I have so many character names reserved on various servers in various MMOs, each a tiny baptismal victory, to my mind at least, a triumph of finding a name meaningful to myself which was not already taken by someone else. I stare at Rumpole Bailey my Loremaster in LotRO, sitting un-played as he does in my character selection screen, and can’t help the smile that tweaks at the corners of my mouth; it’s unlikely that anyone else will witness my self-congratulatory chef-d’oeuvre of character naming, because I’m pretty much settled on my next alt being a hobbit, a race who can’t be Loremasters, and although the race-class combinations which MMOs enforce are often seemingly arbitrary restrictions, I can’t fault Turbine in this instance for not wanting a flock of Halfling wizards running around Middle Earth.

If World of Warcraft has taught us one thing, it has taught us to place an imaginary sign that reads “Beware of the bouncing GO GO GO… thing” above the heads of all miniature mages, until proven otherwise.

How many other characters are sitting out there at level one, reserved as a concept, a moment of naming eureka, or because a player doesn’t want to see Legolas or any number of variations thereof on their server?

Therefore, a moment of reflection if it pleases you, and raise your glass: to all the level one placeholders out there, may you always afford your creators pleasure, even though you yourself may never see the light of a virtual day.

To the placeholders.