Help my naming system!

[henryrasia]

Hey everyone, I'd just like to have this thread as my public database so that people can get inspiration. Also I ask if anyone could help bring up ship types that I've might have forgotten or suggest removing unnecessary ones I would be very grateful. I'll start by listing all possible ship types below and later create the shortest acronym system for KSP ships, so let's get started!

Lifter

Space Tug

Space Station

Space Shuttle

Plane

Lander

Satellite

Probe

Car/Rover

Base

any more?

My reasoning is that the acronym signifies a large grouping while the name might have classes to be more specific: "1, 2, or 3 letter acronym here" "some general name" AA Hawk, for example.

[Guest]

Space Tug

Space Station

Space Shuttle

Do they really need to be designated as "Space" stuff?

[hawkinator]

Do they really need to be designated as "Space" stuff?

Agreed, I would just do them as Tug, Station, and Shuttle.

[Firedtm]

in my space program we don't have the need to designate things, we just get the job done

[DisarmingBaton5]

[type][X if prototype]-[number][subdivision, usually a letter]

Examples:

L-001A (Lifter)

T-001A (Tug)

S-001A (Station)

CV-001A (crew vehicle)

P-001A (Atmospheric Plane)

SP-001A (Spaceplane)

LM-001A (Landing Module) (change this if you think it is too close to apollo LEM/LM)

CS-001A (Comm Sat)

PP-001A (Planetary Probe)

DP-001A (Deep Space Probe)

RU-001A (Rover Unmanned)

RM-001A (Rover Manned) (a rover with seats or likewise)

BS-001A (Base Surface)

BF-001A (Base Floating)

JEB-001A (Crazy Contraption)

I do not use these in my save, but maybe they will help you.

[FlamedSteak]

For the record, EVERYTHING sounds better with Space in front of it.

Just drawing inspiration for my work desk.

Space Coffee, Space Water Bottle, Space Phone, Space Multi-Tool, Blank Space DVD's......do I really need to go on?

[Dooz]

When i name spacecraft i throw together random names i dont have a theme i usually name them on what they do example

Minmus bound MK2 Goes to minmus

[boomerdog2000]

Generally I go with Greek gods or stars I like. Antares and Artemis are the most common, with Mk. whatever version I'm on at the end.

[NeMeSiS]

[type][X if prototype]-[number][subdivision, usually a letter]

Examples:

L-001A (Lifter)

T-001A (Tug)

S-001A (Station)

CV-001A (crew vehicle)

P-001A (Atmospheric Plane)

SP-001A (Spaceplane)

LM-001A (Landing Module) (change this if you think it is too close to apollo LEM/LM)

CS-001A (Comm Sat)

PP-001A (Planetary Probe)

DP-001A (Deep Space Probe)

RU-001A (Rover Unmanned)

RM-001A (Rover Manned) (a rover with seats or likewise)

BS-001A (Base Surface)

BF-001A (Base Floating)

JEB-001A (Crazy Contraption)

I do not use these in my save, but maybe they will help you.

[what it is supposed to do] [versionname]

Pol Housing Mk1 (Where my colonists live..)

Laythe Submarine Mk4

LKO Station Communcationpart Mk1

Looks ridiculous, but i can easily find it back.

[Spartwo]

Lifter

Space Tug

Space Station

Space Shuttle

Plane

Lander

Satellite

Probe

Car/Rover

Base

any more?

My reasoning is that the acronym signifies a large grouping while the name might have classes to be more specific: "1, 2, or 3 letter acronym here" "some general name" AA Hawk, for example.

Lifter: mass to orbit-Version

Space Tug: Tug-number launched-designated planet

Space Station: Greek demi/god-Planet

Space Shuttle: I don't use these but I'd use names similar to the U.S

Plane: Birds-version

Lander: Large mammals-version

Satellite: intended planet-P or E or I

Probe: mechanical pieces-

Car/Rover: layers of athmosphere-version

Base: planet-number launched-M or R or S

[Dynamo]

Personally, i use a theme for a series/program of rockets. All of my interplanetary vehicles use a Latin-esque name under the guise of Roman characters (with some originality over real life spacecraft such as the Mercury program) for an austere flair bonus plus a personality.

