What is the imms stance on common names like this? It certainly achieved the goal of peeving the playerbase, but is it a decent name or is it something the imms would normally try and change?

Dead horse city.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

<100%hp 100%m 71%mv 4870tnl (-15.95%) 8 PM> pray 17 Human Bar Mike the Poet, That name even flags my attention
You pray to the heavens for help!

<98%hp 69%m 56%mv 4790tnl (-14.05%) 10 PM>
An Immortal tells you 'Thanks for the heads up...BUT...Mike actually doesnt break a name rule. And at least its Mike the Human...and not Mike the elf.'

<100%hp 86%m 84%mv 4720tnl (-12.38%) 2 AM> reply So Mike is consider an orginal name, when rolling?
They aren't here.

<100%hp 86%m 84%mv 4720tnl (-12.38%) 2 AM>
You are hungry.
You are thirsty.

<100%hp 89%m 91%mv 4720tnl (-12.38%) 3 AM> pray Sorry to pray but question for the Imm that replied to me. So Mike is consider an orginal name, when rolling?
You pray to the heavens for help!

<93%hp 72%m 100%mv 4720tnl (-12.38%) 6 AM>
An Immortal tells you 'I said it didnt break a rule. I didnt say it was entirely original BUT..its not something Im going to ask someone to change at this point.'

<95%hp 76%m 100%mv 4648tnl (-10.67%) 7 AM> reply Well maybe should remove that from the rolling questions then, Anyways, I'm done on that issue,
You tell an Immortal 'Well maybe should remove that from the rolling questions then, Anyways, I'm done on that issue, '


<95%hp 76%m 100%mv 4648tnl (-10.67%) 7 AM>
An Immortal tells you 'Thank you for your concern.'


< From Rolling >
Here at The Carrion Fields we promote a roleplaying environment. Because of
this atmosphere, we do not allow just any name you may want. The names must
meet a certain criteria and if they do not, they will be denied. The following
questions are good guidelines for determining if you have chosen an appropriate
name.

Is this name an original name as far as you know?

This problem is not entirely resolvable. Names *will* slip through the cracks because not only is it a somewhat subjective matter, but an iffy name needs to be detected early by an imm who has the capability, availability, and inclination to do so. If he's not, we're extremely reticent about changing the names of established characters (doing so also liberates them from any reputation they have earned.) By all means if Battlebot the Paladin gets to level 20 he'll still get his name changed, but we tend to side on just letting it go if it's a more borderline name.

We do make efforts to make certain undesirable names automatically rejected, but those efforts can't cover everything.

Other MUDs have dealt with this in pretty much the only way you can without having names slip through the cracks - by making new characters sit in an exitless "Name Approval Room" until an imm gives them approval. Personally, I'd rather *not* see CF go that route. I suspect even those MUDs have names that slip through due to some imm's differing opinion, and bitchfests are not unheard of there either.

So I'll make a request that players just let it roll off your back that there are a few names here and there that you don't like. It's really not that big of a deal.

>This problem is not entirely resolvable. Names *will* slip
>through the cracks because not only is it a somewhat
>subjective matter, but an iffy name needs to be detected early
>by an imm who has the capability, availability, and
>inclination to do so. If he's not, we're extremely reticent
>about changing the names of established characters (doing so
>also liberates them from any reputation they have earned.) By
>all means if Battlebot the Paladin gets to level 20 he'll
>still get his name changed, but we tend to side on just
>letting it go if it's a more borderline name.

The name rules at creation are pretty clear. If people can't follow the rules, why coddle them with a name change? If they made it to too high a level for a name change, just deny them. It's nobodies fault but their own. I'm not even talking about the semi-borderline names either. We've really had some BAD names let go by just because they got to a certain level.

>
>We do make efforts to make certain undesirable names
>automatically rejected, but those efforts can't cover
>everything.

Yeah, just everything with the string "vlad" in it. What terrible names those letters could be put into..Golvladwer, Vladeww, Pringvlad. Terrible names. Clearly unacceptable. Glad to see Billybob the dark elf shaman is good though.

>
>Other MUDs have dealt with this in pretty much the only way
>you can without having names slip through the cracks - by
>making new characters sit in an exitless "Name Approval Room"
>until an imm gives them approval. Personally, I'd rather *not*
>see CF go that route. I suspect even those MUDs have names
>that slip through due to some imm's differing opinion, and
>bitchfests are not unheard of there either.

