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How do you guys decide on character names?

13

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  • H0urg1assH0urg1ass Member EpicPosts: 2,380
    One of my favorite characters in Shadowrun that I used to play with my Pen & Paper group was an ex-CAS Federal Agent who became a Shadowrunner to pay for his mother's medical bills.  I named him Hourglass.

    I also had an Ork decker named Dial Tone and my wife played a female Physad Troll named Krystal.

    I tend to use one of those three names and if I can't get one of them, then I just pick something random that fits with the lore and is easy for people to say on voice comms.  Nothing sucks like naming your character zzxxyyzz as a joke and then every time someone hops on comms they're like "the fuck do I call you?".  Bob.
  • DeivosDeivos Member EpicPosts: 3,692
    Some of my favorite names aren't from any globally popular languages (gaelic and maori mostly), which makes it so I can pretty much always get them.

    A couple of my iconic names are kind of just made up or proto-indo-european (what my name here is from).

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  • AntiquatedAntiquated Member RarePosts: 1,415
    edited July 2016
    I used a name for several years once before someone reported it as obscene.

    No, wasn't attempting to be clever or sneak one past the GMs. Just an unfortunate sequence of letters which could be read (in a foreign language) as slang for a body part.

    I won the appeal, but stopped using the name anyway. :: shrug ::

    Rather like naming your character "Richard" only to be reported for "Dick." Perhaps an unintended consequence, but who wants to play a dick?

  • DKLondDKLond Member RarePosts: 2,273
    I have a small handful of names I use in pretty much all games. They mean something that's related to the kind of character I'm playing - and I like it when names mean something.
  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    I used a name for several years once before someone reported it as obscene.

    No, wasn't attempting to be clever or sneak one past the GMs. Just an unfortunate sequence of letters which could be read (in a foreign language) as slang for a body part.

    I won the appeal, but stopped using the name anyway. :: shrug ::

    Rather like naming your character "Richard" only to be reported for "Dick." Perhaps an unintended consequence, but who wants to play a dick?

    So what was it? Dolores?


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  • scribeofsalmacisscribeofsalmacis Member UncommonPosts: 26
    DMKano said:
    IMO deliberately using known names from shows, other games, mythology, bands, songs etc.... = weaksauce

    Use your noodle - come up with original names instead!


    To be honest, I think that Weaksauce would be a badass PvP name.  :p
  • LumiLumiLumiLumi Member UncommonPosts: 48
    I have a pool of 6 names I twist/combine etc for it to work. Been doing it for like 15-20 years.
  • cameltosiscameltosis Member LegendaryPosts: 3,847
    I try to pick names that are relatively lore appropriate, or at least vaguely roleplayer-ish, however I lack creativity when it comes to names so tend to fall back to looking at CD cases for interesting words / names. 

    For female humans, I go with "Jennifern". Jennifer is one of my favourite female names, so just added an "n" at the end to make it unique. Kind of fits in with medieval fantasy as the "fern" is kinda outdoorsy. 

    For males, I try to aim for something nordic or intimidating. I spent a good hour during character creation trying to pick a name for my SW:TOR jedi. I really wanted "Buliwyf" (pronoused "bull- vai") but knew noone would pronounce it correctly. Ended up with "Svard". I also use "Anstalt" a lot - it was the name of a song, sounds quite intimidating and means "Asylum" (or similar) in a variety of EU languages. These days, I use "Ragnar" as I fell in love with the TV series "Vikings" and the main guy is called Ragnar. I've been growing my hair and beard IRL to match the main guy too. 

    For orcs, I have two main ones: "Spit" and "Scab". Spit tends to be my orc name, whilst scab is for goblins. However, both tend to get taken quickly so have to get them at launch. 
    Currently Playing: WAR RoR - Spitt rr7X Black Orc | Scrotling rr6X Squig Herder | Scabrous rr4X Shaman

  • AdamantineAdamantine Member RarePosts: 5,094
    Um ?

    I just brainstorm names.

    Its not THAT hard.

    For example, Baldurs Gate had the names Imoen, Minsk, Viconia, Coran, Dynaheir, Garrik, Khagain, Xan ...

    Those arent real names, but they sound like real names.

    For example Viconia is just Victoria slighly changed around. Also "Viconia" is of course a LOT cooler than "Victoria". Likewise you can take a reallife name and switch it a bit around until you like it more - very likely that name wont be taken.


  • LithuanianLithuanian Member UncommonPosts: 559
    For serious toons - real life names or something with description (Lithuanian or English).
    For single-use toons, anything. OneA, Xgrinder.
    One my toon had not "Lore appropriatye name", wanted to rename her to Alicia...oops, taken. Ended in Ahelissa (same Alicia, just in old English).
    Good for me that i may want name in Lithuania, hence cute Asura (GW2) "Zudykle" (killer).
  • ShazPurShazPur Member UncommonPosts: 47
    I use a random name generator called EBON (Everchanging Book of Names) when my own imagination dries up. You can choose between various Tolkien-languages, Arthurian, Latin sounding, Viking and Finnish ones.

