Alright, so I haven't played WoW in a long while and as hypocritical as it may seem coming from someone that despises what WoW has become, I thought I would take a peak at the Cataclysm site in order to determine whether or not the game was worth coming back to when the expansion arrives. Perusing the site eventually lead to me heading on over to the Armory to look up my chars and reminisce. Upon doing so, I was amazed to see that there were now twenty if not hundreds or more characters that shared the same name as some of mine.
Now before you jump to conclusions, stay with me on this as I'm not talking about names like Legolas (I would never) or even Guinness (I did, a Dwarf Hunter named after my favorite beer). I am referring to names that I came up with on my own that I've never seen in any game I've ever played since WoW. Names that I came up with, like the one that was a jumbled combination of the names of two of my exes, for example.
Coincidence, I think not. There is no way that all these others came up with these names on their own or that all these people were even inspired by my character. No, I am lead to believe that only Blizzard the "unimaginative" the "stealer of ideas" is leaching the names that others create for their random name generator. Therefore, my suggestion would be, for those that regard certain character names, be careful as to which names you use in WoW. Chances are, many others will eventually end up with said name, growing fonder of it, and perhaps even taking it with them to a future game thus preventing you from using it.
I realize that many of you won't give a $#!7 regarding your names as it is quite obvious in most games I play. However, I do know that there are those of you that have 1 or more names that do have sentimental value therefore, I thought I'd share.
What would be the point in "stealing" player names (for blizzard)??? I don't get it.
after 5 years i still have a mage with a name nobody has stolen in wow...havn't seen it in any other mmo either /flex
My main toon has a common name, but my wife has a name that was a mix of her first name and maiden name and there's not another person with the same name on any server according to the armory. So unless its somehow random, I don't think that the random name generator is "stealing" names. She's had the same name on that toon for almost 4 years now. What I think is more likely is that at any given time there are between 2-2.5 million U.S. players (or players playing on U.S. servers) and over the years there's been such a high level of churn (losing customers) and high level of getting new customers that there are likely literally tens of millions of toons across different servers. There's bound to be several if not dozens of the same name for almost every name.
I'm starting to believe that what you and some others have stated, might be right. I recently checked a character that I had that I hadn't played a lot. That character has a unique name and he is the only one still with that name in the Armory. So, it appears it is just an issue of there being a lot of copycats out there.
This thread made me laugh, I know my post adds no value here, but I had to say it. I've created some pretty obscure names in WoW that were not in use in the armory, and then literally I saw someone run by on another server later with the same name, but the thought that Blizzard somehow had something to do with it never crossed my mind and hearing someone suggest that is pretty funny.
How many millions of people? Short of an inane amount of random characters in a name, odds are somebody may just come up with the same name. Add in if you ever posted with that name somewhere, tada. It has nothing to do with Blizzard, and to suggest that it does is kind of...well, they frown on saying things like that here.
I agree completely, 'somebody' may come up with the same name, but 50 to even a hundred or more, c'mon. I am speaking of names that I had that shortly after the armory had first come out, upon searching it, I was the only one with those names. Now there are dozens if not more players with said names. Like I stated previously, I can understand a few copycats or even 1 or 2 others randomly coming up with some of them, but I have a hard time believing in those numbers.
When you wear a tin foil hat, your head acts as a transmitter sending your thoughts out into the world. Maybe that is how everyone stole "your" character's name.
How many millions of people? Short of an inane amount of random characters in a name, odds are somebody may just come up with the same name. Add in if you ever posted with that name somewhere, tada. It has nothing to do with Blizzard, and to suggest that it does is kind of...well, they frown on saying things like that here.
I agree completely, 'somebody' may come up with the same name, but 50 to even a hundred or more, c'mon. I am speaking of names that I had that shortly after the armory had first come out, upon searching it, I was the only one with those names. Now there are dozens if not more players with said names. Like I stated previously, I can understand a few copycats or even 1 or 2 others randomly coming up with some of them, but I have a hard time believing in those numbers.
When you wear a tin foil hat, your head acts as a transmitter sending your thoughts out into the world. Maybe that is how everyone stole "your" character's name.
Not as funny as a couple of other posters before you. I guess you'll have to settle for second runner-up, sorry.
This happened to me too. One of my toons, a Nelf Warrior which has been around since vanilla (I have Seargent rank to prove that little detail) which is called Marad, I've left it at 50-ish for a while now but have recently had it up to 70. Anyway, I was looking around on wow.wikia for a little lore, looking at Garona Halforcen because I was interested at pre-WoW Lore, and I came upon the entry about her heritage. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's a great name, but the thing that pisses me off is that her Great Uncle, the Draenai, is called Maraad. Marad - Vanilla : Maraad - TBC
If I'm wrong about the dating, like if Maraad came before Marad, then I apologise for wasting a minute or two of your life, but this one is always the one that just gets to me.
