BoM/TWS Message Forum

For the record, based on its area and probable population density, Saratoga Falls is a city of about 50K to 60K. But, clearly, the city it most closely resembles is The Simpsons' Springfield. ;)

Naming conventions: I avoid "meaningful" names in almost all cases. The only exceptions are the Stellae, most of whom have names linked to their planets. If anyone suffers from eponymical determinism, it's them. And Will's own name is a kind of pun that references the act of deliberately choosing alternatives, as happens in interactives.

Otherwise, I use a kind of RNG to come up with names. I grab the time off my computer and consult some naming websites. So, for example, "6:53:09" becomes 65309, which then gets separated into a series of smaller numbers: 6, 5, 3, 9, 65, 53, 30, 96, 69, 90, 35, 56, 653, 530, 309, etc. I then consult websites for common American surnames   and popular American proper names  . In case of other nationalities, I consult equivalent websites.

I then use the numbers I generated to pull out a list of surnames and a list of first names. For first names, I usually rely on the one- and two-digit numbers: Sarah, Hailey, Madison, Olivia, Sara, Kaylee, Megan, Melissa, etc. For the surnames I use the three-, four-, and five-digit numbers: McClure, O'Connor, Norris, etc. If the name doesn't ethnically match the character (if I get "Ramirez" for a blonde kid who tans easily, say), then I'll hunt nearby. I will also eliminate names (first or surnames) that have already been used a lot. Then I'll pair up first and last names that I think sound euphonious: Kaylee O'Connor, Olivia Norris, Megan McClure, ec.