Character names becoming hard to come by

Oh god I know. Mine is also a 77 edition, with the red and black cover? Really great book. You'd think I would have it memorized, with the amount of stuff I name. It's not just for here: it's online on Deviantart, for wolves, horses, characters in my rpg world, elves, soul-names for elves, pets, mounts...

It is time to study search-fu!

People have been complaining about not getting names for years. I think it started even long before the first anniversary of the game.

We know that there are lot of standard conventions for hero names.
[color] [power descriptor] - White Fish
[color] [animal, totem, weapon, etc.] - Black Canary
[any descriptor] [age related gender description] - Superman
[alignment descriptor] [power related name] - Black Adam (yeah, that's a color, but he was really called "Black" Adam because he was "evil"...I just can't think of a better one at the moment)
[size descriptor] [power or any descriptor] - Little John
[size descriptor] [color] [power descriptor] - Little Red Riding-hood
[age related w or w/o gender description] [any descriptor] - Kid Eternity
[Rank, occupation, etc.] [Country, color, power-related, etc] - Doctor Midnight
[descriptor] [Rank, occupation, etc.] - American Maid

You get the idea, but we know that there are tons more.

Honestly, I don't have slots left to go pick an obvious name, make a character, create it, and get that name or something close to it on the 2nd or 3rd shot.

If you really want "that name" then try on another server. The names are taken once per server. Names do over-lap both sides of a server.
I know this because I have a couple of character (same name) that I have on multiple servers.
Once I tried to have a hero and a villain with the same name on the same server, but it won't let you.
One time one of these names was already taken. The character name was two words, so I simply added a 's after the first word.
Easy enough.

So please refrain from the ~<[name]>~ or /\[name]/\ or xXX[name]XXx
Please!

Of course. Thus, the effort to get the rules changed. And that impacts you how?

And my name is Johnny Velocity. If you respect unique names so much, try using mine.

That's because you aren't being creative enough. Be more creative.

First of all, you can't speak for "most of the rest of us in this game." And you know you can't. That's silly.

I have a different opinion, and I'm merely expressing it. You do realize that that is actually encouraged here, right? Especially in this sub-forum?

And how in the world would it impact you if this were to be implemented? Why are you so dead set against it, aside from your Quixotic quest to make the world more creative like you?

It doesn't, unless it works; then it impacts me by inflicting upon me a stupid system that ties character name visibly to player handle, thus taking whatever tattered fragments of a fourth wall the game has and chucking them out the window some some joker doesn't have to come up with something new. It's damaging the creative illusion - which is kind of the point of the game, otherwise we could all just play Connect Four - for the sake of the uncreative. I won't just stand around pretending I'm okay with that.

"Sorry, Johnny" doesn't fit the reference. Honestly, some people...

Don't bald face lie about the threads on the CO forums. Several of us have active accounts there, and I can verify there have been several threads complaining about the number of people making dozens of Batman's, Ironman's, Wolverines, Hulks, Dr Stranges, Deadpools, etc.

I refered to "most of the rest of us in this game with qualifiers". Not "everyone but you".

Some things are not meant to "help" but to restrict. What you want won't work to help anyone get anything. It will in fact encourage people to just "not" be original. I find that idea abhorrent.

If a name is taken, it's taken. Move on. I dont' care if it's on an account that was opened 5 years ago and played for 20 minutes. If that character is above level 6, formerly level 30 since the first purge was enacted, that character should be there wholly intact for its owner should they decide to come back.

I DO think that a name generator IS a good idea. Fortunately, there are already dozens of them online. Hell I've MADE some. I know they're there.

That part of the idea isn't necessary to put into the game, because it's simply put already existing outside the game. It's something that can easily be located while you're there looking at the blank area for the character's name.

It came up enough earlier on in the game - as in 3 years ago or longer - that the devs MADE that script and RAN it.

And guess what: it did NOTHING. It freed names all right, but *no one needed them*. Either the accounts were still active, or the characters were named originally enough that no one else would choose or create that name. That's why when it was run again later it was made to be level 6 instead of much higher, and still the same results - no one needed those names. The delusion that some folks seem to be under, that this name purge could some how be of use to you looking for those insanely common names is amazing to me. They're common. They're already out there being used by people who ACTUALLY PLAY the game.

The number of people who LIKE the naming system on CO - this very thing you mention here - is miniscule compared to those who have already stated they don't. It's only mentioned here as a last resort, by the FEW people who have issues with names here. Remarkably few people, in fact, have thought of this as a "first option". More just want to have their unique snowflake common name, hell or high water, regardless of whether someone else already wanted it.

Just because YOU have a hard time, and maybe 2 or 3 other people a month maybe, does NOT indicate that this is an issue that bothers the huge lion's share of the gamers here.

I know of no one who's ever left the game over a name issue. None. Do you know one personally? Are you one? Don't think so.

Non unique naming is a *hassle* of unbelievable proportion, and would piss off way more people than it would ever help.

Rename tokens don't sell like hotcakes for the same reason that the name purges don't run more often. The data mining indicated that it wasn't being made useful AT ALL. It's only ever been run TWICE that I know of. They do tell us when they're going to run it, usually along with a reup weekend to allow people who want to keep those names, even if they're not on an active account at the moment, to do so if they really want to.

