Author Topic: How / do you standardize ship names?  (Read 3429 times)

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Offline Cristo (OP)

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How / do you standardize ship names?
« on: October 16, 2021, 06:21:31 AM »
I'm just starting my second proper play-through and I'm wondering how others standardize their ship names. Personally I've decided to begin each class iteration with a A, B, C etc so that it keeps them nicely sorted in the class design window. Then I pick a set of names (in this case explorers) to give the actual name - then I, II, III for iterations within the same model.

I'm curious how others approach this!
 

Offline Jorgen_CAB

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2021, 07:29:56 AM »
I don't really mind in which order ship classes are listed as there usually only are one or two different at any time, older ones are just obsoleted so I don't see them anyway.

Versions of ships generally use something like Mk.IIa or Type-3b nomenclature where the number are generation or larger changes and the letter are variations of each generation. Sometimes I use Type-11b or 12b for example where the second number are minor changes and the first are major changes, this is normal for combat warships that might have more gradual updates done.

As ships tend to grow in size between generations I just obsolete older ships or move them to different roles, so a ship class that once were a destroyer a newer version might become a frigate serving a new purpose.
 
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Offline nuclearslurpee

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2021, 08:22:35 AM »
I usually mark the older classes as obsolete, so I only have one class of that type in the list at any time, maybe a few different variants/refits but I don't keep successive generations on the list.

For minor refits and modernizations, any system of suffixes is sufficient. Mark numbers, letters, Roman numerals, model years, etc. will all do the job.
 
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Offline serger

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2021, 10:19:38 AM »
I usually use tech generation indexes for every component, class or template. It isn't very RPish, yet much easier to remember what is which.
 
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Offline Erik L

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2021, 10:46:17 AM »
I use Roman numerals as later designations for the successors, i.e. Scott, Scott I, Scott II, etc. Sometimes I will use a small letter to designate a minor upgrade, like for electronics (Scott IIIe).

For me, armor and engines is always a new iteration of class. Weapons/electronics are mostly minor upgrades.
 
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Offline Protomolecule

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2021, 07:00:11 AM »
I usually use numbers as class names, following an internal code. One such example is:
Project 4006a-class Missile Cruiser.
The first number represents the ship type, with 1 being FACs, 2 being Frigates, 3 is for Destroyers, 4 is Light cruisers and so on. The ship type represents more a size-range instead of a role, with a survey frigate receiving the "2" designation, despite not being a combatant.
The second number is always a 0, functioning basically as a separator.
The third and fourth numbers are representative of which iteration this design represents, the example given being the 6th Light Cruiser design since the start of the game. It does not represents the generation of the ship (a new generation happens every time there is a new engine). In this case, the 4006a CGs are in the same generation (Magneto-Plasma) of the 4005 Jump Cruisers.
The letter represents refits of the class, following alphabetical order, so the "a" is the first refit of this particular class.
 

Offline RougeNPS

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2021, 02:38:49 PM »
I sorta use a combo of how Battletech does variations and how Star Wars does classes.

For example: A first gen Survey vessel is [Class name] I [Variant ranging from Prime to Z]

The name of the ship itself is excluded normally.
 
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Offline Kristover

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2021, 08:06:53 PM »
I use a alphanumeric system.  In my last game, I had a class name of S-235A (Asimov).  The break down in my system is as follows:

<Function> <Engine Tech Level> <Last two digits of design year> <Modification>

Function

X = Small Combat Craft (Any Combat Craft under 1000tons)
P = Patrol
E = Escort
D = Destroyer
C = Cruiser
B = Capital
V = Carrier
A = Auxiliary
R = Sensor/Intelligence/Scout
S = Survey/Exploration
J = Jump Ship/Tender
M = Mining
T = Transport
F = Freighter/Cargo

Engine Tech Level

0 = Conventional, 1= Nuclear Thermal, 2 = Nuclear Pulse, Etc.

Year

This is the last two of the design year.  If the ship was designed in 2154, then I would use 54.  To avoid a situation where I have a ship designed in 2198 have a higher number than a ship designed 2215, I'll add a 1 to make it a three digit number - in this case the 2215 ship would be 115 designation)

Modification

Every new design gets an A automatically.  Further modifications on the hull will get a B, C, D.  If I'm updating the engines of a particular ship, I'll reset the modification to A and change engine tech level.

Ship Class Name

The name of the first ship in the class will be the name of the class.
 

Offline Borealis4x

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2021, 08:10:24 PM »
Frigates are named after random things.

Destroyers are named after people.

Cruisers are named after cities.

Capital Ships are named after battles.

I wish there was an option where the hull designation was part of the name somewhere so you could know what it was on the fly.
 

Offline Arwyn

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2021, 11:13:24 PM »
I have some consistent class names that I use pretty much every game.

The Mule class is always my basic freighters
Prospectors = Geosurvey ship
Surveyor= Survey ship
Hope= Colony ship
Nostromo= Terraformer :)

Beyond that I usually use a one or two standard designations. Class, class name and either a Mark (Mk) number or Mod designation. So something like;
CA Revenge Mod A, or CA Revenge I

The Mark or Mod numbers generally coincide with engine tech. If I make a sub class it would show up as CA Revenge IIc or CA Revenge Mod C1
« Last Edit: October 18, 2021, 09:32:43 AM by Arwyn »
 

Offline serger

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2021, 11:54:47 PM »
I have a list of shipnames too (mostly historical shipnames + a list of historical persons I like to honour), yet it's mostly for the beginning of every game, before it accumulates it's own history and therefore a namelist (dead personas, names of colonies and battle locuses, etc.)
This starting list is rather long to have a choice every time, and I don't think it's very useful for other players, tastes differs, yet I think it's really a good idea for every Aurora player just to try to make smth like this before starting their next game.
 

Offline prophetical

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2021, 08:31:48 AM »

I wish there was an option where the hull designation was part of the name somewhere so you could know what it was on the fly.

There is. In the misc tab in ship design you can add a prefix or suffix to the name of the ship. So you can add BB xxxx and it will appear as part of the name.
 

Offline Borealis4x

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2021, 12:23:19 PM »

I wish there was an option where the hull designation was part of the name somewhere so you could know what it was on the fly.

There is. In the misc tab in ship design you can add a prefix or suffix to the name of the ship. So you can add BB xxxx and it will appear as part of the name.

I know about that, but thats where USS/HMS/UNS is supposed to go. I'd like it more if you could see the ships hull designation in parentheses before the ships name.
 

Offline TheTalkingMeowth

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2021, 12:44:02 PM »
So make your prefix be "(BB) USS"
 
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Offline ArcWolf

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Re: How / do you standardize ship names?
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2021, 08:33:10 PM »

I wish there was an option where the hull designation was part of the name somewhere so you could know what it was on the fly.

There is. In the misc tab in ship design you can add a prefix or suffix to the name of the ship. So you can add BB xxxx and it will appear as part of the name.

I know about that, but thats where USS/HMS/UNS is supposed to go. I'd like it more if you could see the ships hull designation in parentheses before the ships name.

That's what i use the Suffix for, DD-01 etc. That way you can give your ships a hull number & designation.