luxlunae

Before you can start multiboxing you are going to be faced with the character creation screens (x2,3,4,5) and the most daunting of multiboxing questions: What do I name my team? Below are a few strategies (let me know in the comments if you have another) that I've seen and used, and my ratings for each one. I've rated each strategy based on:

Stealthiness - your ability to slip into BGs, LFR, LFD, and world/pug raids without being noticed and called out as a boxer. Some people aren't bothered by this, others, especially beginners or people that hate to be yelled at in BGs like to be a little stealthy.

Annoyingness - will this team be hard for you and your friends to send mail, keep straight, and distinguish in game from video feeds and health bars

Awesomeness - my opinion, obviously

Except for the first group, I've used real examples from my different stages of multiboxing. Mock away.

Same name with different characters:
Luxè Luxê Luxé Luxë

Stealthiness: 1/5
Awesomeness: 4/5
Annoyingness: 5/5

Although best for serious pvp against an organised opponent using voice chat, most of those opponents are also smart enough to swap to assisting against you, rendering the advantage moot. I've always found this method to be too obnoxious for use because I hate "weird" characters when I'm trying to send people invites or mail.


Same name with different spelling:
Luxxi, Luxee, Luxie, Luxxee

Stealthiness: 1/5
Awesomeness: 3/5
Annoyingness: 4/5

Although this solution eliminates the "weird" character problem, I still have trouble distinguishing between the toons myself (who got the trinket last time? not sure without inspecting) and I left this group of boomkins behind long ago

Completely unrelated names:
Xathom, Diaphony

Stealthiness: 5/5
Awesomeness: 1/5
Annoyingness: 1/5

Many people end up with this option by default, just by starting off their multiboxing career with the toons they already have. I think its a great plan if you are new and don't want anyone to know that you are multiboxing while you level up and learn the ropes, but ultimately lacks the fun of a planned naming strategy.

Cute/Cool themes:
Sundayi, Mondayi, Tuesdayi, Wednesdayi, Thursdayi
Whox, Whatx,Wherex, Whenx, Whyx

Stealthiness: 2/5
Awesomeness: 5/5
Annoyingness: 2/5

This is my favorite strategy if you never plan to play another character or swap anyone else in. Most easily done by choosing a set of themed words and then appending a letter. This used to be my favorite strategy, but it falls apart when you want to recombine the characters.

Alas the only group I've levelled to 90 ended up being an amalgamation of previously themed 1-85 groups: Sunshiny, Xanthee, Wherex, Starshiny, Whyx. An untidy hodgepodge indeed! Another major con is that you will spend at least half an hour trying to come up with the coolest theme you can, and then do it again for the next team. This is the only kind of group that I've ever had people compliment the names for.

Sound-alike theme:
Viiviid, Viiolet, Viision, Viivian, Viivacity

Stealthiness: 2/5
Awesomeness: 4/5
Annoyingness: 3/5

I wish I'd come up with this idea four years ago, I would have a much tidier set of characters now. Unlike coming up with "cute/cool" themes, this one is easy. Simply choose a starting sound and turn to the page in the online dictionary for that sound, and then make a minor adjustment (here I've done "Vi" and doubled the 'i's). It is easy to generate 20-30 names this way and be set for the duration of your multiboxing career with ten minutes of work. An extra benefit to this system is that your toon health bars will all be together in any alphabetical sort method, so you can easily use default wow raid frames to heal, or grid with an alphabetic sort rather than one with a list of your toons.





Do you have another way to name your toons or a vicious argument about how lazy I am that I hate alternate characters? Leave a comment!