You could choose a theme for the program, and create words or images from that themeset by imitating it. For example, if i use a Cherokee Native theme, i might choose Tlanooche to christen a ship, and that's just my poor imitation of Cherokee language.

[AmpsterMan]

Here is the naming concention I use:

[vehicle type][tech tier to use][name][mission number]

My space craft are usually named from the "Project Name" therefore my orbital craft is just named "Kerbin 1" or such.

[Depth]

I'm a bit simplistic here, using mainly a brand of Explorer manned vessels, and no probes on my save so far.

In case of a main design change I add a number, so getting decouplers means I went forward to Explorer 2. Adding/changing equipment/tanks I see more as a retrofit, so I add v2 behind it, so the Goo canister retrofit got named Explorer 2 v2, then v3 etc.

The plus side is I spend more time with each base design and get balanced crafts I actually care for. All the retrofits are easily available. The downside is I probably spend way too much time at the designs and make no innovations.

Regardless, I'm so happy with how Explorer 3 turned out that I'm going to make a vintage E3 Tug

[Hodo]

My naming system is simple.

R-### = Rocket - model number (100-199 are light lift duty, 200-299 medium lift, 300-399 heavy)

C-### = cargo or civilian craft, mostly sight seeing planes that I like to mess around with.

SP-### = space plane - same numbering system as rockets.

SVO-### = Spaceplane Vertical Orbiter - model number (unlike rockets this is strictly a 1-99 system)

VSO-### = Vertical Space Orbiter - Model number like above.

The VSO and SVO lines are completely different, as the VSO do not rely on lifting surfaces to achieve flight, brute force keeps them in the air. Unlike the SVOs which are planes that rely on lifting surfaces like wings.

X-### = challenge or experimental craft, this could be anything from a buggy to a jet.

KerSta, MunSta, MinSta, DunSta - are all stations, the first three letters of the planet or moon they orbit and then Sta short for Station, then they are often followed by a model number 1-10.

KS-# is a Kethane sensor equipped probe.

MS-# is a ISA Mapsat probe, I no longer use these, as I am just cutting back on the number of mods.

H-# is a helicopter.

[SkyRender]

I'd personally also add a designation for fuel depots as well. Mostly because I recently ran a 12-landing mission on the Mun that hinged on having one of those, ergo I have a pretty good idea of just how valuable a vessel type that can be. They often get integrated with stations, I realize, but not always...

[neamerjell]

I am still new to the game, so my names often end up as "Lets see if this actually works..." LOL or "First successful rover". Once I get more experience, I may adopt one of these naming schemes.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

AZTEC GODS FTW!

I use the name of gods and occationaly things like L-Mi-002 (Lander-Minmus-002)

[Godot]

I for my part use the following designations:

Return Module (RM-x): The part that returns to Kerbin ... usually the capsule together with parachutes, some attached science modules and means to produce/store power

Lifter (A/B/C/D...-x): The part that gets the payload into Kerbins orbit

Interplanetary (IP/IPL-x): The part that gets payload from Kerbins orbit into orbit of another planet (or moon)

Lander (atmosphere/vacuum) (LA/LV-x): Well, the part that lands on a planet/moon (in a manned mission) ... often a combination of Return Module (of a certain type) + attached landing engines (and additional legs) ... if designed for planets with atmosphere it also contans parachutes

Probe (atmosphere/vacuum) (P_A_x/ P_V_x): Unmanned lander to another planet/moon

Rover (unmanned/manned) (R_U_x/R_M_x)

Sat (Sat_x): Unmanned ... orbits planet, contains limited maneuvring means, antennae, sometimes science modules that work in vacuum

Edited October 29, 2013 by Godot

[Leatherneck]

For the record, EVERYTHING sounds better with Space in front of it.

Space Diarrhea? I don't think space makes it sound better. Especially after that incident involving a microwaveable space burrito, Bill, and entering a habitation module aboard the space station with Jeb.

For me, my rockets are named after constellations, probes after explorers, planes after birds, and landing sites over whatever my daughter is playing with at the time (so my first Mun landing in career was Duck-Y lol).

