Renaming Characters. Anybody do it?

[Dan558]

If given the option I generally like to rename Characters, especially in old games where only bit sprites are used. This game has so many characters to rename I thought I'd ask if anyone named thiers and share my names. All my names were given based on their sprite appearance and personality not the terrible Amano pictures.

Terra- Didn't change, As a main character for consistency and for assumed fame I keep the name so I won't get confused when people mention her. I also usually use my name or middle name for the main characters but since shes a girl that didn't work out.
Locke - Johnny, I thought it was a bit of a common adventurer name. He's not foreign or anything so I didn't give him an eccentric name.
Edgar - Steve, Edgar may actually be a more suiting name but I named him after a friend of mine and hes been stuck with it since.
Sabin - Adam, Adam I think can be a tough name but mainly my brother begged me to use his middle name for this character.
Celes - Sarah, I think for an every-day modern name, Sarah suits her well
Cyan - John or Kai, I used to name him John. Just a strong sturdy name but my brother eventually got annoyed at a Johnny and a John in the party so he names him Kai, sometimes I refer to him as Kai too.
Gau - Greg, Story-wise it dosn't make sense how he would actually have this name but I knew a couple weird kids named Greg so that's how he got this name.
Setzer - Eddie, Not exactly sure why I called him this, I didn't originally like the name Setzer but now I do.
Strago - Rudy, I thought it was a good old-man name. For some reason I think it matches his lumpy menu head.
Relm - Mary?, I can't remember what I called her, I always name her Relm now
Shadow - Shadow, Shadow was a fine name for a ninja not exactly original but suitable.
Mog, GoGo and Umaro - the same names, not much to go on for them so I just kept their original names.

[Sasquatch]

Usually, on the first playthrough of any game, I keep the original names. This helps if I need to look up a walkthrough or tips, as I don't have to remember what somebody's original name was before I changed it. But I've done a lot with different names, especially in FFVI.

One thing that makes it interesting is naming everybody the same thing. Though it's a little silly, because when it tells you "Adam gained a level" or "Adam learned such-and-such spell", you really don't know which Adam they're talking about, since you have four characters named Adam in your party at any time. Or you could name all of your male characters by one name, and all of your females by another, if you had a certain ladyfriend in mind or anything.

I've also named them by their most obvious traits or descriptions. I'll name Locke "Thief", Shadow "Ninja", Relm "Kid", Strago "OldGuy", Edgar "Tim" (the tool man Taylor, get it?), stuff like that. I would name Umaro "Dad", because my dad is larger and hairier than I am.

I've tried naming them after friends or family, but especially in FFVI, by the time I get down the line, I run out of names and have to name them after people I'm not very close with. Or I'll inevitably use them less because I'm not too close with the people I named them after. Sometimes I'll also let it affect their development and equipment, and the way I use them, like, "So-and-so is tough and kind of stupid, so I'm going to make this character a big physical fighter, even though it wouldn't suit the character's original intended use."

[Locke4God]

If I really hated a name I gave I thought about it, but honestly I never really thought it mattered.

[Locke4God]

Good Point,,,, Actually I really enjoyed naming my own characters. I've been a tad upset, and I understand with the voice acting, it's necessary, but the modern games for the most part, you can't name anybody. Kind of a bummer. It was fun to try and decide what name that character should be.

[nickness89]

I never ever change character names, it just takes away the feel of the game for me.

FFX was particularly annoying for me: the only reason you never hear Tidus' name being mentioned in X or X-2, is because you had the option to change his name. I would love to have been able to listen to dialogue without him always being referred to as "him" or "he."

[Judge Magistrate]

It all depends on how I feel at the time I start a file. With iconic characters like Cloud and all of them I won't change the name.

[Cereal~Killer]

As nickness said, I never change character names, because I feel it takes away from the experience in a way.

[nickness89]

As nickness said, I never change character names, because I feel it takes away from the experience in a way.

It's almost like, when you keep the names as they are, it "feels" like Final Fantasy, whereas if you change the names, it "feels" like just a random game ... kinda, i dunno how to explain it, but this is as close as I can get?

[Judge Magistrate]

It's almost like, when you keep the names as they are, it "feels" like Final Fantasy, whereas if you change the names, it "feels" like just a random game ... kinda, i dunno how to explain it, but this is as close as I can get?

I know what your saying, I feel the same way. If you change the name of a main character that everyone knows it's like your not playing the same game as everyone else.

[Bubblegum]

Yeah all the time ! Usually give them funny, retarted stupid names like Douche. But one time I named them all after poplaur soda drinks, like Coke and Pepsi.

[Linus Li Lelouch]

It's almost like, when you keep the names as they are, it "feels" like Final Fantasy, whereas if you change the names, it "feels" like just a random game ... kinda, i dunno how to explain it, but this is as close as I can get?

I don't particularly agree with this. I rename my characters for the simple fact, I feel more of an accomplishment when I see *Said Name* did this or did that. It adds to the imagination of the game to me, and since I am a writer, it gives me more to work off of.

Using my name or nicknames let's me feel like I am part of that world, even when I turn the game off, I get the feeling like *wow* wonder what I gotta go through next. That why the next time I turn it on, it's like *ok I've been doing this recently, it's time to go to this city and find this person*.

