My character has a horrible name. Help me fix it.
By
ClawsandEffect,
Posted on: 2012-06-30 15:43 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
I like Arcanus Ex Machina myself as well, but I'll toss out two I thought of while reading the thread anyway.
Magion; named after the fundamental particle that carries magical forces; discovered and named by himself.
Arcane Engine, although that's a little steampunkish.
Arc #40529 : The Furies of the Earth
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Huh... This is entirely in a different direction, but I actually really like it. It's less Dr. Breen and more Dr. Magnuson, but that's actually PERFECT! While Breen is just a self-righteous sarcastic jerk, Magnuson is an abusive, browbeating ******* who ridicules people and names everything after himself. Remember the "Magnuson Devices?" Something like that might be a pretty good idea, to be honest, especially since for as much as I like some of the Latin names I've seen and tried out of Google Translate, I can't seem to get one that both sounds like how I want it and means how I want it.|
Originally Posted by Obscure Blade
Magion; named after the fundamental particle that carries magical forces; discovered and named by himself.
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The trouble with Latin, I'm finding, is that for as cool and in-character as it is for Majik, it just has a very distinct sound to it that makes it seem a little too pretentious. See, there's a fine line between between making a character who's just an extreme form of arrogant scientist and one who's a PARODY of an arrogant scientist, and I'm really very adamant about not making a parody. I'm actually thinking that unless I can find a Latin name that both has a very distinct and cool sound AND means something profound, I might be better off going with a name Majik coined himself. I actually haven't done much in the way of terminology for this "magi-tech," but I'm quite fond of FEAR's concept of "telesthetic projection" and I might want to go that way.
When it comes to Latin, I'd like to restrict myself to phrases that can be used to refer to an actual person. I tried "creator of god" or "creator of magic" or some such, but the translations that come out, even when I ask Google Translate to take liberties with the Latin language, don't sound like what I'd like them to sound like. Honestly, it's possible my view of the language may have been polluted by the faux-Latin used in much of the Warhammer 40 000 games, which while it sounds cool... Doesn't seem to actually mean much in actual Latin.
I'm still working on the name, but what you suggest makes sense and gives me a new avenue to explore.
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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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More than likely that will be the case. But you also have to remember that "church latin" and "classical latin" have some differences, and without knowing which version you are referring to, can end up with some interesting results.|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
Honestly, it's possible my view of the language may have been polluted by the faux-Latin used in much of the Warhammer 40 000 games, which while it sounds cool... Doesn't seem to actually mean much in actual Latin.
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Having studied Latin many years ago (along with some ancient greek, which i cannot remember off the top of my head), you have to remember that Latin is a *fairly* well structured language, and that you have to actually remember in which form "secret" is meant to take... that is what will dictate which word you actually need to use.
Side note: I found a while ago, a quite interesting thread on the Eve Online forums (of all places), where someone took apart all the "latin sounding" alliance/corporation names and actually told people what they actually meant, and if they wanted a certain meaning, what it should be.
Rather unsurprisingly, the "cooler" sounding names were often wrong (some were close), and the actual "proper" names were indeed not as cool... Morsus Mihi is meant to mean "bite me"... however "bite me" in latin is actually "morde me (mi if using 16th centuary latin). Morsus Mihi actually means "A Bite. To me".
"Creator of magic" for example comes out as "creator magici"... which looks somewhat right, might need some tweaking though (as i previously said, i am massively rusty with the language)
Bizarrely enough, I came up with a name that I like, I can't really use. Figured I might still share it here, just in case someone wanted to use it.
"Nulla Arcana" seems to translate over Google as "No Secrets," which is interesting as a character motto for Majik, but not really as an actual name. I did come up with a new specification that should narrow things down greatly, however.
When I went to name the Steel Rook once upon a time, I named the super hero persona of the otherwise very unpowered scientist after the power armour suit he wears, which itself was named after an autonomous robot that he and his late wife were working on. I highly suspect that I can do the same here. Faultline has his Faultbreaker suit, so I figure I can do something similar for Magic, as well. I actually want to share his new Bio which might give you a slight idea of how I'm going about it.
