Renaming our units

[Provolution]

As the new warlord, I can already see problems with naming conventions in units. They are not named consistently, and some of those who are, do not have distinct uniqueness to their names and/or a unit name reminding us of their promotions. I suggest a unit naming reform to give more spirit and organization to the game, and would like to hear what you think about the following options.

1. Unit names named after citizens (Dutchfire, Daveshack, Joe Harker etc)
2. Unit names named after unit promotion specialties ("Wallbreakers", "Rangers")
3. Unit names named after famous battles or episodes ("Elephantslasher" and so on)
4. Unit names named after historical Mongol generals (Hulagu, Jebe etc)
5. Unit names named after City origin or Province origin ("NOTA Keshiks")
6. Unit names named after game year they were produced ("1260 Macemen")
7. Unit names named after simple numeric ordering by production date "Macemen 1")

Personally, I would like to see options 1-4 to give the game some more "soul" - in particular 2-4 options, whereas 6 and 7 are more bland and technical, but does the job.

 

[mike6426]

you should have the list in the same order as the poll, just to make sure that people do not pick the wrong one.

 

[Joe Harker]

I hate you Provolution, I am the one who's got to name them all!

 

[Provolution]

They are ordered now.

 

[Provolution]

Sorry Joe, I know you are a good man, but the naming conventions we currently have, make military discussions bland and generic, and does not address or respect the quality of our troops. If a unit had a good name, with many promotions, that would move and engage more than "Axeman #8", for example, which is bland and dry.

 

[grant2004]

I agree with the specialty/promotion idea, however we clearly won't be able to get a unique name for each unit with this convention as many units have the same set of promotions. Possibly we could use a numerical system after the specialty convention so as to differentiate between these units with their new interesting names in an efficient way? For example wallbreakers 1 wallbreakers 2, borrowing your previous example.

Sorry for all the work Joe

 

[Provolution]

We could also tie them in with a specific episode.

Berlin Wallbreakers, for example, referring to our present battle. Or a combination of promotions for a catapult could be "Khans Wallbreakers" (if they are really good, elite catapults), or add a specific name to them "Cumae Battery", if they are garrisoned in Cumae for a while. Names should be interesting mindpegs blowing energy and soul into the game, and making the military discussions more interesting, focussing on the combined forces and their unique promotion combinations.

 

[Methos]

I'm almost sure we've dealt with this before. Didn't we either vote on this before? I also seem to recall it being located somewhere in our constitution, but a quick looksie couldn't locate it.

 

[ori]

I'm almost sure we've dealt with this before. Didn't we either vote on this before? I also seem to recall it being located somewhere in our constitution, but a quick looksie couldn't locate it.

A more thourough looksie finds the Naming Initiative - and sees that we have only decided on how to name cities and "other geographical features". While the units in Civ4 clearly dwarf any mountain range, I doubt they are considered as geographical features

I like the idea of this poll, a multiple choice one would have been even better

 

[Provolution]

Sounds like the DHARMA INITIATIVE in "Lost", very ambitious, but consequentially a bit lacking.

 

[Provolution]

All rite, the poll landed on 5/8 support for Specialty/Promotions Unit Naming, 2/8 for Province and City naming and 1/8 for Special game episodes.
This poll will be interpreted, from my side, as representative, so that unit names are named accordingly.

50 % of the units will be named after specialties and promotions
This will be mainly for the campaign army, so we can easily discuss combined arms operations with ease and fun.

25 % of the units will be named after their provinces and cities
This will be mainly for city garrisons ("Guards" as Methos wrote) and local policing scouting units (covered by provinces). I may decide to give control of these units to the local governors.

12,5 % of the units will be named after historical game episodes
Certain heroic feats will not go unnoticed. After each battle, we will nominate the best performing unit, and poll a name-change, so there will be a maximum of one or two game-episode specific names each turnchat.


12,5 % of the units I will seek to repoll, which would be our future navy, for where ships naming conventions are different from land unit naming conventions. For the navy, there will be more discussions/polling on ships naming.