This is just my take on changing names.

[dimmufan]

I think FF6 is the ONLY one in the series that I did not change the names of the characters. I kinda liked the names of the characters and felt that they were fitting for their roles and parts in the story. However, in FF4 and FF9, I always change Tellah's and Vivi's names to Bates. Next time anyone starts a new save, do that. You'll crack up every time.

[Pipboy2000]

I don't like changing the names simply so I don't get confused if I'm talking to someone about certain characters. Also because I just cbf'd to change them

[FFGamer86]

i changed all the names and gave them capital first letters. I can't stand to see someone talk and their name be lowercased. terra became Terra, and so on.

[Spooniest]

Well, in the early days, I'd just change the names of the characters to take off the CAPS LOCK, essentially to avoid having to read lines like this:

Arvis: Bannon! King EDGAR!
...and TERRA!!

But as time wore on and I realized the names of the characters had been changed by the original translator, I grew up a tradition of changing certain character names back to their originals.

Terra is Tina.
Cyan is Cayene.
Sabin is Macias.

And a couple more that I change are for simple reasons.

I changed Celes because I realized I had been mispronouncing it for years. I had been saying to myself

"Suh-LESS"

But apparently it is supposed to be pronounced

"Suh-LEASE"

So now I play with her name as "Celise," as this reads more like the name I'm supposed to be hearing the characters say.

Also, simply because he's my personal favorite, I change Shadow's name, simply to its Japanese.

Great train robbers of the century...
...Kage?

Them's my two cents.

[FFGamer86]

Yeah i meant all uppercase not lowercase. TERRA sounds like screaming and Terra looks nicer. Although very first time i played I did name Terra, David. It got kinda weird about time she morphed.

[Spooniest]

You mean naming her "David" wasn't weird from the time she had lipstick and boobs?

[Firefly]

I never ever change character names, it just takes away the feel of the game for me.

I absolutely agree with this ^ If I ever change a character's name is maybe on the second playthrough,but I have yet to change any character's name on any FF yet...,and I highly doubt that I ever will.

[FFGamer86]

Ive always pronounced Celes, "Seals" with a little bit of emphasis on the last s. As with naming her my first name. I was very young at time and I changed it eventually when I got to that Namingway guy.

[Spooniest]

If you named both Terra and Edgar "BALLS" Then you'd get this line:

ARVIS: Bannon! King BALLS! ...and BALLS!

[mezzocarattere92]

Final Fantasy VI was probably the only time I changed the names for most of the characters. As a result, I decided to pick names from nerdy pop culture icons.
Terra was She Ra, named after the Princess of Power, or the main character in the He Man spin off.
Locke was Rufus. Don't ask me why, my cousin was in charge of naming him, and it was either Adolf or Rufus.
Edgar was Figaro, named after the main character in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. So technically, he was Figaro Figaro, King of Figaro.
Sabin was Dameon, named after the character in The Omen, I'm evil, I know.
Celes was called Ramona, named after either Scott Pilgrims girlfriend, or the Time Lady from Doctor Who.
Cyan was Linus because I felt like calling him Linus (obviously after the Peanuts character).
Shadow was Snake, after one of the characters in G.I. Joe (don't ask me, I didn't watch the T.V. show).
Mog was supposed to be Garfield, but the thing didn't have enough spaces, so I resorted to calling him Bucky from Get Fuzzy.
I kept Setzer's name because I wasn't very creative when I had to name him, but I should have called him Lando.
Relm was Nyssa, named after the cute princess of Traken, who traveled with the fourth and fifth doctors.
Strago was Moses, because he was the old man and I thought it was funny at the time.
Umaro was Ludo, after the beast in Labryinth, since he's stupid, but extremely useful.
Gogo was Reven, named after the character in Knights of the Old Republic, since his identity is hidden.
Finally Gau's named stayed the same, but I should Elrond, or elvish name.

[NeonLotus76]

I can honestly say I don't change the names-ever. I just don't think it's right so I just leave them as they are.

[Michael Swayne]

I just bought and received the game in the mail. I do change the names...kind of. I take the names and lowercase all but the first letter. It just looks weird on the TV screen when it's all capital letters. But, through my first playthrough on any game, I tend to keep the names the same.

Tidus was Tidus, Zidane was Zidane, Squall was Squall, Bartz was Bartz, Firion was Firion. Then when I played as them again, they all became Michael (or some variation of Michael- Mchael, Mike, etc.). For me, it really depends on which character I'm like. I haven't played through FFVI, so I don't know which character will get my name.

[Master Garland]

I know this is a fossil post but men can wear makeup and should be considered no less a man. Women don't need makeup either. Makeup is a style preference nothing more and should never be aligned and associated with one gender or another.

Besides Final Fantasy men wear makeup too it's quite obvious.. the dude in your avatar Setzer is wearing black lipstick, eyeliner, and some form of skin tone lightening foundation. Look how much makeup Warrior of Light, Emperor Mateaus Palamecia, and Bartz wear too.

[Rowan]

I know this is a fossil post but men can wear makeup and should be considered no less a man.

Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.