Finding Your Heroic/Villainous Moniker

[Harry_Canyon]

Finally found my Naming Guide I had posted on the old forums, through this link https://web.archive.org/web/20120907031222/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=122411  I am reposting here for the new generation...

Finding Your Heroic/Villainous Moniker V1.0


UNCLE HARRY'S NAMING GUIDE

Well, you have found your way here, this is probably due to the fact that you either stumbled onto it by accident, you have come seeking help in naming your hero, or you just have to know what that smell is. I know your pain wee ones, I too have suffered from the loss of not being able to name my character “Cinder”, “Turbine”, “Meltdown”, or any number of other common names most likely snatched up in the fervor of the first few hours of CoH’s release to the public.

FEAR NOT! Your humble, helpful, generous, handsome, modest Uncle Harry is here to make it all better. I will attempt to use the name “Cinder” whenever possible to demonstrate flexibility, and to show that you are never truly at a loss if you have your heart set on a name. None of the names mentioned have ever been created by me, and I do not attest to the fact that some names I suggest are free. They are used for demonstrative purposes only (though I suspect that many suggestions are open as of the time of this writing.).

 1)Color that name: “Cinder” becomes “White Cinder” so easily, but lets say that for the sake of argument you have gone through all the colors you like and it is still taken. The easy fix is to simply find another name for that color. White can become Ivory, Pearly, or even Snowy (Perfect if you have got anything Ice/Fire “Snowy Cinder” yeah, I like that, and I bet it is not taken somewhere…yet.) This alone would allow an entire population of people on a server with the name “Cinder” Somewhere in their name and not have the same name twice.
a) Use Colors. If you can’t think of a good color name, a great list is Here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colors
b) Need to simply find another word for colors this is a good resource. http://thesaurus.reference.com/

2) Misspelling made easy: “Cinder” changes into “Cindera”, “Cinderette”, or even “Cindertron” with just a suffix snapped on there. If you want to add a Prefix onto it, you can create “Encinder”, “Overcinder” or “Ultracinder”. If you think this sounds bad, remember that many common names have just a prefix or suffix attached to them to make many well known Heroes and Villains (Magnet, Infect, Angel, Lion, etc…). As for my opinion on numbers, see #4.
a) Add Suffixes: Things that can be put after a word to change or modify its meaning. A good list can be found here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffix
b) Add Prefixes: Things that can be put before a word to change or modify it’s meaning. Very useful when trying to think of ways to use a word in a stronger or opposite way. A good list can be found Here. http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/prefixes.htm

3) Be PC: “Cinder” is OK, but “Cinder Lad” has more pop to it. “Cinder Lass” or even ”Cinder Woman” Could be used, but this technique was used heavily by a popular comic book company, and is only used by me as a last resort (Mostly because I don’t really remember exactly how many lad’s lass’s, girl’s, boy’s they actually had). But for theme purposes, this method could be exactly what you are looking for, as it really captures that silver-age feel. Also useful is putting Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Miss before the word to me gender specific, and assigning a Dr. or Sr. or any other designation you can think of. Also covers rank, such as Captain (Capt.), General (Gen.), Major (Maj.), etc.
a) Be gender specific: Man, Woman, Guy, Gal, Lady, Girl, Lad, Lass, Boy,
b) Can attach He, She, Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, or Dr. to front of name.
c) Can attach Sr. Jr. DDS., etc after the name for character flavor.
d) Rank designation should also be included. This Covers Captain, Major, General, etc.


4) Numbers are for math: I can honestly say that I have never even for a moment thought to use the name “Cind3r”. Being as I love to immerse myself into any video game environment, I feel drawn out when I see someone run by me with this vocabulary abortion displayed so proudly. For shame! If you want to use numbers, I feel it totally acceptable to make number-words like “DVST-8R”, “Hot 2 Trot”, or “4-Tress”. Also useful if used to determine numbers in a series such as in clones or robots “Cinder 2.0”, “Cinder 9” (or alternately and frequently used in comics the roman numerals “Cinder IX”). But to each their own. I will not say not to do it your way, it is just not my way.
a) Use Number-Words: “B-4” (before), “In 10se” (Intense), “GR8-1” (Great One). Fantastic for those robot characters.
b) Use to show a Sequence or assigned number from secret project. “Cinder-7”, “Cinder 2525”, “Cinder 2.5”
c) Can use roman numerals if favored number is used. Roman numerals can be found here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals

5) Let them know who you are: “Max Cinder”, “Cinder Ellen”, “Tia Cinder” give your character some zip and personality, while also being personalized to you. It is also totally acceptable to create a simple name such as “Bill Preston”, “Justin Trebourne”, or “Vince Trueheart”. Many heroes have just dropped the pretense and waded into the heroic fray with nothing but their name to hide behind.
a) Tack a name onto a desired name and make it yours.
b) Just create a name that sounds heroic or simply appeals to you and go with it.

