ElTee Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I actually tested it out. For V20 they increased the character limit to 20 from whatever it was. Before, it was less than that. I think it was around 15-17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thothkins Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Going by previous X-Comming I'd very much like the option to increase the name field. Nicholas "Pinpoint" Petersen - for the guy who could seemingly dig the team out of a hole with sniper shots. Michael "Bungles" Le Fevre - for the guy who had some coordination issues with the primed grenades. I can absolutely take or leave the extra history that's been added to the game. I get much more out of it by adding in a little story, even through a dozen characters in the name field, about what the soldiers have done as Xenonauts. I'd be happy with the extra part only being available in the main soldier screen., with everything else showing either the nickname or the full name. But to not have the option to personalise it at least that far is a bit of a let down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheColonel Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 The term "Callsign" is just put in the game because I didn't think it was particularly realistic to add an option to literally change the name of your soldiers. Seemed a bit immersion-breaking to me. To all purposes and effects, it should rename the soldier everywhere in the game except for the tiny writing above his stats on the Soldier Equip screen. If the Callsign doesn't overwrite the name somewhere, then it's a bug and should be reported as such.There's no functionality for adding a nickname to your soldier, like James "Bond" Smith. We simply don't have the UI space to be dealing with that as well as the soldier name. Just call your soldier what you want him to be called using the Callsign function and problem solved. As for changing the soldier portrait and genders etc - I'm not convinced it's a good idea. Really, you're meant to make do with what the game gives you; which is why it was a special Kickstarter tier to be able to have a soldier just like you appear in the game at will. I don't think we're going to change that. I'm not being difficult for financial reasons (though they'd also stop me saying yes), I've always thought that and that's why we charged a lot to let people break the immersion a little and get themselves in the game via Kickstarter. I guess you can use the Force Soldier option to find people that look a bit like the people you want in your LP and you can make the game spawn them in the starting squad, though. People get to be recognised for their contribution in EVERY single Xenonauts game that everybody is going to play. Allowing individual players to rename random soldiers in their own game isn't backing out of the promises made on kickstarter. Saying that renaming soldiers is immersion breaking is so very wrong on so many levels, naming soldiers after ourselves and others we know IS immersion plain and simple. If you have concerns about it being unrealistic why not just add a hire custom soldier button that lets you hire someone whose name and country you pick from the get go and they arrive as a rookie like any other hire. Look Chris, the only reason myself and others are bugging you on this is because it's something that I have little doubt a large amount of people would very much like to see in your game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElTee Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Mhm, it's not just name, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesserAngel Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I guess I can understand the reason, but it just feels odd to rename a soldier and and their original name still be present in their combat history. As for face and gender selection, I can live with it, I can live without it, you couldn't change their appearance in UFO Defense afterall, though you can in EU. I do at least try to make their appearance match their nationality though, Helps increase the diversity of the squad... unless you're like me and both your snipers end up being Indian, so I made them brothers... And that's the fun part of getting to name your soldiers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrashMan Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 People get to be recognised for their contribution in EVERY single Xenonauts game that everybody is going to play. Allowing individual players to rename random soldiers in their own game isn't backing out of the promises made on kickstarter. Saying that renaming soldiers is immersion breaking is so very wrong on so many levels, naming soldiers after ourselves and others we know IS immersion plain and simple. If you have concerns about it being unrealistic why not just add a hire custom soldier button that lets you hire someone whose name and country you pick from the get go and they arrive as a rookie like any other hire. Look Chris, the only reason myself and others are bugging you on this is because it's something that I have little doubt a large amount of people would very much like to see in your game. That goes without saying. After all, it's not like it gives a player any realy advantage - the stats are as random as they always were. Technicly, we might get away with editing our savegame. I'm sure the portrait and name have to be stored in there somewhere. And that means they can be edited too. Unless the name isn't stored as a string, but a refference ID. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 So everyone would be happy if the line saying "soldier name" in tiny writing was removed from the Soldier Equip screen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesserAngel Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 So everyone would be happy if the line saying "soldier name" in tiny writing was removed from the Soldier Equip screen? That'd work for me, not sure about everyone else though, what with the nicknames and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceVamp Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I'd be happy if soldier name and callsign where separate, editable, fields. Errybody wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWP Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Being able to edit it - say, by holding the mouse button for a couple seconds, much like accepted in modern GUI - seems quite simple in terms of both implementation and minimal clutter to the UI. And immersion, you aren't reminded that you can edit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrashMan Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 I'd be happy if soldier name and callsign where separate, editable, fields. Errybody wins. Indeed. Failing that I will try editign save games. Because you know what isn't fun? Re-starting the game 20 times to get a guy who looks like your friend among the starting soldiers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheColonel Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Being able to edit it - say, by holding the mouse button for a couple seconds, much like accepted in modern GUI - seems quite simple in terms of both implementation and minimal clutter to the UI. And immersion, you aren't reminded that you can edit it. Seconded, click to edit is a good no mess no fuss way to edit names. Imagine if Xenonauts released without changeable names and all the live streamers out there couldn't name soldiers after their viewers. The horror! