Topic: What Shipname descriptions do you use?

[Atrahasis]

The standard SFB/SFC shipname description is usually 2-4 letters, like CA or BC or DD or whatnot. However, with some shiplist variations I've made, I use the names of the actual ships themselves, like F-Ent for an Enterprise-class ship. I've found this to be useful because if this class gets small upgrades down the road, I can just add a "+" or even a "-1". For example, the first subtype of this class would be called "F-Ent-1" which uses only 5 characters not inlcuding the "F". The shipname descriptions can handle up to 6 characters. I've found this system to be especially useful to decribe FASA ships, which almost always have 3-5 or even more sub-type variations. So, for example, a Mark I Loknar would be "F-Lok-1", a Mark 2 would be "F-Lok-2", etc.

What system do you use?

[Captain Ron]

Depends...

On some types the more generic ones I use
* (race) xx (class) vvv (era) #(number, like  if more than one it can be a colour too like in your stormbirds)

for customs it is more of a
* (race) n (name of ship)

some times for a custom I convert to a more generic version
*(race) xx (class) n (name) vvv (era, because i have been know to covert them a bit)

[Atrahasis]

BTW, come support my effort to add something new to the game via a new patch, at the General Forum. Read my post and see if you agree, and feel free to support.

http://208.57.228.4/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=188547&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=&vc=

[ActiveX]

I'm still developing my system...

Does anyone know if you can edit the tags that represent a vessel's class in a hex in the Dyna?

Like you see a lil blue CA in the hex next to you, know if that can be changed?

To add more maybe?

[Captain Ron]

A year or two ago I could have answered you for sure Active X. Unfort I have not played with anything but the models used in Single player now for over 2 years. I do not believe that it can be done as the blue is in the game code if I remember right.

[ActiveX]

No no...hehe...

Im talking about expanding the BB, DN, CA, CL, FF, monikers to include others...

Like DD, BCH, FB, etc...

Im not worried about color...

[Clark Kent]

As long as we're on this topic, I never did figure out how to make ships I add to the game show up in campaign mode, or simply to show up in the vessel library properly, or show a name other than ???.  Is there an easy way to do this?
CK

[Rogue]

Quote:
As long as we're on this topic, I never did figure out how to make ships I add to the game show up in campaign mode, or simply to show up in the vessel library properly, or show a name other than ???.  Is there an easy way to do this?
CK  

To get your ships to show up in campaign mode you have to copy the shiplist you want to use into the MetaAssets folder. That contains the Shiplist that is used for campaign play. Skirmish has its own seperate Shiplist in the specs folder.

The files you want for ship names are found in the strings folder. Shipnames.txt lists the names to draw upon during a battle. Strings.txt contains the names of the vessels in the vessel library. However these are incoded in hex and you will have to get a copy from someone who has converted them to text files. You can find an unmodded version with a little effort by searching the forum or Google. Or one of us would be happy to forward you a copy. Once you get a copy or if you know how to convert the original from hex to text you can see the format they use in those files. Pretty easy to figure out.  

[Clark Kent]

Quote:

Quote:
As long as we're on this topic, I never did figure out how to make ships I add to the game show up in campaign mode, or simply to show up in the vessel library properly, or show a name other than ???.  Is there an easy way to do this?
CK  

To get your ships to show up in campaign mode you have to copy the shiplist you want to use into the MetaAssets folder. That contains the Shiplist that is used for campaign play. Skirmish has its own seperate Shiplist in the specs folder.

The files you want for ship names are found in the strings folder. Shipnames.txt lists the names to draw upon during a battle. Strings.txt contains the names of the vessels in the vessel library. However these are incoded in hex and you will have to get a copy from someone who has converted them to text files. You can find an unmodded version with a little effort by searching the forum or Google. Or one of us would be happy to forward you a copy. Once you get a copy or if you know how to convert the original from hex to text you can see the format they use in those files. Pretty easy to figure out.  

Thanks, doesn't sound too difficult.  I don't think I have convert from hex format, since I don't even know what it is.  If someone could forward a version for me, that would be great, but I don't know how to convert it back to hex.
CK

[Core]

whell i found out that sfcop can suport very long desegnations not shure abult sfc or sfc3 for exapel ive used the origenal names from the clases and it worcked like EXCALIBUR SOVERING PREMENITIONS you get the pic  

[Parislord]

 For my multi-era mod, I like to use the std. naval tags for the TOS ships (CA, DD, etc.) since all ships are classified "Starship class" in cannon TOS, and specific class names for TMP-era and beyond (Enterprise class, Excelsior class, Galaxy class, etc.).  I use five eras tied to given date ranges: TOS, TMP, TMG (transitional TMP/TNG), TNG and PV (Post Voyager)...  

