Design Names

Rojero · #1 July 8th, 2003, 08:59 AM

when creating design names for ships, what is the minimum do you need to have in the list?

dogscoff · #2 July 8th, 2003, 09:43 AM

Nope, not at all. However, if you're planning to use the file with an AI yoou'll probably need a good few hundred entries, becasue the AI dos gobble them up. Human players tend to be (usually) more economical with their names.

Fyron · #3 July 8th, 2003, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Human players tend to be (usually) more economical with their names.

You'd think that.

Andr�s · #4 July 8th, 2003, 10:43 PM

AI will run out of names in a long game and start naming ships 'design 4002' if the list is not long enough.

Rojero · #5 July 8th, 2003, 10:58 PM

So what do you think? 100? 1000?

Fyron · #6 July 8th, 2003, 11:06 PM

100 is certainly not enough. 1000 is probably more than the AI will need.

Taera · #7 July 9th, 2003, 07:55 AM

it depends on the length of the game... an AI with several types of attack ships, WPs, fighters and sats (etc) might need well over that.

Loser · #8 July 9th, 2003, 02:34 PM

I do the same a trooper, but use acronyms, indicate what they're carrying (APB12.4 is four Anti-Proton Beam XII, (c6k/s~) is 6,000 kt of Cargo and unlimited supplies), and so on). That way I can tell what a ship is any time and I can tell the ones I've named form the ones that haven't yet earned a name.

Of course, were I playing against humans this would be a bad idea. Wouldn't want some KotH veteran to be able to tell my colonizer Light Cruiser from my mine layer Light Cruiser.

But I havn't put them in a file, I just type them in as I go. Maybe a file would be better....

Andr�s · #9 July 9th, 2003, 04:57 PM

Roman numerals are limited to XV or XX, I don't remember the exact number.
I think there have been some improvements in a patch but a good AI in a large galaxy used to run out of names in a long game if its design name list was shorter than 2,000 or 3,000 names

Using acronyms will let your enemy know your designs without need to scan them. Designations go to the design type, names are just to distract.

[ July 09, 2003, 16:01: Message edited by: Andres ]

Slick · #10 July 9th, 2003, 05:32 PM

Then again, it is a great deception to use those names or acronyms against humans. Maybe your "Princess class Population Transport" looking so plump and vunerable there all alone on the warp point ***bats eyelashes*** is really your newest unnamed fully trained Violator class APB12 assault ship just waiting for juicy little ships to come by.

Slick.