The name of the playable character in an MMO is a serious matter for many players. There are as many different names as there are grains of sand on the beach. We want to know how you approach naming your characters.
Do you stick to one name? There are countless different ways to choose a name. Some people prefer to always use the same name because it helps them build a certain identity and achieve recognition.
Lore names? Others prefer to take a name that fits the world of the respective MMO they are in, to enhance their role-playing experience. Some MMORPGs also provide their players with examples of names typical for certain races, so players can stay close to the lore.
Randomly generated: Nowadays, there are also options to have a name generated automatically. In the game or on special pages, names are randomly scrambled from a database of many fantasy names.
Puns and other jokes: Fun names are also very popular among gamers. In Final Fantasy XIV I’ve seen examples like “KimJong Heals” or a Dragoon named “Critney Spears”. Such names have a charm that sticks with fellow players.
This is what Irie says: I am rather conservative when it comes to naming. Whether the name fits the race I chose to play is relatively unimportant to me. It just has to please me, not be too long, and roll off the tongue easily.
Normally, I always have a small list of first and last names that have stuck with me throughout my PnP and MMORPG careers. I then combine them in various ways. Admittedly, some of them are shamelessly taken from Witcher and Shadowrun.
But now it’s your turn: What do you pay attention to when choosing your character’s name? Should it be lore-friendly or sound funny? Or are you one of the countless Narutos and Sephiroths that can be found in every MMORPG? Let us know!
