Quick TOR Poll re: Name

[Vilidius]

Hi All

Quick poll.  Titia has had a version of Saga on reserve in SWTOR's system for some months now.  It's currently called SAGA and we can't change that directly, but we can disband the holding guild and reform if people choose.  I don't believe there's a consequence to that because date of formation has no bearing - it's more about active members and such.  As soon as we hash out our preference we'll be good to go, and we'll start sign ups and recruiting via TOR's internal systems.

Note I've set a three day limit on this poll to keep things rolling along.  That's as long as it took to get all the real answers in for the SurveyMonkey poll.

Sorry for spamming the OOC area with TOR threads.  Soon as we get our out section (hint!) we'll get out of your hair.

Val

[Askari]

Am I the only one who might be interested in a name other than "Saga". The official advertising for the game is using that word a LOT, "Be a hero in your own Star Wars saga!!!"

It might be fun to actually come up with a different guild name that is more tied-in to the Star Wars universe. Will the guild have a theme or uniting concept, like a tavern/cantina? Or will we be a resistance cell, fighting against the Sith Empire? If we choose a background, we could choose an RP guild-name that represented our focus.

Anyway, I know most folks will probably just want to stick with the "saga" guild tag for sentimental/historic/indentification reasons. But I thought I'd throw the idea out there, in case anyone else was thinking the same thing.

So that's my initial answer to the poll, even though it's not an option: 1) Establish an RP framework idea like cantina, resistance cell, et cetera. 2) Pick a fun and SW-centric name that fits that RP framework.

Of the options in the poll, I would pick: "Saga" over "SAGA", because the latter looks like an acronym.

[Vilidius]

For Askari, I've removed the joke about "Knights of Good" and opened an option to vote for a name other than Saga.  If that's what folks want, we'll start a more involved discussion about what that name should be.

[Lilica]

Well, there is always the 'more than one' option.

Take the 'fresh new name option' for our mains.  The one you intend to play the most goes in there.  I point to Star Wars Galaxies as an example.  In SWG, it wasn't Saga, it was the Galactic Explorer's Organization (aka 'GEO' - that was where I first ran into Namae).  That guild tag died earlier this year when the Wanderhome server was deleted and my remaining toons fled to another, but I kept the tag up to that point (when refugee toons lost their guilds).  Come December, it won't matter anyways, obviously.

Anyways...

For every other toon you make, but may only play occasionally, there's Saga.

Or vice versa.

That means two guilds, three if we make a Sith counterpart (FOUR if you want a 'Dark Saga', assuming that isn't the Sith guild's name to begin with).  Just a thought I'd toss out.

[Mixxi]

If you go for something other than Saga, I'd really like to bring up one of the reasons "Saga" was chosen in the first place, and it's PvP relevant. Whatever the guild name is, I would suggest making it SHORT. It probably isn't as much a problem in more modern games, but long guildnames would stick out through walls or around corners if you were hiding from the opposing faction. "Saga" was short. This was actually one of the reasons it was originally chosen, since some of us actually found an evil fellow hiding behind a farmhouse in North Karana because his guildname was so damn long.

I'm happy with Saga or another decent name. Just so long as it doesn't have the word "dragon" in it.

[Askari]

If you go for something other than Saga, I'd really like to bring up one of the reasons "Saga" was chosen in the first place, and it's PvP relevant. Whatever the guild name is, I would suggest making it SHORT. It probably isn't as much a problem in more modern games, but long guildnames would stick out through walls or around corners if you were hiding from the opposing faction. "Saga" was short. This was actually one of the reasons it was originally chosen, since some of us actually found an evil fellow hiding behind a farmhouse in North Karana because his guildname was so damn long.

I'm happy with Saga or another decent name. Just so long as it doesn't have the word "dragon" in it.

Ahh, good point about keeping it short. These days, I see so many names that are like "Prefix This N'That of the Tantooine Wastes", that it doesn't occur to me that some like to keep guildnames short for good reason.

Maybe we make it "SAGA" and invent a fun acronym...like "Society of Alderaanian Gungan Apologists".  Meesa sorry! Meesa jus jokin!

[Titia]

I'm a sentimental, so I'd reather have a Saga guild for my main even if it will probably won't have the same kind of meaning for newcomers (we'll have to come up with something in this area...).

I have to agree that capitalized feels like I'm being shouted at.. I'm not sure why I reserved the name in such a way in the first place.

[Alirrin]

Maybe we make it "SAGA" and invent a fun acronym...like "Society of Alderaanian Gungan Apologists".  Meesa sorry! Meesa jus jokin!

[Vilidius]

@Lilica - While I won't discourage people from doing other things if they like, my personal intentions are to focus on one guild.  I think part of the problem with spreading ourselves too thin has been that in additional to multiple games, and multiple alts, we spawn multiple guilds.  As soon as three of us roll alts on the other side we form a guild.  As soon as we appear on another server we form a guild, etc.  I have no problem with people who want to do that.  But I do want to concentrate heavily on creating a strong sense of identity around one central guild in TOR, and clearly say "this is where we are" to friends, allies and potentially enemies alike.

@Mixxi - You know, of everything I recall about the original formation of Saga, I don't think I ever knew that.  I think that gaming engines have progressed past the point that's a major issue, but I think the merits of keeping the name short, sweet, and pithy still speak for themselves.  All the same - wow.  Fun factoid.

@Titia - I agree, I'm sentimental too.  That's one of the reasons it never even occurred to me to consider changing the name.

After a bit of brainstorming last night, I came up against a problem.  We can't have a guild name that describes what we do.  In discussing our guild in TOR I've been given a lot of latitude and we've turned some assumptions on their ears, but I won't mess with the basis of RP in the guild.  That is, we're light side and good-aligned, but we've never had a clearer identity or purpose than that.  We aren't a group or lore hunters - though one of us might be.  We aren't soldiers or freedom fighters - though again, we could include those.  We aren't a secret society or a group of refugees or all from the same planet.  Any of those things would tightly constrain what people can play and how they conceive their characters.

All of this plays into guild name because it prevents us from ever calling ourselves the Order of the Magic Eight Ball or any such thing.  We can't name ourselves for what we do.  As such, the name will always necessarily be general in nature.  Saga has always fit that need.  In TOR it seems especially bland and general, but so be it.  The content of our identity will develop in game.  It can't be described in advance.

To wrap up this thought, I imagine the only way our in game guild makes sense in TOR will be the same way it's always made sense before.  We'll be loosely organized around a spot or a hang out.  Call it the Shaggy Ton Ton.  Call it anything else.  It's the new Tiger's Roar.  We meet and hang out there and as we gradually become friends we help one another with various things even if it's somewhat out of character.  Which fits great with Star Wars atmosphere, btw.  But regardless, we can't impose an identity or a cause or a raison d'etre on the guild prior to it's own organic development.

Damn - writing all that makes me want to play!

Also makes me want to see if we can make a bar and call it the Shaggy Ton Ton.  =)

[tanare]

most importantly. SAGA reminds me of those old Sega commericals that always ended with some guy yelling SEGA!

[Alirrin]

Dammit, now you guys are getting ME interested.  And I barely have time to play the game I'm supposed to be guildleader for ...

[Vilidius]

Poll ended early.  The winner is Saga uncapitalized.  It was going in that direction anyway, but see the "Ack! Sign Up NOW!" thread I'm about to create for details!

[PinkRose]

I vote for changing the name because...Closed. Oh, Ok.
Saga sounds good to me.

[Vilidius]

I vote for changing the name because...Closed. Oh, Ok.
Saga sounds good to me.

Bah!