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Daphne Mezereum
Caldari
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Posted - 2010.01.28 11:40:00 -
[1]
I have decided to write a "military scifi" story with at least semi-plausible weapons/ships/etc (FTL will still be a deus ex machina, but hey, I cant overwrite Hawking).
While coming up with ideas for combat or characters is not that hard (combat and mechanics come from me being a physics student, characters come from being inspired, aka ripping good stuff of, as has been done since the Gilgames epic), but one thing I find hard is coming up with good names.
If you rip off a story, its no big deal, everything is a ripoff. But if you rip off names, everybody is going to notice them, and I will annoy me.
So, dear forum, could you give me some ideas? I though of using "nonstandard" mythologies as "inspiration", but a lot of the names ended up being almost the same.
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Wendat Huron
Stellar Solutions
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Posted - 2010.01.28 12:18:00 -
[2]
Female names will be the hardest but otherwise take existing names and cut them up, mix and match and add other endings. Common words in other languages will make excellent names if paired with a surname distracting people from the fact that it's a word not a name...
Dap Meziilis, there's one on you.
Delenda est achura. |
ReaperOfSly
Gallente Heavens Gate Consortium Distant Drums
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Posted - 2010.01.28 17:58:00 -
[3]
If it's military sci-fi, a lot of the weapons and gadgets will have acronyms for names. So E.R.I.C for Enhanced Ranged Interception Charge for a fancy missile? D.O.L.L.Y for Destructive Ordinance Launcher: Logan-Yale. Truly, the military is an Acronym-Rich-Speaking-Environment. ____________________
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Marko Riva
Adamant Inc.
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Posted - 2010.01.28 18:14:00 -
[4]
Several ways of doing it, one would be to look at the useage of the ship/item and link that to some mythological name (as in EVE, mostly). The other way is to do it the other way, instead of making the names "logical" make them illogical and have them, if the story/movie/game turns out to be a success, become their own "brand". If it weren't for some sleazy lol story couple of decades ago no one would have heard of a Jedi, and if you'd now make a story and use the term Jedi people would go "wtf is a jedi man, come up with a more logical name".
In the end it doesn't matter, apart from ship names and stuff like that perhaps.
----------- I think, therefore I'm single. New projectile damage PDF Alliance creation service |
Destination SkillQueue
Are We There Yet
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Posted - 2010.01.28 19:01:00 -
[5]
Try to avoid overly complicated names. What I mean is try saying the names outloud a few times to yourself in a clear voice. If you stumble with them, don't know how to say it or forgot the name you made up, you have an issue. IRL people often have trouble remembering or pronouncing them, so they use nicknames. You might think those for some characters too. How people call each others compared to others is a nice way to tell things about relationships between them too. My name for example is a short clear typical one where I live, but none other than strangers call me by that name.
As for the military names, they are often easy to say variations of the actual name or descriptive about the items features. From my own experience especially the 'grunts' prefer to use the more descriptive ones. Often it can come from a specific feature of the item in question, that people who actually have to use it notice. I'll link the wikipage of the USMC acronyms and expressions just in case you need ideas or dont get what I'm trying to say.
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Abrazzar
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Posted - 2010.01.28 19:14:00 -
[6]
If in doubt, add a vowel. Or add/change/remove a syllable from common names. If you can pronounce it, it's probably good. For exotic/random names, throwing a few consonants together and add vowels until you can articulate it. Random name generators may be a source of raw names to use after polishing.
Get a theme or method for names of a certain kind/area/culture and stick with it. --------
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Slade Trillgon
Endless Possibilities Inc. Ushra'Khan
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Posted - 2010.01.28 19:23:00 -
[7]
Edited by: Slade Trillgon on 28/01/2010 19:26:47
How did you come up with your current pilots name? It is a pretty good one.
You have my permission, as the creator of the character, to use my name or any of the bellow. Just give <---- me credit
In my pen and paper games I am usually known as a fairly good name creator, especially once I have a feel for a character. I am also notorious for not naming characters until I have run through 1 or more adventures with them. I try to find a name with a little edge for either the first or last name and then the other is either left out or is fairly mundane.
Slades first name, for me, comes from the assassin from the DC comic universe. Trillgon I came up with out of the blue. It had a little ring but I did not think it was a stretch.
Ben Cureous - for your sneaky character
Gen. Arturo Lader
Pvt. 1st class Courier - your grunt
Layden "The Bold" Skenrepper - ruthless villan
Ovar Doce - your local drug lord
Slade
Originally by: Niccolado Starwalker
Please go sit in the corner, and dont forget to don the shame-on-you-hat!
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Karma
Vortex Incorporated
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Posted - 2010.01.28 23:28:00 -
[8]
The starwars way was to switch the first letter in your first and last names.
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Khors
Amtek Inc
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Posted - 2010.01.28 23:30:00 -
[9]
Originally by: Karma The starwars way was to switch the first letter in your first and last names.
Suke Lkywalker
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Redan Chulipa
Nebula Rasa Technologies Nebula Rasa
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Posted - 2010.01.29 02:25:00 -
[10]
Star Wars is actually very good at coming up with interesting names, if you completely disregard the whole Darth Vil fiasco that is...
Like someone said, check for random words in obscure languages and test them as a name and tune them some if they don't fit right away. My first name is a common word in a certain language and my last name is a morphing of tulip. Redan of the house of tulips.
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Zofe Stormcaller
Gallente Pelennor Swarm THE KLINGONS
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Posted - 2010.02.03 17:18:00 -
[11]
Originally by: ReaperOfSly If it's military sci-fi, a lot of the weapons and gadgets will have acronyms for names. So E.R.I.C for Enhanced Ranged Interception Charge for a fancy missile? D.O.L.L.Y for Destructive Ordinance Launcher: Logan-Yale. Truly, the military is an Acronym-Rich-Speaking-Environment.
Apparently in the UK, Squaddies are referring to their "B.O.W.M.A.N." navigation and communication system as "Better off with map and nokia"...
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Achura Model
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Posted - 2010.02.03 17:39:00 -
[12]
For weaponry systems use simple modern-like names. Like Space Fighter F-310 Fishhawk, Ground Battle Station T-400 Rhinoceros, Laser Assault Rifle G-80 etc.
For characters... Well I suck in english names...
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Jago Kain
Amarr Ramm's RDI Tactical Narcotics Team
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Posted - 2010.02.03 18:32:00 -
[13]
You could always try the chinese isk miner's approach to sci-fi names, which seems to be tape your keyboard to the wall and chuck a succession of kittens at it hitting keys at random to generate your name.
___________________________________________________ The game will never be over, because we're keeping the meme alive. |
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