Curse

Sidrakket · May 05, 2006, 07:54 AM // 07:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAQ

Lets see.. this topic is at par with:
Why can't I run EVERYWHERE?? Why are there obstacles blocking my path. I want FREEDOMMMM!! Let me jump of the cliff!!

mmkaythx

No, its not. And if you dont understand why then... well... I just dont know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kai Nui

Can you think of anyone who doesn't have a last name?

Yes

Paracelsus -not his real name no but the one history remembers him as.
Charlemagne
Beowulf
Quite a few gods and the like, but then you could say they dont count.
Heron (of alexandria)
A good deal of the npcs in the game. Stupid henchmen it makes me hate them=p

Lots of people, through history.

Now that we have established that some people have only one name. I move that because 'some people have three or even four or five names' then we should have a 5 word minimum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAQ

The OP deserves to be flamed.. maybe this topic might be an issue if this game was in ALPHA phase.. but it's now 1 year old, most people got over it, and I guess you could too.

Just because most people do something doesnt mean its a good idea=p I like being angry.

Quote:

I like my RPG chars with a surname, it's distinctive, even if they are called "John Smith" at least it's distinctively HIM not just another "John".

As ive said a couple places in this thread, many of my characters have other names, A few (but not many) have a title of some sort. But those sorts of things should not just be floating over your head. The first name serves as an identifyer because not everyone looks different in games. Whats floating over your head should be your common name. Some people may want eleborate ones, i personaly like more simple things, letter balance also plays a big part, the name has to 'look' good also.

Quote:

You can be like other people who runs around with "| John |", "X John X", I guess whenever I see one of those people.. I will think that they might be you. Those names are disgraceful.. even if it's "J O H N".

0_0... the entire point of this whole thread is that i dont want to do that=P

strcpy · May 05, 2006, 08:00 AM // 08:00

I too found it irritating. I always have one character named strcpy - I've used the pseudonym for well over ten years - I associate it with my self (and, obviously, not just in RPG's). I've got a few other names I like to use, some with more than two words. To add another word to it or spell it out (string copy) isn't the same.

It was irritating to have that limit, but oh well. I like "Brian the Plenty", just wish I could make my warrior very much over weight (one of the faces/hairstyles looks like me. just wish I could give him the large stomach region also). At the very least it gave me a new permament name to the list that's different from "strcpy". In fact, I like "Brian the Plenty" quite a bit (especially since my real name is "Brian" and I'm fat).

I do understand why long term roleplayers get attached to names. I'm not really that elitist - we were all short term at some time and it didn't take me that long to get attached to some of the identities. This is especially true in that some identities are class specific ("strcpy" is almost always a warrior). I also have my magic user name. Those are pretty standard and I can role play that the same person goes through all of them, even in games like guild wars - role play is in my imagination. I don't like that guild wars breaks that continuity, but I can live with it. Especially since it's always nice to add in a new one every once in a while - it can get boring after 10-15 years of the same character.

SAQ · May 05, 2006, 08:55 AM // 08:55

To OP: I guess you can voice your opinion and make this a discussion in a good manner way. But the way you made your topic seems like you can't cope with the 2 word name and want to point a finger at someone to blame. Maybe in the future have a peaceful discussion topic name instead like "I think GW should have the choice of single word character name" Discuss.

Quote:

Originally Posted by strcpy

I too found it irritating. I always have one character named strcpy - I've used the pseudonym for well over ten years - I associate it with my self (and, obviously, not just in RPG's). I've got a few other names I like to use, some with more than two words. To add another word to it or spell it out (string copy) isn't the same.

It was irritating to have that limit, but oh well. I like "Brian the Plenty", just wish I could make my warrior very much over weight (one of the faces/hairstyles looks like me. just wish I could give him the large stomach region also). At the very least it gave me a new permament name to the list that's different from "strcpy". In fact, I like "Brian the Plenty" quite a bit (especially since my real name is "Brian" and I'm fat).

I do understand why long term roleplayers get attached to names. I'm not really that elitist - we were all short term at some time and it didn't take me that long to get attached to some of the identities. This is especially true in that some identities are class specific ("strcpy" is almost always a warrior). I also have my magic user name. Those are pretty standard and I can role play that the same person goes through all of them, even in games like guild wars - role play is in my imagination. I don't like that guild wars breaks that continuity, but I can live with it. Especially since it's always nice to add in a new one every once in a while - it can get boring after 10-15 years of the same character.

Let me guess, you are a programmer and your other characters are called: strcmp, strcat and strstr??

Mr. Matt · May 05, 2006, 09:06 AM // 09:06

If you're such an awesome role player with years of experience under your belt and knowledge so awesome that even God himself would apparently have trouble challenging you... what are you doing playing Guild Wars?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sidrakket

You realy saw someone who was all those things?

