Change in how ship names are preserved through docking

[Kasuha]

If I understand it right, when a ship docks to another ship, the two ships are merged and the name of one of the two ships is stored in the docking port by which the two ships are connected. When that docking port is undocked, whatever undocks gets "back" the original name. This also explains why only one of the two docking ports in the pair offers the "undock" option.

The problem with this approach is, it introduces chaos in case docking is used for ship constructions in space. When modular system is used, the name of the ship constructed has nothing to do with the station that serves as basis for the construction, or names of lifters which bring individual parts into place. When such ship is then undocked from the base, when a part is undocked from it, long forgotten or simply wrong names for these parts pop up. Sometimes a part is assigned a wrong name and as long as it has no control module, there's nothing that can be done about its name.

My idea is, instead of docking port, the name should be stored in the control module (apart of the ship's general attribute). When a part containing control module(s) is undocked, name stored in one of control modules is used for the ship. If the part has no control module, it automatically becomes "debris" of whatever it was undocked from. Separators can function exactly the same way.

When you rename the ship through the control module, that name is also stored in that control module (but not in other available control modules in the ship). This means that if your ship has two control modules and you rename the ship using one of them, then rename it again using the other, and then decouple/undock the two control modules from each other, the separated parts will use the two names you used.

Initially (when deploying from VAB/SPH) in each ship all control modules hold the ship's name.

Regarding assigning names like "...lander" "...probe" etc could be done on level of control modules. The control module which is chosen as "main" holds the unchanged name. Other control modules may get names assigned according to their type.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Kasuha

[KASASpace]

DANG. You sir, are a pro.

[LethalDose]

I'd like to see a hierarchy of command parts. The name assigned to the composite construct would be the name stored in the command part highest on the list ; generally speaking, the hierarchy it would look something like:

Cupola

Command Pods

Cockpits

Lander cans

Probe cores

Again, just a very general hierarchy to determine which name gets assign.

[Superfluous J]

I agree with all of these things. I hate how my space station is temporarily named "fuel tug" whenever my fuel tug is docked to it.

[Sathurn]

+1 one, for I agree. I also like the idea of a naming hierarchy (and concur with the one purposed) to determine which name is displayed in the tracking screen or as a target icon.

[Atoning Unifex]

+1. Something definitely needs to be done! Storing the ship name as part of a command module sounds like a sensible idea.

I also agree that a hierarchy is needed, although perhaps it should be based upon the type of craft, rather than (or maybe as well as) the type of command module. For example a craft designated as a station would be higher priority.