Questionnaire answers: What's In A Name Questionnaire

A round up of the many responses from the What's In A Name Questionnaire, thanks to everyone who filled them in!

Q1. Do you keep the same name, or have a long series of disposable ones?

Almost everyone has one or two names they keep on a long term basis -

"I have two permanentish ones, and one slot for a disposable name.”

Q2. Has this changed over time?

29% Yes, 71% No -

"Well, after about 6 months playing I settled down with several names instead of lots of disposables.”

Q3. Do you think particular names of yours have been lucky/unlucky?

"Neither lucky nor unlucky, just recognised”
"Well none have been overly lucky ...”
"I think my favourite name has been unlucky but I still use it”

Q4. What has been your favourite name?

Usually people’s long term names, often the ones I recognise them by.

Q5. Is this the name you are usually known as? (And what is that by the way?)

Only one person was concerned to keep themselves secret!

Q6. From what sources do you discover new names?

Most common sources in order are Books (7), Imagination (5), Games (4), Myths (3), TV (2)

"Thwomp was from Mario, big thing that jumps down from the ceiling and squishes you when you least expect it, I had been playing Mario64 just before it was created."

Q7. Do you find it difficult to find a new name?

Yes - 24%, No - 76%

"Something good and meaningful yeah" "Not really. When I think of one, I write it down in the back of my diary, so I have a whole list to choose from."

Q8. Do you get other people to suggest them for you?

Some people were offended at the mere suggestion! -

"I am more than capable of selecting my own name without sounding patronising."

But 17% of people were less dogmatic - "once or twice."

Q9. Do you go for aesthetic appeal or utilitarian functionality in a name?

59% Aesthetics "Both, though tending more towards aesthetic appeal."

"Let me just check the dictionary. OK, ummm, the second one? No, no, the first one. Or maybe the second one."

"It's gotta be cool!"

"Aesthetic appeal. I'm a material girl what can I say.”

Q10. What names do you admire in other people?

Names specifically mentioned were Alice, Turrican, Tethys, Crowley, Y, Foulplay, Serenety. One of which I used to play as! Isn’t that nice!

Along with more thoughtful contributions -

"What names are there nowadays? Any on the obituary.”

Several players mentioned that they liked names with suited their owners -

"Names that reflect the personality of the person or persona.”
"clever names and names which have been role played properly.”

Q11. What sort of names make you suspicious?

MUDII players are unsurprisingly a suspicious lot ... very varied ideas of what is suspicious, all the way from the specific:

"Cat”

Ha. I know who you are you know!

To the fully blown paranoid -

"All of them!”, "Any unfamiliar name that enters the Land.”, "Anything difficult to type. Anything that sounds like a killer. Any name that doesn't sound like a killer. Any name I've never seen before. Any name that I have seen before. Anyone listed when you type qw. Pretty much everyone, they're all out to get me. Run Away!!!!!!!!!!”

More defined answers consisted of "Names that are gibberish, or really hard to type.”, "Ones that ten letters long and are incredibly hard to type.”, "ones that have pk in them ;)”

Though having said all this, a couple of people were much more relaxed than the average. I salute you both!

Q12. Have you ever stolen a name/ had one stolen from you, and how did you feel about it?

53% of people claim to be entirely innocent of such behaviour, both as the victim or perpetrator.

24% of people have been victims and haven’t been too happy about it.

"Felt happy after I fodded the culprit.”
"Not in this game but in others yes and it really pissed me off...like identity theft”

18% of people confessed to having done it themselves.

"I stole one from a killer once, after they died, just to make them look even more stupid, and to wind them up.”

Q13. What names do you particularly dislike?

A striking similarity between these answers and the ones that make people suspicious.

"Random gibberish names.”, "Gobbledegook names like "dfdsgqwef"”

Specific names mentioned include Warlord, Sonic, Angel, Sin, Stormin, Folly, Boggy, but I have a feeling these answers have little to do with the names as words!

A couple of people mentioned names typically used by 'young' players -

"Don't mind names suggesting people might kill you, but I don't like names that suggest the player is only about 12 and will probably be annoying . Can't stand names based on other people's names e.g. '<name>sucks' or swear words - just a bit pathetic.”

Q14. Have you ever had a prefix?

Only two people said they had never had one -

"Does 'dragonfly-slaying' count? Thought not.”

But lots of people reported having temporary ones - "For about 2 weeks I had the prefix cheery when I was playing as Melancholy.”

The incidence may have declined in recent times. -

"Several, although much less since the new mudii.co.uk!”

Q15. If you chose it, why? And what did you do to obtain it?

Very few people chose their own, and even those who did were sometimes disappointed -

"I did a wiz-specified task once in order to get a prefix. The trouble was that they tricked me because it only lasted for the reset.”

More typical was - "I didn't choose it and I never found out what I had done to deserve it.”

And of course "It was bestowed upon me, but alas no more. I assume it from conducting many evil deeds.”

Q16. What sort of names do you think Witches and Wizards should have?

Disappointing unanimity of thought here - "Anything they want”

Apart from the lone voice of resistance "anything other than boggy”

And - "Obviously very cute and fluffy names to as to subconsciously lull all the players into a sense of serenity, fresh for the horrendous wiz-morts to finish them off.”

Q17. Should players be forbidden from using names which are too obviously mystique breaking? (Such as Lego for instance).

Bringing forth the reasonable response - "no, ppl should be able to have which ever name they think suits their personality. therefore irritating people can be easily spotted and avoided :)”, and the measured "Never! just kill them!”

Though perhaps some of this is due to resignation - "Mystique is constantly being broken in the tearoom chats anyway, so there's no need to start banning certain names.” Or self interest - "No, cause then I might have to stop using some of mine :)”

I’m convinced by the first answer!

Once again, thanks for all your replies, sorry if I didn’t quote from you! There was a lot of interesting stuff in there, which I may delve through again at a later date.

----* CAT

If you have any further thoughts on any of the above questions feel free to contact Cat using the link below.