Things that annoy or puzzle you about Cantr

[Marian]

So just because there are previous bad choices of introducing OOC names in Cantr that means it's okay to continue doing so?

Bad choices in whose opinion?

[LittleSoul]

So just because there are previous bad choices of introducing OOC names in Cantr that means it's okay to continue doing so?

Bad choices in whose opinion?

I thought it was a shared assumption that generally introducing blatantly OOC names into the game is a bad thing to do.
It's frowned upon for character names, such as if someone were to name their character 'Britney Spears'.
Why is it any better/worse for town names?


Under Rules of Thumb in the wiki:

Keep It Original!

Another good idea is to make your characters as original as possible. Using outside names of people and organizations is generally frowned upon by serious roleplayers. It shows a lack of imagination, and imagination is what makes Cantr so great. Even if your character does not assume the aspects of the real life person, your character will be taken much less seriously than a character with an original name.

While it's not a rule, it seems like good practice to me, and I have seen people get miffed over seeing celebrity named characters in game.
I just don't see how this should be any different for town names as well, unless someone can explain.

To each their own, in terms of opinion of course. This is just mine.

[Marian]

I see blatantly OOC character names all the time though? And blatantly OOC words and concepts used constantly. This feels to me like the 'English' and 'Polish' argument all over again. Players getting their panties in a twist about things their characters wouldn't bat an eye at.

One of the main people complaining has a character named after an RL country. And I'm sure I could look around any location in this game and find someone or something that doesn't belong. Something like 'Adolf Hitler' would be the obvious exception...but 'Britney Spears' or 'Miley Cyrus' would get an eye roll and that's it. Arguing to ban them is just silly. The characters would not recognize the name, nor care. Any IC reaction isn't IC at all and is way more disruptive than the name itself.

[Marian]

Also mods please force all chars named 'John' 'Peter' 'Paul' 'Matthew' 'Joseph' 'Mary' 'Michael' and so on to change their name, it's a pretty blatant and disruptive reference to a RL religious text and has no place in Cantr.

[LittleSoul]

I see blatantly OOC character names all the time though? And blatantly OOC words and concepts used constantly. This feels to me like the 'English' and 'Polish' argument all over again. Players getting their panties in a twist about things their characters wouldn't bat an eye at.

One of the main people complaining has a character named after an RL country. And I'm sure I could look around any location in this game and find someone or something that doesn't belong. Something like 'Adolf Hitler' would be the obvious exception...but 'Britney Spears' or 'Miley Cyrus' would get an eye roll and that's it. Arguing to ban them is just silly. The characters would not recognize the name, nor care. Any IC reaction isn't IC at all and is way more disruptive than the name itself.

And my point is that shouldn't be an excuse.
Just because we find it disruptive as players does not mean it affects our own characters, and no one ever said there would be IC reaction based off of OOC feelings. That's just your own assumption.

It's just annoying to have things like that part of the game. It makes those of us it bothers inwardly eyeroll because it is hard to roleplay seriously with the name Texas.. it's just a rip off of a real name. It also makes it feel like the person who made that name isn't playing seriously either.. and if they aren't then what's the point of playing? It feels like we're being trolled or something. That's why it's irritating.

I'm not arguing to ban anything. I'm not sure where you pulled the word ban from. I'm just saying it's perfectly reasonable for people to be irritated by a name pulled out of a real life setting

It's a matter of opinion, and everyone's should be allowed to be heard. The only reason I said anything is because seeing people try to justify it seems silly to me.. there is no concrete solid reason it should be in the game. There are however good reasons it shouldn't because it's disruptive to roleplay. Either way it's not really against the rules. It's just irritating.

[LittleSoul]

Also mods please force all chars named 'John' 'Peter' 'Paul' 'Matthew' 'Joseph' 'Mary' 'Michael' and so on to change their name, it's a pretty blatant and disruptive reference to a RL religious text and has no place in Cantr.

Very common real life names that are not unique or famous are completely different to a state name that is famous and unique. It's immediately identifiable. There's only one place you think of when you say Texas. There's no particular person you think of when you say Michael. That's part of why those kinds of names are irritating. Every time I read Texas or Miley Cyrus I think of that person or place. It gets in the way of what that person or place is really like in the game because you can't take it seriously, and that pre-existing knowledge of the real life version is stuck in your brain.

[*Wiro]

I think it's poor form and distracting, but not worth spending more than this single sentence on.

[Marian]

I think it's poor form and distracting, but not worth spending more than this single sentence on.

This whole argument is silly, and like most disagreements it would be so much easier on everyone if they would just recognize the fact that they're wrong, and I'm right.

[*Wiro]

To be honest... the only reason I don't think it's worth spending time on is because I think it's wrong, but it can't be regulated in a reasonable way so it's an argument that will end up satisfying no one.

[LittleSoul]

To be honest... the only reason I don't think it's worth spending time on is because I think it's wrong, but it can't be regulated in a reasonable way so it's an argument that will end up satisfying no one.

Aside from reports from players.

[Optimus Christ]

To be honest... the only reason I don't think it's worth spending time on is because I think it's wrong, but it can't be regulated in a reasonable way so it's an argument that will end up satisfying no one.

Aside from reports from players.

Why do I have a strange feeling that everyone got their report button out? GG.

[Marian]

Aside from reports from players.

Where do you draw the line, though, and who gets to decide that? Because believe me, if we start going that route I'll start reporting the crap out of every single OOC thing I see, until Cantrians all speak and act like the spore-spewing aliens they were always meant to be.

[sanchez]

Didn’t we have a Britney Spears char long ago? Previous discussion on this topic has been pretty amusing: viewtopic.php?p=250647#p250647

It’s not so much the Name itself that’s the problem. If you create a large and intelletual male char called Miley, who cares? But if a name such as Texas or Miley Cyrus is being used to evoke specific stereotypes or associations for other Players (who are assumed to have the same cultural references as you), instead of creating original meaning for these in game (available to all players), then yeah it is pretty lame. PD will draw the line for specific cases.

[Tiamo]

There is no way to define which names have 'too many OOC associatons' and which have not.

Texas? Yew Nork? Noklahoma? New Braska? Georgetown? London? Michael J.? Alberta? Sydney Lauper? Mel Bourne?

[LittleSoul]

To be honest... the only reason I don't think it's worth spending time on is because I think it's wrong, but it can't be regulated in a reasonable way so it's an argument that will end up satisfying no one.

Aside from reports from players.

Why do I have a strange feeling that everyone got their report button out? GG.

GG? It wasn't meant to be a strategic play. I'm just stating the fact it's an option.

Aside from reports from players.

Where do you draw the line, though, and who gets to decide that? Because believe me, if we start going that route I'll start reporting the crap out of every single OOC thing I see, until Cantrians all speak and act like the spore-spewing aliens they were always meant to be.

PD, but you and Tiamo make an excellent point. Where is the line? That's not something we as players can define, I don't think.