[Atrahasis]

The standard naval tags are very limited though, especially when you have many destroyer or light cruiser classes for instance, and across different eras.  

[Parislord]

That's because those designations are not intended to represent discreet class types, but hull types (cruiser, destroyer, battleship).  Strandard naval class designations are given via hull number (LHD-1 class, CVN-65 class, etc.).  Thus LPD -6  (USS Duluth) is actually an LPD-4 (Austin) class Landing Platform Dock AWS.

[cap'nzack]

For the Federation, I usually do a two letter prefix dependent on class (CA for cruiser, FH for heavy frigate, DD for destroyer, etc) and two numbers for year of introduction.  So for example the Constitution class would be CA-45, and the enterprise (TMP) refit would be CA-71.  Works well for me.
As for the klinks and roms, I do a standard letter number combo, with suffix letters to indicate upgrades, i.e. D-7, D-7(D) for the drone cruiser, D-7(D)A for a drone cruiser upgrade and so forth.  

[cap'nzack]

As an example, here are all the federation cruisers in my current shiplist;
CA-45 Constitution Class CA
CA-60 BonHomme Richard Class CA
CA-65 Archner Class CA
CA-70 Constitution II Class CA
CA-71 Enterprise Class CA
CA(D)-73 Endeavour Class Drone CA
CA(D)-80 Tikopai Class Drone CA
CA-93 Constellation Class CA

It seems like a logical progression.
 

[Atrahasis]

Quote:
As an example, here are all the federation cruisers in my current shiplist;
CA-45 Constitution Class CA
CA-60 BonHomme Richard Class CA
CA-65 Archner Class CA
CA-70 Constitution II Class CA
CA-71 Enterprise Class CA
CA(D)-73 Endeavour Class Drone CA
CA(D)-80 Tikopai Class Drone CA
CA-93 Constellation Class CA

It seems like a logical progression.
   

Hmmmm now that's interesting.  

[cap'nzack]

Frigates and heavy frigates;

FF-60 Burke Class FF
FF(D)-64 Locknar Class Drone Frigate
FF-73 Okinawa Class FF
FF(E)-74 Knox Class Escort FF
FH-58 Surya Class FH
FH-68 Coventry Class FH
FH-73 Avenger Class FH (as a side note, I have the Avenger and Miranda class CL  being developed concurrently, the Avenger class being combat heavy and the Miranda being multi-purpose.  As an example I have the roll bar weaponry on the Avenger being 2x2 Phg2 and the mirand being 2x2 ph3, all on the FARA firing arc)
FH-83 Soyuz Class FH (this was a toughie, looking at the ship I always wondered what those outrigger pods were, in my mind they make perfect Ph-A's and Ph-B's.  I have my soyuz being a combat oriented phaser only ship thats kind of an energy hog.  By the way, Atrahasis, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make this one!  It would be beyond awesome I'm sure!)
Thats it, I see frigates as sort of disappearing by the early 24th century as starfleet moves to larger, multi-functional ships like the excelsior and the ambassador classes.


 

[Steelviper33]

Heres what i do:

F-Constitution
F-Constitution+
F-Constitution2
R-Sineae
K-Vor'Cha

but i do think im gonna change it to something like this:

F-CH-Constitution
F-CH-Constitution+
F-CH-Constitution2
R-FF-Sineae
K-BC-Vor'Cha
E-1-Scimitar
E-BB-Scimitar

(E = Whatever Prime's prefix is)
(1 = Unique Ship ; My BB Scimitar is a very dumbed-down version)

[Atrahasis]

It certainly would be great if we could use as many letters as we want for the ship descriptions, but the fact is that it's better if you can keep them 4 letters or under, because the little ship ID bar in-game does not display more than 4 letters. So if all your Heavy Cruisers are called F-CH-XXX that little in-game bare doe snot tell you much. However, Zack has an interetsing method......you can know the type, and how modern a ship is, and allow for infinite variants (assuming there's no more than one variant introduced in a given year, but that's a safe assumption to make)......moreover it gets all that info in 4 characters, maybe 5 for special ship types. I like it!

[cap'nzack]

What I do as far as variants is as follows, here are all my varitations for the Miranda class CL
CL-73 Miranda Class CL
CL(D)-73 Miranda Class Drone CL
CL(T)-73 Miranda Class Troop transport
CL(M)-73 Miranda Class Minelayer

It seems pretty cool to me, I mean, no navy introduces 2 hull types in the same class in the same year, so it works nicely, plus it seems very 'offical' to me, as the U.S. navy, which I assume starfleet is based upon uses a similar system, with hull numbers being used instead of introduction year.