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 The callsign IS the name for all intents and purposes, as I said less than a page before. The actual soldier name is used nowhere in the game except in one small fluff text string on one screen. If we make both editable people are going to be complaining that they have to edit every soldier name twice, because if they just change the "name" then the soldier's callsign will still be his old name and that would look ridiculous. I'm genuinely surprised people find one tiny line of text so ridiculously immersion breaking that we're being asked to take it out of the game. I'm also going to have to think about whether I want users to be able to completely overwrite their soldier backgrounds given they can already rename their soldiers to whatever they please. Also, TrashMan, your last post makes no sense. Renaming your soldiers won't change whether they look like your friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesserAngel Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 The callsign IS the name for all intents and purposes, as I said less than a page before. The actual soldier name is used nowhere in the game except in one small fluff text string on one screen.If we make both editable people are going to be complaining that they have to edit every soldier name twice, because if they just change the "name" then the soldier's callsign will still be his old name and that would look ridiculous. I'm genuinely surprised people find one tiny line of text so ridiculously immersion breaking that we're being asked to take it out of the game. I'm also going to have to think about whether I want users to be able to completely overwrite their soldier backgrounds given they can already rename their soldiers to whatever they please. Also, TrashMan, your last post makes no sense. Renaming your soldiers won't change whether they look like your friends. I wont pretend it makes sense, but for whatever reason, it bugs me. >.> I guess because then the soldier ends up having two names, if you will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) If we make both editable people are going to be complaining that they have to edit every soldier name twice, because if they just change the "name" then the soldier's callsign will still be his old name and that would look ridiculous. No, no, no, there should be one name. One person, one name. Sometimes game characters come with pre-set backgrounds/names (Jagged Alliance, Witcher...), other times they're entirely player created (Icewind Dale) and in Xenonauts it's like these two philosophies are both squeezed into the same game and it's awkward. You said it didn't feel right that players should be able to truly change the name but you still added the editable callsign and it's supposed to be the name but then there's this "other name", it's just odd. And I say this while being fully aware that the assigned name appears only in the inventory screen. Best would be to remove the name string from personal data, maybe rename "personal data" into "background data/file", have the assigned names appear in the editable name bar and rename the "change callsign" button into "change name". Don't know how big of a problem it'd be to do it but I'm quite sure it would be preferred. Xenonauts isn't an rpg but the perspective players of this type of game can have of their soldiers can be very rpg-like. Edited October 18, 2012 by Jean-Luc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesserAngel Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) The best solution I see, is to just remove the name line from the soldier's personal data and rename the "change callsign' button to 'change name'. As for the people who payed to get their name in, it'll still show up as the default, you'd have to ask them if they're ok with that though. Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Whichever way it goes, I'll just have to live with it. Also, I think TrashMan is saying he wants the ability to actually change the soldier's face. I can live w/o that myself, but to each their own. Edited October 18, 2012 by LesserAngel Additional Info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheColonel Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 The callsign IS the name for all intents and purposes, as I said less than a page before. The actual soldier name is used nowhere in the game except in one small fluff text string on one screen.If we make both editable people are going to be complaining that they have to edit every soldier name twice, because if they just change the "name" then the soldier's callsign will still be his old name and that would look ridiculous. I'm genuinely surprised people find one tiny line of text so ridiculously immersion breaking that we're being asked to take it out of the game. I'm also going to have to think about whether I want users to be able to completely overwrite their soldier backgrounds given they can already rename their soldiers to whatever they please. Also, TrashMan, your last post makes no sense. Renaming your soldiers won't change whether they look like your friends. Chris, the more control you give players over the RPG aspects of their characters the better. Player defined names and backgrounds, while they might not seem like a big deal to you, for players out there who love these kinds of games it's an awesome feature to have. The first thing I would do if I could edit soldier names and background is name a soldier after my dad with the former unit being the army battalion he served in for years. Some may call it silly, but it's stuff like that which really separates a game from the rank and file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rp03ev Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 So we can't edit soldier faces or skin/hair color? Also this might sound stupid, but is it possible to add a small flag of that specific country next a soldier's nationality? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Templer Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 So we can't edit soldier faces or skin/hair color?Also this might sound stupid, but is it possible to add a small flag of that specific country next a soldier's nationality? I would not use the edit feature at all. You get the soldiers you get - period! But I like the proposal to the national flags very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrashMan Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 To each his own. I would adore to abiltiy to change portrait and name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rp03ev Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) Ya really hope they add the national flags feature. I mean something even really basic like the ability to change skin and hair color would go a long way as well. Is call sign same as nicknames? Also, how did you guys get that Premium Preorder stamp under your username? I just bought the premium preorder and downloading the game but its not showing up under my username here. Really hope it doesn't cause a mix up when they do the final release. Edited October 18, 2012 by rp03ev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Templer Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Also, how did you guys get that Premium Preorder stamp under your username? I just bought the premium preorder and downloading the game but its not showing up under my username here. Really hope it doesn't cause a mix up when they do the final release. Check this: http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/showthread.php/145-How-to-claim-your-Pre-Order-forum-badge%21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Sorry, was a bit tired and annoyed when I wrote my last post. I'll have another think about this later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shuichi Niwa Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) Since now we have the "Role system" and the symbol and everything I think it's enough for just one name. However, two different names at the same time is indeed immersion-breaking. Can't name a soldier after me "Shuichi Niwa" while there's his real name "Aluf Mukhavatov" still in the game without losing immersion feeling... make us feels like poser. Only one name, and editable is simplest and great. Those who want to use nickname instead of real name are able to do so, or just insert the nickname between ~ Personal, I still enjoy both real name and callsign editable. Real name would be the name I want for that soldier, and callsign would be something cool like "Skull Leader", "Storm Vanguard", etc... Edited October 18, 2012 by Shuichi Niwa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoMask Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) You were talking about whether callsigns should be separate from names? I actually think they should be because I find renaming soldiers when I want to nickname them annoying Because seriously, whose name is... Eh, can't figure out good example now, but you see what stuff players name their units. Edited October 18, 2012 by XenoMask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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