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Is it time to have appropriate character names in games?
Nanulak
Member UncommonPosts: 372
In my opinion: It is time to have appropriate names enforced. So when you create your character the game determines your name depending on faction choice. I think it will only aid in the games immersion having all those around you with faction relevant names.
I know a lot of people will disagree with this but; I am tired of seeing all the inappropriate names in games.
This will also eliminated the tickets submitted to developers to change names because someone found it inappropriate. It is my opinion that this is a waste of time for the developers who have better things to do. Especially tickets submitted from opposing factions just because they got owned in pvp 
One thought on a possible mechanism to implement, is a choice of server selected names (say 5) based on your selected faction. When you actually create the character you get to choose from the selection and the name is game approved and no tickets will ever be needed for changes.
Nanulak
Comments
I would absolutely love the OPTION to join a server that had a name enforcement policy.
It could be a random generator, it could be a name builder (Where you pick a region/race and you use wheels/selectors to build the name) or it could be one where the community gets to self-govern.
(You click the name, and if enough people report the name it auto-resets)
This way I don't have to play on a server with "Turdpumper99" and "Seph1r0thh" if I do not want too, but the option is there for them to play their way on a different server.
Yes! I think the best one I have seen so far is from lotro.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
I believe that they should enforce a naming policy, but only allowing generated names, I'm not too much a fan of. The only reason I am against pre-generated names, is because that is one of the things I like to do during the character creation process.
Just my 2 cents.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, only allow "Alpha" characters, no numbers!
Aspiring Game Musician <<>> Inquiring ears, feel free to visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/vagarylabs
^^This.
What happens when you log off your characters????.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFQhfhnjYMk
Dark Age of Camelot
On "regular" servers, I don't see a problem with silly names. Over ten years ago, I remember playing against a toon named: Spockatemyballz... It cracks me up to this very day. I'm seriously laughing as I type this.
That said, however, I would opt for a server where immersive names were mandatory. The following thread addresses that issue.
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/380267/page/5
Emeryc Eightdrakes - Ranger of DragonMyst Keep - Percival
RED IS DEAD!
LOL! Yeah, I agree, I wouldn't mind a random generator for an RP server, but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't like to have a random generator built-in, since sometimes you think of a cool name and it's already taken! Sometimes, it can take me a little while to come up with a decent name when that happens.
Aspiring Game Musician <<>> Inquiring ears, feel free to visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/vagarylabs
sorry but i dont play RvR PvP to fricking roleplay.
I play it to KILL HUMAN PLAYERS.
you can name ur character anything u like as long as u go down screaming when u die.
I would not play on a server that forced me to take a generated name, but I would like to play on a server that forces people to actually use names at a minimum; enforcing thematic names would be optimal. I would like to see this on a non-rolepay server, too. I am not a roleplayer in any real sense of the word, but I do like playing in a world where people at least try to fit in.
I hate seeing things like "IHealU," "XGokuX," or "i eat bacon lol" as much as anyone else. I do not really mind names that may not fit the race but at least are names. For example, a Viking named "Fred" is not keeping with the theme, but at least it is a name. I can live with that.
The problem with using generated names alone is that my name may fit the theme perfectly, but if it is not in the generated list I can pick from or whatever algorithm is used, I am out of luck. I always use names that fit the world I am in, and would not play on a server where I could not use these. Then again, I do understand that giving players freedom means giving idiots freedom to be idiots, so I understand where the desire to lock it down comes from.
In short, I am perfectly fine with a server that only allows generated names, but it is not one I would play on. My name is part of my identity, and if I cannot use it part of that identity is gone. Others are cool with a random name, and that's great.
No. I play games to have fun, and I want to be able to have fun naming my characters also.
Besides, giving my characters goofy names is a way to remind me to not take these games too seriously.
Oftentimes, I think that people don't know the origins of the genre they are arguing about.
RPGs came about from tabletop ROLEPLAYING games. These are games that involve you PLAYING a ROLE (shocker) in a setting that said role exists in.
MUDs (or Multi-User Dungeons, aka MUSHes ((Multi-User Shared Hallucinations, for the purely RP and little/no stat inclined)))
As the genre was adapted by computer games (starting with the aforementioned MUDs,) these games tried to recapture the roleplaying aspect of these early games. Some did, with notable results.
As computer technology progressed, and game engines became more robust and versatile, the mechanical systems started taking over and supplanting the very impetus for roleplaying in the first place.
And now here we are, with people complaining that their RPG might not be enough of a fragfest and insulting RPG fans.
This is sad.
http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/PerfArt
Maybe those people are tired of seeing Griffon, Gandalf, Phoenix, Caitlin, Merlin, Xena, Percival, Zeus, Grom, Athena, Midnight, Stardust, Thor, blah...blah...blah...
Seriously, use some imagination.
Beat me to the punch. QFT
I personally hate the thought of enforced RP names, even though the one I use for pretty much every MMO I play all the way back to EQ1, Stormakov, isn't really immersion breaking.
That said, this is also a HEAVY PvP influenced MMO and most PvPers don't give a shit about the names of who they kill/get killed by.
This is fallacious reasoning; you are essentially invoking the age-old "two wrongs make a right" argument. I would agree that unimaginative fantasy names are darn near as bad as plain silly names. Neither is "right," but the argument was never about that, and your counter-argument therefore holds no water.
Except for the fact that it wasn't a counter arguement. The only thing insinuated here is that there's two people who hate a certain type of name generation and if you're going to censor one, you should censor them all. Everyone has their own opinions, this isn't about "right or wrong".
Ummm... what? I dont think anything you just said has anything to do with what this entire discussion has been about. What does "fragfest" have to do with naming?
Seperate servers solve the issue easily
http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/PerfArt
Yes. Definitely.
Good post OP.
Kids with unusual names were raised by assholes though, so It's wise not to expect much from them going in.
TBH if I had to choose between any of the names you listed and someone called IPwnU for a group, it would take me less than a second to choose. I see those using L337 names as shitheads with no respect for the lore or the community.
It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself. ~Declaration of Arbroath
^ LOL
I miss logging into a server and only seeing legitimate character names.