    Not sure if you are allowed to post links here, but you should be able to Google it easily.
  • GrayPhilosopherGrayPhilosopher Member UncommonPosts: 78
    I usually try and pick a name that both fits the character and is lorefriendly. If the first one doesn't work I'll work my way through different variants of the name until it does work.
  • BluddwolfBluddwolf Member UncommonPosts: 355
    I've been using the same combination of names since 1995, every character is either Bluddworth, Bluddwolf, Blodvaerd as either a last name or only name fo characters.  I've also taken the name(s) and translated them into different languages.  

    Played: E&B, SWG, Eve, WoW, COH, WAR, POTBS, AOC, LOTRO, AUTO.A, AO, FE, TR, WWII, MWO, TSW, SWTOR, GW2, NWO, WoP, RUST, LIF, SOA, MORTAL, DFUW, AA, TF, PFO, ALBO, and many many others....

  • MadFrenchieMadFrenchie Member LegendaryPosts: 8,505
    Umm, well my forum name is a long story.  But usually, I try to find an ancient mythology the game lore is either based around or similar to, find a minor character name from the similar mythology, and roll with that.

    But don't use that.  Or tell anyone about my method.  I don't want to have to fight you crazy fools for Banebdjetet.

    image
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    edited July 2016
    Um ?

    I just brainstorm names.

    Its not THAT hard.

    For example, Baldurs Gate had the names Imoen, Minsk, Viconia, Coran, Dynaheir, Garrik, Khagain, Xan ...

    Those arent real names, but they sound like real names.

    For example Viconia is just Victoria slighly changed around. Also "Viconia" is of course a LOT cooler than "Victoria". Likewise you can take a reallife name and switch it a bit around until you like it more - very likely that name wont be taken.


    Belarus would dispute that Minsk is not a real name.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsk

    Edit:  coretex beat me to it.
  • waynejr2waynejr2 Member EpicPosts: 7,771
    wanderica said:
    Most of my main names are from my old p&p D&D days.  If you had a decent DM, you would quickly find yourself dead with a name like Boogehubes or Darrell.  As a result, I rarely have issues with others taking my names. 

    One, comes from the SWG name generator.  For the most part, it did a pretty good job at generating names, so I kept it.  Others I just make up based on how I want the character to be.  I wouldn't name an Amazon Warrior Arwyn, for example.  She would need a good, strong name, like Xena.

    How about names like Fred45? He kills Fred45 then I would have to roll Fred46!
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  • mmoguy43mmoguy43 Member UncommonPosts: 2,770
    I used to often reuse the same name and bump into the same players for several games in the past. Not anymore. I also have both came up with names that fit the race/ lore and had their own backgrounds as well as came up with hilariously inappropriate names that have been removed. /oneofTHOSEpeople
  • dave6660dave6660 Member UncommonPosts: 2,699
    filmoret said:
    Slap my face agains the keyboard and bam.    Sapghoid
    That works.  I also find letting my dog walk on the keyboard comes up with good names too.

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  • GrumpyHobbitGrumpyHobbit Member RarePosts: 1,220
    Usually I use my imagination. 

    If for some reason I can't get a name I like through choice ('name is already taken') then I might resort to a previous name I have used (unless 'name is already taken') and if that doesn't work I use the name randomiser (if the game has one) and just play around with what comes up till I find one that I like (and of course one that is not 'name already taken).
  • fyerwallfyerwall Member UncommonPosts: 3,240
    I usually just keep saying random made up names out loud till one sounds good. Then I yell it out as if I am someone calling out to that person.

    Then my GF leaves and my kid asks if she can live with Nana and Grampa...

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    3.) And those who wonder "What the %#*& just happened?!"


  • RemyVorenderRemyVorender Member RarePosts: 4,006
    edited July 2016
    I slam syllables together in my head until something cool-sounding comes out. LOL

    Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!

  • ArchlyteArchlyte Member RarePosts: 1,405
    Given the giant chasm between role-playing and MMORPGs I think I may just start calling my characters "Inventory." The name filter will probably require some number at the end of the name but it won't matter.
    MMORPG players are often like Hobbits: They don't like Adventures
  • fyerwallfyerwall Member UncommonPosts: 3,240
    edited July 2016
    Archlyte said:
    Given the giant chasm between role-playing and MMORPGs I think I may just start calling my characters "Inventory." The name filter will probably require some number at the end of the name but it won't matter.
    "I am the brave warrior knight, Spacebarr. With me is our healer, Healthbarz, our mage Manapool1 and or sneaky rogue, Crowdcontrol."

    Sadly I think I have run with that PUG before...

    There are 3 types of people in the world.
    1.) Those who make things happen
    2.) Those who watch things happen
    3.) And those who wonder "What the %#*& just happened?!"


  • HarikenHariken Member EpicPosts: 2,680
    Babynames.com has always worked for me. You can even pick different countries and ethic groups and get the meaning behind the names.
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