Naming a roguelike
Chris Morris
So, I'm working on a roguelike, and I have no idea what to call
it. It's not important right now, but if/when it gets to a releasable
stage it'll need a better name than ./roguelike
What methods does everyone else use to find names for their projects?
--
Chris
The Sheep
Chris Morris wrote:
You usually name it after it's contents, theme, unique features, etc.
Unless it's an engine, then you'd need to focus on words like 'generic',
'ultimate', etc. :)
--
Radomir `The Sheep' Dopieralski @**@_
(><) 3 Ouch!
. . . ..v.vVvVVvVvv.v.. .
Chris Morris
> Chris Morris wrote:
> > So, I'm working on a roguelike, and I have no idea what to call
> > it. It's not important right now, but if/when it gets to a releasable
> > stage it'll need a better name than ./roguelike
> >
> > What methods does everyone else use to find names for their projects?
>
> You usually name it after it's contents, theme, unique features, etc.
I tried that once. I discovered that not one but two other roguelikes
had already taken that name, for entirely different reasons. ;)
The problem I'm having with that is that the first release will only
be the first 'chapter' of the game, which I intend to be (once the
game expands beyond that) a substitute for the class/equipment
selection screens of traditional roguelikes.
Still, I can always call release 1 'Foo: prologue' or something.
--
Chris
Jim Strathmeyer
> Still, I can always call release 1 'Foo: prologue' or something.
Why does the first one have to be the prologue? Why can't the first one
be the real game, and the following one sequals?
They don't even have to be tied together, really, since you're assumably
learning as you go. I'm chopping my game down into a small size for my
first release, and it's pretty much a completely different game than I
plan on releasing in the future.
--
Jim Strathmeyer
Krice
> Still, I can always call release 1 'Foo: prologue' or something.
Just think of some random name for the realm. Like Kaduria or
Moria. The module I was (am?) planning to make for H-World was
called Gates Of Agduria. You know, there is a magical gate..:)
It could also be Caves Of 'Something', or whatever.
In this case it could first be the realm, then something which
is encountered in the episode: Realm - The Castle Of Moon.
Eh.. This is getting even better:)
Gerry Quinn
says...
Not talking about roguelikes soecifically, but I tend to start with a
working title, typically something boring like 'CellGame'. For example
my game 'Chomp' ( http://bindweed.com ) started off as 'GroupGame'.
The problem is that sometimes the original name takes on a life of its
own. I'm doing a puzzle/maze game now which has monsters, and I can't
stop thinking of them by the names I gave them in a burst of
imaginative inspiration in which the plot was quite different.
If you are doing a roguelike with a gloomy theme, here's a name I
thought up recently: "Downer".
- Gerry Quinn
R. Dan Henry
>Chris Morris wrote:
>> Still, I can always call release 1 'Foo: prologue' or something.
>
>Just think of some random name for the realm. Like Kaduria or
>Moria.
Moria wasn't named randomly. Moria, the roguelike, is set in Moria,
the place in Middle-Earth. So, that's "based on content". But, yes,
just naming it after the place and making up a name works.
--
R. Dan Henry = danh...@inreach.com
R. Dan Henry
wrote:
So, tell me about your game. But until then, here's some generic
ideas:
Morrisland
Dungeon Jog
Game: the Roguelike
Killing and Looting
YARG (Yet Another Roguelike Game)
Swords and Magic (nicely shortens to S&M)
Play This!
Rascal*
Knave*
Scoundrel*
Scalawag*
Rapscallion*
* - synonyms of "Rogue"
NIm
The Sheep wrote:
> At 26 Jul 2005 12:13:49 +0100,
> Chris Morris wrote:
>
> > So, I'm working on a roguelike, and I have no idea what to call
> > it. It's not important right now, but if/when it gets to a releasable
> > stage it'll need a better name than ./roguelike
> >
> > What methods does everyone else use to find names for their projects?
>
> You usually name it after it's contents, theme, unique features, etc.
> Unless it's an engine, then you'd need to focus on words like 'generic',
> 'ultimate', etc. :)
if you were inclined to be really obnoxious, you could make your
./configure script change a preprocesssor command, and give it a
different name every time you compiled. That would be cool:)
Antoine
One suggestion: Before you fix on a title, google it. Make sure the
name isn't already taken.
A.
Chris Morris
Absolutely. The last time I thought of a good name it turned out *two*
other roguelike projects had thought of it. Admittedly both appeared
to be 5 years dead at the time, so I could probably have got away with
it...
--
Chris
Chris Morris
> On 26 Jul 2005 12:13:49 +0100, Chris Morris <c.i.m...@durham.ac.uk>
> wrote:
> >So, I'm working on a roguelike, and I have no idea what to call
> >it. It's not important right now, but if/when it gets to a releasable
> >stage it'll need a better name than ./roguelike
> >
> >What methods does everyone else use to find names for their projects?
>
> So, tell me about your game. But until then, here's some generic
> ideas:
The first part has you fleeing from a valley attacked by chaos,
through the cave systems that (as you find out) connect it to other
valleys.
Each valley has its own settlement in it, and then you do some quests
and unite these villages to repel chaos.
