What’s In A Name?

“All hail the warrior Tissue and his companion Pneumonia, heroes of the realm…”

<insert scratched record sound here>

Wha?

A name for your character is an important part of the creation process. When meeting people this is one of the first things that they read about you. If you want to make a good impression, a creative name is a good start. On an rp server, it’s important to have a name that fits the world that you are in.

As a good rule of thumb, select names that are logical based on race, environs and do not violate the naming policy. Explore words and names that are unique or borrow from other sources, just make it your own. While nicknames can be used, think before you select a name that may go against the naming policies.

Tip: Search engines, literature and your imagination are great tools or examples - and what to steer clear from. But use common sense on your choices, “famous” or highly recognizable names tend to take some abuse. Believe me, I think I have seen every (mis)spelling of Legolas there has ever been. *grin*

The random generator that comes with WoW Character Screen isn’t the most “friendly”, so coming up with a few names could work to your advantage. Trying a baby name site or a random name generator (Google is your friend) might be a great solution. You can also use the game’s NPCs (Non-Player Characters, like questgivers and vendors) for inspiration.

Some sources for names:
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://www.squid.org/tools/random/index.php
http://www.babynamesworld.com
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/

(all helpful example resources to play around with and experiment)

Another source would be using names from literature, film, and giving them a twist, to make them “yours”, not “theirs”. If “your” name(s) are taken, try replacing a vowel, or shifting/adding a letter.

Anything remotely sounding like a first person shooter handle or a trendy chat/leet handle would not be a great idea (hehe). Whatever you decide, make it pronounceable, easy to type (within reason) and something that “fits”. Avoid names like, for example, Merlintwo, Tissue, Leetodin, Thunderbunny, Xhottiex, Xbox or Dsjhfg or similar “easy” fixes. While these may be fine for screen-names or handles - they are not “RP friendly” - leave those to chatrooms and IM’s.

Keep in mind the setting, race and locale of the character. Where one name would work it may not fit in another. On the other hand, if you have a keen reason why your troll is named “Bob” - give it a shot. The main thing is to use common sense. Find a good name that works with your persona and go from there.

For the WoW crowd - The RP Server Naming Policy: http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowgm/?id=agm01725p
Also: http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowgm/?id=agm01722p

Note: Some addons for WoW, like flagRSP2 and ImmersionRP, offer you the ability to insert suffixes and prefixes to you name. So you could have a first or last name tagged onto your name. This is great for fleshing out your name. Remember, however, that only others with the addons will be able to read the additions.

Update: 10/27/07 - Paid name changes available, FAQ:
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21532

More here: http://rpmadesimple.org/paid-names/

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