My
love of names is an old, old thing.
I
think my first true conception of that love came in High School. Through
innumerable papers, poems, pieces, and projects, I found that the most
difficult and rewarding facet of any endeavor is the name. The identity.
I can still recall the abject horror that washed over me when somebody
mentioned they would, "just leave it untitled".
Names
have power. The right sort of name can draw a thousand different conclusions,
or point inarguably to but one. Names are the gemstones of the literary
world: precious little things that both validate and ornament whatever
they are set within.
My
adventuresome need to explore names came as late as the winter of 2005
while playing through some of the more noteworthy fantasy games of the
day. I was completely enamored with the names and how they instantly conjured
a thousand mental images in my head like constellations through starlight.
It occurred to me, however absently, that I should try my hand at some
kind of name generator, if only to see how long it would take, or how difficult
it would be.
And
more than three years later, I haven't stopped.
TheForge:
fantasy name generator has gone through four iterations, including this
latest, arguably greatest incarnation.
The first name generator was a simple, artistic program. Heavy on style,
if little else. That singular name generator was later expanded into four
individual name generators: TheForge, The BeastForge, The LandForge, and
The SpellForge.
The
second incarnation of TheForge was even heavier style wise, but suffered
from a lack of clearly defined utilities and interactive elements. In essence,
a grand experiment in form over function.
The
third incarnation of TheForge did not forgo its own inherent sense of style.
Even from its infancy, TheForge has been visually arresting. The challenge
was be in rivaling, perhaps even surpassing other name generators in terms
of functionality.
The
answer to that challenge was a complete revisiting of TheForge and its
inner-mechanics. A whole new way to access the database, new ways to tailor
selections, new ways of displaying and manipulating names. And, of course,
a whole new set of problems to grapple with. But the end result was quite
successful, both in terms of raw utility and user interaction.
This
latest iteration is the amalgamation of my knowledge as a programmer and
graphic designer. The effort put into this program was Herculean, and at
certain dim times, damn near Sisyphean. But when taken as a whole, I am
more than pleased with the new functionality, style, and grace with which
TheForge has matured over the years. Doubtless the fifth will be even better,
though such thoughts are still far, far under the horizon.
On
behalf of the entire staff, we at TheForge: Fantasy name generator hope
you enjoy your stay with us and, more importantly, hope you are inspired
by the works herein.
John
"The Wingless" Burnett
TheForge:
fantasy name generator Project Lead
