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Naming Planets and Star Systems


BliitzTheFox

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Ok, then yes the map would be updated but it should be dynamic so you won't end up with out to date maps (unless they want a feature like that)

Ah. Its going to be interesting to see people communicate about planets.

 

'Lets meet on Bob.'

'You mean Dave, Bob got conquered last week' :D

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What about a community suggestion box? The community comes in and posts all of the names they want to see. NQ will pick several from the box and make a poll so we can vote.

I prefer this :D

But a better way is that only Players who live on the planet / star system can suggest a name. Or maybe after the first player build a house on a planet a "Event: Poll" starts where people can suggest a name or can vote for a name. After 2 weeks the Poll is over and the name with the most votes is the new name of the planet :D

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I prefer this :D

But a better way is that only Players who live on the planet / star system can suggest a name. Or maybe after the first player build a house on a planet a "Event: Poll" starts where people can suggest a name or can vote for a name. After 2 weeks the Poll is over and the name with the most votes is the new name of the planet :D

This way large organization might get to name all the planets altogether since they will have the numbers :/

 

Plus it means there is no recognition for explorers discovering planets...

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This way large organization might get to name all the planets altogether since they will have the numbers :/

 

Plus it means there is no recognition for explorers discovering planets...

If they are using an algorithm to build the planets in the first place, an algorithm could also name them. You might get some bizarre names out of an algorithm, but then players would have meaningful names right from the start to work with. Plus I would be willing to bet it is within reason for a system to be set up that no two planets have the same name (that would lead to some great confusion).

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If they are using an algorithm to build the planets in the first place, an algorithm could also name them. You might get some bizarre names out of an algorithm, but then players would have meaningful names right from the start to work with. Plus I would be willing to bet it is within reason for a system to be set up that no two planets have the same name (that would lead to some great confusion).

 Well it would be easy to implement a system that check if a planet name already exists before saving it if the players are the one to nickname them.

 

As for the name the game gives from the algorithm it should be random like "HS4-RD" unless the dev prepare a list of potential names in advance and chose a name randomly in the list but I prefer having name emerging from the players.

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Perhaps the easiest way is simply naming the systems located by scanning based on the person who discovered, then allowing subsequent changes:

 

I explore and find a new system, the first system that I have found first.  The system is therefore called "ZC1-XXX" where the XXX is replaced with the current number of known systems.  If I continue to fly and do not place a TU on a planet in the system, the planets are simply named "ZC1-XXXa; ZC1-XXXb; etc." until the planets are all named.

 

Someone(Anyone) comes to the system and decides to place a TU on "ZC1-XXXc" and then has the opportunity to rename it as the first settler of the planet.  They do not have to rename the planet.

 

After 70% of the tiles are controlled, even if by the same organization that originally claimed it, the planet has the opportunity to be renamed a final time.  

 

This allows for permanence of names, so if an organization agrees to meet at "Jerume" there is no confusion because "Jerume" was just renamed to "Brunnen".

 

Once a planet is named, the name is up for vote for the following 7 days.  If the name is deemed inappropriate by the community then the name does not stay and the naming organization is allowed to pick again.  After three unsuccessful names, the community can suggest names, top three get voted on and the name is set.

 

That is a rough framework.

 

I agree that changing the name several times could be tricky for mapping purposes, but allowing the name to change a total of 3 times (initial generated name, first claimant and first organization.) should not cause that many issues and would be a way to follow a logical path.  In our universe we have found a potentially habitable planet - Kepler-186f.  Should mankind make a journey to that planet and find it uninhabited, it will likely get a new name given to it by the first settlers, or the people financing the colony.

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It would take the fun out of it though and while a "PIN" name should be used to name discovered planets, settlers and later main organizations should be able to re-name it or at least nickname it because they have ground to do so :

 

Imagine yourself as a settler in a new world called "HS4-RD", wouldn't it be natural for you to give a warm nickname to your new home instead of that cold computer generated name?

 

Same thing, imagine yourself as part of an empire that conquered most of a planet, wouldn't it make sense to assume the planet is under your control and thus you would nickname it for strategy in your worlds' domination?

I still disagree. The number is here only to wait for the real name to be approved. If one gives a number as a name, then he could have the right to whether not really claim its name (the planet would only be set as discovered) or give the right of naming to someone else.

