Character names vs real name?

[Anyia]

Out of idle curiosity, how many of you respond to your WoW character name(s) in real life? And under what circumstances does it get used?

For myself I just as happily respond to my main's name (Anyia) as my real name, regardless of setting. If it's at a face-to-face guild gathering I respond to the names of my primary alts too, though it's less common to get pinged on those names. Naturally, in vent I also respond to the name of whatever character I'm currently playing.

In terms of usage, I'd say that guildies I run into on the street or guild gatherings lean something like 60/40 towards using my character name over my real name.

[Vephriel]

I've never really been in a situation where someone would call me Veph in real life, but naturally I respond to it on Vent, and should we ever have a real life guild meetup I'd totally be fine with people calling me it. x)

[Azunara]

Rarely in RL am I referred to as Azu. In game and forums however, I'm Azu, and people call me such as Vent. Or they just refer to me as the 'Kid' since I'm the youngest there in Vent.

However, oddly enough, the kids in my math class have decided to call me Calli. Kalli. Kally. I've yet to figure out spelling. It was really funny today when the teacher actually called me Kally. xD

[VelkynKarma]

I have been referred to as 'Karma' in real life before, by the rare few whose digital life overlaps with my real one XD I respond to that or my own name equally well, really. Sometimes I even embarrassingly enough will switch names when I sign emails; sometimes it'll be "~VelkynKarma" when writing to family and sometimes I'm "~Heather" when responding to digital and forum friends...XP

Might take a little getting used to for me to respond to 'Vel' though as it's relatively new. As in, this forum spawned it, so it's not even a year old nickname yet. XP

~VelkynKarma

[cowmuflage]

Not that many people call me Cow in real life and if they do its not useally for nice reasons.....

[Lisaara]

Me...xD Cause my friends sometimes ended up called me Talu or Jet.

[Dragon616]

The names of my toons have nothing to do with my RL name, but as for having my mains name used, Malkyor, in RL there has been multiple occasions. Met quite a few WoW friends, in my time and most of them have called me Malk for a while until they got my real name down. But my ex's mother still calls me Malk in all occasions, that does get a bit annoying...

[Kalliope]

I'd respond to either; it's happened before on vent. As long as I know people mean me, then it doesn't matter too much which they call me.

[Kayb]

I get called Kayb a lot actually. I could legally change my name to it and most people would probably never blink

[Teigan]

Well, when I knew people in real life who knew me in game, they'd known me by my real name first and so called me that. However, if I ever met someone who just knows me from the game, I'm sure I'd answer to "Teigan." I do in vent and I have on the phone. I'd probably end up calling them their game name anyway! It's kind of like SCA names to me. When I used to do SCA, people that I met thru the SCA and knew by their persona names, I tended to call by those names, even when not at events. And, I'd be fine with being "Teigan" Actually, I rather like that name more than my very common first name!

[Golden]

I go by a lot of names... My RL friends naturally call me by my first name, those who I've met originally via forums and such call me by my forum name (which is usually Golden or Safrienaer). Then there are some RP friends who call me by my main character's name, Lena.

I'm hardly ever called by any of my WoW toon names IRL - everyone who I know in WoW know me better by another name. The only exception would be when me and Sonnie are meeting up and we're bored enough to do some casual OOC RP while we do something else. Only then I'm actually called Nani. ^^

I do respond to it though if I hear it! If I hear Riikka, Golden, Saf, Lena, Nani, Holly or Iiku (don't ask >.<), I'm instantly alert. :P

[Redith]

My game name is actually based of my RL nickname. So yha I get called Red or Redith alot

[Karathyriel]

The name of my hunter has never been a reference to me outside this forums.
Only here, I'm Kara.

The Tauren Warrior, that was my first toon, was called Regash.
Since I had my own TeamSpeak Server and was talking to RL-friends while playing, even if we didn't play together or in a group, I asked them not to use my real name when other people were using TS as well.
Since I offered to use the TS to my guildmates, almost always there was someone with us and my friends referred to me as Regash in RL as well after a while.

