Names

Are names even a consideration in Application process?
I had seen some doozies in the past, like same names when others with the name were still living, or just names from modern fiction or television that might be somewhat on the lesser side of public vision, but recently seems names are beginning to slip, and I was wondering if names are even a consideration in applications, or if I could pick the name... Gandalf for example, where grey robes and walk around with a big stick and be prefectly acceptible?

Disclaimer:
This is inspired by a recent character who not only took the first name of a recent desert-world mini-series's main character, which mightve been less worse, but decided to take the same last name of the character as well.

[Dan]

I too have met some doozies in the past... I refuse to name names though  

Well, I can understand if not all the Imms are not up on all the possible ripped names.

I've seen names from:
Baldur's Gate
Neverwinter Nights
Dragon Ball Z
Rurouni Kenshin

And a few others.

To make a list of all possible rips would be crazy though, and some are just coincidence.

[Naephet]

Names are considered in the application process.  It's just one of many things that get checked and, like anything else, can be overlooked.  Also, it depends heavily on which reviewer goes over your app.  Some of us are strict, some are not, so it's just the luck of the draw in a lot of cases.  Repeatedly submitting the same app, in the hopes that you'll get an easy immortal is something we like to call 'imm-fishing' and is not looked highly on.

Immortal names are expressly forbidden.  Occasionally some immortal nicknames (San, Hal, etc.) will slip through as names or keywords, and we'll often remove these once we find them.

The names of existing characters are perfectly fair game.  However, expect bad things to happen if it becomes obvious that you're trying to make a clone of an existing character.

Fantasy names are sometimes okay.  If it's an obscure name, or somehow fitting, it'll probably get through.  It typically only becomes a problem when the name is so common that it's very jarring, or when people try to make the character, not just the name.  

That I've seen, fantasy names are usually only picked by new players, and most staff members are more lenient with them.  Most experienced arm players tend to pride themselves on their originality, so instead of gruff dwarves named Thorin, we see a lot of 'macilent, crepuscular-eyed bipeds' as players try and dig up the most obscure terms they can find to make their characters.

Naephet

[krelin]

Ooooh, crepuscular.  DIBS!

[Carnage]

I don't see anything wrong with using the name of a NPC out of thousands from a game like Baldur's Gate, Morrowind, or whatever RPG, as long as it's not something huge (Sarevok, Viconia, Irenicus, whatever).Or a character from a show, as long as you're not trying to completely clone the character, it fits the genre, and it's not something famous (i.e. Frodo, Gandalf, whatever).

[John]

hehe. Someone once told me that Bomidril (or however you spell it) was a common name. The reason he said that was cause i think there were 3 Bomidril's IG. Very confusing

I've recently noticed someone on the GDB has a name that is exactly the same as a previous char. I'm wondering who came first. Me or him Sometimes I'll also make names that are very similar (e.g. Bob then Bab then Bobo) all by accident. One time I tried to re-use an old name (by accident) and it said I'd already used that name

I often try to shape my names similar to other people's because I want my name to be similar to common names in a particular city.

Perhaps a list of names that are common in Allanak (not by PCs but by VNPCs) and whatnot could be made. Good thing about that is it lets people be given northerner or southerner names (southerner names might be like "Bomidril" whereas names in the north are like "Xavioque"). Just an idea