27 replies to this topic

[Schadenfreude]

I don't know about you guys, but I've got a dreadful sinking feeling that the majority of people who register are going to be terminaly unimaginative and we're going to be hip-deep in hundreds of variants of names like Natasha Kerensky, Jaime Wolfe, Hanse Davion, Greyson Death Carlisle etc etc.


I personaly think this shows a hell of a lack of imagination and would rather see the game accounts of anyone who tries copying a name from the mechwarrior universe deleted or forcibly renamed.

Opinions?

[Mason Grimm]

I think, somewhere, I read that the devs would be locking out certain names. I would imagine that would go with both Unit names and Individual names. These are characters that already exist in the battletech universe and may be used (by developers, AI, who knows) as the game unfolds.

I would not be very surprised if someone tried to register H@nse D@vion and found very quickly that their account had been de-activated.

[MaddMaxx]

De-activation seems a tad harsh. How about a message that states "that name is already taken, please try again thanks"

[Hunter McGee]

Deactivated might be harsh, but we also need to look at the limitations of computer automation. Creating an account will have to be moderated by the computer originally, just too much work for a group of people to do, so those odd names will slip through the automation.

Once they are seen , noticed, or reported, then it falls to people to enforce some sort of policy... Forced re-naming is a viable option.

[shnbwmn]

You know your username is original if you never have problems with it being taken. Ever.

[Dihm]

I think containing no vowels tends to help with that.

[Cattra Kell]

Or people could just make up a first name and apply a last name. I plan on staying Cattra Kell, as I have mentioned in the cast because Kell is just the surname. There would bound to be more Kells other then the Morgan Kell family lineage.

Edited by Cattra Kell, 14 December 2011 - 07:58 AM.

[Lima Zulu]

Dihm, on 14 December 2011 - 07:35 AM, said:

I think containing no vowels tends to help with that.

Czechs do not agree, lol.

When I played WoW (don't kick me please) people who were sneaky enough to avoid name filter got a message from GM sooner or later. It said "Your name is not acceptable, please rename at next log in" also they got a free one-time rename option. I guess it's pretty good way to deal with lore-wise fail nicknames and leet-lovers.

[Ghost]

It seems like they're paying attention to the need for this. Check out the fine print at the bottom of the Merc Corp Webpage Application:

Garth Erlam, on 02 December 2011 - 09:03 AM, said:

PS. If you're curious why some canon names look odd, please read Paul's explanation: "Merc Corp names are registered names. Once it’s taken, it’s gone. As for canon protected faction/unit names, we will be locking out some of the key players in the BT timeline."

[aglarang]

I think Cattra has it right. I am going to assume the devs allow surnames. We are going to see tons of Kells, Kerensky's, Davions, Steiners. Maybe some Camerons, Winstons, Wolfs, Kuritas, Mariks, Liaos, Allards, etc. When the clanners get going, expect more Kerenskys, Wards, Kells, Prydes, etc.

Whether people think it is unimaginative or not is up to that person. If you are roleplaying, then maybe you are RPing a bloodnamed clanner. Or maybe you are a minor scion of a noble house or a distant relative of someone who started a merc company. Or possibly the player thought that some character in the lore was cool and wants to emulate them. Or they think they are great and want to be associated with someone great in the BTech Universe. Whatever floats their boat. Its going to be like early WoW where there were tons of night elves named some variation of Legolas.

Eventually in a game like this. People will recognize the good players regardless of what their name is (and frankly most of the people adopting the well known names will drop by the wayside maybe excepting those that are really into BTech and have RPed that name for a long time.)

What I can see the devs doing is blocking the canon names. So we will not see the return of Aleksandr Kerensky or his son Nicholas. No Natasha Kerenskys or Jaime Wolfs, but there will be tons of Kerenskys and Wolfs. No Kai Allard-Liaos (though I bet we see quite a few Kai's running around.) Etc.

[Tombstoner]

Yes it lacks imagination, but i don't wont to be john smith from New Avalon.

This will happen in all games., it's also a way to interact with the content.
any super hero game is bound to have parodies of major characters such as Maagggnetos, wolvenreens
Batt man and supperman. the player wants to experience the game as that character as close as possible.

I find names like that far to be far more palatable then XXXsixtynineslayerXXX or trousersnakeOfdoom
My own handle is a bit unimaginative, but its also derived from my real name and some formulations i made for work. so it has personal symbolic meaning much like other less creative/ overcompensating names,

I think any name listed in any source book should be off limits and all names be subjected to a review process.
for a reasonable level of immersion.

