Short/Nickname Option When Creating Character

[Riokushinaku]

Hey there. I was wanting to suggest adding an extra field in the name section of the character creation. This would allow people the opportunity to give their character a full name, but a short name for non-formal/familiar people and situations. For instance, I wanted to name my character Christopher Steele. While sounding very nice to me, it feels awkward when I become familiar with someone. Then they are still calling me Christopher, instead of Chris. Its a little suggestion, with much more work than just adding another name field (I know ).

However, I feel it would really add to the immersion factor for some players. I know that it would require changes in the character name code, and it could get complicated. If you want to simplify it, compared to coding all characters to switch from formal to familiar name at a specific point in time, you could do a small rewrite to the "character name" code. You could have it set to "character name" by default and for the formal name, then have it change "character name" to "familiar name" in all their dialogues once the player chooses to ask a specific character to call them by their "familiar name"

After the basic "switch all "character name" to "familiar name" at request" code is put in, you could build on that, if you so choose. You could write in an introduction button to all first time encounters, or other encounters where a name is given or requested, to allow the player to request that character call them by their formal or familiar name. Then, after that has passed, the player can ask them to call them by their formal or familiar name down the line. For instance, my character introduces himself as Christopher to an unfamiliar character. Then, once he becomes familiar with them, he could ask them to call him by his familiar name. Or, if a relationship becomes more romantic, or sours, he could asks them to call him by his formal name. Depending on the whim of the player.

I know its a small suggestion, with more work to implement than it sounds. However, I really think it would add that special little bit of immersion, that some players want in their experience with the game.

Thank you, to anyone who reads this suggestion. I hope it can make it into the game someday.
~Rio

 

[Kesil]

As interesting as this idea is, I suspect you haven't read the "What the Idea Subforum Is For" thread. Things you'd like to see yet you can't or won't work at go on the "What content would you like added?" thread.

 

[Riokushinaku]

I read it, but I figured it was just sarcasm. Oh well.

 

[Dark67titan]

I read it, but I figured it was just sarcasm. Oh well.

it was not sarcasm

 

[Lana Stephen]

Try considering the appearance tab for this idea instead of character creation. You can set it as a toggle like how you set wings and your preferred gender as well as give players a place to change it at any point if they ever have reason to, such as a change in gender (imagine running around having decided to transform yourself into the most beautiful girl in the galaxy and introducing yourself as Dave), to better match the naming conventions of their new species, a character they like uses a nickname and they want to start going by that instead, etc.... It would be hard to make a change for every character to add scenes where you ask them to use your nickname or going through and adding flags to determine which name to use when, but telling the game that you want to introduce yourself as Chris instead of Christopher and to let characters you've met know if you decide to change that would probably be reasonably doable. I think various emails like ones from different companies and advertisements should probably use your real name as well as story events, but other than that NPCs still recognize you when you suddenly show up as a flashy, opposite gendered herm taur so I think sudden name changes should be fine.

Try checking the submissions tab to see how you would make this, cause I don't think it would be too hard to start writing.

 

[Savin]

This is one of those things that, had it been suggested when the game was in planning, might have gotten added. As it stands now, however, someone would need to go through the entire game and look at every single instance of [pc.name] and make a contextual judgement call of whether to use the full or shortened name. As we're several million words in at this point, I think we can safely say that's too much work for no gain.

Just save edit your character's name to Chris.

 

[Lana Stephen]

This is one of those things that, had it been suggested when the game was in planning, might have gotten added. As it stands now, however, someone would need to go through the entire game and look at every single instance of [pc.name] and make a contextual judgement call of whether to use the full or shortened name. As we're several million words in at this point, I think we can safely say that's too much work for no gain.

Just save edit your character's name to Chris.

Not if [pc.name] is used for your nickname, because then all you need to do is add a new parser for the PC's birth name in case it needs to be used. You could alternatively just let players get a strait up name change considering how they can become an entirely different person throughout the game. I think Penny mentioned her friend did that after using mods, so there is a precedent to such a thing in universe.

 

[Evil]

Consider this: how much work would have to go into altering the parser or elements of the code for something that is essentially a vanity.

As Savin said, that could have been something added in the early days of the game's development, but now its too much retrofitting to fit or work.