Naming Characters

[BORTZ]

I have come across 3 kinds of gamers. There are ones that use default names, ones that use just a generic nickname for all games, and then the last ones. These people are like me. we name everything differently.

Which one are you? Tell me below.

Defaulters-
Sometimes you arent given a choice. Games just... name you. I understand that. But if you really cant come up with an alternative to "Ash" and "Gary" on your 8th run of Pokemon Red, I dont think we can be friends. Other games like the Legend of Zelda series allow you to name... Link. Which is kinda weird. Expect this time though Link Between Worlds I named him LONK which makes the dialogue hilarious.

General Nicknamers-
I used to do this when I was younger. I named every main character in the games I would play "Ace". I thought the name was cool and considering my MCs always turned out to be totally badass at the end of the games, it made me look even cooler. But I tend not to do that anymore.

Creative Types-
This is really what I want to hear about. Your creative naming schemes. Coming up with brand new names for the characters, swapping them (naming Ash "Gary" or naming Gary "Ash").

Sometimes I come up with names that sound natural to the situation. Other times I just make things as hilarious as I can, like in Chrono Trigger.
Crono - Cloud
Marle - CrazyB
Lucca - Vhelma
Robo - HUMAN
Ayla - OOG
Frog - Cyrus

Stuff like that. It just makes the game so much more fun when you run around Hoenn named "AWESOME" and you get dialogue like "Oh hey are you AWESOME? I've heard so much about you"

Maybe I am the only one. Who knows.

 

[Gahars]

Yes. If I can't protect the people as DJ Dr. Dankenstein, then what's the point of protecting them at all?

 

[BORTZ]

Oh shoot, I forgot to put this in the OP, I had a friend name a whole team of pokemon after h is favorite bands, matching genre to pokemon type. It was hilarious.

 

[Riton]

I usually keep the default name but if I must choose names, then I stay on the selection screen for hours. Just for the music...

 

[FAST6191]

Default and even looking up the default/canon name if I am not provided one, well now I have the internet anyway. Exceptions being for cheats, if needed to keep saves unique to each other or to correct true stupidity on the part of the developer.
Slim potential exception there if there is a mismatch between previous and current localisation (though there I might even hack the game).

I really am a dreary and uninspired person.

 

[Blebleman]

I remember playing Pokemon Red with my pals in the school yard and I had come up with the BEST strategy.

I would name my Pikachu 'PONYTA' (and of course do the same with all my other ones)

Blebleman brings out PONYTA -- will you switch pokemon?
-> Yes -> Squirtle.

 

[Arras]

I always go for the canon/default names. I dunno, it kind of feels like it's supposed to be that way. When I'm forced to pick a name for one character, I always use either my real name, Arras, or some variation of it for female characters (Mirror it, change one letter, things like that. I've used Saera and Arreas before). I don't really think I've been forced to pick names for a whole party before, but that would pretty much be the only case where I'd think up a bunch of silly names (I had a Machop nicknamed Bruce Lee in a Pokemon nuzlocke at some point. Then he died, I got another one, named him Bruce Lee as well, and he died too rip Bruce Lee).

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Depends on the game for me.

Generally, I'll name one of the main characters after myself, after that I'll just go for either default names or just whatever comes to mind.

Though in the pogymanz games I name my Rival "Bortzy" ;O;

 

[Black-Ice]

It depends on the situation.

For a long while when I was younger I basically named every main character Silver coz of Pokemon Silver
Then I began to become more theme based, I'd name characters after colours, characters from other shows/games
I'd look at a character and think "yeah he's a Jimbo"

Nowadays its spur of the moment, a pun or default

 

[Taleweaver]

I just go with my own nickname: Taleweaver. Or Wever if there's only room for 5 characters. Most other characters, I leave just the default name (I don't play much games where parties are involved).

Once, I got stuck somewhere in final fantasy VIII. After skimming through a walkthrough, I was convinced I had to find this "Squall" character somewhere, as he was mentioned quite often.
It took me a while to realize the bastard was already in my party...

 

[dxplay2128]

well, I usually use the preset names on my first playthrough, after that I tend to use a pun or something funny like "A stupid" or "damm, I"

 

[FAST6191]

Oh yeah if it is a multiplayer game with friends then you have to be your mum, god, your cat, nobody..... sadly I was born between voice commands being a joke again and the likes of kinect.

 

[MegaAce™]

I just give names which feel right haha.
The rival in Pokemon DPPt somehow got stuck with the name "Tyson" and the one from B2W2 "Ryan", I don't know why, but they fit for me.
Some games ask for First and surname, so I mostly type in some variation of MegaAce, like Megan Ace or similar.
At the least, I try to give names based on the first impression characters or mons give me.

 

[weavile001]

on RPGs and such, i always name the character with either my name or ''Slash'', i don´t know, this name sounds pretty cool to me, I guess i never named the other characters/Rivals....
but in games such as Pokemon,Digimon,Fire Emblem´s Forge,Bravely Default Special attacks, where Nicknaming things is almost imperative, i just go with Shin Megami Tensei´s Demons and Skills names..
Lapras : Bufudyne
Florges : Kartikeya
Moonshadow: Hamaon.....

 

[Hells Malice]

Really depends on my mood at the time and what i'm playing. If it's an RPG with characters who have proper names, I wont touch 'em. If I have to make it myself I usually pick something silly. My typical one is just Heero. (typical SMT name)

For pokemon however, anything I plan on using I name. I used to use the periodic table of elements to name my pokemon, but i've gone more towards flowers now. Mostly because my team consists of cute/adorable pokemon so a flower theme just fits and sounds pretty.

I hardly ever use joke names unless it was for my rival in pokemon, and when I named Jumbo Cactuar in FF8 because he ran on me like 7 times so I called him "JERKRAN!!!" or something. I was young and creative, I know.

Lastly in western RPGs I tend to call myself God. Same for strategy games where you're so big important dude, like Warlock.
Yes, I have a god complex.

 

[Ryukouki]

If I can't be Ryukouki then the game doesn't deserve my attention.

 

[FAST6191]

If I can't be Ryukouki then the game doesn't deserve my attention.

I do wonder how many people have their online handle limited to 8 characters for similar reasons.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I do wonder how many people have their online handle limited to 8 characters for similar reasons.

If I could have it my own way, I'd name the main character in every game Tom Bombadildo...but alas, very little games have 13-14 spaces for character names and dildo is a naughty word, too, so some of the MMOs that do allow that many spaces don't allow dildo (LOOKING AT YOU FFXIV )

 

[TecXero]

If it's a multiplayer game (or has a multiplayer element), I'll generally throw in my nickname (Tech or TecXero). If it's a single-player game, though, I feel no need to change the name. In Pokemon, for example, I'll name my character "Tech", but not name my Pokemon. In LoZ games, I'll just put enter in "Link".

 

[virgildraco]

Bob the Dovahkiin
what can possibly go RIGHT ??