As for the name that will be chosen and modified (over and over) by the org that owns it I repeat it will be hard to follow, and the original name holds a history, like Africa is called Africa and Russia... What I mean is the original name has to be somewhere, it has to be shown at first sight.

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ZeroCool, on 22 Sept 2016 - 6:27 PM, said:snapback.png

Perhaps the easiest way is simply naming the systems located by scanning based on the person who discovered, then allowing subsequent changes:

 

I explore and find a new system, the first system that I have found first.  The system is therefore called "ZC1-XXX" where the XXX is replaced with the current number of known systems.  If I continue to fly and do not place a TU on a planet in the system, the planets are simply named "ZC1-XXXa; ZC1-XXXb; etc." until the planets are all named.

 

Someone(Anyone) comes to the system and decides to place a TU on "ZC1-XXXc" and then has the opportunity to rename it as the first settler of the planet.  They do not have to rename the planet.

 

After 70% of the tiles are controlled, even if by the same organization that originally claimed it, the planet has the opportunity to be renamed a final time.  

 

This allows for permanence of names, so if an organization agrees to meet at "Jerume" there is no confusion because "Jerume" was just renamed to "Brunnen".

 

Once a planet is named, the name is up for vote for the following 7 days.  If the name is deemed inappropriate by the community then the name does not stay and the naming organization is allowed to pick again.  After three unsuccessful names, the community can suggest names, top three get voted on and the name is set.

 

That is a rough framework.

Ok I see how you see it. I was not talking about mapping, this is not a problem to do. I was talking about HISTORY to be made in people's mind. If all planets change their name every so often we won't know where we are.

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ZeroCool, on 22 Sept 2016 - 6:27 PM, said:snapback.png

Ok I see how you see it. I was not talking about mapping, this is not a problem to do. I was talking about HISTORY to be made in people's mind. If all planets change their name every so often we won't know where we are.

 

I agree completely, the headache is just not worth weekly renames because a new faction has taken control or the organization contest winner gets to rename the base planet.  I also want some form of history.  After all, if I am the one that did the work to first find the system, I would prefer to be able to have that reflected in game.  As for renames, it may be better to just have one rename.  The initial generated name and then the first(only) name the planet has - ZC1-152a ----> Arrakis.

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How about this? I've got 2 suggestions. 

 

1) Planets are all given a randomly generated name, its a fairly easy thing to do using a few set parameters. 

 

THEN

 

The person/organisation with the most territorial power on the planet gets to OVERWITE the existing name. This would only be true for as long as they hold the majority power. If someone else comes along and obtains a higher power level on the planet, then they can then rename it. If everyone leaves, it defaults. This is a more power oriented approach, but would certainly work in at least some capacity. 

 

However I think there's another way that can work, but probably not as well but would give a better outcome:

 

2) Once there is a certain presence on the planet (perhaps amount of claimed territory, or people visited) then a planetary vote ensues. Anyone can put forward their naming suggestions, and after a period of time, the votes are opened and anyone currently on the planet gets to vote on any of those names put forward. Of course the original name is always part of the naming pool too. Every 6 months or so there is a revote, with the current name starting with a fair deal of votes as to reduce bad name changes by people making random rash decision. 

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Not sure if its been said yet...cuz reading other peoples posts is for sissies, but what about this.

Sell naming rights Pre-Alpha but post KS end. We know that while the KS may be successful, 500K dosent go very far, hell I make 50k a year and im sure they have more than 10 employees that do jobs that earn more than me. What I would propose is selling "Name Tokens" for $100 USD on the site post KS with the caveat that the dev's have a final Okay on all names.

 

Pretty much you pay $100 and you get a token to submit lets say 5 names. The Token is only good for 1 name and you put them in order of what you want to name a planet the most but have alternatives so NQ can have options. This allows players to name planets...but also NQ the option to not have a planet called "Cocktopia" because lets face it if you spend $100 just to have a name in game your probably not going to submit a name like that.

 

Finally, NQ would reserve the right to simply refund your money and say no if all the names are inappropriate.

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How about this? I've got 2 suggestions. 

 

1) Planets are all given a randomly generated name, its a fairly easy thing to do using a few set parameters. 

 

THEN

 

The person/organisation with the most territorial power on the planet gets to OVERWITE the existing name. This would only be true for as long as they hold the majority power. If someone else comes along and obtains a higher power level on the planet, then they can then rename it. If everyone leaves, it defaults. This is a more power oriented approach, but would certainly work in at least some capacity. 