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"Prophecy" is what the power armour suit is called now. I'm thinking it should be simple enough to rename it to something more dignified and have the man use THAT as his name. I'm also thinking it should be something in English, as I've more or less tapped out on the Latin.
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I was once Professor Jason Isaac, but my title is long gone. When I first discovered the principle of telesthetic cryptoelectricity, which small minds call "magic," my less capable peers grew jealous and pulled my funding. The charlatans that are this city's "magic" community then pushed to have my research banned, fearful of losing their monopoly on parlour tricks. If the fools would rather live in the dark ages, I say let them. If this is what the scientific community has become, then I care nothing for their titles, and there are always alternate means of obtaining resources. The Machina Arcanus already produces enough cryptoelectricity to animate my Prophecy armour conduit so simply taking what I need is not an issue. This should not be necessary, however, as I appear to have found a much less short-sighted benefactor. I WILL bring this world into the future of infinite energy, kicking and screaming if need be, and no-one's backwards thinking will stand in my way. |
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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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That's exactly my problem with it, and why I'm so careful of using names in languages I don't actually speak. That's also a big reason why I want use Latin but at the same time REALLY don't want to use Latin. To most people it might seem cool and intelligent, but to that one odd person who actually speaks Latin, it might seem like gibberish, putting both me and Majik to shame.|
Originally Posted by Gangrel_EU
"Creator of magic" for example comes out as "creator magici"... which looks somewhat right, might need some tweaking though (as i previously said, i am massively rusty with the language)
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I do have some Google Translate Latin in the bio I posted, which is easy enough to edit back into English if it proves to be wrong.
For the sake of trying everything, what would "Keeper of Secrets" translate to in Latin? Google Translate gives me strange and inconsistent results that I can't really evaluate.
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Incidentally, I know what you mean about Roman grammar. My native language is a Slavic one, and almost entirely based around suffixes and prefixes such that word forms tend to carry a lot of the grammar. It's why people trying to Bablefish English into Russian end up with such poor results - if you get the wrong form of a word, you say something completely different. I still remember a Hitman game labelling the chambers of the "Commander" as "Командовать," which actually translates back as "to command," and is an infinitive verb that isn't actually used in practical language almost at all, to boot. Oops!
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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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Custodis Arcana should roughly do it. |
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
That's exactly my problem with it, and why I'm so careful of using names in languages I don't actually speak. That's also a big reason why I want use Latin but at the same time REALLY don't want to use Latin. To most people it might seem cool and intelligent, but to that one odd person who actually speaks Latin, it might seem like gibberish, putting both me and Majik to shame.
I do have some Google Translate Latin in the bio I posted, which is easy enough to edit back into English if it proves to be wrong. For the sake of trying everything, what would "Keeper of Secrets" translate to in Latin? Google Translate gives me strange and inconsistent results that I can't really evaluate. |
Custodis (singular genititive (so using "of" in this case "Keeper of")
Arcana is the plural for "secrets"
Blast Hardcheese.
@Quantum Evil Rad/Rad Corruptor
Making the world safe for maleficent particles since 2004.
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Huh... I like it, believe it or not. And I personally find it hard to believe because I'm so damn picky, but this has the right meaning, it has the right sound to it, it's pretentious enough both in English and Latin and it works. Fair enough, that's probably the closest we've come to something I want to use right off the bat. I'll still try to spend some time turning it over in my head, but I... Can't really think of anything to criticise about this name.
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Originally Posted by Gangrel_EU
Custodis Arcana should roughly do it.
Custodis (singular genititive (so using "of" in this case "Keeper of") Arcana is the plural for "secrets" |
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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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Crunch Rockbody!
