When playing a game that allows you to enter a custom character name, such as an adventure or role-playing game, do you usually change your character's name, or typically leave your character's name as is?

If it's a random name that the game gives a character, I'll usually change it, but if it's a set default, I leave it.

Usually leave it as is

If it's a game where you create the character, definitely. If it's something like Zelda, I just keep it Link.

This.

The old Final Fantasy games I would leave it (Squall, Cloud, etc) but sometimes I'd change it to something stupid like UDUMBICH (depending on the amount of characters they allow) so when the cut scenes get intense it just looks funny.

I swear I did this when I was like 15. Honest.

I've been using Viking as my default gaming name for years now. But for D&D games with multiple characters I have some old standbys from my table D&D roots. The only one that comes to mind now is Phatos the Paladin.

I had fun with FF7. I renamed Barret "MR.T"

If given the choice, I name all my characters "Sand".

I can't remember what I named the Fighter, Thief, or Ranger characters in the original Final Fantasy, but I do remember naming the black Wizard "LOAM" because I was ten and that was funny.

I also remember naming Link something different in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past that made me laugh really hard as a teen but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. It was something that implied he was a terrible person to select for such a quest but then his uncle and Zelda are all excited for him to do it, anyway.

What's "LOAM" stand for?

Loam, like loam soil. That's super rich, black soil, which seemed like a nice name for the black wizard. I think I had just learned it in science class. Plus, I just like that a guy's name is Loam.

I always named the Final Fantasy black wizard Orko because he looks like Orko from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Ni No Kuni is a real test of this. You pick up dozens/hundreds of characters to be with you, all with a default name that you can change. I tried pretty hard to come up with unique names based on their looks, but after the first 50 or so, I started to take the default.

Never.

I don't change the name. I like a clean narrative with the character's original name.

I always change the name to Wes Mantooth.

this

If there's a default name, I usually leave it alone. If I have to enter a name, I almost always use my own name.

Nice.

If it's an online game where I can customize appearance, I like to make my character look as much like Hitler as possible and then name him "Stalin".