Naming new species

MasterBurte

We are stranded on a new planet/moon. Why does the AI know the names of all the species we scan? The should just have numbers like species AX235B or something like this. After scanning the player would be asked if he wants to name the species, wich would change the future name apperance.

ShuttleBug

In a game like this (a single player with no connections with other players) the whole "No Mans Sky naming creatures and have them viewable by everyone else" doesn't really work. If anyone could change the names of the creatures, I would safely assume we would get a lot of trolls and people just trying to get some fame (typing your steam name as the peepers name for example). in my mind the player has already made up the names of the sea life in his mind and the PDA simply presents them with a name he came up with. That doesn't mean the player IRL could not call a creature by another name.

CaptainFearless

I always thought that out PDA knows everything because when the Degasi crew were here they made data logs of everything.

MasterBurte

Than let's communicate the player character via voice with the ingame AI and than he (later maybe she too) decides a name. This would be clear for everyone, where the names come from.

ShuttleBug

CaptainFearless wrote: »

I always thought that out PDA knows everything because when the Degasi crew were here they made data logs of everything.

The Desagi crew was part of the Torgal Corp and was not connected to the Alterra PDA system. I imagine the player records the creature names himself, but I think the devs thought an animation of you doing that could be expunged from the game.

DrownedOut

"To any Alterra crew. Landed in area of significant alien activity. Encountered predators in the leviathan class, highly aggressive. Spectroscope scanner assigned species designator 'Reaper'." - Lifepod 4 data download.

Ie, scanners are programmed to assign names based on what characteristics they scan. As long as they get enough data, anyway. Skeletons are a no-go on names.

Shadriss

DrownedOut wrote: »

"To any Alterra crew. Landed in area of significant alien activity. Encountered predators in the leviathan class, highly aggressive. Spectroscope scanner assigned species designator 'Reaper'." - Lifepod 4 data download.

Ie, scanners are programmed to assign names based on what characteristics they scan. As long as they get enough data, anyway. Skeletons are a no-go on names.

...aaaaaaaaand done. Alterra keeps making things easier for you, down to naming your household pets and pests.

narfblat

Here's further evidence, which also suggests that Torgal Corp uses the same or similar name-choosing software: "So I started looking for a natural substrate that would strengthen the glass we have, and those stalker teeth we've been finding fit the bill." (From Bart Torgal log 2)

ShuttleBug

narfblat wrote: »

Here's further evidence, which also suggests that Torgal Corp uses the same or similar name-choosing software: "So I started looking for a natural substrate that would strengthen the glass we have, and those stalker teeth we've been finding fit the bill." (From Bart Torgal log 2)

I see..

Either this is an intentional story feature and should be further explained or this is a very small oversight by the devs

Shadriss

...Oooooor it's something that most people don't really think about, and the devs didn't want to devote time to explaining something that, really, doesn't matter.

Although I would also point out that this isn't the first trip to this planet, not even counting the Degassi. I mean... SOMEONE had to do the original run by the planet to flag it as terraformable, so why not somebody on that ship who named them all?