Techs Arcana
131430 Starfare: First Contact
178774 Tales of Croatoa: A Rose By Any Other Name ( 2009 MA Best In-Canon Arc ) ( 2009 Player Awards - Best Serious Arc )
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So, the secrets of technology? Not a bad idea. However, the more I work to use a Latin name, the more I run into the same problem. Even Custodis Arcana, for as much as I love the name, kind of runs into a problem - I can't really reverse-engineer a simpler name to call the character in conversation by. Typically, with a two-word name, I can just stick to one word, or a simplified version of one word, but with Latin names, that doesn't really work. Well, I suppose I could shorten that to Arcana, but again - we already have an Arcana whose name I don't want to steal |
Originally Posted by Hercules
Techs Arcana
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Honestly, it KILLS me that I've seen so many great names here that, upon actually putting them over the head of my character, end up bugging me to use them in practice. I think I need to take the low-brow option and give his armour a name in English, preferably containing the word "magic" in it, and just go with that. It's a shame to take this over your awesome suggestions, but my brain just refuses to work with the better names, it seems.
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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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Well, you *can* reverse engineer it.|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
So, the secrets of technology? Not a bad idea. However, the more I work to use a Latin name, the more I run into the same problem. Even Custodis Arcana, for as much as I love the name, kind of runs into a problem - I can't really reverse-engineer a simpler name to call the character in conversation by. Typically, with a two-word name, I can just stick to one word, or a simplified version of one word, but with Latin names, that doesn't really work. Well, I suppose I could shorten that to Arcana, but again - we already have an Arcana whose name I don't want to steal
Honestly, it KILLS me that I've seen so many great names here that, upon actually putting them over the head of my character, end up bugging me to use them in practice. I think I need to take the low-brow option and give his armour a name in English, preferably containing the word "magic" in it, and just go with that. It's a shame to take this over your awesome suggestions, but my brain just refuses to work with the better names, it seems. |
Custos would do the trick. Still using latin, is actually the nominative case for Custodis.
If you are using as a shorter version of his name, why not?
iMage
Always remember, we were Heroes.
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The truth is I'm probably biassed. This is a very old character that I've played on and off for years. I hate his name and his spelling, but he's been a villain of mine for so long (about as old as Electric Melee for Brutes) that I kind of got used to calling him "magic." The many amazing names you've given me have served to highlight that I just can't make a change that's too far from that, or at least doesn't contain that. I'll actually try to use the last couple of Latin names I got for other characters, but for Majik... Well, let's just say that I'll try to call him "Something of Magic" or "The Magic Something" or a name along those lines, just so it can contain that word.|
Originally Posted by Gangrel_EU
Well, you *can* reverse engineer it.
Custos would do the trick. Still using latin, is actually the nominative case for Custodis. If you are using as a shorter version of his name, why not? |
Yes, I'm aware the man's regard for the term "magic" is one of scoffing indignation and I really can't argue around it. In fact, NOT using the word would fit his character so well, but I can't think of a way to not have the word in the name and still call him that, and I don't have the stomach to just call him something else. I like the nickname, depressingly enough...
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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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Soon to be 'd by Apple....
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Originally Posted by Dr_Darkspeed
iMage
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I know it's probably the low-brow simpleton thing to do, but how would you guys feel if I went with something simpler and more direct, like TechnoMagic or MagiTech or some such? I can still use a lot of the Latin names for the various devices he's working on, but go with a simpler name for the actual character. Would that be taking the least intelligent option, or?
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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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Yeah, once you get down a path, and stay on it for a while, name changes are *very* hard to do properly, unless you give the character a valid reason to do it.|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
The truth is I'm probably biassed. This is a very old character that I've played on and off for years. I hate his name and his spelling, but he's been a villain of mine for so long (about as old as Electric Melee for Brutes) that I kind of got used to calling him "magic." The many amazing names you've given me have served to highlight that I just can't make a change that's too far from that, or at least doesn't contain that. I'll actually try to use the last couple of Latin names I got for other characters, but for Majik... Well, let's just say that I'll try to call him "Something of Magic" or "The Magic Something" or a name along those lines, just so it can contain that word.
