As long as I’ve been posting which is at least 15 years.
Then they can use an addon for choosing an RP name beyond their actual character name.
Nope. They’re against the rules in general.
Again, if you feel you have to ask about a name, then you need to choose a different name. It’s really not difficult. Use a fantasy name generator if you’re having trouble, or chatGPT.
Considering the way you’re continuing to ask the same question(s) over and over, I imagine this thread will eventually get locked too.
The rules really are not difficult. Just choose a unique fantasy name, and you’ll be fine.
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Apologies, I’m not trying to be problematic here - I really am confused. It’s a lot to suddenly take in because my perception for the last 19 years has been apparently wrong.
What about the RP naming policy that Lorethon linked? https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/32617
Doesn’t this imply that some of these rules are only delegated to RP servers? If they are game-wide, then why is it listed as if it’s only for RP servers?
Borga the reason they don’t specifically list all allowed stuff is because of rules lawyering. Just like what you’re doing here.
If you see a name which you think violates the naming rules, esp on a RP server, report it.
Like the advise above, if you have to ask about, choose a better name.
Try and have fun.
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So go ahead and use those names. I wouldn’t, but you’re welcome to give it a shot 
Again, for as long as I’ve been posting here, it’s not been a good idea to use the names (especially by bypassing the feature that prevents them…HINT!!!) of major characters of lore.
But hey, why care that it’s blocked and needs ascii characters to bypass it so that you can receive another naming infraction
Note that, for every naming infraction one receives, the account penalties stack. For example;
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Forced name change
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Suspension with forced name change
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Longer suspension with forced name change
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…
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Eventual account closure (permanent ban) for not following the rules
Don’t use names of major lore characters. Just don’t.
Use different fantasy names. It’s not difficult.
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As others said if you have to ask, don’t do it.
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See below as well as the Forum Code of Conduct. The same rules apply to ALL Blizzard games and platforms. The Forum CoC does the best job of getting into the detail - at least as far as they are going to go. There will always be a limit to what they can describe because people will try to push boundaries, rules lawyer, be “creative”, etc.
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Titles - reserved for in-game use for NPCs and lore at the start and as Achievement rewards later on. “Talon Queen” is an example. This has been the case since WoW started.
Here are the original rules info for WoW. It is a bit more lax now, in that they do allow special characters in names. They also now allow non-RP names on non-RP servers.
Original User Manual from 2004 https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/template_resource/LO0VQ46XB1281555957773363.pdf - which has the EULA at the end. It points to the requirements for accepting Terms of Use with the website for it. I selected the first archived Wayback Machine TOU for WoW from 2004. I have copied out the relevant sections for you.
https://web.archive.org/web/20041217101250/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.shtml
2004
A. Rules Related to User Names.
Each user will select a user name for his or her character, or allow the World of Warcraft software to select the name for him or her. Additionally, users may form “guilds” and such guilds will be required to choose a name for the guild. When you choose a user name, create a guild, or otherwise create a label that can be seen by other players of World of Warcraft, you must abide by the following guidelines as well as the rules of common decency. If Blizzard Entertainment, in its sole discretion, finds such a label to be offensive, it reserves the right to change the name, remove the label and corresponding chat room, and/or suspend your use of World of Warcraft.
In particular, you may not use:
- Names of another person with the intent to impersonate that person;
- Names which incorporate ‘swear’ words or which are otherwise offensive, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;
- Names subject to the rights of any other person without authorization;
- Names of popular culture or media personalities;
- Names that are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment or other companies);
- Names of religious deities or figures;
- Names of characters from Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft products, including character names from the Warcraft series of novels; or
- Names related to drugs, narcotics, or criminal activity, including references to drug substances; or
- Name comprised of partial or complete sentences (e.g., “Inyourface”, “Welovebeef”, etc);
- Names comprised of pure gibberish (eg, “Asdfasdf”, “Jjxccm”, “Hvlldrm”);
- Names that refer to pop culture icons or personas (e.g. “Britneyspears”, “Austinpowers”, “Batman”)
- Names that utilize “Leet” or “Dudespeak” (e.g., “Roflcopter”, “xxnewbxx”, “Roxxoryou”)
- Name that incorporate titles. The term “Titles” as used herein shall include ‘rank’ titles (e.g. , “CorporalTed,” or “GeneralVlad”) and/or fantasy titles (e.g., “KingMike”, “LordSanchez”)
Additionally, you may not use a misspelling or an alternative spelling to circumvent the name restrictions listed above, nor can you have a “first” and “last” name that, when combined, violate the above name restrictions.
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I remember someone saying, one the days when the game first came out, someone would name themselves an NPC in another faction to attack low level players or something like that.
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I have it saved in a doc on my PC. It is useful when trying to combat the “but rules are super strict now because of (made up) reason”.
Yeah no. They have always been that way. Heh.
Most of it is common sense, and if someone wanted to ask here if a name was ok, they could. These forums ARE an Information Desk. However when someone has to ask, chances are high they should not be doing it. The blues don’t enjoy people trying to rules lawyer and argue.
Also, the Blues can’t really give “permission” because they don’t make the rules or enforce them. Devs make the rules and GMs enforce them based on reports. Something that is fine in 2004 may not be fine in 2025. I had a friend with an Egyptian Goddess for a battletag. History happened and he self reported to get a name change! Sometimes perfectly normal innocent things take on a different meaning. It can happen super fast in the online world of memes too.
I have never heard anything like that. Most of the lore names are locked and can’t be used just like titles. I also think NPC names are in a different text color than player names, esp Hostile player names.
If I see a RED Jaina heading for me I am running.
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Wow this is great, thank you.