Try playing on one of the unofficial RP servers on Star Wars Galaxies -- that just described everybody there

.

Argen · May 05, 2006, 09:19 AM // 09:19

*brushes the dirt, cobwebs, and other detirus of long years of playing various RPGs, stands straight up and begins his spiel*

I started playing RPGs when they were considered "historical simulation games" and you just added in some wizards, than came D&D and its ilk, after that you had the text based RPGs on BBS and PBEM games, than the first single instance graphic games for your home PC with no internet, than enter MMORPG (which GW isn't). However, all of this doesn't make me an expert on the concepts... or any more or less L33T than any one else here. Very few people beside Inde are superior to us all.

This is just an idea as to why, no method beyond theory. The reason I can come up with for the minimum of two is actually creating a much higher number of combinations than allowing single word names. It creates a much larger set of combinations before duplication sets in. Take a look on some of the messenger services, pick a common name or word than figure out how many different derivations and versions you have to go through before you can make a single word ID, than compare it to 2 word names... my two cents.

Ciao

Snowman · May 05, 2006, 09:26 AM // 09:26

Well I've been playing RPG games since 1992, desktop pen and paper, live role-playing, all manner of computer games...

its been my experience that the actual characters in those storys always has two names!..yes, sometimes they have a nick name, but their real name is always a proper one... this identifies a character much better and alows for a much stronger diversity.

I really like that guildwars forces you to chose two names and think its a fantastic idea, especially for role players.

Argen · May 05, 2006, 09:47 AM // 09:47

Got thinking... Hate to toss this one out... but Guild Wars isn't an RPG, shouldn't even try to lie to ourselves there. Its an online squad combat game set in a fantasy world. Any RPG is just there so that its not a strict simulation. Sorry.

Pevil Lihatuh · May 05, 2006, 09:56 AM // 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sidrakket

Now some people may not understand why a name is so important. You are a bunch of newbies who have no buisness playing an online rpg, and are probably the same people who call people by their real names if they know them=p

If you had any decent points, that statement just blew away any respect anyone is gonna have had for you.

I, like you, usually use one name for my characters. Upon hearing before GW was out that you'd have to have 2 names, I thought "great! Finally a way to truly have a role playing name." Most mmo's won't even give you the opportunity; I personally feel its more realistic and also unique to have the two names (not to mention in mmo's its incredibly annoying when you think you've found some unique name, type it in and see "that name is already taken".) At least this way you can have the first name that you always have/like/whatever AND still be unique, because others may have that name but they won't have the surname.

And if you find it hard to think up last names (again like me) keep the same one for your chars. It makes them easier to recognise and saves you thinking up things for them. You can rp them as cousins that way too, or perhaps brothers/sisters, whatever. Heck even pretend they're mother, father and the two kids.

Hunter Sharparrow · May 05, 2006, 10:14 AM // 10:14

A name is very important but as been mentioned in between the needless flames, just put two names you use together or put spaces between the letters. If you don't have room to do either, surely you have room to put
X Name X. I've been playing rpgs for quite some time and I tend to use the same one name also. Back when it wasn't called rpg (per say) but rather dnd. For GW I stopped using that name and starting making up new ones.

EndoftheSyringe · May 05, 2006, 12:19 PM // 12:19

And to think, in all the time this thread took up, Sidrakket could of produced atleast ONE two-word creative name!

torquemada · May 05, 2006, 01:51 PM // 13:51

Yeah....squirrel shapeshifted druid sitting on your shoulder innocently enough...until he smacks Harm at ya...

jonnybegood · May 05, 2006, 02:01 PM // 14:01

I named my assasin "Antyon Vanychko" named after my grandfather from Belorus wich just happens too meen "White Russian" and thats pretty much what I think is where the Kurzick originate from.

Fitz Rinley · May 05, 2006, 02:08 PM // 14:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sidrakket

I dont want a place to roleplay, i just want a name that has meaning to me. Facilitation of roleplay is important in these sorts of games. If not we would not even have backstorys or quests, it would just be a merchant and a bunch of mobs to farm.

ROFL - Oh, how I long for the days of 8 bit rendered Final Fantasy again, ..... maybe.

The similarity with RPG is very loose as one has now only the option of choosing faction. This is something minimally like say a D&D style alignment but is no where near the White Wolf level of paths and paradigms. You are correct in that individual expression appears to be something ANet has directly targetted for anihilation. The nick/tag name suggestion I made could remedy part of your problem while maintaining their database system. All character names are a part of the data string identifying that chracter. To this extent it could very well be that the two name system is important for the base codes the servers work with.