[DevoidLight]

I loosely base my names of of Sci Fi games. Mass Effect mostly, a little bit of Halo as well.

[Barefoot Friar]

I generally name mine according to type. So I have my Galaxy-class lifters (the heaviest ones I've built so far), in versions I, II, III, and so forth. Each one is unique, yet similar. The Prometheus-class is a light (7000-8000 dV at launchpad) satellite or station module lifter, again with I, II, and III models. If I make a change to a model, such as replacing the probe core with a crew module, it will get a letter. So the ship I sent to the Mun was a Galaxy IIa rocket. I tend to name ships after mythical gods/godesses/creatures (Prometheus, Hermes, Ares, etc.) and celestial things (Galaxy, Andromeda, Sol, etc.). I almost never use a custom ship for a one-time job; I tend to use the same basic style for as many things as possible, since that's what a real space program does. And also because I know how they handle, what they're capable of, etc.

Rovers I name with words that are synonymns for dog names: Spot, Fido, etc. I've never had more than one at any one time, so if I run out of names I'll just go with "Mun Rover 11" or something.

I name my stations and bases something a bit more imaginative. I'm a Whovian, so at the moment I'm mourning the loss of BadWolf Station and in the planning stages of Bowie Base One on the surface of Duna. I'm building a base in Minmus orbit at the moment, but I don't have a name yet.

Tugs I don't generally name, or maybe name after the station. So BadWolf Station Tug. I would give them a name like my other ships, except that when I dock with the station and then undock, the ship becomes "Station Name Probe", which is irritating.

I don't name missions, since I rarely will have more than one mission to accomplish a goal, with the exception being base or station building. But there's no way to define that within the game unless you change the ship's name, and who has time for that?

[nadreck]

In my 0.21 sandbox I named big motherships with a designation DS followed by the name of a Salsa band, I called my LKO spacestation Big Dipper. I tried to name the landers that attached to motherships after the musicians in the band with designations L and LR (lander/rovers) and I tried to name supply ships and tugs after musical instruments with the designations SS and ST, but naming stuff that docks is a real pain since whatever is the controlling part when they dock overrides the name of every other part and you have to rename stuff when you decouple/undock.

In my first career mode names are descriptive and often say Mk-x after description, however I have gone for a bit of whimsy and/or pun in the names as well (see my lander called "A cupola good ideas in a lander"). I have a rocket called "Jeb's gas station" I have launched a dozen of those so far.

When I start my next career mode (going for shortest elapsed game time to full tech tree, shortest EGT to probe on or in every celestial body, and shortest EGT to a Kerbal return mission to every SOI), I will try something else that relates to progress towards those goals, I may come up with a naming convention for flags that is related. By the time I finish that one, or maybe even before, 0.23 will be out. I am going to be keeping my first career mode going on as my .22 sandbox and experimental area where I can try anything I need in my 2nd career mode out without elapsing time there.

Edited October 30, 2013 by nadreck
because I can't spell/type/punctuate

[Godot]

...

I don't name missions, since I rarely will have more than one mission to accomplish a goal, with the exception being base or station building. But there's no way to define that within the game unless you change the ship's name, and who has time for that?

I regularly do so, as I often have missions running concurently (and also do an Excel table which keeps track of mission stats/outcome).

As most of them are exploration missions, they usually are named with [Target Planet]_[Number]

In my current game I had, for example, running a mission to Eve, Duna, Moho, Dres and Jool, all at her same time ... the fact that I made the ships Eve_1, Duna_1, Moho_2, Dres_2 and Jool_1 made it much easier for me to pick the right ship within seconds

[Captain_Party]

THIS. Argh. I'm really OCD, so I have trouble naming my reusable tugs. Normally I do:

CTV-Sparrowhawk (Crew Transfer Vehicle)

ITV-Greekgod (interplanetary transfer vehicle)

Then just a ne on its own for space stations eg. SS-1 Churchill

[SunJumper]

I don't normally have a naming system for things, except for launcher subassemblies. They are:

[Gauge][Payload to Orbit]

So far, I have 1g2t, 1g3t, and 1g5t. If there were 0.5m tanks, I'd probably have some 0.5g1t things...