Procedually generated nicknames and ranks

[philthymcnasty]

This mostly is for dealing with other npcs.

Basically, dialogue for characters, will be based on what your skills are, and what your accomplishments are.

So a rookie squad member, who has been trained up to level 10, will be considered a private, and given appropriate nick names by people.

A person with low combat skills, but high farming may be called hay seed, or green thumb, or something else.

But a person who has high skills, and a even higher body count, may be given a more prestigious title.

[Zeal]

TItles should be earned through show of action. Not just simply because you're capable by itself. When you're walking down the sidewalk, how many people pass by you that you can look at without knowing anything about and say "That's a skilled person in hunting", or "That's a really good accountant".
You can't. Even if someone covered themselves in animal fir, or dressed up very formal, it's still left to a complete guess... Anyone can dress themselves up to look like anything. Doesn't mean they are actually that.

People seem to forget that those stats aren't a gameworld identifier to all. Units can not look at others and tell that they have a "32 attack". It's a UI element that I personally think should stay out of the conscious recognition of npcs. If they are going to have dialogue based on anything, it should be how much that person actually knows you. Do they KNOW you're good at farming? Do they KNOW you're good with a katana? How? Have you saved them? have they been around a lot while you've been farming?

There must be something. (insert obligatory "no magic" comment).

[Chinsei]

TItles should be earned through show of action. Not just simply because you're capable by itself. When you're walking down the sidewalk, how many people pass by you that you can look at without knowing anything about and say "That's a skilled person in hunting", or "That's a really good accountant".
You can't. Even if someone covered themselves in animal fir, or dressed up very formal, it's still left to a complete guess... Anyone can dress themselves up to look like anything. Doesn't mean they are actually that.

People seem to forget that those stats aren't a gameworld identifier to all. Units can not look at others and tell that they have a "32 attack". It's a UI element that I personally think should stay out of the conscious recognition of npcs. If they are going to have dialogue based on anything, it should be how much that person actually knows you. Do they KNOW you're good at farming? Do they KNOW you're good with a katana? How? Have you saved them? have they been around a lot while you've been farming?

There must be something. (insert obligatory "no magic" comment).

Agree'd though..i wouldn't mind being able to create 'titles' and ranks for people in the faction as a way to 'sort' them out an help keep track of them.

that perhaps they could recognize an refer to. perhaps they could develope aspirations to move up ranks an stuff at some point.

people could 'tell' others an perhaps it could help them be known that way.

but yeah.. no magic please >.> not that i don't believe magic is 'impossible' . just that in games magic is usually quite unbalanced theres always one spell that beats every other spell.

the only thing people should know are the things they've learned themselves. giving people ranks and titles in your faction that you come up with wouldn't be so bad since you could inform them like "this is your rank -isert rank title- perhaps some way to explain what a rank tree is >.>

seems like it could get quite complicated so i don't know if it'd be a thing but having more ways to sort and organize people could be nice,

[Zeal]

When faction uniforms come into play, i could see you being able to staple on ranking symbols to your uniforms. It would be more so tied to the uniform than the character though, but it would atleast give off the right idea... Would also open up a whole new level of using "disguises"~

Infiltration could be much more fullfilling.

[swillo]

I like the idea, but I think that we should have an updateable field that we can change ourselves without a plastic surgeon. That would be added to the regular name. So Private jones would be able to be Sgt jones with out a trip to town.

As for titles I think that it would need to be earned form other organizations. Like achievement levels. Do enough jobs for someone, or earn enough coin and they will give you a tag. Operative, Agent, Hunter, Butcher. These can come from friends and foes alike.

You may be known as the Butcher to your enemies and Savior to your friends.

[Zeal]

I like the idea, but I think that we should have an updateable field that we can change ourselves without a plastic surgeon. That would be added to the regular name. So Private jones would be able to be Sgt jones with out a trip to town.

As for titles I think that it would need to be earned form other organizations. Like achievement levels. Do enough jobs for someone, or earn enough coin and they will give you a tag. Operative, Agent, Hunter, Butcher. These can come from friends and foes alike.

You may be known as the Butcher to your enemies and Savior to your friends.

I could definately see that approach for titles, but at the same time, it's not the russians who assign a usa general their rank.

For those people who want their outpost to be more military-istic(not a word i don't think?) They may want to assign their own troops ranking. Especially things like "Private" and "Leutenant"... Those are definately not externally assigned ranks...

This is actually bordering another discussion i remember long ago....

[swillo]

Agreed, that is what I meant about the updateable field. So that you can put your own ranks on your troops. Or if you don't use ranks any other designation. doctor, engineer, King.

[philthymcnasty]

Perhaps when job boards are added to the towns, and someone does a lot of jobs with a faction that they get recognition.

An internal ranking system, either with our own names, or using a template, would also be nice, as we can set standards for what each rank is, and give the option to order the squads around that way.


Now, what about nicknames based on attributes? If you have a high strength, but look stupid, then people may call you bruiser. If it is known that you are a jack of all trades, who has mastered all trades, they may call you "gray master"

If you have been beaten up a lot, you may be known forever as "lil bitch"

A person who has done too many favors for one faction, may be called "knee pads"

This type of recognition, breathes life to the game. It adds a level of fun to the game. Especially if you can click on a character, and on the status screen, check a box that says "refer by nickname", so that "knee pads" will be acknowledged for their actions by the squad.