Nicknames: How They Should Work

[Redfield5]

We have our birthnames, and then we have our nicknames. The purpose of a nickname is to single out an individual, to make them unique to a select group of individuals, who will all likely call each other by their nicknames. They can be anything, ranging from cliche ones such as "Hammer," or "Warrior," to comedic ones such as "Buttscratcher," or "Mister Cunt," or even bastardizations of a name, such as "Lew," or "Dolly." By custom, you do not traditionally give yourself a nickname, partly because nicknames should be earned instead of self-appointed, and partly because you're likely going to choose something stupid, cliche, and potentially unbecoming. Nicknames are also a testament to one's martial (combat) skill, and to self-appoint your nickname as something cool-sounding like "Spartan," or "Sniper," and then kill your entire team because you have no conception of friendly fire or how to conduct urban combat scenarios, is a major injustice to yourself.

Before you join up for the first name and decide to put your name down as something like "John 'Destroyer' Public," or something of the like, take the following into consideration.

- By RP rules, the USCM shouldn't actually put nicknames on ID cards or uniforms. It doesn't make sense, because they shouldn't give a shit what your nickname is.
- Does it really make sense to call yourself something corny? Would you go around in real life asking people to call you something like "Nighthawk," or "Commando," or even "Buttplug," when chances are you're not likely a commando or a "nighthawk," or a buttplug?
- Are people going to call you by your nickname? Do people actually care what you may or may not call yourself?
- How well will my actions in combat correspond with my nickname? Am I actually RP'ing?
- Do I honestly need a nickname?
- Does it really make sense to call yourself something cool, when you have absolutely no idea what you're doing, especially after you shot half your squad in the head and shoved the other half into an alien hive because you left your HARM intent on, but were too scared to lead the charge into the hive?

For me, nicknames should be earned through RP and various rounds, known only to those who pick up on it. I don't care what you call yourself; I'll call you whatever I want to call you as the situation warrants. For example, if you want to be called "Tank," then do what a tank does: be at the forefront of the charge, do not retreat unless necessary, and take the fight to the Xenos. Depending on the outcome of such a suicidal outcome, your squadmates may call you an idiot if you die, or they may look at the three or four Xeno corpses around you and say something like: "Holy shit! You're a fucking tank, Calhoun!"

The point is: let your experience in CM determine what your nickname might be. Not everyone needs a nickname, and they are totally optional. Some of the best RP'ers and fighters on CM don't go by nicknames, while the opposite is true for some of the most cowardly and inept Marines. If you want a cool nickname, earn it through RP and sheer skill, and wear it proudly - but not on your ID.

[Fickmacher]

Well, I have a couple issues with that. I'll use myself as the example. My character's name is Selena 'Decker' Lutz. It's in the character name, so it'll obviously show up on IDs. Due to an ever-changing player base, we may not know everyone's nicknames, and some stick. I may not remember every player characters' names, but I sure remember Tank, FMB, and EVA Girl. Decker, in my case, is a reference to the tabletop game Shadowrun, where hackers used to be called "Deckers". Since I do a lot of hacking with my character, this makes sense and also plays into her backstory as a hacker. So the nickname can pre-exist before their supposed military history. And as I said, nicknames make your character more memorable.

[Redfield5]

Why should it be in the character's name? Would you fill out a job application with your nickname listed in the space where your actual name would be?

[Fickmacher]

Because we don't have a text box that says our name and what we said in real life. If I could differentiate between that and the ID, I would, but without giving an LO a load of unnecessary work, that can't happen.

[coroneljones]

Who needs nicknames...atleast ID visible nicknames?
Now for some words of wisdown about this:
"You were born with that name,deal with it pansy,NOW CHARGE!"-Jack Knight

[MrGabol100]

"Ruskie faggot" "Slav shit" "Fucking idiot" "Záitsev you fucking retarded" yeah, i love my nicknames.

[TopHatPenguin]

"Ruskie faggot" "Slav shit" "Fucking idiot" "Záitsev you fucking retarded" yeah, i love my nicknames.

He is more the beer guy.. well that's what i remember Yuri for..

[MrGabol100]

He is more the beer guy.. well that's what i remember Yuri for..

Drunk bastard also was a thing.

[TopHatPenguin]

On another note in regards of nicknames.. i feel people shouldn't really give themselves nicknames... they should more be earned through how your character acts in game and etc.Well that's my view on it anyway.