 

However I think there's another way that can work, but probably not as well but would give a better outcome:

 

2) Once there is a certain presence on the planet (perhaps amount of claimed territory, or people visited) then a planetary vote ensues. Anyone can put forward their naming suggestions, and after a period of time, the votes are opened and anyone currently on the planet gets to vote on any of those names put forward. Of course the original name is always part of the naming pool too. Every 6 months or so there is a revote, with the current name starting with a fair deal of votes as to reduce bad name changes by people making random rash decision. 

 

Both of these are interesting suggestions, but have some previously mentioned pitfalls.

Mainly, it allows the planet name to change multiple times, and almost continually if the right conditions are met. This could become very confusing to players as they travel the known universe. It would also wreak havoc on any type of industry that delivers goods, since "Lot 98 on Planet Zorg" just became "Lot 98 on Planet Whatcha-ma-call-it".

Especially if a particular name is popular, any given planet could receive the same name at different times.

 

For example: let's say 5 different planets are to be named. On those five planets, the majority of the people like the name, "Asgard". Only one of them can be named Asgard, and the rest find different names.

Fast forward six months, and the vote to retain the name Asgard doesn't pass, or another organization takes over and renames the planet. Meanwhile, on the neighboring planet of Sardis, (which originally wanted the name Asgard,) the controlling organization/majority of citizens realize that the name is no longer being used, and hastily rename their own planet Asgard.

We now have two planets in the same system, in the same general​ area, (yes, I realize they will still be light-years from each other,) that have been named the same thing at some point. And this could keep happening until a new fad name surfaces, then the cycle starts all over.

 

I see this becoming very disorienting to anyone who is trying to find a certain planet, and just plain annoying for everyone else. It would be the equivalent of being given an address to go to, and getting to the area only to find that all the streets, even the name of the town has changed! You would be totally lost.

 

That seems to be one of the major concerns of non-permanent planet names, and I think it is quite valid.

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I think that the name of a planet should be a randomly generated alphanumeric (HS4-RD) that is only changeable once. The first person/organization to get say ten claim units and hold 80% of the claim units (whichever comes last) should get the right to name the planet, and a mod or Dec can review the name and approve it. There won't be that many new planets being discovered.

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Why just be able to change it once forever?

 

There could be long wars for planets between certain factions and they each could decide to give it a new name to fit their themes or whatever.

 

I don't like the idea of renaming planets, this could lead to lots of unnecessary confusion. Once a planet has a name, it should keep it indefinitely.

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I don't like the idea of renaming planets, this could lead to lots of unnecessary confusion. Once a planet has a name, it should keep it indefinitely.

 

If there's a long war between factions or alliances and one side finally takes over a planet, it would seem logical or good to be able to rename it for obvious reasons. For example it was a capital of an Empire once. Another Empire took it. They rename it because the old one had the name of the losing Empire in it.

 

It makes sense if this does not happen too often. Perhaps cap it at every two to six months or something. Or, in my book, more people benefit if you can rename them more than once than the other way around I think. But that's just me.

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Both of these are interesting suggestions, but have some previously mentioned pitfalls.

Mainly, it allows the planet name to change multiple times, and almost continually if the right conditions are met. This could become very confusing to players as they travel the known universe. It would also wreak havoc on any type of industry that delivers goods, since "Lot 98 on Planet Zorg" just became "Lot 98 on Planet Whatcha-ma-call-it".

Especially if a particular name is popular, any given planet could receive the same name at different times.

 

For example: let's say 5 different planets are to be named. On those five planets, the majority of the people like the name, "Asgard". Only one of them can be named Asgard, and the rest find different names.

Fast forward six months, and the vote to retain the name Asgard doesn't pass, or another organization takes over and renames the planet. Meanwhile, on the neighboring planet of Sardis, (which originally wanted the name Asgard,) the controlling organization/majority of citizens realize that the name is no longer being used, and hastily rename their own planet Asgard.

We now have two planets in the same system, in the same general​ area, (yes, I realize they will still be light-years from each other,) that have been named the same thing at some point. And this could keep happening until a new fad name surfaces, then the cycle starts all over.

