Name Creation and Roleplaying

Kon Darkwind · Post by **Kon Darkwind** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 9:47 am

Alright. While this is my second post, I believe that I have the right to inquire as to how the idea that the ability to create a good name implied roleplaying ability became started. I simply don't understand.

I usually get my names from another language. For example the name I intend to use, 'Kon', is Japanese for 'soul'. People have different ideas regarding what constitutes a midevil name (I'm not saying that everyone's idea on what constitutes on is equally valid. I'm just saying that people do). My problem is that so many people are met with hostility instead of helped. Thinking of names seems to be a mandoatory test to prove one's creativity. I ask why this polocy exists. If people were at least given a link or a name generator or a set of names for inspiration (I know that the Name Rules have a few of these), I feel that they wouldn't be discouraged.

All I'm saying is that name generation and roleplaying come from two distinct types of creativity, which is why I don't understand when some seem to imply that one is proof of the other.

Perhaps I am appraising the situation unjustly. If that is so, I am sorry.

May the wind be always at your back,
-Pyron

Mishrack · Post by **Mishrack** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 10:31 am

If you have ever done any roleplaying before in your life, even something as those "rpg"s on snes and somesuch, then you would already have been exposed to a lot of good names. As such, it can hardly be any ordeal at all to make one up.

The main reason many newcomers are met with hostility is that they simply prance on here, post 10 questions that have been asked a million times before. Most of us get very tired of logging on several times a day seeing exactly the same questions again and again and again.

This is a serious game. On the site it recommends you should be at least 16 years of age before playing. That already implies that some maturity is needed, and that this isn't your average hack n slash shit hole.

The reason for all these rules is basically that a good base of excellent role players has been built up, and they're trying to protect that. Our little community is frail and will probably dissolve if too many non-roleplayers come through, and as such we're merely upkeeping a certain standard, as true roleplaying games are a very rare breed on the net.

Belegi · Post by **Belegi** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 1:29 pm

If people were at least given a link or a name generator

http://www.chriswetherell.com/elf/Default.asp
http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit/
http://www.barrowdowns.com/hobgen.asp?size=
http://www.beimax.de/programms/namegenerator.html
http://sky.prohosting.com/kurimus/

They do. Just search the boards for "name generator" or "Namensgenerator". But creating a name is not so hard that you really need to use such a generator. Simple, plain names will be accepted, you don´t have to imagine something like "Litharia Finwethanol" or "Bruterian Hotalkorlington", there are characters like Konstantin, Josefine, Sabrina, Damien, Ansgar and -my all time favourite- Paul Laffing around, plain and simple names. But who still wants to play a SirKillALot oder DaSlayer07, well, those cannot be helped by the best name generator, those are the people we don´t want here as Mish wrote.

Besides, your way to obtain names is a good one, another common way is to simply play with letters of known words, someone wanted to called his character Imortal Antrax (Immortal Anthrax), what came out if you play around with the characters are names like Xantar Altimor, Traxan Torimal or Artanx Tilarom.

Besides, here you can find a list of bad names:
http://www.illarion.org/community/forum ... php?t=6361

and here a list of mediocre names:
http://www.illarion.org/community/forum ... php?t=5753

I guess there will be never a list of good names, but maybe this can help:

http://www.illarion.org/statistics/us_players.php

Belegi · Post by **Belegi** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 2:20 pm

To provide a list of possible names, I found this list containing names from the bible. There is also a small explanation of the meaning of the name, i.e. "Balak, who lays waste or destroys" *grins at Balak* and "Gallim, who heap up; who cover" *grins at Galim*:

http://www.ccel.org/bible_names/bible_names.html

Edit: Thanks Galim, link corrected. Found another dwarf: "Elias, same as Elijah"

Galim · Post by **Galim** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 3:19 pm

ya link doesn't work Belegi. and hey, my name is gaLim, not gaLLim *g*. but balak, that is really interesting

.

Balak Brightaxe · Post by **Balak Brightaxe** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 10:03 pm

@Belegi - Oh no! You revealed the SECRET meaning of my dwarven character's name!

By the way, to all serious players who want to play dwarves, the hebrew culture is a good thing to research. It is very similar to the fantasy dwarven culture (some names too). Viking culture is also good to look into.

Belegi · Post by **Belegi** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 10:56 pm

Concerning the norse mythology, have a look at the edda(s), you´ll find many names of dwarves in it:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/index.htm

Master Tolkien stole from this book almost every dwarven name for his LOTR.

Kon Darkwind · Post by **Kon Darkwind** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 11:42 pm

Excellent. I didn't mean to generalise, but I'm not really into naming people. I'm not saying that it is one's duty to post cool name links (Those are each very awesome in their own right BTW) but I feel that it can sometimes be discouraging to hear that your name sucks.

Often a player will use a name such as "Legolasthedefender" or "DrDiablo" or "Blackguy37." Those are destructive to the roleplaying environment, and the people trying to use those might not be confertable playing this game. However, there are people that feel using names from books and stuff is okay. Instead of telling them that that's not okay and saying that they're anti-roleplayers, I believe that it would be more productive to explain that it's wrong for this game.

|_|/\/1355 7|-|3`/ R 1|)107z \/\/|-|0 |_|53 l337 5p33k.

May the wind be always at your back,
-Pyron

Belegi · Post by **Belegi** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:31 am

It´s not a crime to use names from other sources (see Dyluck, Caranthir & Dhalsim), but it depends on the decision of the GM´s if these names get accepted and I think they won´t accept a Frodo Baggins or a Hannibal Lector (see suggestion B of the namerules, so no one can say he didn´t knew about this fact).

Gro'bul · Post by **Gro'bul** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:37 am

Most people don't have half-ethnic names. Half is japanese, half is english, maybe all japanese would be better. Oh and, the USA didn't exist during medival times so don't throw "there are people in the usa with names like this".

Kon Darkwind · Post by **Kon Darkwind** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:49 am

Yes, I'm quite aware of that. However, I am also aware that neither wizards nor warlockes existed as well. I would also say that 'Kon' is not a Japanese name. It is simply derived from a Japanese word. I believe that saying that names from certain cultures characterised by region in our time is really presumptious. Who is to say that there isn't a culture that exists ingame that parrellels it? I'm probably wrong, but what's wrong with that? Most midevil names sound too modern to me. Take a look at the names proposed:

Frank Terkman
Simon Erkapion

These are both very good midevil names. However, I prioratise suspention of belief, which I feel can be accomplished with a different culture, over realism. I like 'Kon' also because it can be typed quickly, which I feel is important in a MORG (Massive Online Role-playing Game). If I wanted a more midevil name, I'd use my real name, but I digress.

May the wind be always at your back,
Pyron

Belegi · Post by **Belegi** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 9:31 pm

Now, I guess I found sort of the ultimate link for all thoses who can not imagine a name fitting into a medivial enviroment:

http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/

This site has links to various sites with medivial names from all around the world and serveral time periods. Most of the sites are of academic purpose, so be aware that this could be a bit exhausting to read.

Gothik · Post by **Gothik** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 8:26 pm

another idea is spelling you own name backwards
E.G Adam Spence - Mada Ecneps

or get any old name and mess around with the letters
E.G Cabbage - Gagecabb

Or you could indeed use a name gererator but i prefair to make up my own, you could think of anything that pops up in your head and write it down
E.G Monasec

P.S dont shout if i have got anything wrong... *eep*