General amnesia of location names

[Jos Elkink]

Currently, the new system of dynamic naming keeps all old location names. This allows for less hassle for existing players, but it also makes it perhaps slightly less interesting for people that want to really rename their place. Note that maps become annoying when you don't have the original names ... It really both has its advantages ... So, I'd like to hear your view on this ...

[Revanael]

I think yes - and roads should probably be indicated purely by their direction to start with. It'll cause a bit of havoc in-game to start with, but it'll be worth it.

EDIT/ADDITION: I also think that some variety of public name-plate type thing should be implemented along with this.

[Chris Johnson]

I voted No . I can see if it's a location they have never been to but I see no reason for areas they are already familiar with.

If it was implemented we really also need a method of pointing at vehicles and buildings so that people can name objects for others


Actually we probably need this anyway

"You see a man in his twenties pointing at unknown darter "

EDIT : Oh yes .. But I still say no

[Surly]

You can point at things.

We do need name plates.

And I vote yes (even though it will be annoying and slightly unrealistic...)

[Bran-Muffin]

You cant be serious....

I agree with what Chris wrote and voted no, forgetting name of places my characters have already been? It should be for places they havnt been to yet. Things they havnt seen or built.

[Surly]

How can they distinguish between places you have and haven't been to? I think a blank slate may be slightly unrealistic, but otherwise this is just going to be a series of fudges. Start again, and build back up.

Although I do for sorry for the mapmakers in that instance...

[formerly known as hf]

I vote yes - It'll be a whole lot of hassle - especially for established characters - but it'd be worth it, and I think it's the best way to introduce this...

It makes sense - you wander into somewhere, and you don't know the name of the place, which cars are which, names of buildings... I like that idea a lot...

It'd be good for newpsawns, but an annoyance for established characters - but possible to deal with...

BUT
Don't introduce it until there is some kind of way of name-plating buildings and places (and maybe vehicles), because it would be too annoying if getting the names of places relied on talking and constantly pointing...
It's already bad enough with names of characters

[The Sociologist]

I'd like to draw your attention to my post below, which I reproduce again here. For those who think amnesia will result in great roleplay, let me tell you now that it will result in crap roleplay. You might as well start renaming all buildings...
"first building from the top"
"second building from the top"...etc.

And of course it will be death to anyone who doesn't start a new building with the name Z1, Z2, etc. For obvious reasons. If you cannot figure out the obvious reasons, then you are too dimwitted to be playing this game.

Please read my post very very carefully.

http://www.cantr.net/forum/viewtopic.ph ... 7&start=30

In real life buildings occupy positions in space have signs that say things like "Joe's Diner." Joe, however, doesn't usually walk around carrying a big sign saying "I am Joe" (or at least not unless he is in the military or something, in which case he wears a name tag). Hence dynamic naming works for people. Furthermore, even in Cantr buildings don't have the opportunity to say to you "Hello, I am Joe's Diner".

Oh boy.

WARNING!

This will become catastrophically confusing very quickly. My suggestion is don't use it!

There is another factor which I once was about to take up--before the "tiredness" and "skills" systems knocked the wind out of my sails--and that is a proposed way of giving us the ability to distinguish between town geography and names.

For example, there is a house at 1 Main St. It is currently called "Betty's Clothing Shop" Yes, now you can experiment with changing the name dynamically or by way of signs. But objectively, the building always remains at 1 Main St. This would be great as it would permit registration of titles and the beginning of a legal system.

Now I suspect that building names will continue to be sorted on the building page in the order of their original naming, so you will have people saying things like "It's the fourth building from the top". Just great for roleplay, eh? This usage, "fourth building from the top" is all that will remain of town geography. Not very pretty.

In other words, what Jos & Co. have forgotten is that there are objective elements to town geography. They seem to be trying to render everything subjective and that simply isn't the case. Geography has objective components. Even a Sociologist will admit that!

That's why I don't recommend anyone use it. Chaos will develop very very quickly.

[formerly known as hf]

Now I suspect that building names will continue to be sorted on the building page in the order of their original naming, so you will have people saying things like "It's the fourth building from the top". Just great for roleplay, eh? This usage, "fourth building from the top" is all that will remain of town geography. Not very pretty.

I was about to say something very similar - I don't want a note on the ground giving a list of building names in the order that the buildings appear on the list - not natural at all - eww...

In other words, what Jos & Co. have forgotten is that there are objective elements to town geography. They seem to be trying to render everything subjective and that simply isn't the case. Geography has objective components. Even a Sociologist will admit that!

Admitidly so - as a anti-positivistic geographer, even I'll admit that 1 Main St. will always be 1 Main St (unless the street changes name...) and is a useful basis on which to build original understanding - I was going to suggest the possibility of describing a building and having that as the default description someone sees it as when they first see it - and so you could say 'that tall tower' or 'that crumbling chapel' - but I like the idea of streets and street numbers better

and if a grid system is ever introduced - seperating buildings into a street system may fit nicely with that...

I think amnesia is needed for this new addition to actually be used but it comes with a big BUT

There needs to be some, initially visible, way of differentiating between vehicles and buildings, a default, that is saved, so that the default can be reverted back to if needed - mayabe a non-dynamic description, similar to 'he seems strong, he is in his twenties' etc. that can be accessed by another button, and which doesn't change, so if Betty dies, her clothing shop can revert back to 1 Main St. until someone else moves in

[Nick]

A definite YES

It will be annoying at first, but we will not regret it later.

[Nick]

Note that maps become annoying when you don't have the original names ... It really both has its advantages ... So, I'd like to hear your view on this ...

Mapping will have to be reinvented when roadmap comes, anyway.
And standard static location names will also be pointless, so we mine as well take a small step now!

[Surly]

I'm not sure how '4th building on the list' is that different from 'the third building on the right' Or much different from people saying 'who's the fourth person on the list?'

[formerly known as hf]

'who's the fourth person on the list?'

Which annoys me already...

[Nick]

'who's the fourth person on the list?'

Which annoys me already...

I much prefer "Who is the fouth oldest person", or simply pointing.

But back on topic...

[Surly]

Is there any way to make slight exceptions for town leaders who jst happen to be away?

It would be pretty damn annoying to get home and not remember which building is which.

I was about to say something very similar - I don't want a note on the ground giving a list of building names in the order that the buildings appear on the list - not natural at all - eww...

On the contrary, I would say that that was moe natural. Just like a street map... just like the many non-visual maps in Cantr. And unlike with people, a "roadmap" list would be okay, as buildings don't go anywhere.