First & Last names

[Miriel]

So FFXIV is apparently going to have a naming system where both a first and a last name will be required.

I completely dislike the idea. It would be one thing if the second name was optional, but it's not. And people in Alpha have tested this and you can have situations where different people can have the same first or last name. So there can be a Cloud One and a Cloud Two and a Cloud Three and on and on. Or the reverse. Sephiroth Rocks, Vivi Rocks, etc etc. The only thing you can't have is the exact same first and last name.

I don't want two names! Not really sure why they're doing this.


Thoughts?

[Del Murder]

I don't really like it either. In FFXI people had similar names but since you can't use numbers they were never too similar. If someone took Sephiroth you wouldn't name yourself Sephirothtwo or something like that. You'd pick something different. It also might result in some long names and that will get annoying, especially when trying to send people /tells.

I wish they had just made it optional. I'm sure plenty of people would like to have a two word name but a lot of people don't.

Oh well, say hello to Tmoney McAwesome I guess.

[Rostum]

I have no issue with it.

[Ouch!]

The reasoning I've seen for it is that they did this to accommodate people transferring from FFXI who wish to keep their original name. My initial reaction was, "What the heck am I going to pair Ouch with?" but after the server merges, I tend to appreciate it a bit more.

There was already an Ouch on Quetzalcoatl when Midgardsormr got merged into it, so I was forced to change my name to Ouchie (still not used to it). What's more troublesome is that the character "Ouch" isn't even currently active, which I find endlessly obnoxious. This decreases the likelihood of not getting the name you desire significantly, and it also increases the likelihood that when migrating from FFXI to FFXIV that you will be able to retain your character name no matter what server you may end up on.

That said, when paired with damn near anything else, Ouch starts to sound less endearing and more ridiculous, so I'll probably go with something else. I've got a few ideas in mind.

Edit: I imagine some people will use the surname for clan identification purposes, or at least it wouldn't surprise me. It looks a hell of a lot better than that influx of people at NA launch of FFXI that just tacked "OG" on at the beginning of their names.

Edit 2: I'd also rather see Cloud One, Cloud Two, and Cloud Three that the multitudes of Cloudx or Xcloud and other similar variations that invariably inundate each server.

[Miriel]

Honestly, I'm having a really hard time trying to come up with a name that I would like that has a last name attached. I like my character name. But Eleni doesn't have a last name. She just doesn't. What would it be? Eleni McAwesome? McAwesome as a last name is neat, but I don't think it matches and I would get sick of it.

Ouch, your name was one of the ones I thought about when this first came up. Ouch! by itself is so great! What the heck could you pair that with? I really wish this were an optional thing.

[Ouch!]

I think I'll just be abandoning Ouch in favor of something else for just those reasons. As much as I love the name, I don't really have a problem retiring it for FFXIV.

You'll think of something, I imagine. You've got a few months to figure it out, after all. :D

[Marshall Banana]

You can use "Strawberry Cutecup!"

[Rostum]

Have a sense of creativity, rather than dismiss it completely.

Strawberry Cutecup sounds like an excellent name, too.

[Del Murder]

I'm going to call you Omecle Cutecup from now on.

[Miriel]

Preferring to have a certain type of name (ie: a name instead of a title-esque name like Strawberry Cutecup, or descriptive like Crazy Killer, Loony BoB) isn't a lack of creativity, it's just preference.

I don't really want a descriptive name. And having a non-descriptive name but required to have both a first and last name is too formal for my tastes. Like Luna Shadowfox or something. I'm sure we'll see a lot of that kind of role-player type name around. It just isn't my thing. Simplicity is nice, I think.

I have tons of creativity, I make a living off it. I just have an attachment to certain names (all my names on various forums have been a single name), and it makes me sad that I not only have to retire my character name, but I doubt I will come up with a 2 name combination I like as much as a nice simple single name. It would be great if they just made it an option for people. Not sure why having it mandatory is a better idea than having a choice.

[Jessweeee♪]

I really like the idea. Hopefully they'll do some feature like allow us to make our surnames invisible for players like Miriel, but it suits me perfectly :3

[Rostum]

I'm going to call you Omecle Cutecup from now on.

It has a nice ring to it. But no, I've already decided on my name.

Preferring to have a certain type of name (ie: a name instead of a title-esque name like Strawberry Cutecup, or descriptive like Crazy Killer, Loony BoB) isn't a lack of creativity, it's just preference.

I don't really want a descriptive name. And having a non-descriptive name but required to have both a first and last name is too formal for my tastes. Like Luna Shadowfox or something. I'm sure we'll see a lot of that kind of role-player type name around. It just isn't my thing. Simplicity is nice, I think.

I have tons of creativity, I make a living off it. I just have an attachment to certain names (all my names on various forums have been a single name), and it makes me sad that I not only have to retire my character name, but I doubt I will come up with a 2 name combination I like as much as a nice simple single name. It would be great if they just made it an option for people. Not sure why having it mandatory is a better idea than having a choice.

Cool. I don't agree and I think you're making this into something that's bigger than it should be.

[Miriel]

Posting about one aspect of a video game on an internet forum, all of which takes like less than 5 minutes, isn't a big deal man. It's just conversation. Things to talk about until the game comes out.

This forum has been dead for days, livening it up with a little talk about some of the new stuff we're hearing about the game is a good thing! I think so anyway. Hopefully the closer we get to the launch, the more we can have people posting in this forum. You know, make it a big deal.

For those of you who have already settled on a name, share! I want to know.

[oddler]

I really like the idea. Hopefully they'll do some feature like allow us to make our surnames invisible for players like Miriel, but it suits me perfectly :3

This. "Hiding" the surname sounds like a win/win.

I'll have to give the second name some thought before I pick one. I'm also very used to using single names for things games and forums. It'll be weird but I'll cope.

[*Devore*]

I can't really think of a name that goes with *Devore* that doesn't make it sound common and boring. Although I guess I could try *De Vore*, but thinking about it, they wouldn't let me use *'s would they.