Justin Time.7054 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 It has happened to me more than once that I wanted to build a character around a specific name, which had its own meaning, and to ascertain, at the time of attributing it, that it already existed. I think it would be very convenient, for me as well as for others, if there was a way to verify the pre-existence of a name before getting to the final stage of character creation. A sort of independent database, available online. 7 1 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kharmin.7683 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 I have seen someone suggest just skipping over all of the character creation until the end where you can check the name. Once you find a name that isn't already taken, that you want, then step back through creation and start from the beginning. I vote no for the independent database idea. 17 4 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashberry.4510 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 (edited) Make a toon, any toon, don’t waste any time and choose your name. You get several hours (24??) before anyone else can use that name, so you can delete that toon then take your time creating one. Edited August 5, 2022 by Hashberry.4510 13 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Pj.2193 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 14 minutes ago, Justin Time.7054 said: It has happened to me more than once that I wanted to build a character around a specific name, which had its own meaning, and to ascertain, at the time of attributing it, that it already existed. I think it would be very convenient, for me as well as for others, if there was a way to verify the pre-existence of a name before getting to the final stage of character creation. A sort of independent database, available online. Please tell me you are a Chrono Main…. I would do what @Hashberry.4510noted. It seems to be a good workaround. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danikat.8537 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Another benefit (which may not be relevant to everyone) of testing the name is you can see how your guild and friends will shorten it in chat, how people say it in voice chat and things like that. I can't remember what it was now, but I gave up on one character name a few years ago because as soon as I got into the game I was greeted with a shortened version of it which I didn't like at all. Also no one could say it (it was Welsh). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashen.2907 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 42 minutes ago, Danikat.8537 said: Another benefit (which may not be relevant to everyone) of testing the name is you can see how your guild and friends will shorten it in chat, how people say it in voice chat and things like that. Off topic but in my old DnD group the most time consuming part of character creation was picking a name that the other players couldn't easily nickname into oblivion. Gods forbid you ever name your character a variation of Richard. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Labjax.2465 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 I wish they were easier to change after the fact. The name change is so overpriced (equivalent of like $10, IIRC, for a single character) and it's not like we can troll hiding behind name change anyway, since people can see your account name. I wish there was like a free one a month or something, anything so you can correct mistakes here and there without being stuck deleting a character or facing an absurd cost that prob isn't worth it. 2 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentMoore.9453 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 I'm glad workarounds exist for this, but it really would be nice to have an easy way to test name availability that doesn't involve multiple panels. Maybe a simple tool through the official GW2 site would suffice. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottie.5370 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Log in to any character, open your friend's list, type the name in to add as a friend. It went through? Name not available. Comes up with an error? Name not in use, it's free for you! 13 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysico.4906 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Never had issues with names. Use acii chart for letters 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunchaser.9854 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Last names are usually pretty good too. Lots of first names in morphs get taken. But it's pretty easy for a last name (or variation) to go through. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astralporing.1957 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 5 hours ago, Justin Time.7054 said: It has happened to me more than once that I wanted to build a character around a specific name, which had its own meaning, and to ascertain, at the time of attributing it, that it already existed. I think it would be very convenient, for me as well as for others, if there was a way to verify the pre-existence of a name before getting to the final stage of character creation. A sort of independent database, available online. Like already mentioned above, friend- and blacklists can work for this well enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronospere.8143 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Add an "H" anywhere in the name you like. Justin unavailable? Jhustin Juhstin Justihn Justhin Sooo many options. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayHog.3280 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Had to punch through almost 20 different variations before I could finally make "God Hunter Kratos" come to life. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson.4036 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 (edited) 21 minutes ago, Cronospere.8143 said: Add an "H" anywhere in the name you like. Justin unavailable? Jhustin Juhstin Justihn Justhin Sooo many options. Justhin sounds like a diet wafer cookie. I also find your post hilarious in the context of your forum name. Edited August 5, 2022 by Gibson.4036 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronospere.8143 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 10 hours ago, Gibson.4036 said: Justhin sounds like a diet wafer cookie. I also find your post hilarious in the context of your forum name. Hahha well noticed! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elden Arnaas.4870 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 The Friends List or Block List check sounds like a very practical way to check w/out going through the creation process. But if the name you want is taken, try adding a surname, a title, a job title, or some combination. Some of my guild mates decided to make a group of characters that were all family. So we looked at several surnames, but went with a made up surname to ensure name availability. Several of my human characters are from the same family, using a made up surname. Asura tend to have job related titles, often colorful ones. Would my Asura guardian be 'Guardian Gedd'? - no he's '*Protectomancer* Gedd' ("I have three degrees in Protectomancy, and I'm working on a fourth...") My Norn revenant has the title "Spiritspeaker". etc... I would be nice if they put together a sticky thread with helpful name hints. So many people have kindly given a lot of creative, practical name making advice over the years. It would also be nice to have the friends list/block list check in there as well. 1 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vision.7265 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 Go to Google Maps. Pick a country. Find a small, obscure village. Named. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kharmin.7683 Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 I guess people are running out of various forms of "Legolas" 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoni.7015 Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 1 minute ago, kharmin.7683 said: I guess people are running out of various forms of "Legolas" And Daenerys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danikat.8537 Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 Reminder: the OP isn't asking for names to be freed up or saying they have trouble coming up with an original name. They're asking for a way to check which of the names they're considering are still available so they can factor that in when designing a character suited to the name. That's something I assume many of the people misreading the topic can understand - if you take the time to think up an original name instead of simply copying one from elsewhere you'll probably have a few variations or ideas in mind and want to make sure the one you pick fits the character. It's hard to do that within the character creator because you could waste a lot of time tweaking the character to fit the name then finding that version is taken, but if you find one that's available you're out of the character creator and can't change them. For example I once made a charr whose last name was either going to be Goldcrest or Firecrest and I wanted her hair colour to match. I made the character to fit my first choice, but if it was taken I'd want to change that before exciting the character creator, so it would have been helpful to know the second version was free. Otherwise I'd stick with the original last name and hair colour and change her first name instead (which may have involved choosing another fur pattern instead). 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashberry.4510 Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 These days if I think of a name I may like someday I just make a placeholder toon immediately, then maybe get back to it when I am ready to really make a toon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Lana.2506 Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 You can add the name you're thinking of making to your friends/blocked list to check if it's available before committing to it. If it's a super common/famous name then the likelihood is that it's already taken and you need to be more creative (which is what 99% of these name threads are about). 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesione.9412 Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 On 8/6/2022 at 4:51 AM, Justin Time.7054 said: It has happened to me more than once that I wanted to build a character around a specific name, which had its own meaning, and to ascertain, at the time of attributing it, that it already existed. I think it would be very convenient, for me as well as for others, if there was a way to verify the pre-existence of a name before getting to the final stage of character creation. A sort of independent database, available online. Or, have the name selection at the start of the process. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blude.6812 Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 On 8/7/2022 at 10:21 AM, Danikat.8537 said: Reminder: the OP isn't asking for names to be freed up or saying they have trouble coming up with an original name. They're asking for a way to check which of the names they're considering are still available so they can factor that in when designing a character suited to the name. That's something I assume many of the people misreading the topic can understand - if you take the time to think up an original name instead of simply copying one from elsewhere you'll probably have a few variations or ideas in mind and want to make sure the one you pick fits the character. It's hard to do that within the character creator because you could waste a lot of time tweaking the character to fit the name then finding that version is taken, but if you find one that's available you're out of the character creator and can't change them. For example I once made a charr whose last name was either going to be Goldcrest or Firecrest and I wanted her hair colour to match. I made the character to fit my first choice, but if it was taken I'd want to change that before exciting the character creator, so it would have been helpful to know the second version was free. Otherwise I'd stick with the original last name and hair colour and change her first name instead (which may have involved choosing another fur pattern instead). Then then the OP should design and implement "A sort of independent database, available online" and pay for the site and maintain it or hire and pay someone to do so. If the OP said "I am going to set up a...... and post the link when done" I would be impressed. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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