Or just deny the people who slip through for so long.

>
>So I'll make a request that players just let it roll off your
>back that there are a few names here and there that you don't
>like. It's really not that big of a deal.

But apparently by the number of pissed off people, it is a big deal to what I would call a solid majority.

So yeah, I definitely disliked the name Mike for a character on CF, but I tend to have a stricter stance on names then some up here. For the same reason I think using internet slang when talking IC detracts from the environment, I think a name like Mike is bad. If it's any consolation, its existance caused the imm staff a minor amount of annoynace, and a minor amount of work.

I've heard some people complain that we should have made him change his name no matter what, but I don't necessarily agree there. Once someone ranks up a bit, to the point where a few people start to know who they are, they have applied and/or gotten into a cabal, etc, it becomes worse for the games roleplay to change their name then it does to let it stand. Unless their name is something like, I dunno... Deathangel. Or Qaledus. You know, things like that.

Aarn!

I had my name changed as a rank 40 empowered and titled healer. That was for a name that wasn't obviously and blatantly bad. Don't tell me you have to let it go. As many people said, Michael, or Michel or something else that would have been *obviously* Mike, but wasn't a beyond crappy nickname would have been infinitely more acceptable. I'll chalk this up as a weak excuse and forgive you for it, but there were some rather simple steps that would have solved MUCH of the issue.

I'm incredibly surprised to hear that you had a level 40 empowered and titled healer's name changed. My intitial response is to doubt that you're telling the truth, or to ask if it happened ten years ago.

You can chalk it up to whatever you want, in however snide a tone you want, but I stand by what I said. Once a character with a stupid name like Mike gets to a level where people know who he is, it's worse to change his name out of the blue then it is to let him play through with it. If it's something like that guy whos name was Immortalsuk spelled backwords that no one noticed till he heroed, it's better to deny them then to change their name.

Aarn

Changed to Urtunlot because someone pronounced it differently in their head than I did in mine....

Edit: "You can chalk it up to whatever you want, in however snide a tone you want"

Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'm pointing out that it has not always been this way, and people have been pointing that out for quite some time. Try not to act suprised that someone finally pushed far enough and hard enough that you decided you had to make a change.... The playerbase has been known to do such (see ganging for a perfect example).

Don't get your panties in a bunch

Stating "Don't get your panties in a bunch", is a sure way to get someones panties in a bunch. But you were probably aware of that.

I'm pointing out that it has not always been this way, and people have been pointing that out for quite some time.

Ever since we've been doing name changes, the standard has been that we don't touch names once they've become recognized, which is why I'm still amazed that yours was done. Unless you were somehow a low-level guy that was empowered and had a title, but even then I would be against it. That deviates slightly from my point, however, which was that changing a name on a recognized character is worse for roleplay then either letting that name go or denying the character all together.

Try not to act suprised that someone finally pushed far enough and hard enough that you decided you had to make a change

There's no acting involved, I'm truly surprised that someone would think plaing a character named "Mike" for the sake of pissing people off is cool. But, they succeeded, and now we shouldn't be seeing more "Mikes" around.

If you have anything else to add, please try to do it politely.

Aarn!

>Don't get your panties in a bunch
>
>Stating "Don't get your panties in a bunch", is a sure way to
>get someones panties in a bunch. But you were probably aware
>of that.
>

Yes, yes I am aware. It's sort of like saying, "No offense, but..." except it's much funnier because it has the word panties in it. Yes my humor is juvenile, and no it doesn't translate well to text.

>I'm pointing out that it has not always been this way, and
>people have been pointing that out for quite some time.
>
>Ever since we've been doing name changes, the standard has
>been that we don't touch names once they've become recognized,
>which is why I'm still amazed that yours was done. Unless you
>were somehow a low-level guy that was empowered and had a
>title, but even then I would be against it. That deviates
>slightly from my point, however, which was that changing a
>name on a recognized character is worse for roleplay then
>either letting that name go or denying the character all
>together.
>

I don't have exact figure on when the name was changed, but I'm certain it was after I was titled healer of Grinning Skulls or somesuch which did happen at a fairly low level, but I didn't stay at any level very long. Again, it was changed to something fairly close (which was in no way helped by the imm who did it, they were... unhelpful) and, because of my title, everyone knew who I was and I only got one or two comments about the name being changed. IMHO forcing him to change his name to something like Michaeal or somesuch seems perfectly reasonable.

