[Sheepy]

but is there a way that one ship load out scrrens and such, instead of reading alpha 1, 2, 3 etc, it has a name of your choice (kind of like multiplayer i guess).

Why you ask? Cause basically it would be cool if you could. If your trying to in your mod relate to your wing men n such then this would help would it not?

Also, if its wasnt to relate to your wingmen, would there be anyway to have the game "generate" a new name for the wingman replacing those that died?

[Turnsky]

You mean like instead of "Alpha 2" you could have like "Mackey" or somesuch?

[karajorma]

I've seen people do it using the alt name function in FRED. That way a ship is labled Alpha 2 but instead of the ship class the pilot is flying his callsign appears underneath.

[Lightspeed]

he means in the LOADOUT screen. Yes, thats a good idea.... a VERY good idea

Also, another good idea would be to have a completely new Label in the Targetting box:

Wing: Alpha 2
Pilot: Admiral Aken Bosch
Class: NTB Boanerges
Distance / speed as usual

-- There's enough space

-edit: And then have a table file called pilots.tbl

//PILOTS.tbl//

+Terran
|list of dynamic names for terran pilots|

+Vasudan
|list of dynamic names for vasudan pilots|

+Shivan
|list of dynamic names for shivan pilots|

///---///

List entry would be as follows:

Name:
$accuracy modifier:   
$courage modifier:      
$patience modifier:

For example:

Name: Mr. N00b
$accuracy  modifier: -0.5
$evasion modifier: -20
$courage modifier: +10
$patience modifier: -5

Now, if we had the ship set to Class "General"
The values would be 0.8 / 40 / 40 / 40
modifiers apply: 0.3 / 20 / 50 / 35

This way we have the following advantages:

a) Names make it more 'human'
b) INDIVIDUAL PILOT SKILLS (almost human-like AI, some are good, some are worse, each has individual strengths and weaknesses)
c) Easy way to manage everything
d) Names can be set in FRED, along with the modifiers (FRED can force to any name and modifiers)
e) they appear on the targetting box (the same name appearing twice doesn't matter, as long as theyre random enough You could even mix up first and last names (having two table entries, one of which is picked randomly from another pilot)

[Taristin]

Originally posted by Lightspeed

+Shivan
|list of dynamic names for shivan pilots|
 

[Liberator]

*hears inhuman shreiking and built-in blaster powering up*

[Lightspeed]

you mean my plasma claws?

[Sheepy]

soo err anyway, is this actually possible?

[Odyssey]

[color=cc9900]It's probably possible, but then, a lot of stuff is possible. Whether it's worth implementing or not, I don't know - I don't see any particular gameplay advantage to it, if anything it would be slightly more confusing.[/color]

[Flipside]

The problem I see arising here is that, though it may be good for Multiplay, in single play you might get 'Wing Commander Syndrome'. This was something I used to find quite annoying, where you were having to play a mission loads of times not because you fail the mission, but because someone like Maniac was stupid enough to get themselves killed and you needed to keep them alive for the campaign.

[Odyssey]

[color=cc9900]Exactly. Also, you'd have to have a bloody huge list of names to not notice repetition, since wingmen drop like flies.[/color]

[Lightspeed]

Not if you mix up first and second names. i'm not sure about how much names Freelancer has got but it works like a charm there.

Also, i dont see what's bad about the Wing Commander syndrome, it's exactly what I've been missing in Freespace.

However, those would only be randomly assigned names unless you use FRED to set a specific pilot.

The huge gameplay advantage: Differnent opponents fly different. Imagine the HUGE variety you get outta this. There can be wingmen/opponents with very accurate aiming but no evasion, or evasive pilots with less accuracy, cowards and impatient newbies. It improves the AI quite a lot, and you cannot use the same tactics against every opponent.

[Unknown Target]

While I agree with the callsign under your name at all times, in single player it's retarded to have the pilot's name under his aircraft, especially for shivan craft.

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Lightspeed
Also, i dont see what's bad about the Wing Commander syndrome, it's exactly what I've been missing in Freespace.

I do.

 There's nothing wrong with having dynamic wingmen who can go through the campaign with the player. Homesick is a good example of how this can be done well and add a lot to the campaign.

However if the game forces you to replay a mission because a certain wingman got killed it's beyond annoying. If the wingman is vital to the plotline it's upto the mission designer to look after him not the player or else the player ends up spending the entire mission babysitting the wingman instead of playing the mission.

[Lightspeed]

nothing would force you to do that when/if what i suggested is implemented.

And shivan pilots can always have blank names.

[Flipside]

I suppose in defence of the Idea, if your designation is Alpha One then you are the Wingleader, if that is the case, then, just as in Wing commander (which the name suggests) you ARE responsible for your wingmen

Just having pilot names is fine by me, though I wouldn't want to compile a list of Vasudan Names

[Stryke 9]

Don't wanna see Shivans with name fields. Don't wanna see enemy Terrans with name fields. Except for maybe in multiplayer, don't wanna see anyone I'm shooting at with a name field. It'd just look lame.

However, it might be okay if you limited it to ships with a special flag you'd specifically have to set in FRED- so that, say, you can see names on your wing but not on the big enemy cruiser over there. This same thing would work for multiplayer.


And so what if some imbecile might take it as license to make a ****ty campaign? Is this news? Basically every modification can be abused by stupid people. Let the stupid people make their ****ty campaign, and only play the good ones, eh?

[karajorma]

I know it's easy for fools to abuse these new features and crap uup a campaign. That's why I'm mentioning the possible pitfall now rather than complaining about it when a campaign is released.

The basic idea is sound.

[Sheepy]

Ok my basic idea was simply, names for wingmen/allies (not enemy as stryke said), also it wouldnt matter exactly if your wingman died, he/she simply gets replaced with a new person.

Ok thinking about it, that could lead to scripting troubles as far as dialog and what not goes, but anyway it was an idea.
I like the idea of variables applied t the names as light said.

Also, would it be possible for dialog (text at least) to recognise what name a wingman is assigned then display it correctlyin the dialog, obviously this wouldnt work for voice, or would it for simulated speech?

[karajorma]

Simulated speech should work since it's made up on the fly but voice wouldn't because it's recorded beforehand.