[MrGabol100]

A shame Xur wanted to get his Nickname on his own, being so known he could have get one for real.

[coroneljones]

"Ruskie faggot" "Slav shit" "Fucking idiot" "Záitsev you fucking retarded" yeah, i love my nicknames.

You forgot "That Asshole"

[MrGabol100]

You forgot "That Asshole"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj20Ao4Vw9w

[TopHatPenguin]

Remind me again why air horns wherever a cool thing.
I agree with Cal on the matter of nicknames as well

[MrJJJ]

Nicknames don't really bother me
So i am pretty neutral on how they SHOULD work, i got no problem with them

[Felkvir]

There are too many people who are absolutely shit at RP who come visit the server. We need to come over that problem first .. As in, how do we make roleplay more required ... Especially on the kind of server we're running, where mainly action is the focus

[Allan1234]

Redfield makes alot of good points, My MID dosn't have my nickname on it? No it does not, My sqaud mates call me by my nickname and my Officers call me by my last name and rank. If anything we should ecourage players to make nicknames for there fellow sqaudmates, which would basically mean only the players that are better on RP get em.

[Fickmacher]

There are too many people who are absolutely shit at RP who come visit the server. We need to come over that problem first .. As in, how do we make roleplay more required ... Especially on the kind of server we're running, where mainly action is the focus

Spot on point.

[Lostmixup]

The problem with earning nicknames in game is that the round, and essentially time, reset at the end of a round. It's sorta tough to get a nickname in a round of SS13 to be honest. If you play a lot though, people will generally know you as the "fuckhead who charges" (Example: charger) or "dickbag LO" (Example: bigus dickus) so you could make a nickname outta these and people will role with it.

[speedybst]

Hmm, i personally am unable to take a side in this - it irritates me to no end when someone comes in with a nickname that is completely at odds with their action, but at the same time the fact is that its very hard to receive a nickname in an instance-based game - it took 3 months of playing 5 rounds a day, 5 days a week with the same 4 people to receive the nickname "DuFrane", which is still an obscure reference most people have yet to get. The only people who really get the reference haven't been playing for nearly 3 years now, so the nickname is all but gone now. This is the problem with nicknames in this type of gameplay - unless they are record, they tend to just fade away after a single round. Instead of recording them in the name, however, the rarely used description could be used instead - its only assumed to be a physical description for the most part. The other benefit of this is that you need to actually be interested enough to check if someone has a nickname to view it.

[TopHatPenguin]

Most nicknames are just shortened character names such as.. Wooks, Cal,Tan and the list goes on.I mean nicknames don't have to be something cool and epic, more just something easy to say in a hurry or something that defines that character from previous actions.

[Lostmixup]

In a game I played yesterday, a delta member was doing the LO's job at the desk near the end of the round and a dude was getting mad at the D-LO and called him a "dickhead." After he then gets out of line I walk up and go "Hey dickhead. I'd like to be assigned to any squad standard" to which he replied "okay." I then complimented him and walked away. This man's nickname became dickhead for the remaining 15 minutes of the game and it was glorious.

[supernamekianpenis]

You don't need a nickname. If you want one, earn it so the playerbase knows it. Knife Queens and single combat Warriors like Genghis so you can be known as, "Mongol"

[Jeser]

Most nicknames are just shortened character names such as.. Wooks, Cal,Tan and the list goes on.I mean nicknames don't have to be something cool and epic, more just something easy to say in a hurry or something that defines that character from previous actions.

Still, untill I put nickname, no one except few Banters (Xur, Dolly, Mark, Twitch) was calling me "Jes". I ALWAYS short marines names if possible. Nataly? Nat or Folk. And so on. Though I rarely saw shorten version of marine names from other marines.

Anyway, now almost everyone except command and my SL are calling me "Jes" and I'm satisfied finally. But some people are calling me Jess/Jessy O.o

[SecretStamos (Joshuu)]

I really don't see the issue with nicknames at all. Some can be a little cringy, but it encourages RP and it's a lot more memorable than their name. Have you ever seen a player with a nickname who didn't have some elaborate backstory on their character?

Let people do what they want and stop worrying so much about it.

[Jeser]

Have you ever seen a player with a nickname who didn't have some elaborate backstory on their character?

Well, I saw. But I don't give a fuck.