Oblivion:Gripes/Naming

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This article provides Naming gripes, as part of the Game Balance section of the Gripes article.

Would you like to import your favorite Argonian thief, Always On The Run, from Morrowind to Oblivion? Well, you can't. No this isn't a gripe about the game designer's refusal to provide a little bonus to previous user's of their product. It's about the inexplicable 15 character limit on names. I'm sorry, would 16 or more characters put a strain on resources? The only place the character's name appears is in the stat screen. There aren't any personalized wanted posters or handbills (and why not? Yet another gripe) which might make letter management a necessity.

If the only place the character's name is used is the stat screen, then why is the 15-character limit an issue?

There's no good reason for the player to be restricted from naming his character anything he likes. None whatsoever, especially if that name only appears in the stat screen where name length doesn't cause any trouble to anything in-game.

The stat screen is not the only place the PC's name is used. Character Names are also prepended to summoned creatures. "I-Really-Like-Long-Names' Spider Daedra" just might not have fit in the space that they alloted to display the name of what's under your crosshairs.

Good point; how about, then, an option for giving your character both a "full name" and a name they go by, a "nickname" or whatever term would be correct?

Neverwinter Nights has you put in both a first name and a last name for your character. Maybe Oblivion could put in a similar system? (Of course, they should probably make the last name optional, since it seems not every person in Tamriel has a last name)

Have you ever tried to name a character with a "'" in it like in many fantasy names? just don't do it because you can name it like: Brot'gar but u will never be able to save the game with him ...

Hooray, right in time for MY gripe. Gratuitous use of apostrophes. Reminds me of my good friend Ḅḗñĵąṃĭň ţĥē İđĩőŧ. Apostrophes, like all symbols, have meaning in terms of pronunciation. Unless this "Brot'gar" character is pronounced Brotügar or something, he should be spelled Brotgar. In response to your actual technical glitch, it's probably a fundamental incompatibility in the engine and you won't be able to do anything about it.

As far as the apostraphed names, the apostraphe is just as important as any letter in the name, and it does affect pronunciation. Brotgar is no more the same as Brot'gar as James is the same as Jake.

The Apostrophe key enters the console on the PC, so it does exactly that. However, the single quote works fine and displays as an apostrophe, so k`n`o`c`k yourself out.

Huh? The Tilde key opens the console, and the "Single quote", or apostrophe key, as its more aptly called, does not work.

Look below the tilde on the tilde key and you will see an apostrophe there. A single quote is not the same thing as an apostrophe, even if they look the same.

` and ' are definitely not the same symbol.

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