Unique naming

[Damien_The_Unbeliever]

A lot of people want contracts that build on existing structures. But in order for this to work, I'd think we'd need to have a unique naming system. My suggestion would be that each probe core/capsule/cockpit could be assigned a unique, irrevocable, un-reassignable name. The rename option would not be available once a name has been assigned. If vessels containing more than one of these parts is constructed (via VAB or docking) then those names would be combined (as much as possible).

And even once a vessel is deleted, its name cannot be reused.

This would then lead the way to "Add 10 Kerbal capacity to Station X" style contracts - because it would allow you to identify Station X - as opposed to the current chaos where "Add 10 Kerbal capacity to Unnamed Space Ship" could lead to a lot of confusion on which vessel is intended.

(Also, initial Base/Station contracts could then specify a required name, but that's incidental)

[Kegereneku]

I think there's a better solution for docking and no need to forbid renaming.

While docking you would choose the name of the station amongst one of the roots capsule, for Contract you would only be forbidden from changing the name of a core that fulfill a contract.

Yet, I'm thinking that separating a Core/pod containing the name of the station to move it somewhere else and fulfill a contract could lead to absurd situation or Exploit.

Need to work on details around that.

In any case I would definitively not be forbidden to to rename spaceship.

[Damien_The_Unbeliever]

Well, I was also thinking that this would satisfy (my) general desire for, when separating two ships, (even if the docking/separation lines are different from how they originally connected) them regaining their original identities.

[sal_vager]

Or just use the vessel ID from the save file, no need for immutable names then, and if a player really wants to edit their save for whatever reason that's up to them

[WanderingKid]

This idea has a side benefit: It could allow for renames to be used as part of contract completion. There's a few abuses (satellites, for example) that performing this could help in eliminating.

[Damien_The_Unbeliever]

And where can the player see the vessel ID inside the game? As I said, part of this idea would be for us (or squad) to be able to generate craft modification contracts (or change of orbit/planet contracts) and for the player to immediately be able to go to the tracking station and work out which vessel the contract is talking about.