Character Name = Player Competence??

I have yet to play an online game where I chose the people I play based on their names. Also, I have never used a serious role-playing name either. My characters names are always stupid or funny, such as Jelly Roll Joe or The Great Albino. My warrior is named Kindergarten Cop becasue he looks like Arnold (it's fun typing to make your words seem like thy have an accent ). Through my experiences, the name usually does not correlate with how good the person is.

agreed i think it has more to do with maturity than ability howver maturity goes a long way in this game if you ask me.

who is more likely to leave in the middle of a mission if things go bad?

I pwned your Mom? or Loquieth Aronus?

i think we know the answer to that one!!!!

I've got two 'normal' named characters, and one W/R called Bitt Orent just to see how character naming affects grouping...

And what have you found out?

would u consider Pillz Veritas a stupid imature name? be honest....

I'm getting more wary of some really god awful "RP" names now too, I'm talking about the ones that I could never pronounce and look more like they just mashed their keyboard "Grusezsy Blephthisy" etc. The command of the language continues into party chat as they rarely seem to grasp to any tactics put forward.

I've stopped judgements of names anymore, not half as reliable anymore, maybe the massive influx of cheesey pun names made it feel acceptable to normal people (just kiddin' they're not that bad), I tend to form parties based on class, and won't keep anyone who won't respond in party chat instead.

And if you think name relate's to maturity, my retired father still plays under the name of Hugh Jorgan

[Edit] Heh I'll bet quite a few people mistake Bitt Orrent as a normal RP name...

My character names aren't fantasy names, but I don't think they are stupid (except for my mesmer).

I have used alliteration in all of my character names so far because I think it is clever.

Past character names have been Naughty Knave (male mesmer) and Delicious Dan (male R/me). Those were two of my beta characters and I didn't once get turned down because of my "bad names." I use the name "Ninja Pirate Robot" for my pvp characters because someone once drew me a picture of a ninja pirate robot skeleton, so it insipred me to make the coolest name to fit the coolest picture. Sometimes bad names could be an inside joke that no one gets.

Now, the character name that I agree is stupid is man man man man man. Because I'm a guy and I wanted everyone to know that when I was playing my female mesmer... Ok so it was really late and I was pretty tired...

Generally, if their name utilizes any "1337" spelling or crap, they are the same morons you have encountered in every game. But I do agree that some "stupid" named people can be quite good (although I myself try to name my characters something in the RP spirit )

"I've got two 'normal' named characters, and one W/R called Bitt Orent just to see how character naming affects grouping..."

That's entirely different category of names(i.e. "Domi Natrix" ) - such little word games are sometimes funny(hell, my IGN is word game only my fellow country members could understand ). But I'd far prefer to party with bad player with "fantasy" sounding name, then "l33t d00d" who "ownz". That goes double for vulgar names.

LOL

Legolas Arrowdeath is far more uninmaginative than Beata Riverstone!

My names are simple.

Zexion Sixtin <- My main char, first name from Zexion of KH:CoM, and Sixtin because he's the 6th member of an order.
Wnx Zexion <- I'm in a (big) multigaming clan called Warriornation, and Wnx is their tag. <add type=shameless>http://www.warriornation.net/</add>
Wnx Zexy <- Same deal
Wnx Zex <- PvP char, same deal

_Zexion

EDIT: That "Grusezsy Blephthisy" reminds me of one I once read on these forums.
He helped a person who couldn't come up with proper fantasy names, so he pulled 10 of those kinda names out his ass.
Think "Kihjsuik Juinens".
Also, those who put extra letters in popular names to "claim" a name already claimed (ie. Bilbo Bagggins)

I agree. If someone's name is dirtyskank and Ur_Mum I have already less respect for them, but if their name is something "normal" then I treat them as I would someone in rea l life.

I name my characters silly names all the time. My deleted PvP monk, Omfg Its A Monk Lol. My other deleted PvP monk, Yeah Sure Whatever. My RP W/N (level 14), Teh Uberleet Haxxor. And so on.

Ironically, the original purpose of Teh Uberleet Haxxor WAS to roleplay :P

I do have a character named Sarah C S Stout, but only because "Sarah Cynthia Silvia Stout" is too long.

So far, not a single person has recognized it and told me so.

I'd consider that as an ok name. Nothing immature, except the z sounds maybe a little weird in the end of Pill. :F

I hope you don't always judge people on their names I have a twisted sense of humor, which is why my PvP ranger is "Porkchop Sandwhichs" and my PvE monk is "The Princess Leia" (she's got those buns, y'know?).

funny stuff there.

I really don't care what the name is. I find that usually the players with names like that or "worse" are just kids, young in general or just immature or if funny just a person with a good sence of humor!. BUT as long as they contribute I'll play with them. sometimes the names are funny and I get a laugh. I'm not fond of the names that are sexual though just because there are many different aged players out there and though I'm not offended, some might be.

I like genre names better than non-genre names and I absolutely despise 1337 sounding names. I think I'd generally prefer the underworld solo than team up with a 1337 named player again. Nothing but bad experiences with those.. SOme of the funny or clever ones haven't been too bad. But generally genre names tend to be played by folks with more my playing style.

The silliest name I've made was Blah the Barbarian.. just becaue I was disgustingly bored one day and in a BLAH mood..lol

Other names I use are...
Corwin Andros (W/E)
Dorian Hailene (ME/EL) - sounded appropriately snooty for a mes.
Calgoril Endari (R/ME)
Kawai Kane (MO/ME) - One of my favorite shows as a kid was Kung Fu, so I was going for the lead character's name, but somebody beat me to it..

Had a EL/ME named Dren Dargoth. I had hin dark and really narrow faced with white hair.. reminded me of a drow elf.

well, I have to say that sometimes names are something I look at in a group. I.E, a guild mate of mine was at Piken and saw a monk called HealUrslfBych..or something close to that..where when you sounded it out it was heal yourself B*. I probably would not group with them, if I was looking for a healer monk. :P
My names all rotate around Paw, to keep a general feel to them.
CatsPaw(r/m) my main char, is a mid-evil torture device. Nothing bad, just rippes your guts out...and my other chars are Painful Paw (e/m), Always Dead Paw (m/n) and my pvp char Hot Paw

Absolutely. Most of the people I've partied with that use uber l33t style names, derisive or offensive names, or relatively unimaginative names tend to play that way as well.

Those who choose creative names tend to approach their play creatively, and the ones with thoughtful or RP names seem to go slower and enjoy the PvE aspect more fully, with less rushing and bad tempers.

It's not a hard and fast rule of course... there's always exceptions. But nowadays I don't post LFG messages anymore, and simply wait until I see a post from someone who has a name that I really like, then join them.

A good RP name should be legible for sure, but it's important to discern what is simply key mashing and what is actually another language. I tend to use sanskrit words that are meaningful or descriptive to my character, yet to some they may seem like gibberish. However, anyone who recognizes that it's sanskrit is someone I'd be thrilled to play with.

And fwiw, Hugh Jordan is the kind of person I would play with. Good, simple names say something about the player as well.