City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

The Pressure of Finding the Right Name

AcceleratorRay

By AcceleratorRay,
Posted on: 2011-05-10 07:45 in Player Questions

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Postagulous View Post
My biggest problem with my toons is finding the right name. I'm not very good at it and have deleted tons of alts in the 20s due to what I consider to be lousy names. And most of the time I think of something, it's taken. I'm also not the kind that would do ".:SuperHeroName:." type stuff.

Is there a thread, or forum, or whatever to help people get ideas?
Here's my secret.

Pick out a name, and say it in the voice of the Quake 2 Buff Announcer (link here).

If it sounds cool, it's a keeper. If it sounds t3h dumz, scrap it.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Turgenev View Post
Here's my secret.

Pick out a name, and say it in the voice of the Quake 2 Buff Announcer (link here).

If it sounds cool, it's a keeper. If it sounds t3h dumz, scrap it.
I do something similar, actually. I try imagining the name inserted into the old promo blurbs I used to see in Marvel's issues years ago (no idea if they still do it). "Who is [name here], and what does this mean for our hero?!", and the like. It usually gets me a result I want...eventually, though like I said, I suck at names.

 

Posted

Anyone here a Psych fan? I use the list of Gus' alias names for my starting point. I've gotten good inspiration starting with names like "Ovaltine Jenkins" and "Clementine Woolysocks". Look up the Wikipedia page on Burton Guster to find them all.

Main Character: Ice/Storm/Ice Controller (Justice, 1340 badges)

 

Posted

I agree that names are important and they can be tough. But creative use of the language can help. For example:

A plant-based character named Thorn. Name is taken. Ok...how about Thornn or Thorrnn? Adding something descriptive can help gel a costume idea like Scarlet Thorn in red or Ebon Thorn in black.

Other things can help like adjectives. Mighty Thorn, Bloody Thorn and so on.

I sometimes add in a title like Infameous or Magnificent.. I had dozens of players asking me how my lvl 2 MM The Infameous Dr Zombie got a title so early.

"Comics, you're not a Mastermind...you're an Overlord!"

 

Posted

Because of the future Steam punk Pack (and teh fact I am having one now and unsure about his name)

http://oobleck.org/steam/

Steampunk name generator

- The Italian Job: The Godfather Returns #1151
Beginner - Encounter a renewed age for the Mook and the Family when Emile Marcone escapes from the Zig!
- Along Came a... Bug!? #528482
Average - A new race of aliens arrives on Earth. And Vanguard has you investigate them!
- The Court of the Blood Countess: The Rise of the Blood Countess #3805
Advanced - Go back in time and witness the birth of a vampire. Follow her to key moments in her life in order to stop her! A story of intrigue, drama and horror! Blood & Violence... not recommend to solo!

 

Posted

My 3 fav's of mine are:

Kanadark - Kanada Dark d3

Hot-Shots (because when I transferred him, from Tri - originally Hot Shots no hyphen and he has a back story) a fire/fire scrapper

Space Arrow - an Arrow/devices blaster

I have a few more, like Master of Freedom and Mistress of Freedom, Onyx Eagle and Solidifyd but those top 3 are my favourite names and sets.

Justice
Everwood

Triumph
The Trust