The Name Game

[DaMaGe]

I now understand why we have the problem that we do with names.


Xtopolopoketal nocks a wooden arrow in his composite bow.

>report Xtopolopoketal nocks a wooden arrow in his composite bow. Huh?
REPORT should only be used to notify the Gemstone IV staff of emergency situations or gamewide technical errors. Please use ASSIST for general support.


Message sent to all online game staff. You may type ONDUTY to see which staff members are currently on duty. If you feel the need to speak with the staff, please type ASSIST for a list of options.

SEND[Zyllah] Not sure what you intended with that report, could you be more specific about the problem?

s>report Umn, isn't that name against policy?

SEND[Zyllah] I don't see where it would break policy, if I'm missing something can you point it out to me?

sR>report How about not being even slightly pronounceable?

SEND[Zyllah] I can pronounce it. ;)


-Adam

[Ilvane]

What the hell???? :mad:

I'd like to hear her pronounce it..:lol:


-A

[Just Lurking]

Don't ya know... the "Xtop" is silent :D

...Get it? :bouncy:

I'm just playing.

That is a horrible name, umm, but it probably came from their name generator (if they still have one, that is).

[Kitsun]

I guess technically it can be pronounced, its just that no sane person would allow themselves to be called that.

[DaMaGe]

It's just aggravating that they're letting shit like this in the game. I mean, really, what the fuck? I wonder if it would make any difference to write feedback? I know a lot of people could give two shits about what people call themselves ingame, but things like that are very jarring. It's not very hard to come up with a decent, original, easily pronounceable name.


-Adam

[Caiylania]

My tongue just pulled a muscle from trying to say that. Thanks :P

[AnticorRifling]

What's worse is that idiot and several others with gigantic names tend to insist on being called by an abbriviation like Opto or Xtop or whatever. Nick names are find but I know I don't go around telling people to call me Way or Yne or anything like that.

[Adhara]

Damn he wasted a precious 1-letter slot. He can have 15 and only took 14.

[Ilvane]

From policy:

"Names should not be composed of nonsense characters, abbreviated or missing letters, or are unpronounceable: Examples: Asdasd fghfgh, Dthwrrior, LSmith"

And..how about, (not with this name, but with a lot of them lately)

"Names should not be phrases, nicknames or 'handles': Examples: Imsocool, Johnman, Foxylady, Daveboy, SuperCilious, and Mightykiller."

That just bugs me..:flamed:

-A

[Edited on 12-4-2003 by Ilvane]

[HarmNone]

It looks like the PTB finally simply gave up. This kind of thing would drive me bonkers!

HarmNone wonders what happened to the name police

[Adhara]

If they were to ship all the phrase names up to the LCI over half the lands would change names.

It'd be a bit confusing but the least they could do is catch new ones and make them change before they've had it for years.

[Adhara]

In EverQuest when a new character is created, the name appears in a little pop-up window for all the online staff to see. It looks like this:

Someone is proposing to create a character named:

Anamehere

Accept Reject

A staff member can hit either button for the window to disappear. If no staff are online or no one hits a button, after like 15 seconds the decision is made by the auto filter.

Granted bad names still slip through the cracks but at least some didn't! I must have rejected hundreds. Funny thing is, players are not aware that the decision can be made by a staff member. I'd see "cooldude" submitted, I'd reject it only to see 2 seconds later "cooldudz" and if rejected again, "coolzdude" and so on. You get the idea. Always made me chuckle.

[Warriorbird]

DarthJarJar and such. Yah, Everquest has some BAAAD names.

[Adhara]

It also has over 50,000 players online at the same time.

Just imagine what a system like theirs (the name being pre-approved by online staff) could do to Gemstone.

Then again, seeing Zyllah's response, I'm not so sure the extra level of control would make a difference after all.

[Latrinsorm]

The problem with name problems is what's jarring to one isn't to another.

