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Another reason it's pretty nice to have some unique names for classes of items, like 'Malkuth' or 'Voltaic' or whatever is that it makes it easier to be less ambiguous when talking about fits and modules to others. E.g. one could say "if you're low on CPU use Malkuths' and it's immediately clear that this is about changing out missile launchers. IF items had these creative, interesting and sci-fi-y components in their names ALONG with meta level identifiers, we would have something that's both easy to use in conversation, adds flavor and depth to the game, and is user-friendly.

FFS there are some really great ideas out there offered by players already, in this thread even for convenience. People care about the game they play! They want to see it grow and blossom rather than be painted with a generic easy on the eye color. Also, players aren't dumb, they can come up with excellent ideas that are very worth seriously considering. You're not making a playset for children where you think you know better. Your playerbase has a fairly significant portion of intelligent adults who are capable of creative and critical thinking. To not make use of this resource that, I'll bet, knows the game better and knows what works better than CCP Gnauton (and many other devs, tbh) is just not very smart. These are literally free ideas, hell, people even PAY to submit them by paying subscription fees. Not making use of it is dumb.

I'm no longer a new player, but I remember what being a new player was like. Yes, it was obscure what items were better than others, so in part I am in favor of a naming convention that streamlines this.

However, I also remember the first time I found a Phased Weapon Navigation Array Generation Extron and thought. "WTF is that? What a cool name!". And then I saw that the acronym for this was PWNAGE and I had a "I <3 CCP" moment.

Names like this are like graphics... no they don't ultimately change the complexity of the game, but they change the feel, the atmosphere, the impressions you get while playing it. The PWNAGE target painter seems like a very special sort of item. More Better Target Painter does not.

I think there's an opportunity for a win-win here, where CCP could easily introduce a convention that more clearly conveys meta-level and keeps the flare. I very much hope that CCP will read all this feedback and realize that new players don't just want simple. I was a new player once too, and just because I'm not any longer doesn't mean I don't remember some of the things that made me fall in love with eve.

Sovai

A couple of things I like and a couple I don't.

1. I like the hardwiring naming scheme for the most part, but it still leaves something to be desired. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it might have to do with the way the percent is displayed with other numbers. I'm not sure a newb would easily figure that out.

2. The launcher names actually make sense apart from the Light Missile Array. Maybe something like "Expanded Light Missile Launcher" or "Retro-fit Light Missile Launcher" or something similar.

3. I think in general, the new naming schemes are a bit robotic, for lack of a better word. It sounds to me like you're going to throw all the module data into a script and have it spit back the new names that comply to a rigid naming set. One of the interesting things in eve is that every NPC race and corporation has a "Market Activities" tab in the info window that shows what they produce. It makes sense to me that they would all use different and unique naming schemes for the items they produce. And by procedurally creating names totally strips them of that bit of flavor.

4. Suggestion - Add a tool tip (mouse-over) to the blue info icon that shows a condensed version of the item's stats. So, say, for missiles it would display the damage type, damage amount, and base flight time and speed. Launchers would display meta level and rate of fire. Turrets, metal level, damage mod, tracking, optimal and falloff. That way you wouldn't have to bring up the info window every time you wanted to check the important stats.

5. Meta 1 & 2 and meta 3 & 4 should be swapped. So meta 1 would be limited, 2 would be improved, 3 would be prototype, 4 would be experimental. Makes more sense to me anyway. Also, it might be a good idea to find a different word for either prototype or experimental as they seem to be pretty close in meaning, as some have stated before in this thread.

Fake Edit: Reading in the last 10 posts, I see Nova Fox came up with a good scheme for the meta levels that I like more than my suggestion =)

I'm all for the renaming, i no it suxs for ppl that have to redo DB/spreads but it needs doing.

Should have been cleaned up years ago.

How was it ever sensible to have the same name (Prototype) for Meta 4 railguns as Meta 3 projectiles, and Meta 4 projectiles (Scout) as Meta 2 rails. Similarly with lasers and blasters.

Still means the relevent skills for firing light missiles are called standard missiles.

I don't particularly like this - you're killing something that made items feel 'unique' for orthogonality. Orthogonality isn't fun. Orthogonality doesn't have a back-story. Orthogonality makes the names meaningless.

Come up with a better market search function, not worse names.

On one hand, I am going to miss the easy market searches for single items - "3200" being sufficient to uniquely pull meta 3 heavy launchers, say. On the other, I remember just how much easier this would have made my early days, and I sort of have to approve of it.

Also, anyone complaining about "dumbing down" the game is stupid. When they remove tracking or sovereignty, then you can complain about the game being simplified. But having a mountain of unique names for obscure modules helps nobody. It's not interesting, it's merely difficulty for the sake of difficulty. I may enjoy it, because I've been playing this game for five years and have a good memory for obscure trivia, but I know perfectly well that I am not a normal player, and that the normal ones will find this convenient. Hell, in six months I probably will too.

Is there a way to keep both the lore names and the usable names in the db? Tags, perhaps, or a new field?

I admit, it will be a usability win, even for a veteran player, to be able to tell meta level at a glance. The same for hardwirings. However, there are a couple of key named modules (Pseudoelectron Containment Field comes to mind) that I know the name of the module but not the meta level. If you completely delete the current name from the game, that's a step back in usability for veteran players.

Finally, if I can't use P.W.N.A.G.E. why am I even fitting paint? ;)

CCP, the hardwirings really need this, just don't change the TPs. Now as for missiles; NO, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Now, Please rename all trauma missiles to Scourge, for i miss my scourge.

Yeah, I'm with you there. It's a little disappointing - now we have to unlearn what we have learned - but I appreciate how impenetrable and confusing it is for the newcomer. However, the flavour and character doesn't need to be lost, as I mentioned in an earlier comment, reference to original names could be preserved in the item descriptions.

One point of order: trauma isn't a medical condition, it's a descriptive term for damage caused by blunt force, as opposed to piercing and slicing (incision) and tearing (laceration & avulsion) and grazing (abrasion). Admittedly, these are all very biologically-themed, but given that a capsuleer is his ship anyway, I think "trauma" works.