Fitz

Silent Coyote · May 05, 2006, 02:11 PM // 14:11

If you only want to use one name then just prefix it with Mr, Miss, Lady or the likes. Honestly out of all the things you could possibly choose to complain about...

Mordakai · May 05, 2006, 02:21 PM // 14:21

Let's cut the flames and get down to brass tacks, eh?

The two word minimum serves a very useful purpose: It helps cut down on not being able to create a character because the name has already been taken.
If you're having a lot of trouble, do what I do when I'm in a hurry: just add a "descriptor" like "______ The Brave" or "Lord _____".

During the head start, I wanted to start playing right away. I made up a necro that reminded me of Akira. "Akira the Accursed" I thought. (I adore alliterations).

Or try using two first names: Mysti Lynn was born that way.

I like the first and last name requirement, although I dislike seeing the spaced out "F R A N K"s of the world, it's a small price to pay to see most people come up with some decent names.

EDIT: What's wrong with Sid Rakket?

PS EDIT:

Several of Anet's own characters have one name: Cynn, Devona, Eve, Mhenlo, Nika, Aidan.

By making us have two names, it keeps these NPCs unique. When you see a character with one name in Guild Wars, you know it's a NPC (that, and they're green!)

eudas · May 05, 2006, 02:26 PM // 14:26

Just to help all of you assholes out there who say "but i have problems coming up with names!" and therefore think that names like "F R A N K" or "X Snipa4Eva X" are names,

1) kill yourself;
2) google something simple like "fantasy name generator"

i mean seriously, it takes 2 seconds:
http://rinkworks.com/namegen/

go down to "serious names", click "generate", choose 2 of them from that list at random. Done.

eudas

p.s. honestly, you can judge a book by its cover in this game. stupid name? most likely a player you won't want to play with. as they say, "birds of a feather flock together."

eudas

p.p.s. space vampire pirate wizard? you've *got* to be kidding me.

eudas

pyrohex · May 05, 2006, 02:33 PM // 14:33

Sorry, but a first and last name are more fitting to roleplaying than a single word, if that's what you like in a game. As most RPGs seem make you a little peasant who becomes a hero, you'd have to have some sort of family name before becoming a One Word Man.

And what exactly is wrong with calling my friends by their first names? You're saying I should greet my friends as "Lord Vassal Siddhartha Muhammad Moses Christ," as opposed to "Dan?"

You can take your elitist One Word Name Men and shove it, because no one here really gives a crap about this issue anymore. I think most people here have struggled with the issue and come to reconcile with it more than a year after the initial release of the game. You're not unique in your problems.

Anyway,the primary reason this thread is getting so many replies is because of yourself, Cid-racquet. You're the entertainment here, not the subject matter.

MasterDinadan · May 05, 2006, 02:40 PM // 14:40

Think of it this way. Your in-game name is your identity. I don't know of many cultures where people are identified by only one word.

People are still going to call you by your common name anyway. If your name is Lord Carlos The Third, people are probably just going to say "Hey Carlos" and not "Hey Lord Carlos The Third"
Why do they have to show your full name above your head? How about so some other guy with the "common name" Carlos (maybe Carlos The Brave or something) can't impersonate you. Having your full name over your head is important so that people can identify you. It's important that you be identifiable, and it's important that you have a unique identity.

Hypothetical situation where people are displayed by their "common name" -
There's a necromancer in Ascalon named Erin. His name is actually "Erin The Vile" but everyone knows him as Erin because that's all they see. Another necromancer named "Erin The Wicked" rolls a necro and goes to Ascalon. He is also named Erin, and since it's his common name, that's all anyone sees. So what happens when Erin The Vile says "LFG for whatever quest!"... Erin The Wicked gets spammed with invites, because nobody knows that he is a different guy than the one that wants a group. Obviously, it's essential for people to be able to tell two Erin's apart, therefore they need to have different names over their head. Since they both want to be Erin, the only way to have them both be Erin and both have unique names is by adding more words.

Kurow · May 05, 2006, 02:45 PM // 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skanks

I always give my characters the same last name, makes them family

Woahmg, me too!

KESKI · May 05, 2006, 03:01 PM // 15:01

If you just want to be a "John"
how about "John Everyman"?? That should prove your point, and it look stylish=P
The 2 name system was there in the first place so people make a realistic name for their charactor, but I doubt it. I still see X XXXKnight X, X XXXLord X, X XXXmaster X all over the place.
And with the new title system its realy something. Its like saying, I am the king, also the queen of this country.
The worest part is when they ask for stuff like a 3 year old. All the lord, knight, jedi's good name right on the dirt. I can almost hear Luke Skywalker's crying.