Good character names are running out, huh?
By
Ad Astra,
Posted on: 2010-01-20 08:53 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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Sam's post was more like "Step out of your 'I'm a snowflake and I want it.' universe."|
Originally Posted by Premonitions
My point is, that your original post was just more of the "There's no problem, you just suck, shut up" mentality. People say that the naming system causes problems, and others say "No, you're just a bad name/character creator, see how good I am at it?" No problem or disagreement has ever been solved by one party denying that the problem exists, and then insulting the other one.
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There have been countless suggestions in similar posts, that give people the tools to easily create a unique name for their characters. The most important tool being the one sitting on top of your neck, but there are websites that will generate names, online thesaurus', language translators, and even *gasp* books.
If someone is unwilling to even consider those options, then the problem lies solely on the head of the that person. I have no sympathy for the can't get any more selfish than "I want it." mentality.
As for a random name generator? /signed
Non-unique naming? /unjpowerrangersigned
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Selfishness is'nt necessarily an insult, Having primary concern for one's own goals and desires can be a positive thing, when one is trying to do something that benefits others, but primarily oneself, or when your own goals are to help others, and you have no concern for the people who don't want you to do such a thing.| Sorry, but *TONS* of people think that two people having the same name IS A PROBLEM. How convenient for you to simply hand-wave it away and deny it's an issue except for those who are "needlessly selfish". Oh wait, besides denying the problem exists, you're insulting people, too. Double irony |
I'll admit the connotations of the word, and my usage of it, are insulting, and for that I apologize.
The issue comes in when what you want, and do, prevents me from doing what I want to do. Especially when what you want is to explicitly limit others to suit your needs. You want to keep people from making what they want, just to suit your needs, If me and you have the same name, you still have the name.
I can't have a name or hairstyle because you have it? That's just plain wrong.
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| Sam's post was more like "Step our of your 'I'm a snowflake and I want it.'universe." |
"I got a name that I like, and people say they can't get the one's they like, HA!"
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| There have been countless suggestions in similar posts, that give people the tools to easily create a unique name for their characters. The most important tool being the one sitting on top of your neck, but there are websites that will generate names, online thesaurus', language translators, and even *gasp* books. |
Me? I create my names usually somewhere in the middle, after concept, and how to express that concept through the powers in-game. So, by the time I hit the actual naming portion, further elements of the character, the costume,the signifigance of the indivdual costume elements, the background, and the name, are intrinsicly connected. I get to the end, and the name is taken? If I really want to play with that concept, I come up with a new name, then go back and change the character to suit it. Or sometimes I don't, sometimes I just come up with a new name because I had already decided how important the name was to the character. If the name is'nt that important, I can change it with no extra changes. If it's too tied in, I'm not making the character that day, sucks for me.
I've got three Character's who's name's are actually nicknames given to them by a fourth character of mine who is kind of a jerk. Thus, they're names with somewhat mocking meanings. These characters always introduce themselves by their birth names, but the nicknames might come up in conversation. If "Two-Faced killer" was taken, I'd come up with something similar for my Split Personality, mask wearing assassin.
It's not an essential part of the character, because I decided in advance how important the name was to the individual character
And sometimes I just throw the character out of the window, because the name was too important.
It's still annoying, and it's still a problem..
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As for a random name generator? /signed Non-unique naming? /unjpowerrangersigned |
I'm trying to conceptualize an idea that makes names both unique, and not limited to the same character at the same time. Under this system, you and another character would still be unable to have the same name, but you would share the same parts of a name if you so chose. Functionally, two people would have completely different names, but they could use similar parts to identify themselves. I've already been over it further up in the thread.
I need to add that this has nothing to do with Character@global, Because I dislike it myself, when I played champions and saw it, it ticked me right off.
Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.
Been here a few years and I've never had a hard time coming up with new names that weren't taken. You're on a computer fer cryin' out loud, use it.
"They've got us surrounded again, the poor bastards." - General Creighton W. Abrams
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That is where I, and likely many others are going to differ with you on this subject. I do not consider any name so critical that not having it negates the creation of a character.|
Originally Posted by Premonitions
And sometimes I just throw the character out of the window, because the name was too important.