I'm leaning towards naming it after the setting in some way, though.
> * - synonyms of "Rogue"
*grin*
--
Chris
ga...@dsdata.it
Chris Morris wrote:
> The first part has you fleeing from a valley attacked by chaos,
> through the cave systems that (as you find out) connect it to other
> valleys.
> Each valley has its own settlement in it, and then you do some quests
> and unite these villages to repel chaos.
> I'm leaning towards naming it after the setting in some way, though.
Naming the game after the distinctive setting is good, but please
describe it in less generic terms:
What is the prevalent terrain, outdoors (Mountains of Doom, Lord of the
Mountain, Chaos Valley, AlpineQuest), cave systems (Caves of Foobar,
Under the Mountain, Tunnel Mayhem, Subterranean War), or mixed (Beneath
the Valley of Foobar, Secret of the Mountains)?
What are the important enemies (Goblin Exterminator, Trolling for
Trolls, Demons of the Heights) and friends (Dwarves of Foobar,
EagleMaster)?
Are there important and peculiar game or setting features
(Speleokiller, Village Diplomacy, Snowbound Armies)?
Lorenzo Gatti
Chris Morris
> Chris Morris wrote:
> > The first part has you fleeing from a valley attacked by chaos,
> > through the cave systems that (as you find out) connect it to other
> > valleys.
> > Each valley has its own settlement in it, and then you do some quests
> > and unite these villages to repel chaos.
> > I'm leaning towards naming it after the setting in some way, though.
>
> Naming the game after the distinctive setting is good, but please
> describe it in less generic terms:
Ah, this is the problem. So far I have one level, which is the bit you
run away from. The exact setting won't be clear even to me until I've
put a fair bit more of it in. I know where it's supposed to end up
eventually when it's "finished". I also know that to get that far will
take several years and I'm not too concerned if it never happens - it
will be playable and hopefully fun (and hopefully not obviously
unfinished to anyone but me) long before then.
> [snip list of good names and things to base names off]
Thanks for the ideas.
I suppose what I should really do is stop procrastinating about the
name and develop enough of the program for the name to be obvious. :)
--
Chris
Jeff Lait
Or, you could always suffer a brief bout of dyslexia and use synonyms
of "Rouge" like I did :>
--
Jeff Lait
(POWDER: http://www.zincland.com/powder)
R. Dan Henry
wrote:
>R. Dan Henry <danh...@inreach.com> writes:
>> On 26 Jul 2005 12:13:49 +0100, Chris Morris <c.i.m...@durham.ac.uk>
>> wrote:
>> >So, I'm working on a roguelike, and I have no idea what to call
>> >it. It's not important right now, but if/when it gets to a releasable
>> >stage it'll need a better name than ./roguelike
>> >
>> >What methods does everyone else use to find names for their projects?
>>
>> So, tell me about your game. But until then, here's some generic
>> ideas:
>
>The first part has you fleeing from a valley attacked by chaos,
>through the cave systems that (as you find out) connect it to other
>valleys.
Out of the Valley
Chaos Valley
Cave Network
Tunnels of Travel
Tunnel Trot
>Each valley has its own settlement in it, and then you do some quests
>and unite these villages to repel chaos.
Chaos War
Chaos Battle
United We Stand
Valley Quest
Villagers
Ally Quest
Unification
>I'm leaning towards naming it after the setting in some way, though.
Valley-Cave-Place!
Chaosland
Okay, I like my generics better. But then, you really didn't give me
much to go on.
DarkGod
> R. Dan Henry wrote:
>> Swords and Magic (nicely shortens to S&M)
This one gets my vote :)
Gobleteer
Kaleth
> The first part has you fleeing from a valley attacked by chaos,
> through the cave systems that (as you find out) connect it to other
> valleys.
Uh... Escape from the Chaos (mountain) Range?
> Each valley has its own settlement in it, and then you do some quests
> and unite these villages to repel chaos.
Mmh... The way of the Conqueror?
> I'm leaning towards naming it after the setting in some way, though.
So... The mighty adventures of @ in the land of tunnels and
valleys! ;)
--
Kaleth, writing from a realm deep into the mountains...
Kornel Kisielewicz
> On 26 Jul 2005 12:13:49 +0100, Chris Morris <c.i.m...@durham.ac.uk>
> wrote:
>
>
>>So, I'm working on a roguelike, and I have no idea what to call
>>it. It's not important right now, but if/when it gets to a releasable
>>stage it'll need a better name than ./roguelike
>>
>>What methods does everyone else use to find names for their projects?
>
>
> So, tell me about your game. But until then, here's some generic
> ideas:
>
> Morrisland
> Dungeon Jog
> Game: the Roguelike
> Killing and Looting
> YARG (Yet Another Roguelike Game)
This one was used already by the Sheep ^_^
--
At your service,
Kornel Kisielewicz (charonATmagma-net.pl) [http://chaos.magma-net.pl]
"The development cycle for roguelikes never ends..." -- Joseph
Hewitt
R. Dan Henry
<kisie...@gazeta.pl> wrote:
>R. Dan Henry wrote:
>> YARG (Yet Another Roguelike Game)
>
>This one was used already by the Sheep ^_^
Oops.