The Return of Alien Name Suggestion

[Butterrobber202]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): I know this has been suggested ALOT, but I'm doing it again. Let Aliens choose their own Names, via a NameChange Box when they spawn as a Larvae. Once it is set they are unable to change it, if you spawn INTO a Braindead Larvae you can change the name.

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole): Make alien players more than just numbers, it would help Aliens just remember and be buddies together like the Marines can.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc): When you spawn as an Alien Larva you get the 'Change your Name to this' Box with 'Once you set your name it can not be changed, abuse of this will result in a name change and/or Punishment, use it correctly.' And, once you did do it, the resulting name change would be displayed as

Larva(Name) says, 'Hail the Queen!'

---

OR

---

Name(Larva) says, 'Hail the Queen!'

The Rules for this would also state that the name needs to be somewhat Alien related or Alien-Like in nature. 'Zyaz' 'Zero' 'Scales' or other weird Xeno words.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it): Code? I'd think.

[Casany]

The reason it's been denied so much is that Apop has said many times that the aliens are a hivemind, so therefore they can't have individual names, since they have no free will whatsoever

[Toroic]

The reason it's been denied so much is that Apop has said many times that the aliens are a hivemind, so therefore they can't have individual names, since they have no free will whatsoever

While apop has said this, lore wise xenos have differing personalities and intelligence, they are simply forced to obey due to the queen's psionic power when one emerges. Before that point, they work together like any pack animal would.

So xenos are individuals connected by telepathy and enslaved to the queen's will, and thus would have some way of identifying one another.

From a gameplay perspective, xenos players knowing each other makes the game more fun and also makes them more effective as a unit as they can trust known allies more. Xeno nicknames/names/unique identifiers would reduce toxicity, retain more players playing xeno, and make it easier to ahelp problems.

The upsides exceed the downsides.

[Boltersam]

While apop has said this, lore wise xenos have differing personalities and intelligence.

Would Grid be an example? Poor Grid, everyone makes fun of his scars.

But yeah, there aren't just gameplay benefits. Xeno players applying for Staff or Predator, expect many comments like "Never seen you ingame, -1." If Xenos can be recognised as individuals, it'll at least improve their chances, and ingame we can differentiate between them.

A popular argument in the past was that Xenos the Queen likes best will get Jelly first. So what? It's not like attachments, it won't run out. There's always enough for everybody.

+1.

[Iatots]

+1

But since proper names or nicknames might be off, why not have all xenos spawn numbered 800+n, where n is the number of xenos already present, and let them pick a 3-digit alphanumerical code? You could recognize regulars that go by a fixed number and shitters that go 001, 007, 777 or HHH at first glance.

[YungCuz]

I mean who wouldn't want a better way to identify each other? +1

[Steelpoint]

Most names given to Aliens in any media are from a OOC perspective, I don't recall any Alien being given a name from a IC perspective in any movie or other media.

However. The Hivemind is described as a English translation of the Aliens communications, since we have no basis to compare a unknown hivemind communication method.

It would make sense that there would be some form of individual identification method in this hive mind, especially since in many video games featuring Aliens the player character is singled out specifically due to their above average intelligence and combat prowess.

The hivemind is less a direct form of control and more of a loose method of control The Queen sets its underlings specific tasks and the underlings execute this task as best as they individually can.

But the main issue here is do the developers think a Alien with a unique name is a fine method of differentiating a Alien, or one with just a unique RNG number? The latter seems more likely.

[Boltersam]

But the main issue here is do the developers think a Alien with a unique name is a fine method of differentiating a Alien, or one with just a unique RNG number? The latter seems more likely.

This made me chuckle. Not because it's a bad idea, but that every Xeno will try to get (666) as their number.

[Sailor Dave]

I've been a strong supporter of this suggestion for a long time, but it's such a contested problem that, at this point, I can't imagine it being implemented in this way. Names are clearly too hot an issue, so there needs to be other suggestions for identification.

[Whistle]

the player character is singled out specifically due to their above average intelligence and combat prowess.

White listing xeno names?.

[outordinary]

Would Grid be an example? Poor Grid, everyone makes fun of his scars.

But yeah, there aren't just gameplay benefits. Xeno players applying for Staff or Predator, expect many comments like "Never seen you ingame, -1." If Xenos can be recognised as individuals, it'll at least improve their chances, and ingame we can differentiate between them.

A popular argument in the past was that Xenos the Queen likes best will get Jelly first. So what? It's not like attachments, it won't run out. There's always enough for everybody.

+1.

Even if I don't have interest in being a predator, this so much. Like it doesn't even have to be a nickname, it can be just any type of unique identifier to add some substance into the alien side.

[BalancedGeneral]

+1

Would lead to Xenos speshulh snowflakes like marine ones, thus hopefully fixing the 'tons of larva but aliens suck so no one plays them' problem

[Snypehunter007]

This has been denied for now I believe.

Asking this to be locked.