[Anthony Kufahl]

agreed one should not be able to take the name of a known cannon character

[Anthony Kufahl]

Cattra Kell, on 14 December 2011 - 07:57 AM, said:

Or people could just make up a first name and apply a last name. I plan on staying Cattra Kell, as I have mentioned in the cast because Kell is just the surname. There would bound to be more Kells other then the Morgan Kell family lineage.

i do the same thing, a surname is just a name unless you have the same first name as a famous character

[Demi-Precentor Konev]

The surnames I don't mind at all - indeed they could add a nice angle on the 'fluff' of a person's pilot persona.

But really - calling yourself Natasha Kerensky? Are the people on the forums actually named after pre-existing characters?

[Kristov Kerensky]

Since the big names from canon are being run by PGI, they should be locked out, no question. Other then that..well..I personally have a hatred of numbers/sexual/names from other trademarked material, but seriously..I would NOT be surprised to run into a Mech jock who's call sign was 'Big Dick' or something equally as silly..they are warriors after all, military with a House, a Merc or a Lone Wolf, doesn't matter, that same locker room mentality will prevail and the nick names and call signs WILL reflect that. This goes for all IS units mind you, this does NOT go for ANY Clan Warrior, who do NOT display such mentality in their call signs nor in their language AT ALL! Since we won't have the Clans at the start of the game evidently, this shouldn't be a problem so seeing all the 'Big Dicks' or 'SixtyNiners'..yeah..that'll happen and it's to be expected and fits with the mentality of the warrior set. The XxxwhateverxxX and numbers..yeah..not a fan but I do understand why it's done, someone else picked that name first, happens, so..eh..I can ignore it usually...usually

[Kenyon Burguess]

as long as the historical names are protected and the foul language is removed you cant ask for more than that. people have the right to choose a IGN that they like even if the rest of the world disagrees

[Kargush]

I just hope I never see BongMaster_HighWolf.

Seen plenty of those around in other games.

Personally, I'd censor historical names, both from Battletech and real life. I am growing a bit tired of playing an online game and running into names taken from SS officers.

Edited by kargush, 14 December 2011 - 08:03 PM.

[EGG]

I think it adds ever so slightly to the flavour of the game. Playing Star Wars games years ago there'd be Darth_###, Exar Kuns, Kenobi's, Fett's etc running around. It reminds you you're playing with a bunch of SW (or BT) nutters, as opposed to just a group of randoms in a generic FPS.

[Korbyn McColl]

Ghost, on 14 December 2011 - 08:49 AM, said:

It seems like they're paying attention to the need for this. Check out the fine print at the bottom of the Merc Corp Webpage Application:

Seeing units like Wolf's Dragoons Alpha Regiment gives me hope that we'll be able to keep some connection to the merc units many of us have played in throughout the decades, even if we can't actually use the merc unit itself. But is there any chance that we'll see unit pre-registration soon? I, for one, don't want to dump a lot of money, time and effort into building a Northwind Highlanders website only to find out that we can't use that unit name. But what would really annoy me would be to find out that we can't even use regimental names, like MacLeod's Regiment or 2nd Kearny Highlanders after building websites dedicated to them.

I suspect this is why your Merc Corp list isn't filling up very quickly...people don't want to spend money on a domain name and start working on building a site only to be told that they can't use that name.

Don't get me wrong: I understand the need/desire to lock important units in canon. I also completely understand that you don't want people running around with the names of key NPCs in the BT universe. But even in the old PnP game you could still belong to a well known merc unit, and, as I said, many of us have played in the same unit since, well, the sourcebook first came out. ,-)

[Hunter McGee]

Well, as for me... I do not want anyone to think I am riding on the coattails of those that have gone before me. Use your brain for something other than holding your ears apart.
When I first started playing Battletech back in the dark ages.. (Not Mechwarrior Dark Age - but the 80's) I always went by the Call Sign of Spectre... then the video game came out and lo and behold, the main pilot in the Campaign was call sign Specter!!! I instantly changed all references to Specter and started going by Ghost, then Ghozt. I will stand on my merits, not on those of a name that I happen to be tagged. But I don't want anyone to think that I don't have enough imagination to invent an original cool name to use.

I also see the argument for using a surname of someone famous. Some feel that it brings them closer to the world of Battletech/Mechwarrior. I don't feel that way, but I also don't knock anyone who does. Enjoy yourself, but if I see a Katherine Steiner on the Battlefield, or a Maximillian Liao, you can bet your jump jets that you will be my primary target. Ha ha ha, guess you've got to take the good with the bad.

Edited by Hunter McGee, 16 December 2011 - 09:58 AM.