Suggestion: Allow players to name planetary features/biomes

[Guest]

Since KSP2 is changing the topography of planets – the Mun has maria now, instead of those giant craters, for example – and they’re presumably reworking the biome system as well – perhaps there won’t even be biomes as such, but rather features and locations like islands, continents, mountain ranges, and so on – this presents an opportunity to change the way things are named. 

In KSP1, the naming conventions are haphazard and inconsistent. Kerbin and Laythe have biomes named after people (Harvester Massif, DeGrasse Sea, Sagen [sic] Sea, Nye Island); Mun, Duna, and most other places have simple descriptive names (Farside Crater, Eastern Canyon, Midland Sea), and most of the biomes on most bodies are just plain Midlands, Highlands, Shores, Slopes, Peaks, and what have you. 

I think it would be fun if only Kerbin had named biomes/features, and players would be able to name features as they discover them. We would still need a universal way to refer to them in certain circumstances, so until and unless they player names them, the game would refer to them simply with a catalogue number, e.g. MC-14 for Munar Crater number 14, and you could still look up features with the number.

What do you think?

[jastrone]

if there will be randomly generated features yes. otherwise it would be cool with a competition to name a new planet for the first 100 or so people who find it

[MechBFP]

I honestly can't imagine how this would be fun outside of the first or second time you do it, literally, and then it would be completely ignored because the very limited novelty has worn off. I played No Man's Sky and I honestly can't remember if I even named something one single time, and that was multiplayer with an infinite star system that other players could discover, that is how little I cared about it.

[PlutoISaPlanet]

I say no because who cares.

[Jack Mcslay]

Would also be pretty handy for localized versions, some biome names in KSP1 are awfully incorrectly translated

[SOXBLOX]

I would like to have the stock names, and an option to edit them. I enjoy this sort of thing. But, then again, do we know for certain that there will be "biomes" in KSP2?

[Kernel Kraken]

I think it's a cool idea, but community continuity might be a bit strange. If I find an easter egg and want to share it, it might be tough describing where it is. "Hey, I found a monolith paying tribute to the Gemini 8 astronauts in the Peepee Poopoo crater on the Mün!"

[Kerminator K-100]

I do this anyway (but in my own save, which is what I'm assuming you're referring to)

Like when I drive a rover, I name the features with waypoints

[Klapaucius]

In principle, the idea is great. In practice, it will generate discord as a small cadre of folks will use controversial or politically-charged names.  You'd still have to have a group of moderators then approving said names, and that will result in friction as well.  And as funny as it was the first time, I don't want to go exploring on Massif McMassif Face.

Perhaps it is because I am currently dealing with some nasty politics in my kayaking club, so I am a bit jaded. But the fact is, this forum is very well moderated, so we can be lulled into a false sense that the KSP community is free of this.  I have seen enough just awful commentary on Steam forums for me not to put these things in the hands of the greater playing public.  Unfortunately, a small minority can have an outsize influence on the community.

I think it is viable for the cataloging convention you mentioned to be the standard, and then let players name things in their specific career save (like naming craft in the VAB), but not beyond the limits of that save.

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Klapaucius

[PlutoISaPlanet]

Seems like a unnecessary feature. Polls to name areas of planets and moons would be cool.

[Guest]

To clarify @Klapaucius and perhaps others, I meant that the names apply in your save only. The catalogue numbers would be the universal ones. So if you decided to name M-C015 Crater McCraterface nobody else would need to know.

[Klapaucius]

Just now, Brikoleur said:

To clarify @Klapaucius and perhaps others, I meant that the names apply in your save only. The catalogue numbers would be the universal ones. So if you decided to name M-C015 Crater McCraterface nobody else would need to know.

Okay, then yes, great idea!

[shdwlrd]

This is a feature I wouldn't use much. I'll probably only rename the colonies and the area around them, not much else.

[Dientus]

I agree with the "in your own saves but not the overall game" crowd.

[K^2]

7 hours ago, MechBFP said:

I honestly can't imagine how this would be fun outside of the first or second time you do it, literally, and then it would be completely ignored because the very limited novelty has worn off. I played No Man's Sky and I honestly can't remember if I even named something one single time, and that was multiplayer with an infinite star system that other players could discover, that is how little I cared about it.

I don't think you should be prompted to or anything. They should get auto-generated names that you can change in your save game. That'd be a good way to do it.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, K^2 said:

They should get auto-generated names that you can change in your save game.

Downside with auto-generated names is that it would be harder to refer to things in a universally unambiguous way. It’s not a major concern but we do do it e.g. when discussing challenges, or in the wiki. The catalogue numbers are my proposed solution to that.

I think they would also enhance the feeling of exploration. Naming things is a part of that. If they’re already named, somebody else must have discovered them before you.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Guest

[K^2]

1 hour ago, Brikoleur said:

Downside with auto-generated names is that it would be harder to refer to things in a universally unambiguous way. It’s not a major concern but we do do it e.g. when discussing challenges, or in the wiki. The catalogue numbers are my proposed solution to that.

I'm not saying they have to generate differently for every person. You can use the same seed for everyone. It's just too much work to name every crater on every body in multiple star systems. A generated list is a far better way to go about it. That way, the names can be consistent and memorable, and people can still rename them in their own save game.

[Hellenic]

This is practically already in KSP 1. I use flags and bases to mark and name major locations on celestial bodies, and it will be possible to accomplish the same thing in KSP 2 with colonies.

[Guest]

47 minutes ago, K^2 said:

I'm not saying they have to generate differently for every person. You can use the same seed for everyone. It's just too much work to name every crater on every body in multiple star systems. A generated list is a far better way to go about it. That way, the names can be consistent and memorable, and people can still rename them in their own save game.

I’d still prefer catalogue numbers, auto-generated or otherwise. It’s a feel thing. If I arrive on an alien planet in a new stellar system, and the features on it are already named, it feels less like I’m discovering it than if they first appear on my map as catalogue numbers. (Although default plain descriptive names like, say, Eastern Highlands wouldn’t be so bad.)

Put another way, I think memorable names are actually bad as they detract from that feeling of discovery and exploration.

[pandaman]

I haven't voted as I remain pretty neutral, but my initial thought was, 'Erm ---NO'.

However, on realising the suggestion was for your own save only then I'm not really against it.  It would make perfect sense for Kerbin's features  to be named, and maybe also for obvious larger features on the Kerbol system bodies though.

That said, I tend to think 'dev defined' names is probably the best plan overall.  And there is no reason why a player can't use 'pet's names for things anyway.

[modus]

If you could change the default names like you can change the name of your vessel I think that would be fine. If you don't want to be bothered you don't do it, if you want to be all poetic, knock yourself out.

[Jack Mcslay]

1 hour ago, Hellenic said:

This is practically already in KSP 1. I use flags and bases to mark and name major locations on celestial bodies, and it will be possible to accomplish the same thing in KSP 2 with colonies.

This can get pretty cluttered for someone wants to name geographical features a lot, and it shouldn't require crewed vehicles. Sure you can add markers but that's even more cluttered.

[SOXBLOX]

Besides KSP, I play Stellaris, and I give my own names to every star system, and almost every other planet in my saves. I would love a feature like this. Sending Kerbals to explore the Redrock Gorge, in the Southern Gap area of Duna? Or the Sea of Night on the Mun? Heck, yeah!

It would be nice if we could toggle a display in map mode which would project the names over the planet.

[Dr. Kerbal]

I would like this. It would be nice to see what players name certain geological features.