[Inglonias]

I can maybe let it slide that the GTA knows the names of PVC ships because they invented a translator (apparently) at some point during the Terran-Vasudan War, but how do they know/decide the name of Shivan ships AS THEY APPEAR. Do they pull names out of a hat, or are the names predetermied, like what they do with hurricanes? (They go through an alphabetical list of hurricane names, and when they run out, they start over.)

I just want to know because it seems odd that the GTVA knows exactly what to call each ship.

[General Battuta]

Probably a list of unassigned names in the fighter/warship/command's warbook (or whatever tactical computer) that gets assigned to new ships as they appear.

[ktistai228]

well, you can call them predetermined. Vasudan ships are named after Egyptian(see Horus, Ra, Psamtik) gods and references, Shivan ships are named after Biblical (See Cain, Lilith, Lucifer) and Indian gods/references (see Ravana, Shaitan) and Terran usually go for Greek(see Zeus, Medusa, Perseus) or Scandinavian(see Loki). Terran individual ship names are references to actual existing or former ships.

[Mongoose]

There's an elite anthropology team employed by the GTVA whose sole task is auto-generating new ship names on the fly.

[IronBeer]

Yeah, I'ma jump on the "pre-determined name list" bandwagon.

[MatthTheGeek]

That reminds me of the first Shivan mission of FS2, near the Knossos, when one of your wingmates says "We've got a new fighter class here, designation Astharoth." Why the hell would a stupid random pilot be the one who decides of a name classification ? So I'm also going for the pre-determined name list, but something that would be embarqued on every ship because of this sequence.

[Lucika]

I kinda like the idea. No promotion but a tiny piece of fame for a nameless cog in the great machine.

Hey, could we FRED this? The player could assign the name to a corresponding fighter type.

[Dragon]

I don't think so, but you can FRED player's character assigning a name.

[ssmit132]

That reminds me of the first Shivan mission of FS2, near the Knossos, when one of your wingmates says "We've got a new fighter class here, designation Astharoth." Why the hell would a stupid random pilot be the one who decides of a name classification ? So I'm also going for the pre-determined name list, but something that would be embarqued on every ship because of this sequence.

This. Also, I doubt a random pilot is going to think up Astaroth on the fly unless he's well learned in demonology.

[MatthTheGeek]

This. Also, I doubt a random pilot is going to think up Astaroth on the fly unless he's well learned in demonology.

Point there, too

[swampzero]

That reminds me of the first Shivan mission of FS2, near the Knossos, when one of your wingmates says "We've got a new fighter class here, designation Astharoth." Why the hell would a stupid random pilot be the one who decides of a name classification ? So I'm also going for the pre-determined name list, but something that would be embarqued on every ship because of this sequence.

This. Also, I doubt a random pilot is going to think up Astaroth on the fly unless he's well learned in demonology.

his flight computer probably just labeled it "astaroth" on their radar, since it was the next pre-determined name to be assigned on the next unknown

[Snail]

Because the Vasudan homeworld was primarily desert, the Terrans used Egyptian names to designate Vasudan warships during the Terran-Vasudan War and the Great War. After the defeat of the Shivans, the Vasudans insisted on maintaining this convention. The Emperor strongly identified with the history of Ancient Egypt, particularly the longevity of its civilization. Following their Emperor's example, Vasudans will take on what they call a Terran name from the myths and history of Ancient Egypt.

They are simply reporting names.

[Colonol Dekker]

Let's say for instance that two completely seperate engagements are taking place in two different allied systems.
 
Two different classes of ship jump in at the same time. One in each engagement. Could be a Taurvi and a Nahema for arguments sake.
. . But they've not been identified at this point in time.
 
 
 
Does the JTIDS blow a fuse or is each record downloaded from the black box and e-mailed to HQ?
 
What I guess i'm asking are the identifying craft linked in any way to avoid duplicate designations?
 
If so, how the hell can't they apply it to contacting sol a little quicker.
 
The only comms hardware i've seen was the Faustius in silent threat (or was it fs1). That was awful.
 
 
If the craft aren't linked, and four different sorties RTB with four different Maras, do they assign by mission clock or by tonnage?
 
Or maybe a wizard does it
 
That'd solve so much aggro lol. . .

[Galemp]

That's what the "Unknown Fighter" designation is for, pilot.

[Klaustrophobia]

Personally, I think it's just a minor plothole that volition forgot to plug.  The automatic designation theory is plausible, but runs into problems with some of the ships NOT being auto-designated on their first appearance.  The Ravana, for example.

[The E]

Doesn't have to be a plothole. Name designation on the fly might be used only for fighters, bigger ships will probably still get their names assigned by some staff guy.

[Mongoose]

And if multiple simultaneous encounters assign different names to the same class (or the same names to different classes, for that matter), I'd imagine it would all be sorted out afterwards.

[Aardwolf]

I kinda like the idea. No promotion but a tiny piece of fame for a nameless cog in the great machine.

Hey, could we FRED this? The player could assign the name to a corresponding fighter type.

Haha, funny thought I just had there... you know how in Spore virtually all the species are phallic?

(hypothetical dialog follows)

Pilot: We've encountered a wing of Shivan fighters, command... the database does not recognize the configuration.
Pilot: Hey, that means I get to name it, doesn't it? I'm going to call it "*****tits"!
Command: *sigh*

Edit: oh yeah, and:

The database does not recognize the configuration.

[Lucika]

Pilot: We've encountered a wing of Shivan fighters, command... the database does not recognize the configuration.
Pilot: Hey, that means I get to name it, doesn't it? I'm going to call it "*****tits"!
Command: *sigh*

Ducktits! Woohoo!

Kudos to anyone who gets the reference.

[Thaeris]

 

Howard the Duck?