InGame Naming Policy

Ok, so.....

Let's revisit this policy set forth by Sigil, ok? This is what was posted August of 2006 regarding that:

Names and the Naming Policy!
The purpose of our Naming Policy is simple: We want you to feel as immersed as possible in our world. Our Naming Policy is designed to encourage names that are appropriate for the world.

The Naming Policy is below. If you see a name that you feel is in violation of the Naming Policy, please contact a Game Master.

Version 080106

Vanguard Naming Policy

The intent of our naming policy is to promote the feeling of being immersed in Telon. These policies apply to all player names, regardless of creation date.
The following types of names are unacceptable and are listed in order from the most to the least offensive. Intentional phonetic misspellings, combinations, and homonyms of these words are also unacceptable.
Names must be at least three characters long and may not contain spaces or any non-alpha characters.

1. Obscene, vulgar, lewd, or sexual references.
2. Racist, hateful, or ethnic references or slurs.
3. Religious or occult terms, historical, geographical, or mythological names (e.g. Angel, Lucifer, Julius Caesar, Israel, Zeus).
4. Pharmaceutical or illicit drug reference (e.g. Zoloft, bong, ganja).
5. Names recognizable from existing media, copyrighted, or trademarked names including but not limited to products, companies, celebrities, or characters (e.g. Winston, GE, Madonna, Britney Spears, Spiderman, or Harry Potter).
6. Proper names from Vanguard including the first or last name of any significant NPC, area, race, class, or a representative of Sigil Games Online, Inc., Sony Online Entertainment, their subsidiaries or affiliates.
7. Words that would not be found in the setting of the game or genre (e.g. Computer, Microwave, Coffee Maker, Noob).
8. Names created to defame or to impersonate another player, community member, or a member of our staff. (e.g. Aradune Mithara)
9. Names implying status, title, or rank (e.g. The, Officer, Master, Sir, Inspector, Mother). This includes alternate forms of “The” where the name contains a normal word, as they implicate a title. (e.g. LeThug, ZiCrafter, DSmasher).
10. Names that contain full or partial sentences (Ikillgoblins, Spongebob, IkillIerkiller and Toasteroven).
11. Names where the combination of the first and last name forms a phrase (e.g. Tellme Astory, Fish Taco, Lukesky Walker.)
12. Non recognizable or unpronounceable words (e.g. Afdsg, Kghg, Tspk).

Name and Surname Changes:

Names will not be changed unless they violate this naming policy or have met one of the following criteria for a surname change:
• Getting married or divorced.


We truly appreciate your cooperation!

As usual, the naming policy has been attributed to causing some differences of opinions across the board. Nothing new, and it will always be so. There are arguments at each intersection, and I'm really going to try not to be too biased here. Some of you already know where I stand (and, probably more will later, but.......).

The old cliche: What's in a name??

Well, ok. Let's look at that.

Names can tell others who you are in relation to your mood, interest, job, political views, but when you're in a game that is bent to a specific genre, where do the rules fit? Or do they? Or should they?

Does the game company have a right to dictate the kind of names for you to choose? After all (arguement #1), you DO pay your $15 to play, right? That means the past X-years and X-dollar$ that went into the development and care of this fab game leans heavily on you as a paying participant. So, you made an ogre and named him Stufitin Yourear, knowing someone will take it one of 2 ways!!

Or, you're an avid RolePlayer. Immersion into the world is very important to you. You've named your woodelf ranger Seremela Tinehtele (Trinity Pathfinder. The elven name generator is your best friend!) and have taken on the role of one who helps all and shuns the evil of the forest.

Let's take the person that gets into the game just to prove it's the work of the devil! You name your blood mage Phi Onyou. You're mission in life is to make others miserable by telling them how awful the game is and trying to talk it down on all the public boards...forget leveling up. Makes you a pro, right?

Next, we have the casual player who just wants to have fun: Halfling named Imso Happy who crafts and gives cookies to everyone.

Griefer, anyone? Names their dark elf Satens Paun. Someone that just wants to play for the heck of it and looks around the kitchen for something to name their rogue: Waring Blender. Bard named Lute Player? Someone who suddenly doesn't like the president and makes a toon named Bush Sux. And I can think of others I've seen that aren't so....nice....but we don't go that direction at all. I think you get the idea, tho. OHH....how about Doktur Phil (yes...I really did see that recently!)????

So, the question is this: We have a game that has been in production for 6 years, basically, and is a fantasy game with lore, specific personalities who have their place in history with stories abounding of the wars and catastrophies and phenom events! Interactive quests and GMs who help further the immersion into the world. The question is, why do you play a game like this, and what do you think of them trying to uphold a naming policy that would further the storyline? Is it up to them to do that? Or, as a paying customer, should you have the "right" to do whatever you jolly well please, regardless.

And, if we get into that too far, you can stretch it into other policies of the EULA. But before you do, know that there is case law upholding a gaming company's EULA as a signed contract that you have agreed to, and do each time you log in. That's why they all have retained law firms! Someone always threatens and, in my sordid past, I've dealt with those types, too.

SO, if you want to take the game's rules to task, how do ya do it? I'm sure you'll come up with something. It's not really hard to figure it out. SoE has contended with it and caved all too often. Mythic/EA has had their share. Blizzard watches, manipulates content and goes with the flow, too. Most games do. That's listening to your player base. It's just....which direction do you take it? Who do you give in to? Is a naming policy necessary? Are rules, in general, necessary, or should it be a free-for-all? After all, you're paying for it....

Please give us your thoughts. There are people very interested in hearing them!