There’s nothing that can deflate incoming new players’ excitement for an MMORPG than to find out that their favorite names are already taken. And it’s an additional kick to the pants if they end up bogged down on the character creator screen trying to find something, anything that is still available.
Naming conflicts are annoying, to put it lightly, and various MMOs have come up with different ways to resolve them. Some are adopting what I call the “Discord method” of slapping a numerical suffix onto your name, while others figure that allowing for surnames give enough variety and flexibility to overcome one-name conflicts.
What do you think is the best solution for how MMOs handle character names? How can dev studios give each player an individual identity without closing off options?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