I don't know how to respond to such an idiotic post as this. You derived that I'm probably not creative from a forum name and because I gave you the character name of my dwarf hunter that I chose based on my favorite beer? Dude get a life and a clue. Please.
I've seen you post here a lot and used to have some respect for you. You've just lost all of it.
Do you really think I wouldn't have already checked Google. Um, thank you Master of the Obvious, but I've literally done that upon creating any character I've ever come up with. I'm not some 13ish year old fanboy that doesn't have a clue.
Seriously, is this just another troll post or are you really that much of an idiot?
I was being very sarcastic in case that did not come across well.
You seem to be laboring under the assumption that since you have never encountered someone else using your own very special made up character name, that you must be the sole and original creator of that name. That my friend is a very giant leap of faith and yours is not the first thread here to complain about someone 'stealing' your character name.
Has it ever occured to you that maybe those other people have been using that character name for the last 35 years in pen and paper rpg's and maybe they just started wow? Even one of them? Just think about how many billions of characters names have been generated in games, books, etc.
So yes I find your claims to be completely laughable. Sorry you don't respect me anymore, but I'll get over it.
That being said. I think you are taking too much stock in your own creativity.
Stringing 6 to 10 letters together to make it sound "DnD" or similar, like Darlan the dwarf, Nesper Silverleaf the elf, well...
There are only so many combinations. And the world is a big place.
Celebrate your individuality in other ways. Paint a landscape on some canvas. Climb a local mountain and chip your name in the side of it. Whatever takes your fancy.
heh, i thought i'd check my armory page after reading this thread. My character's name, i've had since the release in november 2004, is still the one and only around. I'd print the name, but i dont want ppl to create a toon using it just cuz i've posted it, i wanna see how much longer my name will be one-of-a-kind on its own.
I'm sorry.... I must be missing something here. Maybe I am just not seeing it, if that is the case, my apologies
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What bloody random name generator are you all talking about? My wow client does not seem to come with ANY such things, there is a "randomize" button, yes, but that just change your appereance and does not generate a name for you, so where is this random name generator?
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"
I'm sorry.... I must be missing something here. Maybe I am just not seeing it, if that is the case, my apologies
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What bloody random name generator are you all talking about? My wow client does not seem to come with ANY such things, there is a "randomize" button, yes, but that just change your appereance and does not generate a name for you, so where is this random name generator?
I haven't played WoW in well over a year so I'm not sure it even still exists. However, there used to be a button you could click on to generate a random name. I never had any luck with it myself back in vanilla, when I created most of my characters (aside from the few I added after BC). The name generator always seemed to generate names that sounded horrible and didn't make any sense and the few that were good were gobbled up quickly and thus already taken. It was a moot point IMHO, perhaps that is why it may no longer exist.
That being said. I think you are taking too much stock in your own creativity.
Stringing 6 to 10 letters together to make it sound "DnD" or similar, like Darlan the dwarf, Nesper Silverleaf the elf, well...
There are only so many combinations. And the world is a big place.
Celebrate your individuality in other ways. Paint a landscape on some canvas. Climb a local mountain and chip your name in the side of it. Whatever takes your fancy.
Sound advice and thank you for posting your opinion in a helpful way rather than a condescending approach.
I always love playing MMOs with you Aussies. You always seem to have the best attitudes. Must be something in the water there.
For those of you that are asking about the random name generator that may no longer exist in the game, here is proof that it did at one time. Perhaps this is also some sort of proof pointing to why it may have been removed.
I have to call BS on blizzard stealing names, OP. I played 5 years with the name "heokin" and still Im still the only one with 2 toons on the armory. Even other characters I have made remain unique. Maybe because i used Latin as the basis of naming alot of my toons. Maybe u should try that..... WoW kiddies aren't smart enough to study a dead language.
I have to call BS on blizzard stealing names, OP. I played 5 years with the name "heokin" and still Im still the only one with 2 toons on the armory. Even other characters I have made remain unique. Maybe because i used Latin as the basis of naming alot of my toons. Maybe u should try that..... WoW kiddies aren't smart enough to study a dead language.
Yes, we have established that. Others have suggested something similar to what you have and as I stated before, I did notice one of the unique names I had created still being the only one on the armory. So, once again for those of you that don't like to follow along in threads like you should, here are the CliffsNotes:
- Blizzard isn't capturing the names and using them in their random name generator
- The name generator in the WoW client most likely no longer exists within the client
- Most likely the name has been copied multiple times due to the millions of people playing WoW
- Oh, and finally, there most likely is no such thing as a creative idea anymore, especially when it comes to fantasy RP names
Comments
BLIZZARD CAME AND TOOK MAH BABEH!!!