Example:

Azazal

This name is wickedly against policy. However, I'm reasonably certain I'm one of a small minority that sees the problem. Technically, it is a misspelled name that would be against policy, but I feel it's more than close enough.

For anyone who's wondering, Azazel means "Strong One Of/Against the Lord" and is another name for the Satan of Christianity.

edit: But the screening idea is still good.

[Edited on 12-4-2003 by Latrinsorm]

[Czeska]

Friend of mine came back to check out GS4 the other day, after a several month hiatus. He rolled a gnome. The name mangler made a suggestion. He said he laughed so hard, he had to use it. The name was...
DRUNKUPORN.

He used it for an hour or so, then went to reroll his character and they rejected their own name.

[DaMaGe]

What pisses me off mostly is the response I got from Zyllah. I mean, do they really not care what bullshit name someone makes up because they don't want to waste a few minutes coming up with something intelligible?

Apparently.


-Adam

[Adhara]

I agree Latrinsorm that the point you raised is a very valid concern. Different people have different knowledge of languages, religions books and games. That's why we can all, as players, report inadequate names when we see them. Our job as a player ends there.

This thread is only one example of similar situations that have been brought forth in just the few months I've been positing here. I remember seeing quite a few log snippets where we see a name that blatantly does not belong in GS being deemed acceptable by a GM.

I wonder if a petition requesting enforcement of the name policy with a couple hundred signatures sent to feedback would be as futile as I suspect it might be?

[peam]

That name's fine.

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by DaMaGe
I now understand why we have the problem that we do with names.
Adam

only names worse are names that are weapons such as:

Warclaidhm

[Parkbandit]

It doesn't scream OOC to me... it's a name though I would pronounce:

Top-ol-opo-ket-al

MUCH better than a name like Voldemort or Silverlining CloudsHave or Angelanything

[Czeska]

How about Dredroberts Weslyan (or close). Made me shudder.

[Overlord]

LoL My Buddy Dredroberts , meh theres far worse out there

[DaMaGe]

I'd gladly volunteer to be the one who makes all decisions on new names.

Someone makes a character, and the name isn't a fitting one for the world of Elanthia, stright to the LCI.

Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Don't like it? Bite me.


-Adam

[Czeska]

Pffft Dimmu! I didn't say he was a bad guy, I implied he ripped off the Princess Bride and made me wail! NOT in a good way.

[Moist Happenings]

I gave them a piece of my mind the other day. I don't have the log here with me but it was essentially this:

Report Linix just arrived. Uh, shouldn't that name be banned?

Send[FromIforget] Name seems fine.

report If that's the case i'm gonna go create Microsoft the giant and Torvalds the dwarf. Is that okay too?

Send[FromIforget] The name is fine unless he's roleplaying being an operating system or something. Besides, it's spelled differently

report You know when i'm god i'm going to rule with an iron fist. NEFF SMASH ::hulks up::

the end.

[Sean]

isnt it linux?

[Wezas]

Originally posted by Tijay
isnt it linux?

Yes.

I wonder if "Linus" would fly, or would they say no Charlie Brown characters.

Pigpen might be an idea as well.

[Rastaman]

Who cares what other people name themselves. If it bugs ya so much when you see a stupid named like Porchmaster or something add it to your squelch strings, problem solved.

[Czeska]

<cackles> Porchmaster's soul is my RL boyfriend. I'll admit the name is screwy, but he's not the original soul. I love the character though.

And I'll add Czeska's last name to the list. Let it suffice to say that when I started playing my ex seemed to think it was a good idea.

Now she is just "Lady Czeska the Spellsinger"

[DeV]

MUCH better than a name like Voldemort



whew .. glad you didnt say better than Voldermort. Yeah that Voldemort guy has some nerve. idiot.

[DeV]

Who cares what other people name themselves. If it bugs ya so much when you see a stupid named like Porchmaster or something add it to your squelch strings, problem solved.


Words to live by.