I’m surprised that something akin to this isn’t utilized in their modern support articles.
Various names based on mythology are fine nowadays, right?
Practice. Common. Sense.
You’ve been provided with links to every rule and support article relating to names. Read them and take the information on board.
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Simply put: We have no idea what’d be okay or not as it’d be up to the GM to make that call. We can’t give you the greenlight, and the blues here isn’t really going to give permission on said names.
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I once reported someone for the guild name Paladin Trainer, which, for a friendly player, displays in green below the character name as “<Paladin Trainer>” exactly like the NPCs. This was back in the day when you had to visit your class trainer often, and I was like, why is there a paladin trainer out here, they usually… Oh wait.
I’m not sure what kind of mischief that person was up to, but I’m pretty sure they were up to something. Confusing newbies, at minimum.
(Edited for formatting)
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I did post the “guidelines” in the other thread, but here they are, again:
Covers the character cap, alt command support but no numbers nor punctuations support
The CoC includes names (character names, guild names even B-Tags) via no hate speech, vulgarity, etc.
This applies more to RP servers than “Normal” servers. Real life references is more of a “no no” on RP servers than “Normal” ones. Somebody can name themselves “Pepsi” on a “Normal” server and be fine. It’s RP servers where the issue arises.
While, the forum CoC is for the forums, it follows closely to the in-game CoC with more details to it.
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Well, thanks for the input everyone. I think I got all the answers I really need. Special thanks to Mirasol for finding that list, it was insightful.
I do feel the need to clarify because it’s seemed to be unclear to others, it’s not that I didn’t understand the rules I was reading, moreso that my questions were too specific for them.
I was curious about how things really were, especially given my experience for the past 19 years. The support articles as written were just a lot more vague than I had been expecting, and didn’t cover every name idea (not specific name, I mean more like a category) I’ve come across over the years.
I just apply the RP server naming policy to ALL servers (even if they are they’re own rules, separate from “Normal” servers), since it’s more specific and does give examples. Just to be on the safe side.
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I think every other part of things have already been addressed throughout this thread - save for this small caveat.
Random RP Realm Rambling...
It may be something minor in the greater conversation taking place here with the naming conventions, but to be quite honest? Save for very private scenarios, or perhaps as an NPC stand-in to assist in some event or whatnot? This would not be taken well on either of the major RP servers (I’m unsure about the smaller ones, since I’m only on MG and WRA). It’s not something sanctionable to RP as one of these minor or even major lore canon characters (nor as anything too closely aligned with those characters), it is, however, a major faux pas in the scene.
And since I’m already prattling here coming from that RP angle, that is also why it would be very ill-advised to be named by any titles, regardless of how many ASCII characters may be used. Even though the scenes on WRA and MG tend to be quite different in regards to concepts of server canon? Claiming to be a ruler beyond a lesser noble (Duke/Duchesses, Baron/Baronesses, etc.) would be difficult if not outrightly messy. In my long tenure on MG, I have seen a wide gamut of people who’ve tried a whole lot of scenarios. I can only recall a single guild who made it work - and even if others didn’t recognize that person’s claim and ignored that plot /notoriety entirely, there was still a level of respect and/or acknowledgment on an OOC level for how it was built up and handled (regardless if it was loved or hated).
In the end, while it is each person’s $15 each month, there are still certain expectations on the roleplay realms to have some respect for the lore and a level of decorum to not tread along certain paths. This sort of thing isn’t sanctionable by Blizzard of course - beyond breaking naming conventions, but it’s worth mentioning at least.
And that’s that of mine own rambling two copper on the matter. I apologize I didn’t get back to the other thread before it was locked up, but good luck to you going forward from here.
Consider this, if you have to ask blizzard or anyone else if a word could be considered offensive or disruptive and not appropriate for a teen game then you should always not, take a moment before you hit enter and think is this name offensive or inappropriate for the game. Heck if you really have to ask someone ask your parents/partner, friend if it’s really appropriate.
I agree with you fully, Delgan. Refer to what I said above about less obvious things though – my main questions were never about things like inappropriate words or names of politicians – those are probably no-brainers to most people or are just simply naturally undesirable.
If I hadn’t asked any of my questions, I would’ve never found out that things like lore names, titles, etc are against the rules. In particular because they’re never framed that way by the wider community. I’ve learned a lot from everyone here over the past couple days.
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Mirasol is correct.
The stuff I linked is pretty much the “laxed” version. They just don’t want “hate speech” / “vulgar” names, even on “Normal Servers”. It’s the RP Servers that still have all those rules, that Mirasol listed out. Which it still says the same things in what I linked about, just shorter LOL
Those on “Normal” servers have it much “easier”, than those of us on RP servers. I prefer playing RP servers because I don’t like silly names like “Roastbeef” (on a Tauren, and yes, I’ve seen that) which is acceptable on a “Normal” server.
I wouldn’t stress about names on “Normal” servers because they’re so laxed. Unless, you name yourself something egregious like “hate speech” (and, the Forum CoC can help you figure out what’s acceptable, and what isn’t). It’s playing on RP servers, you should be mindful of.
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I still wish there was an up-to-date list akin to what Mirasol linked (especially for non-RP servers), but that’s probably the best we’re ever going to get unless there’s some policy change.
I’m the kind of person who likes having more concrete rules to follow, even if the risk of penalty is low.
Walking away from this I’m probably just going to have to assume that all of the lesser-known rules apply to the entire game, and not just the RP servers – even if that may be incorrect I’m not 100% certain about it so I’ll just be as safe as I can I guess.
EDIT: I meant to reply to you Estalayia, idk why the reply function isn’t visually working on my end.
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