>Try not to act suprised that someone finally pushed far
>enough and hard enough that you decided you had to make a
>change
>
>There's no acting involved, I'm truly surprised that someone
>would think plaing a character named "Mike" for the sake of
>pissing people off is cool. But, they succeeded, and now we
>shouldn't be seeing more "Mikes" around.
>

And I'm genuinely surprised that you are surprised. As in any other system, people do not self regulate unless it is a matter of survival (their own) or in some tangible way serves their immediate interests. Permagrouping is an example where it started off ok, but quickly snowballed into an arms race of who can assemble the biggest group. Why? Because there was no significant (immediate) drawback for those in the group, and it upped (their virtual character's)survival chances. In fact, as far as arms races go, think mutually assured destruction, and you'll understand that we (as humans) don't do well with moderation.

>If you have anything else to add, please try to do it
>politely.
>

I've really gone on enough here, but I feel like adding one thing further. Being honest often precludes being polite, unless you are in the business of sugar coating, which I am not.

>Aarn!

I made the Melvin Clause post on Dio's, and I'm positive that this Mike fellow was probably like, "Tee-hee-hee, I'ma gonna make da name and it gon' be make peepo' mad an' I gon' laf an' sing fiend an' kill em' an' den say 'feel da vibrations.'"

Perhaps you remember him. We used to run around together a bit, and I *beleive* we ran around both before, and after my name change. It would have been pre-hero but post unholy bless for you, so that supports my ~40 statement.

The reason for this, is that *I* didn't consider it detrimental to my RP to have the name changed at such a high rank, and since I wouldn't be one to sugar coat it if I felt it had, the overarching point is that I feel the imm's thoughts that if a character is too well known the name change hurts more than helps.... is unneccessarily kind. I can't imagine a player actually complaining that they're name must be changed from Mike, but then.... perhaps I'm naive.

n/t

didn't you make that post on a thread flaming the name mike already?

Right you are!


Now you must be "dealt" with.

Kuslatromi was rp'd pretty well, considering the standards of the day. The player didn't even tell the rest of us from Neosoft how he'd come up with the transmuter name until he'd heroed. He came up with it while he was inebriated shortly after Orodeth deleted, and considering the interactions he'd had with imms at that point in time, (deserved punishments, no argument there) heroing a pc with a name taking a snide shot at the imms and still contributing to the game is much different than what TLB, or the most recent imm hater, or Mike the Bard inflicted on our community.

I don't think anyones topped Bolechim as a backwards name so far though.

No point to be made here, just rambling on memories the reference to Kuslatromi brought up.

What is it we can do, as players, when we see such names? I have seen several "wrong" names, according to the questions when you choose your name at the beginning of the caracter creation process...

I have often prayed about such names, and most of the time they were either in the Academy, below 10th, or at worst below 15th. What bothers me most is not that I receive no replies from Immortals that it will be looked upon... But rather that this person with a wrong name is still with the same name days later.

I saw Mike rank up, and got attacked by him, and I had thought to pray, but after seeing other names going by without any changes got me to think that some didn't care... I don't want to say Imms don't care, but that is the impression I had.

Should we pray if we see such a name? Send a note? An e-mail to some imm??

>What is the imms stance on common names like this? It
>certainly achieved the goal of peeving the playerbase, but is
>it a decent name or is it something the imms would normally
>try and change?

This is my personal position.

Mike will be, more or less, the last Mike and the last of
the tribe of Melvin.

I refuse to give a crap about Anime, so you people who watch
those stupid cartoons and tentacle porn will have to pray forever.

Qaledus
qaledus@carrionfields.com

Tentacle porn? W.T.F.

"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens." - Jimi Hendrix

INUYASHA! KAGOME!

edit:

Ohh and this, "Mike will be, more or less, the last Mike and the last of the tribe of Melvin." makes me happy in a way almost, but not quite entirely unlike tentacle porn.

nt

I'm just dropping the link! Don't shoot the messenger!

http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/426.html

No, no, that's not a porn site. I swear, man!

Has anyone else been inspired to do something with their characters based on Evil Dead (1, 2) and or Army of Darkness?

Great stuff man.


"That was just pillow talk baby!"
- Tharena

I totally have. There was once a guy running around named Klatu. I wanted to make up the appropriate complimentary characters in the worst way, but I held back.

"Are all men from the future, loud mouthed braggarts?"
"Nope, just me baby. Just me."

Aarn!