Poll: Do you like naming your game characters?

[LookingGlass]

I just started up Torchlight for the first time (having only played the demo) and it hit me right away with the double whammy: name your character AND your pet. No defaults, no random generation... figure something out, twice.

Personally, I don't like that at all. It causes me to just sit there for a while thinking, and I can never come up with anything good (and if I name my character something crap it bothers me the entire game).

I liked the system that was in KOTOR 2 (and possibly 1) where you could randomly generate names. I managed to find something good after a while there. But naming characters from scratch isn't for me.


So Escapists, what are your thoughts on the matter? More importantly, when you are faced with having to name a character, where do you turn to for inspiration? What are some of your favourite names you've come up with?

 

[JaceArveduin]

I can usually come up with something, though random name generators are rather nice, they usually give you an idea if anything.

 

[Zhukov]

No, I prefer characters come pre-named.

At least that way it can be used in spoken dialogue.

I see no benefits in player-named characters. After all, if the player chooses the name then it automatically means it won't be important in any way because the developers will have to structure the game to accommodate whatever crap the player sticks in there. It doesn't give the player control of anything beyond the string of letters at the top of the character screen. Big whoop.

I suppose it's nice for those people who use their own name and try to pretend it's them running around slaying monsters, banging wenches and saving Middle Earth rip-off de jour, but that always struck me as a wee bit pathetic.

 

[Smiles]

I usually try to give my character in video games the most boring bland name ever. you never hear of a Tom or Sally saving the world, the protagonists always have to have cool names like Luke or Aerith or something.

In table top games though I get pretty dern creative. My first character in DnD was named Demitasse, Chaos of Storms. We only played until level six, but she died a lot and was so much fun my party just had to raise her... Another favorite character of mine was Salamandra, Duchess of D'Ni. That wasn't a title she had from the start, or one she inherited. She built her duchy from the ground up! with a little help from the rest of the party(and I mean little... those jerks did more harm than good). She was on the path to making her own kingdom one day, but the game stopped short due to various reasons... (the person who played the dwarf inquisitor named Nikita didn't like how I was always mind controlling her character...)

 

[teqrevisited]

I like to name my characters but in games where characters typically have names already (prime example: JRPGs) I wont change them from the default. It also has to be said that it takes me ages to think of a fitting name, depending on what they themselves look like, what they're wearing, what they can wear, what weapons they use... A good name can take me 10 minutes to half an hour to decide upon.

 

[AwkwardTurtle]

Hmm I don't particularly care all that much in terms of naming characters. Whenever I'm prompted with the situation I like having a random name generator. Otherwise I just fallback on using the name I always use. Minato Arisato (or in more recent times Johnny)

When I have to name a bunch of characters (like in Disgaea or something) I tend to just use names from other games I have played based on the class or appearance.

When I'm truly out of ideas or I'm feeling lazy I just name it based on appearance or something simple like that. (I named the ice mage "Ice" and the wind mage "Greenie").

One form of customization I have an unexpected fondness for in games in general is the ability to choose their clothes. (Resonance of Fate anyone? )

 

[Bazoozle]

The option is nice, ESPECIALLY in Pokémon games where you can name your rival as well, but I prefer having predetermined names.

For example, in KOTOR, I don't like how no one referred to my Jedi by first name. Granted, I'd imagine that my companions would not enjoy being around the powerful Jedi "Sillybuns," but tough shit. When I FINALLY get referred to as Revan, it's like I've finally been acknowledged as a sentient being in the universe. It was like Buffalo Bill was around me saying "it finds the Star Maps, or else it gets the hose again."

Even if I have the option to change the outcome of the game, I still like having a name, like "Shepherd" or "Revan," just so I can experience the story without thinking about everyone seems to avoid calling me "QWERLJDF."

 

[Nouw]

I love the option. I named my guy Arkan Kalgor in Skyrim referencing two people in Luca Turilli's solo albums. It's a chance to pay tribute to something and/or be funny.