Locations

evoLvingeviL

<div class="IPBDescription">Form, or function?</div> In ns_arcarna, I've come to a dilemma. I've thought up all sorts of cool names for the locations, like 'Quadratic' and 'Polaris', but it does nothing to help people remember where they are and what they look like. So, should I go with form (and coolness) or function? Should I change Quadratic to 'Room with Four Big Tubes' and Polaris to 'Hallway with Skylights'?

Locations are an integral part of how NS is played. Lets discuss this. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Fieari

You'll notice people in pubs will call locations "Horseshoe" and "Triad"... just like the names are specified. For a while, I saw Atmospheric Processing called "snow room"... but now it's also being called Atmospheric.... or at least "atmos" for short.

The names you give locations can be cool names. And when people learn your maps (I'm assuming you'll submit said map to become official when the next official map call goes out) they'll use your coll names. I prefer "Cargo" to "Room with boxes" myself.

Ollj

Each room should have an unique function/item to identify.
Name the room after that item/function.

If you count Walls and windows to unique stuff you have a problem.

<b>www.thesaurus.com helps turning words into something "special".</b>

Fieari

By the way, I can EASILY imagine myself saying "Seige in quad!!!" over teamsay as an alien, and expect people to know what I mean. Remember Triad... named because of the three pillar things... it's not called "Room with three pillars" it's called "Triad". "Triad" is actually EASIER to type than "3things room". Much easier. Much better.

sekdar

if people know what a Subspace Array Interface is, you have NOTHING to worry about in naming your locations <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

RhoadsToNowhere

I'd say having memorable location names like "Polaris" or "Quadratic" would really help distinguish your map from the rest of the maps, which is a good thing™. You will want to avoid location names that hardly make any sense (*cough* ns_strife *cough* <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> ), but I think people will associate names with regions if they're given a visual confirmation that they are at "Polaris". For instance, there should be some kind of centerpiece that people can remember and associate with the name -- Eclipse's Triad easily comes to mind, as Fieari pointed out. I'm also thinking of Bast's Tram Tunnel and Tanith's External Satellite Relay. Likewise, it's not a good idea to give a funky name to a plain, boring hallway. You might also want to consider using signs to show people exactly where some of these locations are. Bast and Nothing do this a little bit.

Vyvn

Plus, it would get mighty confusing if everyone did this. Just imagine how many "Medium-sized room with pipes" or "Kind of smallish room with some computers and alot of 'vent2'-textured trims" there'd be. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->

Greedo

There are some generic names that can be used, like Cargo Bay, or Engine Room, and things like that are really easy to remember, because they so simply and adequately describe the places they're naming.

Then there's the opposite end of the spectrum where you have names like 'Miasma Walkway' 'Ominous Kismet' and 'Room With Things' which are easy names to remember, because they're so unique, but are somewhat difficult to tie to a specific place.

Some things to keep in mind:<ul>
<li>People will always remember the names you give hive rooms, because they are used most frequently, and they're always on screen when you're an alien.
<li>A Greek letter can make any generic room name sound better (cargo bay vs. cargo bay delta).
<li>Don't be afraid to go crazy, but try to keep some semblence of order.
</ul>

tommy14

and remember - any name that can be abbriviated to a short 4-5 letter name will be used.

for a bad example, you would not want to name a room "assimlation center", or "sextuplet connection" - you KNOW what they will be abbrievated into.... <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->

ChromeAngel

I prefer more descriptive names myself. See 11th Hour for examples.

Ollj

11th hour is a good example where every 3rd hallway and every hive room looks the same.

Bytor

I try to use names which reflect something about the room, to help people quickly make the connection from the name to the actual room when the name is shouted out over comms by some poor grunt who's about to become a sharpening block for fade claws.

For example, in the map I'm making now, I have a hive called "Liquid Sample Containment" which has some shallow pools of water and 3 large tanks. I have another room called "Emergency Coolant Reservoir" which is a pool with catwalks over it. I'm sure these will be shortened to "liquid hive" and "reservoir" but that's a good thing. Another room is called "Heavy Equipment Depot", and it has rows of large crate-like objects.

DOOManiac

Room With Things = best. room name. ever.

Mouse

What is the naming convention for hives?
should a hive be named

The Viaduct Hive
or
The Great Viaduct - Hive

Bytor

Just The Great Viaduct ... the word hive shouldn't be in it. That seems to be the convention in the official maps anyway, unless I'm remembering wrong.

watch_me_die

The names on nothing are funny <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

...but hard to remember. Try playtesting it for a while without location names and then see what people come up with while you're playing.

Windelkron

<!--QuoteBegin--DOOManiac+Jan 5 2003, 04:31 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (DOOManiac @ Jan 5 2003, 04:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Room With Things = best. room name. ever.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
=D

anyway, try to combine functionality and coolness. you said Quadratic had four big pipes, huh? Combine it: call it "Quadratic Pneumatizer" or something. (most people seem to know what "quad" means, so if the presence of 4 pipes is obvious, leave it like 'Quadratic.') "Polaris" was skylights? "Polaris viewport," then.

DOOManiac

Remember hivesight adds "Hive Location" to before (or was it after?) the location if its a hive, so no need to put the word hive in the location itself. Unless i'm wrong.