 

I see this becoming very disorienting to anyone who is trying to find a certain planet, and just plain annoying for everyone else. It would be the equivalent of being given an address to go to, and getting to the area only to find that all the streets, even the name of the town has changed! You would be totally lost.

 

That seems to be one of the major concerns of non-permanent planet names, and I think it is quite valid.

 

Obviously nothing is perfect. But what I was really trying to avoid is some idiot coming along, being the first to a planet because he happened to drift there first, and naming is "RANDOM LOLOLO XD XD" and that being one of the 5 core important planets. Then with that name stuck forever, the rest of the community has to deal with the immaturity of a single person who just got there first. Also if there are 4 or 5 big corporations on a planet, if my first suggestion is used then the biggest of them will probably name is "Star Conferdacy Planet 3" or something as it puts their factions name in the planet, asserting their very slight dominance. But if my second suggestion is used, it would be a lot more community focused and hence a lot less likely to be named after the richest lot there and more what the people of the planet want. 

 

Actually come to think of it, a better solution would be to only be able to rename a prefix, postfix or infix, for example the most they could do would be "Star Confederacy controlled Yavin-XI" Where the generated name for the planet was Yavin-IX. By having a name checker that requires the original name to be in the new name somewhere? That way people can be creative about it and have it in a more appropriate part of the name. So even "The Peoples Republic of Yaxin-IX and Star Alliance" would be acceptable to the system. I reckon that would get good results. 

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I guess "you claim you name it" it is. With a rhyme that catchy, how could anyone disagree? 

Lol we're not all poetic freaks. I said you put you foot on it you name it. I said your foot not the ship...

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There could be a system in multiple steps :

 

1) Random generation like HS4-RD

2) First pioneer to put a TU on the planet can rename it once.

3) When an organization get 70% of the planet's TU they can rename it again.

 

All name of a planet should be saved somewhere so the "history" of a planet should be accessible for lore purposes.

i like Bluestorm idea

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Obviously nothing is perfect. But what I was really trying to avoid is some idiot coming along, being the first to a planet because he happened to drift there first, and naming is "RANDOM LOLOLO XD XD" and that being one of the 5 core important planets. Then with that name stuck forever, the rest of the community has to deal with the immaturity of a single person who just got there first.

 

Very true, and a convincing argument!

 

 Actually come to think of it, a better solution would be to only be able to rename a prefix, postfix or infix, for example the most they could do would be "Star Confederacy controlled Yavin-XI" Where the generated name for the planet was Yavin-IX. By having a name checker that requires the original name to be in the new name somewhere? That way people can be creative about it and have it in a more appropriate part of the name. So even "The Peoples Republic of Yaxin-IX and Star Alliance" would be acceptable to the system. I reckon that would get good results.

 

I agree, this would eliminate a lot of the confusion, since the "planet name" is staying the same, but would still allow for some kind of naming.

 

Here is yet another option: the original discoverer gets INDIRECT naming rights with the final name being decided by regional or planetary vote.

Here is how it would work: someone discovers a planet. At this point the planet is given a procedurally-generated designation or name.(HS4-RD, Yavin-IX, etc.) The way I understand it, the universe (multiverse?) will be divided into "regions" containing multiple planets each. If this new planet is in an established region, he can call for a vote right away. He suggests a name, and it either passes or not. If not, he can continue to suggest options until one does pass, or he gives up and transfers naming rights to someone else.

 

If it is a new or unestablished region,(meaning; a region needs X-number of players in it to become established,) then he can either wait for it to become established, or call for a vote from the nearest established region.

This system would avoid stupid and organization-based names,(for the most part,) give the original discoverer the satisfaction of choosing the name, and get a large amount of the community involved in the process.

 

Alternatively, it could be a planetary vote once, say, 60% of the planet is claimed.(Not necessarily controlled.)

This option unfortunately still leaves the door open to an organization discovering a planet, then flooding it with their own people so that any name they choose passes, but it is another way to do it.

 

Or even a combo of one of these and the prefix/suffix/inix idea. The name is chosen as above, but can be partially modified like you suggested!

 

However they decide to do it, I think there should be recognition given to the discoverer. Maybe some fine print under the planet name whenever it is displayed: "discovered by: XXXX".

 

Gotta say Semproser, genius idea on the fixed name with prefix/suffix/inix being rename-able! Just so long as it still comes up by it's fixed name when you are searching the planet database for it.

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