And it has had *no effect*. If it was really an issue, a tangible, real issue, those names would be freed up left and right, and you'd be happy. But it's not. The names you want are on characters who meet the level and activity restrictions, so you are out of luck.

www.reference.com is free. Go use it.

Unfortunately for you, you chose to play "City of Heroes" which has a unique naming policy. You don't have to like it, but if you want to play you will have to live with it.

As a side note, it *has* been quite some time - and yes, they do tell us when it's going to be run (or have, historically.) I actually asked... ok, brain lock, not lighthouse but whatsername who was in at the same time... about it around a year ago and they hadn't been running it, and didn't seem to have any plans to in the near term. Not saying it hasn't been run *since,* but again - we normally hear about it.

Again, though, I wouldn't argue with it being done on a regular basis on trial accounts that don't go live within 60 days or so. *shrug* I don't think it'd have all that much impact, TBH - much like the prior script runs didn't really have much, or so we're told - but at least people wouldn't be so worried about "good names sitting unused" on them.

See my Guides and Tutorials

There have been comments in the past that have implied that they may in fact have run the script on trial accounts that were never paid on, and done without the usual warnings. I don't have an issue with that. Someone who never invested in the game shouldn't get the same consideration as anyone who paid, even for just a couple of months.

Indeed. So, when you need "fgdbtstlab23" or "goldfarmerme" ... I'm sure they'll be open

I figure Gen-13 is/was a teen rated comic. Rereading my collection of Gen13, I came along a line of Caitlin Fairchild saying "Why does this always happen to me?" in reference to her clothes always being almost totally ripped off.

So, I consider the character rated Teen.

And for others, seeing names such as...

Blak Krozz
371ta
Dark Shadowy Guy
[insert name that can't isn't english and wouldn't likely be seen in a comic book here]
Underwear Man
Underwear Girl (admitedly, I've only seen Underwear Man, and variations of said name...I have not seen an Underwear Girl)
Underwear on the Outside Man
ect...ect...

is immersion breaking.

Traveling about Paragon City and seeing...

Angel Red
Angel Red
Angel Red
Angel Red
Angel Red
Angel Red
Angel Red

I'd find that to be pretty damn immersion-breaking.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Main Entry: unique
Pronunciation: \yu̇-ˈnēk\
Function: adjective
Etymology: French, from Latin unicus, from unus one — more at on
Date: 1602
1 : being the only one : sole
2 a : being without a like or equal : unequaled b : distinctively characteristic : picular
3 : unusual

More than one, then our characters cease to be unique.

Angel Red
"We're heroes. Fighting injustice is the thing we do." ~Rebel Scum

When you said 'red with black cover' I had to look, because mine are blue. Upon further inspection, mine were published in '72.

I love it because it's not alphabetical, it categorizes everything by classification. At times I knew the context of the word I wanted to use, but for the life of me I could not think up any word that would lead me to it. The classification format allows me to find it in another way.

Angel Red
"We're heroes. Fighting injustice is the thing we do." ~Rebel Scum

Do not be afraid...fully immerse yourself in all that is NoPants!

Glad you asked. I AM Baby Burn, Claire Ice, and Clair Le Truble amongst others. I know I am the only one (on my server at least) and in no way do I want someone else to take those names. Under your system, anyone could be Baby Burn. I've had compliments on the name, what if one of them liked it so much they created it. Nothing I could do about it. I'd like that about as much as you like the current system, not to mention that I would have to have some other form of identifier anyway so really my name would be Baby Burn@DaveNSmith which just sounds really bad.

And finally those who you say CAN still be unique under your system can't really as we'll have no idea whether that name is already taken.

How about a system where a user can choose if their name has to be unique when we create it. That way those of us who like having unique names can ensure we have one, and that we keep it. Guess what, I'd give good odds that you'll still not be able to get that name you want, because most people would set their names to being unique.

(oh, and the Ninja trick in CO, Brilliant! Love the idea!)

Probably like mine where it has an Index in the back. I hate the ones that are in dictionary form. I mean really, If I wanted it to be in dictionary form, I'd ya know, look in a dictionary.

Angel Red
"We're heroes. Fighting injustice is the thing we do." ~Rebel Scum

I'm not creative enough because I can't imagine a way to make a change that YOU want and I don't NEED? Hmm... OK, wiseguy, enlighten me - what, exactly, do you envision this change as which doesn't cause new problems for me while solving a problem for you that doesn't bother me in the slightest? Because if your idea is to help you by inconveniencing me, I hope you'll forgive me for not being very sympathetic.

Really, all you've been doing is repeating "I want non-unique names." Which is fine - I wouldn't be bothered by people using each-other's names. But it's also a hollow premise, only one step above "Fix it now!" However, unless you provide an actual idea that convinces me that this could work, I'm not going to support it. Call me a jerk, but what you want isn't very important to me. I doubt what I want is very important to you, either. Unless we can come up with something we both want, this is pointless, and repeating your wants doesn't help.

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.

Actually, thinking about it now, there is merit to having unique names, at least somewhat. Over the past five years, I've been recognised several times when I was playing Samuel Tow by people from the forums, and I have personally met at least Bill Z Bubba and Friggin Taser in-game by just running across their title characters, recognising them by name and vaguely by costume. To me, that's actually a good thing.

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.