It's still annoying, and it's still a problem.. I'm not gonna argue for more features. I doubt I'd ever USE a random name generator, I've got the internet, I can search for names I like and fit what I'm doing. But hey, cool beans. |
If I've come up with a name for a character but find that it is already in use, then I move on, but cause if someone else already thought of it then it's too common.
I generally don't have problems coming up with names either, I've been stumped a time or two, and might actually have to crack open a second book.
I doubt I'd use an in-game name generator myself, as it would have to incorporate the ability to offer alternatives to a name entered by a user (and I don't mean by tacking on a bunch of numbers.)
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Stop. You are claiming to know my MOTIVATION for opposing the idea and you are *WRONG*. It's not about ME ME ME. I think the entire idea of non-unique names is BAD FOR THE GAME. I think it makes it less appealing to a lot of players and potential players.|
Originally Posted by Premonitions
The issue comes in when what you want, and do, prevents me from doing what I want to do. Especially when what you want is to explicitly limit others to suit your needs. You want to keep people from making what they want, just to suit your needs, If me and you have the same name, you still have the name.
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I could certainly be wrong, but that *IS* my honest opinion.
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
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Like I said, that's very rarely the case, usually I have to change quite a few things to suit a new name, and rarely, The amount of things I have to change becomes so great that it ceases to be the same character, usually the same concept, but not the same character, and so I drop it. I generally make very... "Tight" I suppose would be the right word, characters , where nothing is extraneous, everything in the character's design and concept matters, and there's very little wiggle room.|
Originally Posted by Red Valkyrja
That is where I, and likely many others are going to differ with you on this subject. I do not consider any name so critical that not having it negates the creation of a character.
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| If I've come up with a name for a character but find that it is already in use, then I move on, but cause if someone else already thought of it then it's too common. |
There's lots of fire-shooting characters, I don't reject a flame-powered character because it's been done to death, I take in every aspect of the character and how all those things go together.
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I generally don't have problems coming up with names either, I've been stumped a time or two, and might actually have to crack open a second book. I doubt I'd use an in-game name generator myself, as it would have to incorporate the ability to offer alternatives to a name entered by a user (and I don't mean by tacking on a bunch of numbers.)
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Stop. You are claiming to know my MOTIVATION for opposing the idea and you are *WRONG*. It's not about ME ME ME. I think the entire idea of non-unique names is BAD FOR THE GAME. I think it makes it less appealing to a lot of players and potential players. I could certainly be wrong, but that *IS* my honest opinion. |
You might think it's good for the game, based on what you think (and it may be true) others want, but the people you're thinking about can very well have the opinion that they want the unique name, and are'nt too concerned about someone else wanting it.
Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.
The whole argument of "Your selfish" sucks.
Come up with something better or buy a dictionary.
I love being a wierdo. Sure, people may cross the street and call me THAT guy, but there are certain benefits as well. I know you're gagging for a full list, but only one is important here: I come up with some wacky names, and I rarely ever have any issues getting the name I want.
Foreign languages are a fertile source for names, for instance, yet they're scarcely even tapped. I was into names from Swahili for awhile, but for the last couple of years it's been the various Arabic forms. The Scorpion will most assuredly be in use (or copyrighted), but Al'Aqrab was there for the taking. Last time I checked the Spanish version, El Alacran, derived from Arabic, was available as well. I like both of those better than Scorpion too, they have a more sinister sound to them. Sure, few in the game will get the meaning, but that's what the doggone bio field is for.
But I don't even have to Google for online translators much, sometimes I get lucky. I got Staff Chick, on Virtue, a few days ago. Bite me, that's an awesome name, once I can realize my dream of a Staff/Regen Scrapper I simply shall not want.
Sadly it doesn't always work out so well. For a Dual Pistols Blaster, I got an image of a horrendously stereotypical anime-ish heroine, trenchcoated and guns akimbo. Decided she'd be military, and the rank of Major sounded really good. Now I needed a last name, and "Kusanagi" was a perfect fit. Went through the creator, got to the end... "That name is not available". Huh, normally it says "in use", doesn't it? Finally it dawned on me to remember that particular anime, and now my whole darn concept seems like a knock-off. 
