After running into a character named Evelyn while playing a character named Evelyn it got me wondering what other people’s go tos are when naming their character.
Name if modern, SciFi, or English fantasy: Evelyn last name Darque/Thomas/Thompson/Dupont
Backup name if a series switches protagonist or has a secondary character: Emerald
Outfit write in: Always inappropriate
If male genderlock (the only way I’ll play a male): Jay Thompson
More Bizarre fantasy locations: Eve/ Mileena
Superhero/Villain Names: Catharsis, Harbinger, if plant based Green Guardian
If naming a weapon, ship, or book:something smutty
Pet Cat female: Sherry
Pet Cat Male( see Guenevere,): Hobbes
Daughter : Hannah
And I think that’s all the choices I have had to write in or name something.
There was a WIP where I ran into a character that had my nickname in real life so I went with one of my favorite characters, Doflamingo Donquixote. Sometimes I go with a different first name, Rosinante Donquixote. (Doflamingo’s little brother from One Piece in case you were wondering)
Usually, I like to pick my real name as the character’s name so it kind of feels like I’m really there in the story. For some stories that has knights and dragons and all of that, I just rip off Game of Thrones and go as Aegon Targaryen or Rosinante Donquixote.
Asheal Kenee for well everything. For a long time it was Myra Starr. Evelyn Castra for everything again but for more darker things. Angelica Day for the hard ass detective. Kendra Washington for my angsty/or fun teen, and Mia Hall for the serious teen. And for more fantasy Neava Gradrii. But if there’s a game that has to with stars Astraea or Artemis. For Royalty is going to be Maliya or Isla.
Mostly or males it’s going to be Mason or Ashton. For royalty between Jeszer or Innis.
In a family situation I like playing around with names. Like the Moms name is Asheal, Dad Ashton and then the kids will all have names starting with Ash.
I never enter a name if I can avoid it. I always use one of the suggested names assuming that the author picked names that will fit the setting of the story, and not be the same as other characters in the story.
On those occasions where I have to enter one (or if I really don’t like any of the provided options) I go with my real name if the game is set in more or less the present, and something from Shakespeare for any other time period.
I always choose Jason if I am playing as a male. It rarely feels out of place, regardless of genre. If I am playing as a female I use Emily or Eli depending on time period, genre, etc.
I pretty much always play as me, so name my characters as such. Fay Blackmore. Or pick a name I was tempted by when choosing my new name, Hannah, Naomi, Hannah, Rebecca, the list goes on. In ZESH my nephew gets given my old name, Bruno.
I don’t really focus on what I’m wearing tbh, I really only do that with interactive novels(such as divided we fall, as opposed to say ZESH). If I have a dog in ZESH he is called Bardok. If I have a cat he is called Ryo-ohki, although he is named after my previous cat who was female. I would name them Merlin after my first cat…but I try not to think of him, he is gone, and although it’s been years I still feel pain for the loss of my first cat Merlin.
If I pick an npcs’s name I pick a name I was tempted by for myself ad above. If I have to pick a name for a band, ship, space ship etc I pick something over the top and in this style: the soul rapists, satan’s filthy fuck sluts etc(for a band) …I can’t think of having to pick a name for anything else in a CYOA tbH, but if I did it’d be in that style .
So yeah I pretty much always play as myself, that’s due to the fact I have emotional detachment, find it hard to relate to most people. And that I’m trans so can’t always be myself IRL(though that’s becoming less and less the case ) .
My default character is a modified version of a character in my works: Dakota “Coda” Zhu which started because I liked the nickname and needed a character and a name for when the nickname is weird.
If I’m making a new character for a run, I look up unisex or masculine names, almost exclusively for cis female characters. Dante, Damien, and Blair are a few recent ones. I always thought it was a weird habit, considering I love my name, and it’s feminine (Corrina), but y’know.
Incidentally, I have a hard time outting my own name in. I don’t know if it’s just surreal to see it–the Americanized Polish last name and the odd spelling make it pretty rare-- or what but I hate variations too. Cory was ruined for me by a friend’s annoying ex, and I did consider using Corrine, until that was the default name of a protagonist I hate with all my heart and soul. Mostly if I do use myself, I go by Cat (because everyone calls me Katrina at least once in their lives)
In all the medieval nobility games I usually go with Eve or Everett. In adventure games I usually alternate between Avior Cartwright and Donar Dire, but my OG fantasy name from before I came to COG was Blaine Redwood. Though when I have to play as a girl I ususlly go with Evangeline Ross I think it rolls off the tongue in a pleasant manner.
@GenecoInheritor Evelyn the elf from my game is the reason, isn’t she?
If I like the names provided, I’ll choose from them. Otherwise, I have some go to names: Cassandra, Sophie, Marceline, Eve/Evelyn.
They change depending on what names I like at the moment. It also depends on the genre of the game. And when I’m naming a character something funny, I use my real life nickname, Llama. (It stuck from the time I become obsessed with the Llama Song by issa twaimz. I’m still obsessed with llamas)
I have a handful of RP characters that I pick from depending on the story, but my go-to is always Kit. Short, sweet, easy to type, could be a short form of something fancier if the setting needs it.
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