6) A rose by any other name: A great man once said, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet;” I think it was William Shatner :P. Sometimes a word just seems to keep us caught up, and we don’t want to let it go. I have encountered that many times and not being one to give up without exhausting all avenues, I resort to the good old Thesaurus. Unfortunately, in this case, I could not find anything even resembling the word I have been using all along. In the thesaurus site itself, save for “Cinder Block”. But this is not the end, as we can also dip into other languages for inspiration. Not to worry if you are not bilingual, there is a number of translating websites out there. “Ceniza” (Spanish-Ash), “Cendre” (French-Ash), “Asche” (German-Ash), “Cinza” (Portuguese-Ash), are but a few possible results I came up with for the word “Cinder”.
a) Use a Thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms of the word you wanted to use. You may find something better than you started out with. An online thesaurus can be found Here. http://thesaurus.reference.com/
b) Use other languages as a source of names. Translation Websites can be found Here http://babelfish.altavista.com/ and Here http://translation.langenberg.com/

7) The simplest answers are often the most obscure: Some heroes have names that have nothing to do with their powers, or look, but just sound good rolling off the tongue. These people have names that are nothing more than minor common household items or tools. Shying away from my primary example name, these names are just that, a name. Examples include, but are not limited to: “Cord”, “Staple”, “Rook”, “Frame”, and “Bench”. It is not as easy to just suggest these without simply giving out a huge list that could go on and on. Needless to say, the best way of thinking up these, is more of a matter of what sounds good to you.
a) Think of some words that have stood out for you. This may have been due to a phonetic sound, or just the way the letters look when viewed together.
b) Objects such as tools, instruments, components, supplies, furniture, clothing, materials, and groceries, are a great source of names and inspiration.

😎 One Word… Two Words!: You get two power sets, use them. Simply look at your power sets and determine what your name could be. Grav/Fire? “Pressure Cooker”, “Heavy Burn”, or “Hard Cinder”. Emp/Arch? “Heaven’s Quarrel”, or “Healing Sting”. The trick here is to find a word that best describes each powerset, and work them together somehow. This process usually involves a lot of trial and error, and is more of an advanced method to use. But is included here for completeness.
a) Figure out a word that you feel best describes each power set.
b) Try to work them together

9) Know Thyself!: For all the suggestions prior, the best names will come to you through the simple forethought of a back-story prior to creation. The character could have received a bio-engineered virus called the “Blood Cinder” and so you take that name in order to let those responsible know they are being hunted. Or: born in another time, the High-Elf Alastria finds herself in this new place. She has traded her Home-Wood in for a chance to fight the evils lining this smooth-stone city. Taking the name “Lost Ranger”, she now prowls the alleys of Paragon City looking for a chance to get back home.
a) Know who you are, and where you are from. This is most important. This will help to define your name in a way that no one else has.

10) Hyphenation time, come on!: It should go without saying, that two words and two words hyphenated together are not the same word…exactly. Take a well-known comic book company’s signature character. There is a hyphen in the middle of the name that will not be mentioned here. this means that the name could be used without the hyphen as long as there was nothing else resembling the hyphenated character. This means that “Cinder Gal” May be taken, but “Cinder-Gal” May not.
a) Use this thing: -

11) A Hero Doing Is a Hero Being!: Last but not least in my 10+1 commandments, is what I feel caps off most holes in my naming method; Verbs!. Usage of these fun little bundles of energized vocabulary divinity gives one the power to not only make a hero, but also a dynamic hero. Boo-hoo, someone stole “Cinder” Did they happen to snag “Living Cinder”, “Walking Cinder”, or “Raging Cinder”? Well, guess what? While they are just being “Cinder”, You are living the life of a “(Living, Breathing, Walking, Raging) Cinder” or “Cinder (Rising, Burning)”
a) Whatever something can do can be a name. Just like those commercials say…it is what you do!
b) Whatever something can be can be a name. Not like those commercials it is what you are![/list]

That just about sums it up. One basic name, A multitude of possibilities. I hope that this may help others to find a name that makes them happy. I have been playing CoH off and on since 04’. I have seen many people asking for help with names, and have helped some when I could. I have always threatened to make a guide to help people come up with names since I never seemed to have any trouble with it. I have usually gotten names on my first try, and I felt that a bit of insight in to my reasoning would help some of you. Some of the names I currently have are:

 

**Names/Servers now Defunct.  But I have reproduced my favorites from this list on 'Torchbearer', and am including them here for posterity.
1) “Strong Box”-Virtue
2) “Scroll”-Virtue
3) “HONOR 2”-Virtue
4) “Loxosceles Reclusa”-Virtue
5) “Living Junk”-Virtue
6) “Gun Blue”-Virtue
7) “Violet Spider”-Virtue
😎 “Pequin”-Champion
9) “Quagmira”-Champion
10) “Ubermenche”-Champion
11) “Gloss”-Champion
12) “Ultra Freeze”-Champion
13) “Alpha Sigma”-Triumph
14) “Human Hot Rod”-Triumph
15) “She-Blade”-Justice
16) “Phantom Hawk”-Justice
17) “Shockpoint”-Justice
18) “Onyx Titan”-Victory
19) “Slipshade”-Victory
20) “Rogue Serpent”-Victory
21) “Psionic Avatar”-Victory
22) “Rhinotaur”-Victory
23) “Polar Wolf”-Victory
24) “Isotope Omega”-Victory
25) “Human Iceberg”-Protector
26) “Plasmia”-Protector
27) Several others, I got to have some privacy don’t I?

Now thank Uncle Harry….
 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Harry_Canyon

[Force Redux]

Just read this, all good advice for working around the issue with names. Typically the most frustrating part of character creation for me 🙃

[Bananiac]

Just stumbled into this for no good reason... 

 

I usually don’t have trouble finding good names for my toons, but this is a great way of thinking! Thanks a lot, I keep it remembered.

 

Now... I have about 2 dozen new ideas for some great new concepts because of this. I will have to populate a 2nd server soon if this goes on 😇...