Naming characters

[lordcooper]

For such a complex game, I was quite surprised to find out I couldn't replace "The tall, skinny Jabberwocky" with "Dave" or even Dave, the tall, skinny Jabberwocky)

Any particular reason why you can't save other characters names?

[Synthesis]

It's a style thing.

p.s. You can do this client-side, probably, if it's really an itch you need to scratch.

[brytta.leofa]

I used to do this in zMUD, back in the day.  Look for "The " + "tall, muscular short description" at the beginning of a line, and replace it with "Dave, the " + "tall, muscular short description".  I'd get names in the look output, but not in the middle of emotes, etc.

Nowadays I just keep a text editor open and jot down the ones I think I ought to care about.  Most of them die before I see them again, anyway.

[Reiteration]

I've got a script I created in cMud that detects sdescs that I've named, it gags the line (removing it from the screen) and rebuilds it before echoing it back.

The tall muscular man stares at the short, fat dwarf.

turns into:

The tall muscular man, Dave, stares at the short, fat dwarf.


Then I just add/remove named people via an alias:
names _add the short, fat dwarf _as Frank
names _del the short, fat dwarf


I'll fix it up a bit, then post it if some people are interested.

[jstorrie]

There were some scripts floating around a few years ago when this was a popular habit among the playerbase - you can probably find them in the search tool. I think I even wrote one!

But all the pros just stick with raw descriptions. 100% perfect face-recognition ruins mah immersion.

[Marauder Moe]

I like the fact that sometimes my character forgets someone's name.

Also, I think if I had a name replacement script in effect, it'd really throw me for a loop when someone gets an sdesc change.

[Tuannon]

My current role constantly forgets people's names.

Also I have done away with making lists of things like names and ranks for most people my roles meet anyway, as politely asking for a reminder generates RP.

[Lizzie]

Also, it's possible for there to be two people with the same name as a keyword (such as, Amos, Malik, or Talia) at the same time, in the same place. One of them might really -be- Amos, and the other might've just used that as a fake name to give a templar, but his real name is Stavros.

It's -also- possible to see the tall, muscular man in the same room at the same time (not likely, but possible; the code and the staff both allow it).

So you still have no idea which one you're talking to, and which one you're naming Amos. And if that guy gives you a fake name, and plans on disappearing for awhile, why should you be able to contact him with that fake name, if he doesn't actually use it and hasn't added it to his keywords?

If he -does- use it, then it's his responsibility to add it to his keyword list.

But even so - regardless - when two guys called Amos - one whose name IS Amos, and the other who you have assigned the name Amos - both stand in the room, how will the code know which Amos your trigger is targetting?

If two tall muscular men show up, and you have named one of them Amos, how will you know which one you're talking to? I mean yeah you're talking to the one that shows "Amos" on your client - but how do you know if that's the first tall muscular man or the second tall muscular man?

[jriley]

So you still have no idea which one you're talking to, and which one you're naming Amos. And if that guy gives you a fake name, and plans on disappearing for awhile, why should you be able to contact him with that fake name, if he doesn't actually use it and hasn't added it to his keywords?

Yeah, the keyword problem is a problem.  It encourages clunky role-play.  People shouldn't use names as keywords.  You should use sdesc keywords.  I'm not trying to discourage the original poster, but I do think there's a slippery slope. 

[Tuannon]

I typically use a meso- american style naming convention for northern roles and a babylonian or other middle eastern one for southern ones.

[spawnloser]

At one point there were THREE people with the same sdesc in game at the same time:  the dark-haired man.  Food for thought.  I wouldn't replace things automagickally in my client if I were you.

[Cutthroat]

Once during my time in the Byn two years ago:


The tall, muscular man is here, fighting the tall, muscular man.
The tall, muscular man is here, fighting the tall, muscular man.


Seriously.

You're much better served by keeping a list in a text file, or remembering the names of people you come into contact with, neither of which are difficult.

[Thunderboots]

Once during my time in the Byn two years ago:


The tall, muscular man is here, fighting the tall, muscular man.
The tall, muscular man is here, fighting the tall, muscular man.


Lol, there are some short descriptions that just seem to come up again and again, get a bit bored of them being honest.

[tortall]

So you still have no idea which one you're talking to, and which one you're naming Amos. And if that guy gives you a fake name, and plans on disappearing for awhile, why should you be able to contact him with that fake name, if he doesn't actually use it and hasn't added it to his keywords?

Yeah, the keyword problem is a problem.  It encourages clunky role-play.  People shouldn't use names as keywords.  You should use sdesc keywords.  I'm not trying to discourage the original poster, but I do think there's a slippery slope. 

You're much more likely to have someone with the same sdesc keyword than the same name. I always encourage my n00bs to use names with the emotes.


Little trick: If you don't know their name, and there's more than one person with "bulky" in the room.....

key bulky

1. bulky - the hairy bulky half-giant
2.bulky - the squat bulky dwarf

[Barzalene]

It seems so important now, but bear in mind two things. First, you're learning a whole world and every pc is new to you, and the names are so foreign and different. It's going to get easier as you know more people, as you have less new information to assimilate each time you log in. And second, you can always say to someone, Dang! I forgot your name. (Well not always. Sometimes you have to fake it. And be uncomfortable.)

[brytta.leofa]

And there are only going to be a few PCs whose names really are important.  Many you'll see once or twice and never again.

Like in real life, it's the people you see over and over that you really need to remember.  And your boss.  And the president.

[Erythil]

All my characters wind up horribly forgetful insensitive twits because I can't keep all the same-ish descs straight.