(...and I don't even play WoW)...
What would be the point in "stealing" player names (for blizzard)??? I don't get it.
I'm starting to believe that what you and some others have stated, might be right. I recently checked a character that I had that I hadn't played a lot. That character has a unique name and he is the only one still with that name in the Armory. So, it appears it is just an issue of there being a lot of copycats out there.
Your fail comment, failed.
When you wear a tin foil hat, your head acts as a transmitter sending your thoughts out into the world. Maybe that is how everyone stole "your" character's name.
Not as funny as a couple of other posters before you. I guess you'll have to settle for second runner-up, sorry.
Your fail comment, failed.
This happened to me too. One of my toons, a Nelf Warrior which has been around since vanilla (I have Seargent rank to prove that little detail) which is called Marad, I've left it at 50-ish for a while now but have recently had it up to 70. Anyway, I was looking around on wow.wikia for a little lore, looking at Garona Halforcen because I was interested at pre-WoW Lore, and I came upon the entry about her heritage. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's a great name, but the thing that pisses me off is that her Great Uncle, the Draenai, is called Maraad. Marad - Vanilla : Maraad - TBC
If I'm wrong about the dating, like if Maraad came before Marad, then I apologise for wasting a minute or two of your life, but this one is always the one that just gets to me.
Playing: LoL x3
Played: RS, WoW, SWG, TR, Aion, AoC, EVE, SWTOR
Watching: FireFall, GW2
I was being very sarcastic in case that did not come across well.
You seem to be laboring under the assumption that since you have never encountered someone else using your own very special made up character name, that you must be the sole and original creator of that name. That my friend is a very giant leap of faith and yours is not the first thread here to complain about someone 'stealing' your character name.
Has it ever occured to you that maybe those other people have been using that character name for the last 35 years in pen and paper rpg's and maybe they just started wow? Even one of them? Just think about how many billions of characters names have been generated in games, books, etc.
So yes I find your claims to be completely laughable. Sorry you don't respect me anymore, but I'll get over it.
We live in a monkey see monkey do world.
That being said. I think you are taking too much stock in your own creativity.
Stringing 6 to 10 letters together to make it sound "DnD" or similar, like Darlan the dwarf, Nesper Silverleaf the elf, well...
There are only so many combinations. And the world is a big place.
Celebrate your individuality in other ways. Paint a landscape on some canvas. Climb a local mountain and chip your name in the side of it. Whatever takes your fancy.
heh, i thought i'd check my armory page after reading this thread. My character's name, i've had since the release in november 2004, is still the one and only around. I'd print the name, but i dont want ppl to create a toon using it just cuz i've posted it, i wanna see how much longer my name will be one-of-a-kind on its own.
I'm sorry.... I must be missing something here. Maybe I am just not seeing it, if that is the case, my apologies
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..
.
What bloody random name generator are you all talking about? My wow client does not seem to come with ANY such things, there is a "randomize" button, yes, but that just change your appereance and does not generate a name for you, so where is this random name generator?
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"
I haven't played WoW in well over a year so I'm not sure it even still exists. However, there used to be a button you could click on to generate a random name. I never had any luck with it myself back in vanilla, when I created most of my characters (aside from the few I added after BC). The name generator always seemed to generate names that sounded horrible and didn't make any sense and the few that were good were gobbled up quickly and thus already taken. It was a moot point IMHO, perhaps that is why it may no longer exist.
Your fail comment, failed.
Sound advice and thank you for posting your opinion in a helpful way rather than a condescending approach.
I always love playing MMOs with you Aussies. You always seem to have the best attitudes. Must be something in the water there.
Your fail comment, failed.
For those of you that are asking about the random name generator that may no longer exist in the game, here is proof that it did at one time. Perhaps this is also some sort of proof pointing to why it may have been removed.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=5974038897&sid=1&pageNo=1
Your fail comment, failed.
I have to call BS on blizzard stealing names, OP. I played 5 years with the name "heokin" and still Im still the only one with 2 toons on the armory. Even other characters I have made remain unique. Maybe because i used Latin as the basis of naming alot of my toons. Maybe u should try that..... WoW kiddies aren't smart enough to study a dead language.
Yes, we have established that. Others have suggested something similar to what you have and as I stated before, I did notice one of the unique names I had created still being the only one on the armory. So, once again for those of you that don't like to follow along in threads like you should, here are the CliffsNotes:
- Blizzard isn't capturing the names and using them in their random name generator
- The name generator in the WoW client most likely no longer exists within the client
- Most likely the name has been copied multiple times due to the millions of people playing WoW
- Oh, and finally, there most likely is no such thing as a creative idea anymore, especially when it comes to fantasy RP names
Your fail comment, failed.