able to obtain.
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The only name I didn't get was actually one I realized later wasn't the one I *intended* to get, Dream.Weaver with the . in it. But she should have been Dream Walker, which I still don't know if it's available or not, either way I don't play her much anyway... But she IS one of my oldest real-world created characters. I'd give that name up with the dot and all, if someone asked, but someone would have to be pretty desperate to have *the same name as however many others* out there... Rather see something unique.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed
Nope.
5 years of heavy altitis,
and I just never have hardly any trouble coming up with names.
Quit trying for Fire Man, Ice girl and such?
Go ahead and put a couple of the names you are looking for here.
Many people who keep starting a thread like this have let us help.
You will get good suggestions.
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Also often the names people mention they cannot get end up being (sometimes obscure) Marvel copyrighted names so no one can have them.
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Originally Posted by CodeJunkie
Out of curiosity, what were some of the names you tried? I usually don't have an issue getting names and I have been quite surprised at some of the names I have been able to obtain.
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total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
Technology characters are especially easy in this regard, because you can always apply car-manufacturer-style code numbers, which look cool and are pretty much infinite. "Prototype" is probably taken, for instance, but I bet "Prototype M590" isn't; and if it is, well, there's always "Prototype M591". And so on.
I freely admit that's kind of a lazy way out, but it beats being "xXxWolverinexXx" and then getting genericked anyway.
First - I'm absolutely against vet players getting priority on names. First come, first serve, and I don't care if it's a newbie that gets the name - good on them.
Second, there's a script that's run on occasion to free up names. The first time it ran, it was (IIRC) 90 days inactive, and on characters under 35 - when run, the names would be marked available if someone wanted them. The second time it ran, it was under level *six.* With that sort of info, I doubt it's *old* accounts that have them. I do expect to find out that the script will be run again with similar parameters just prior to Going Rogue's release.
I don't have a problem finding names, quite honestly. But I wouldn't be against a 60 day name retention policy for trial accounts - if they don't purchase the full version, the names and such are wiped. I don't know how many names are tied up *there,* and they max out at 14 (now,) but you never know.
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What, again? How long has it been since the last time finding a good name was getting hard?|
Originally Posted by Jadeus
Character names becoming hard to come by
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| I have noticed that when I create a new character that the hardest part of character creation has been finding a name that is not already in use. If there is anything a player wants it is unique character with a cool name. I do not like the idea of throwing a number after a name just to have a certain title. How about a name generator or giving veteran players some priority on names. I am sure there are pleanty of dead accounts that are soaking up some very cool names. Just a suggection. |
What is largely unavailable are obvious names. Super Man is a given, but I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that Fire Man and Flame Woman are both taken. I did see a Miss Blaster running around a few years back, so people obvious use these names, but if it's obvious, it's obviously taken. It's how it goes. Try for something a little less obvious that people wouldn't have been as likely to have made already. You're after a unique character, after all.
And to head off an argument, no, names like Qwerty are not all that's left (in fact, I'm pretty sure Qwerty would have been taken). There ARE good names left still, even good classic super hero names if you think hard enough. Unless your want is so specific as to boil down to wanting a specific name (as these threads usually do), you are really best served by just trying more names and putting more work into coming up with a good, available one.
I realise this whole thing makes me come out as a jerk, but I see one of these threads roughly once a month and the results are usually the same. The problem inherent in all of them is almost always solve by just trying a different name until you find one you like that you can use. I'm sure people will offer (and may well have) various tools for finding or making one. The bottom line is that people are already using these names, and yanking them from paying customers is bad business. Yanking them from inactive accounts proved fruitless (which is why name purges occur at level 6 and below these days). Really, short of allowing duplicate names, there is no good solution, and I do NOT want to walk around as Samuel Tow@Super Dude everywhere I go.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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i think the Thesaurus/Dictionary route is a good one to take. Also, try an online latin converter like:
http://www.translation-guide.com/fre...glish&to=Latin
Ice Girl = glacies puella
Works for me
Amongst others, here are some recent names I acquired: Watchman, Cremator, Red Guard, Dr. Scourge, Captain Nimbus, the Ionaut. (The many others were more obscure, or 'name names.')
There are names out there you wouldn't think would be, just try them, and stay flexible. I personally find I prefer more unique names anyway, they just need more work. 'Fire Boy' is meh. 'Child of the Inferno' has more character. (Don't judge me too harshly on that one, that's of the top of my head. )
Some stuff I try when I make a new character is seventhsanctum.com's hero/villian name generator, thesaurus, or a translation website (lots of cool names in German from everyday words). Or, just try something that's a little odder than normal. I had no problem making my Feral Ballerina a few weeks ago...
"If all the world's a stage, I want to operate the trap door." --Paul Beatty
Altaholic since '05, 0 months sober
When I have trouble getting a name I want, I usually just misspell it and it gets me the name.
Examples:
Desired name = Crimson Angel. Name I used = Krimzon Angel
Desired name = We Are Legion. Name I used = We R Legion
Desired name = Chaos Black. Name I used = Kaos Blak
I'm also opposed to the "Veteran Priority" idea for names. It should be first come, first served like it is now.
I think they might do another name purge from unused accounts about the time GR launches - they did something similar for the CoV launch.
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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I agree, thinking outside the box is a great way to get good names. I have "Robotic Pirate Ghost" and "Red Ones Go Faster" and had no problems getting either name.
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Originally Posted by Snickerdoodle
Some stuff I try when I make a new character is seventhsanctum.com's hero/villian name generator, thesaurus, or a translation website (lots of cool names in German from everyday words). Or, just try something that's a little odder than normal. I had no problem making my Feral Ballerina a few weeks ago...
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I don't think many, and I mean no offense when I say this, would think those are good names.|
Originally Posted by treboreleets
I agree, thinking outside the box is a great way to get good names. I have "Robotic Pirate Ghost" and "Red Ones Go Faster" and had no problems getting either name.
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But *shrug* what do I know. I suggested a name to a friend for her blaster, and it was free. "Zero to Sixty" sounded like a good speedster name.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
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Indeed, the thesaurus is my friend.|
Originally Posted by BaronVonSavage
i think the Thesaurus/Dictionary route is a good one to take. Also, try an online latin converter like:
http://www.translation-guide.com/fre...glish&to=Latin Ice Girl = glacies puella Works for me |
Example, my friend made a toon back in the day called Dark Blue... and you know that had to be way early in the game's history for a name like that.
I made an homage/ filler toon named Basalt Twilight. Still sounds cool, right? And still has the basic premise.
(Of course, I came up with that name before the whole Twilight fiasco
)
I have noticed that when I create a new character that the hardest part of character creation has been finding a name that is not already in use. If there is anything a player wants it is unique character with a cool name. I do not like the idea of throwing a number after a name just to have a certain title. How about a name generator or giving veteran players some priority on names. I am sure there are pleanty of dead accounts that are soaking up some very cool names. Just a suggection.