Look, the point is, I don't like attaching Global names to character names either. Okay, that wasn't the point, but I've got to end this rambling somewhere.
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I can support the idea of names on inactive accounts being stripped after a certain period of time. |
Originally Posted by Perfect_Pain
Here is my awesome idea, just go with it.
If an account has been inactive for 24 months or more then all their names on non level 50 characters can get stripped. When they show back up to this game, they can have a bunch of free rename tokens. |
I believe the first time the script was run, it stripped inactive accounts of character names under level 35. But we were told that it really didn't free up all that many names. I'm not all that certain that running it for everything up to level 49 would help any more than that run.
But I'm really opposed to the idea that a level 50 character is somehow "sacrosanct" and untouchable, while everything up to level 49.9 has less value than the level 50. If we are going to strip names, strip them all, with the only defining characteristic being amount of time inactive.
Altoholic - but a Blaster at Heart!
Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon
"You gave us a world where we could fly. I can't thank you enough for that."
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Good thing player notes and ratings are automatically global.
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Originally Posted by Zyphoid
I like the fact that my global and my characters are not shown in chat. Yes you can click on a name to check it, but the unknown is better. I adopt a different personality with each character, and some characters may have pissed people off. I am more me when I use my global to chat. So having the two not always associated is a good thing.
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I just wanted to paste my previous signature here for all to see that way they know my stance on this whole thing:
That's odd. I was thinking of making some sort of big bruiser/scientist type fellow, (fashioned roughly after Frankenstein's Monster, only a super genius). But for some reason, the name I had in mind for him, Frank Einstein, shows as not available (not in use, completely unavailable).
Ah well, guess I don't need to be making any new characters for now anyway. A shame though, since he would have been a fun one to play.
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Frank Eintstien is the real name for the Dark Horse character Madman.
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Originally Posted by Willowpaw
That's odd. I was thinking of making some sort of big bruiser/scientist type fellow, (fashioned roughly after Frankenstein's Monster, only a super genius). But for some reason, the name I had in mind for him, Frank Einstein, shows as not available (not in use, completely unavailable).
Ah well, guess I don't need to be making any new characters for now anyway. A shame though, since he would have been a fun one to play. |
Don't you mean Freakazoid's grandpa?
Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.
my favorite new name is for my Archery/Trick Arrow Corruptor named Wall of Text
I named her in advance expectation of the day I will see this:
You ready Rain of Arrows.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wall of Text has defeated Bladegrass.
Wavicle, Energy/Energy Blaster, dinged 50 in Issue 4, summer of 2005.
@Wavicle, mostly on the Justice server.
Names I've used recently.
Code:
CTRL-Freak ----------- Friend had Shift-Awesome. Netherworld Envoy ----- I wanted a name to do with dark Predicated Rose -------- Becase people have no clue what predicated means Worzel of Velantia ----- E.E. "Doc" Smith character from Grey Lensman Delightful Piety -------- Just rolled off the tongue Quaternary Mary -------- So many people had Trinity something-or-other Comfortably Numb Eve - Pink Floyd are majorly good stuff Let Me Inside You ------ First line from Hymn for Her, The Pretenders Bowl 4 Soup My Wena -- I'm on a Bowling for Soup jag, they rock. Fake Blaster? ---------- Fake Nemesis? wasn't allowed Radical Deoxidiser ------ A kind of play on words Seeker of Contrails ----- I liked it Yclept Ziggurat --------- Meaningless but unique Neon Laughter --------- Colourful costume
It's so easy to come up with names, those poor individuals whose day is shot because 'DARK AS NIGHT' is taken ... let me direct them towards Dr Gregory House, his care factor approaches mine.
Ex
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Ex.
Part-Troll, who used to be Excession777, now playing pantomime with people's mindlets.