Yes, I'm aware the man's regard for the term "magic" is one of scoffing indignation and I really can't argue around it. In fact, NOT using the word would fit his character so well, but I can't think of a way to not have the word in the name and still call him that, and I don't have the stomach to just call him something else. I like the nickname, depressingly enough... |
Of course, if you are going to restart him from scratch, why not give him the opportunity to turn over a new leaf. I am pretty certain that some comic book characters have had name changes in the past, and yet the people around them still called them by their *OLD* name for a short period of time. Archangel is one that sticks in my mind for some reason.
*shrugs* if anyone calls your character by his old name, he goes off into a rage and punishes them...
and above all else remember
"FOR SCIENCE!"
*edit, because you replied whilst i was typing up this response!*
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Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
I know it's probably the low-brow simpleton thing to do, but how would you guys feel if I went with something simpler and more direct, like TechnoMagic or MagiTech or some such? I can still use a lot of the Latin names for the various devices he's working on, but go with a simpler name for the actual character. Would that be taking the least intelligent option, or?
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TechnoMagic: Techno is the 1st choice here, magic as 2nd alternative.
MagiTech: Magi would get it here, although Tech would be a valid alternative.
*shrugs* it is entirely up to you, but for me, if he is going to name various devices in Latin, then to me at least, he would also have a Latin based name. He appears to have the ego to be that stuck up to do it. I dont think he would *lower* himself down to the "comedy" names that TechnoMagic and MagiTech would imply.
If he was going for those names, then i think that having "latin based" device names wouldn't work. It is a clash of two naming cultures; the "ultra hip" modern with the intellectual status that knowing Latin would give.
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Also being a play on Texarkana, a place in Texas, something I suspect not everyone would automatically realize.
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Originally Posted by Hercules
Techs Arcana
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my lil RWZ Challenge vid
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This one's actually not bad enough to need to go back to formula. His story stays the same, his costume is very different but the idea is still the same (just done with better costume items), his bio was actually pretty dang good originally, just somewhat unfocused and not snarky enough, and his powers are still applicable. I'm renovating the guy, as opposed to rerolling him. If anything, he's getting better rather than different |
Originally Posted by Gangrel_EU
Of course, if you are going to restart him from scratch, why not give him the opportunity to turn over a new leaf. I am pretty certain that some comic book characters have had name changes in the past, and yet the people around them still called them by their *OLD* name for a short period of time. Archangel is one that sticks in my mind for some reason.
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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 read it as "Tex Arkana" initially, at least phonetically, but I didn't know such a place existed.
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Originally Posted by Organica
Also being a play on Texarkana, a place in Texas, something I suspect not everyone would automatically realize.
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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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It would be a really good name for a cowboy tech/mage of some sort... named Tex.
I almost had a character like that, actually, in a Steampunk pen & paper (Gurps) roleplaying game. His name was Kid Rocket, and he was a rocket scientist who had worked artillery in the American Civil War, and then fallen to robbing banks in order to fund his research. He had rocket pistols, hehe.
my lil RWZ Challenge vid
MechTur of the Godz (LOL...Mech + Turbine)
Cartesian ST
S.P.O.C. (Single Point of Control)
Samuel, I think his name is fine as is, really. Maybe you just should add a '12' at the endas a sort of update.
�Many things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.�
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Originally Posted by Organica
Also being a play on Texarkana, a place in Texas, something I suspect not everyone would automatically realize.
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Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
I read it as "Tex Arkana" initially, at least phonetically, but I didn't know such a place existed.
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As for the name, I too was going to recommend maintaining the old nickname as well.
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To be honest, I actually cheated. I decided to shoot for the lowest common denominator and pick a name that's not that creative. So I checked to see if "Technomagic" is free and... It was. Both on Victory and Exalted. So I used that. I guess it was SO obvious everyone else thought it was too obvious to be free |
Originally Posted by Red Valkyrja
As for the name, I too was going to recommend maintaining the old nickname as well.
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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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It has the same 'us' end as deus, and arcanus seems to be the masculine nomative form, which i think is the right one? (no idea, really, just an educated guess form online dictionaries)
Always remember, we were Heroes.