So, yes, somehow my toons name ended up to be my nickname, somehow.

[Mearra]

In regards to the vent comments: I think pretty much anyone who's played WoW would state that they'd respond to their toons name on vent, that's only natural. After all, why would you expect people on vent to call you by your real name (other then irl friends or people you've known for a long time)?
Considering in a raid situation it would be incredibly arrogant to expect everyone to remember everyone else's real name. (Over time sure, earlier on? Heck no remembering all their voices is hard enough.)
In a large raid there's also the risk of other people having the same name...so...toon name works. Less confusion

But to the original posters question: Yes, I respond to my toons names IRL. It rarely gets used in regards to me, but I do have some irl friends that play WoW (or D&D) so if someone says my toons name I'll look over. My Xbox name is even the same as my druidess because I'm just fine with being called that (and it wasn't taken), those who know me know its me, and I'd rather someone cuss out a toon name than my name in an FPS, I can just imagine her smacking them with a bark back hand or bear bagging them. It's all good ^_^

Situations: Some guildies I either knew IRL before WoW, some I met in WoW and live nearby, while some have just come up for the expansions or to visit. Most call me my real name since they've all known me for years, but on the occasion we refer to each other by toon names and everyone responds to them. Even though at times we'll look at each other oddly for it when in person .

Funny enough, most of that group refers to me by my real name, except one who will often call me Gal (Galedria is my priestess) but he calls my boyfriend by his real name. In that group, all except the one who always calls me Gal - call my boyfriend by his mains name (Avis-Paladin) rather than by his real name. It's an interesting little swap.
One of the girls actually has known him longer than she's known me. Her explanation is that it's just weird to call him by his name after knowing him since classic as Avis.

Only time I don't like my game names being used outside of game are in work environments. Professional environments don't look too kindly on gamers, even if you are the best employee they have.

[Sukurachi]

I don't have that many friends who play WoW, so no, no one would use my toon name to refer to me IRL.

On the other hand, most people have a tendency to abbreviate toon names to the first three letters, and I do NOT like what that gives in my case

It also demonstrates that most people have no idea how to pronounce my toon's name! It's not that hard, and it does NOT rhyme with the insult.

And on yet another hand, I have SO many alts, which name would anyone use to refer to me? I play ALL of my alts, without exception. My in-game friends are used to seeing me jump regularly from toon to toon.

[Royi]

when people actually see me, they generally call me "Mr. Amazing" or "Mr. Wonderful" or simply just "Dream"...

[Siliverin]

noone in game really knows my first name so they call me by my game name. I answer my game name cause well ive had it forever and its almost like a 2nd name to me xD so yeah if someone would happen to call me Silver, Sili, or Siliverin in RL id answer.. I have before

[Royi]

noone in game really knows my first name so they call me by my game name. I answer my game name cause well ive had it forever and its almost like a 2nd name to me xD so yeah if someone would happen to call me Silver, Sili, or Siliverin in RL id answer.. I have before

Mwa har har Sili! I know your name now REALID friend

Sili, or should I say instead $%#$@!

what???? why is it censored????

Ok, i'll just type it again.... its $%#$@, dangit it happened again!!!

AHHHHH darn you Deus Ex Machina!

$%#$@ $%#$@ $%#$@ $%#$@ ~ grrr.... i'll have to think of something different...

[Kalliope]

In regards to the vent comments: I think pretty much anyone who's played WoW would state that they'd respond to their toons name on vent, that's only natural. After all, why would you expect people on vent to call you by your real name (other then irl friends or people you've known for a long time)?

Well, I meant with people who know both names and who generally call me by my real one, I'd still respond to my game name. xD Can't speak for anyone else, but I consider the mentality jump to count as a different situation. It's funny how even after knowing people for a long time, character names can slip back into the rotation.

[Saturo]

I tend to listen to my real name, and the name of my two main's (they are very similar), and whatever character I'm currently on.