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Originally Posted by Premonitions
The issue comes in when what you want, and do, prevents me from doing what I want to do. Especially when what you want is to explicitly limit others to suit your needs. You want to keep people from making what they want, just to suit your needs, If me and you have the same name, you still have the name.
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Originally Posted by Ironblade
Stop. You are claiming to know my MOTIVATION for opposing the idea and you are *WRONG*. It's not about ME ME ME. I think the entire idea of non-unique names is BAD FOR THE GAME. I think it makes it less appealing to a lot of players and potential players.
I could certainly be wrong, but that *IS* my honest opinion. |
But having unique names is good for the game, IMHO. For one thing, it's crucial to the genre. One never reads "The busload of schoolchildren dangled from the edge of the bridge until some Spidermen came by and saved them."
Over the years I have seen many many players, in-game and in forums, express delight over having found a good name. Coming up with a good, unique name for a character isn't an accomplishment, maybe, but it feels good.
Players who did not have a good unique name often seemed to want one, and if they later made an alt with a good name, maybe they were happier.
Non-unique names would take that away from, well, everyone. No longer would there be anything unique, interesting, or even particularly creative about your name.
Further, such a move would be rewarding the least creative players making the least effort, and penalizing the more creative efforts and those who had put the most thought into their character creation.
Edit: as far as releasing names from years-unplayed accounts, I am not opposed to it, but it won't solve the issue...once those names are snapped up we'll be right back here.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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I'm having a hard time understanding your logic here. |
Originally Posted by Sailboat
I have to agree with Ironblade. Having a unique name isn't "keeping you from doing what you want," unless what you want is to copy other people's creative efforts.
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What I'm saying is:
If I eat a sandwhich, you can't have it, because I ate it. If I take a name, noone else can have it, because I took it and the game won't allow two people with the same name. My having the name, by the very nature of the system, prevents anyone else from having it.
That very much means I limit what others can do. The same goes for forums. I have prevented anyone else on this forum from having the username Premonitions, by getting it first. Creating characters in CoX is a creative process, and naming is part of that. We all limit each other's creative process by the simple act of choosing names for our characters, that then prevent each other from having said names.
This has nothing to do with trying to copy someone else. The idea seems to be, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, that I'm accusing you of being a big' ol meanie by not allowing me to make my unoriginal character. And that's not it. It's not a personal thing at all. It's the system of one person, through expressing themselves, preventing anyone else from using the same element to express themseles differently. Names are one element of character creation, and I'm sure you have more than just names to make your characters original.
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| But having unique names is good for the game, IMHO. For one thing, it's crucial to the genre. One never reads "The busload of schoolchildren dangled from the edge of the bridge until some Spidermen came by and saved them." |
"Non-unique names" makes it sound like everyone's gonna be Superguy. And that's just not the case, the people who are primarily interested in making unique, obscure, or very specific names, will be able to do that, and it's likely that few people will have said name, and if so, they'll probably rarely see each other.
How many Cecity's are going to be running around? not very many.
And if ther are a lot of them for some odd reason, who cares?
My ability to create the name I want is'nt hindered by someone else's in a system that allows two people to have the same name. Right now, the only thing making one person's name "unique" is the fact that other people are prevented from having them. My names are'nt unique right now, I just don't have to share them.
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Over the years I have seen many many players, in-game and in forums, express delight over having found a good name. Coming up with a good, unique name for a character isn't an accomplishment, maybe, but it feels good. Players who did not have a good unique name often seemed to want one, and if they later made an alt with a good name, maybe they were happier. |
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| Non-unique names would take that away from, well, everyone. No longer would there be anything unique, interesting, or even particularly creative about your name. |
and once again, who Cares?
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| Further, such a move would be rewarding the least creative players making the least effort, and penalizing the more creative efforts and those who had put the most thought into their character creation. |
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| Edit: as far as releasing names from years-unplayed accounts, I am not opposed to it, but it won't solve the issue...once those names are snapped up we'll be right back here. |
"what am I allowed to do?" not "What do I want to do?" or "What can I come up with?"
Right now we Get names or Find names, I'd like to be able to create names.
Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.
