1. TheHedgehog

    TheHedgehog Contributor Contributor

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    Naming an Enitity for a Novel! (Helps?!)

    Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by TheHedgehog, Jun 24, 2009.

    Okay for my latest novel it features the corruption of the modern-day soceity and government. One of the more important features/entities of the novel is a massive public online game played by most everyone. (This is is set in the not-so-distant future.) Imagine this game as replacing Facebook, Myspace, any public internet interaction site into a massively played reality game. (I know, I know.)

    My problem is that I can't think of a name for the damn thing. I have thought about a few names so far, but all of it is a no-go. I don't want to be stuck naming it a horrible name, so do you have any tips naming an item like this?

    I much appreciate your time.
     
  2. marina

    marina Contributor Contributor

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    Give it a name based on what the game is about. Like in the book, The Hunger Games, the players didn't have food, so the name Hunger Games made sense.
     
  3. Mephisto0

    Mephisto0 New Member

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    Go for something simple... if it's about corruption try the game of corruption.
     
  4. TheHedgehog

    TheHedgehog Contributor Contributor

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    That sounds like good advice. Thanks Marina, Mephisto!
     
  5. KurtistheTurtle

    KurtistheTurtle New Member

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    Spacebook Myface
     
  6. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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  7. sprirj

    sprirj Senior Member

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    Hi Hedgehog, I have a book along similar lines and wondered if you wanted to brain storm?
     
  8. TheHedgehog

    TheHedgehog Contributor Contributor

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    I thought my plot was original! D: It's more of showing corruption through a mystery/Utopian-fictitious plot, I guess. Is that what you were aiming for? It's also more a Satire, so it's a melting pot of a lot of sub-genres. Most of the plot has been worked out except for the naming detail.
     
  9. Irish87

    Irish87 New Member

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    Giving it a name which refers to what has happened to society would be somewhat... blegh. That's the best that I can describe it. The Nazi's don't necessarily sound very menacing when you think of the name alone, yet I know some friends whose grandparents are frightened by the mere word. They don't even like movies which depict the autocracies of the Nazi party because it brings back horrific memories of their suffering. Imagine that, all that pain and anger and frustration wrapped into a single word. Why? Well, it brings about a thought, perhaps singular, that still haunts them.

    What I'm getting at is that naming your game something obscenely predictable will do nothing but prove a lack of creativity - no offense. What is the game about? We know it's an MMO, but is it an FPS or RP or what? If it is the typical fantasy MMO then it will have a cliche sounding name like Darkfall or Ragnarok Online. Does this digital world surround itself in a fake reality? Well, then they wouldn't name it Hell on Earth 9000xtAWESOME! It would be simple and easy, a name which brings about the very meaning of solace. Personally, when I think of my idealized shanri-la, I picture the cabin I stayed at with a group of friends in the Sierra a few years back.

    Names have a reason. They are the literary example of an icon, a meaning or an idea we have memorized specifically because it brings levity or happiness or, conversely, bitter sadness to our hearts. When you're thinking about the name, picture what the designers meant it to be and what they wanted their consumers to think it was.

    Best of luck.
     
  10. amble

    amble New Member

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    Quite an interetsing concept, you may want to read about hack://sign as it has some ideas which you could expand upon or stimulate your grey matter:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hack_sign

    It's about a sort of MMO game that people plug into as well.

    As for the name, thesauruses are good if you put in a base word, just don't go too far in or you'll end up with an irrelevant word. Also, look at Latin translations etc.
     
  11. seta

    seta New Member

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    Sinbad's Underground Adventure

    But seriously, look at names of massively successful MMO games today;

    World of Warcraft
    Phantasy Star
    Final Fantasy
    Star Ocean? (maybe I'm remembering that wrong)
    Everquest (sometimes known as Evercrack)

    And what was that scifi one which apparently takes forever to play? Eden something?

    I'm not an MMO player, I've just had several friends who were.
     
  12. sprirj

    sprirj Senior Member

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    I think it probably is. But there is no such thing as an original idea. An online world which involves everybody....The Matrix, Neuromancer etc. Its the details you put into it which count. I'm not saying my idea is like yours exactly, but it sounds like it follows a similar basis. But from what you've said, more and more is different. But anyway... I'm half way through my 1st draft and if your interested in brain storming let me know.
     
  13. fantasy girl

    fantasy girl New Member

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    what about what about runes of magic/war My little brother came up with it and he's into all those games!!!
     
  14. ApocRK

    ApocRK New Member

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    It has to be something neutral, it can't be "swords of mythical power online" because then it won't be believable that everyone will play it. Looks at games like second life and Playstation Home. Those are things that a lot of people would be able to see played on a world wide scale, because it is neutral and it depicts things common and relatable.
     
  15. seta

    seta New Member

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    Digital Life
     

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