There's an innate value to the uniqueness of the name. And no one is stopping you from creating your own, unique name.
And you CAN have a name I already have -- if you are on another server. If it's taken on all servers, it's probably not a name that "few people" have.
Having a unique name, costume, and styling (fpor want of a better word) are fundamental to superhero genre.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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No, not really, not with people.A chair is a chair is a chair. But two Jonhs are not alike. A human is a human is a human, but two Johns will still not be the same.|
Originally Posted by Sailboat
There's an innate value to the uniqueness of the name.
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| And no one is stopping you from creating your own, unique name. |
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| And you CAN have a name I already have -- if you are on another server. If it's taken on all servers, it's probably not a name that "few people" have. |
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| Having a unique name, costume, and styling (for want of a better word) are fundamental to superhero genre. |
I don't need to rely on name alone to make them unique and complex, they're character's, real people(as far as fiction goes :P) with different personalities, appearances, and abilities and skills. The name is a part of that, but not the only aspect. I already share Costume peices, powers, available colors, and the same setting and even story to a certain degree, with everyone else. How I use all of those elements together is what makes my characters unique.
Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.
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But we're talking about concepts for fictional characters. Concepts certainly can be identical, or so derivative that the differences are insignificant.|
Originally Posted by Premonitions
No, not really, not with people.A chair is a chair is a chair. But two Jonhs are not alike. A human is a human is a human, but two Johns will still not be the same.
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| Does'nt make them unique, it just makes them first in a system that does'nt allow for two characters with the same name, despite all the Johns out there in real life. |
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| So I should just go away? |
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| I don't need to rely on name alone to make them unique and complex, they're character's, real people(as far as fiction goes :P) with different personalities, appearances, and abilities and skills. The name is a part of that |
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
I realize I'm a bit late to the discussion here... but just wanted to toss in my 2 inf.
I have several characters with names that I found, liked etc and were still available. However, after a string of attempted names that were taken I decided to go with a naming theme. Specifically a prefix.
Zen Chain Reaction (Brute with a chain themed costume)
Zen Critical Mass (Corr with rad/rad)
Etc etc. By adding the Zen as a prefix I have pretty much opened up any names I want to use, as well as made it easy to recognize my alts for any friends I should make in game.
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Okay, I'm having problems understanding this comment.|
Originally Posted by Premonitions
We all limit each other's creative process by the simple act of choosing names for our characters, that then prevent each other from having said names.
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So, my choosing a name, which prevents anyone else from having that name, requires them to be more creative in finding a name for themselves, limits their creative process?
more creative = limiting creativity
Got it.
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That works for you...but for alot of people...that's just suckie. :P|
Originally Posted by Humility
I realize I'm a bit late to the discussion here... but just wanted to toss in my 2 inf.
I have several characters with names that I found, liked etc and were still available. However, after a string of attempted names that were taken I decided to go with a naming theme. Specifically a prefix. Zen Chain Reaction (Brute with a chain themed costume) Zen Critical Mass (Corr with rad/rad) Etc etc. By adding the Zen as a prefix I have pretty much opened up any names I want to use, as well as made it easy to recognize my alts for any friends I should make in game. |
Using "Zen Chain Reaction" is really no different than using "xXx Chain Reaction xXx" and that's what people want to avoid. :P
Though one thing that might help in freeing up names, is if the game would let you actually use "The" at the beginning of your name.\
Admittedly, I've only had a couple of concepts this would work for, but I had them...but could use it.
For Instance (though this wasnt the name, but I can't recall it now)...
Forsaken (taken)
The Forsaken (taken, because the game only looks at Forsaken).
If they made it so someone could use "The" in their name, it'd make some more names available.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
A method that allows two people to have the same name would solve this problem, and only hurt the people who're being needlessly selfish, and it would only hurt them in that they would'nt be able to infringe on others people's freedoms.
Sorry, but *TONS* of people think that two people having the same name IS A PROBLEM. How convenient for you to simply hand-wave it away and deny it's an issue except for those who are "needlessly selfish". Oh wait, besides denying the problem exists, you're insulting people, too. Double irony!
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project