Matrix Games Forums

Okay, so this has gone from a crappy little program to a full-fledged shipname manipulator project. The end result of which will be a huge compilation of shipnames, by class, randomized, with different common prefixes/suffixes. I'll also release the program I use to do this in order to let you guys manipulate your own shipnames. This may also expand into a general file manipulation program, but I make no promises.

I'm a Software Engineer IRL, so I don't have a ton of time. Mostly just bored and needed a side-project. Anyway, feel free to make suggestions, or suggest other files you commonly manipulate while modding that would be more convenient to do via program

Current Features:
-Add Prefixes en mass to names in shipNames.txt
-Add Suffixes en mass to names in shipNames.txt
-Differentiates between ship classes, allowing you to modify the prefixes/suffixes of only a single class (For example, if you like to have something like DD- [Ship Name] for all of your destroyers).

Planned Features:
-Shuffle Shipnames
-GUI
-Maybe support for other files (like races.txt, or other) as a general "Mod tool"

What I need:
-Suggestions
-Tons of shipnames, by class. Does not have to be a working shipNames.txt file

Example output file using Sharks's Royal Navy ship names as an input, P as a prefix and S as a suffix:

It sounds potentially useful. One of my minor gripes is not knowing what kind of ship a message is about when some alert goes off.

Is it a cruiser, carrier, capital, explorer, freighter, construction ship... ?

I would be tempted to:

Escort: Abelia (escort), Acanthus (escort), Aconit (escort), Alisma (escort)
Frigate: Affleck (frigate), Aylmer (frigate), Balfour (frigate), Bentinck (frigate)

Btw, I am allowed to post links too

If you really wanted to do it by type I'd suggest:

FFL = Escort
FF = Frigate
DD = Destroyer
CC = Cruiser
BB = Capital
CV = Carrier

So if would become FFL Abelia, or FF Affleck, etc

Streamlined the program a little bit to be more legible (for when I can post a link to the source.

A question for anyone who's interested: Would an option for a default "bleed through" prefix/suffix be useful?

FOR EXAMPLE, the following is example output using Shark's shipnames with HMS set as a prefix, while also using class specific suffixes listed above. Ship classes that are not supplied a suffix don't get one in this case. Would it be useful for you to have an option that applies a "default" prefix (that you can specify) that would get applied to classes without a specific prefix?

In response to Bingeling, the current functionality supports doing that (see above example output), but only so long as you supply enough names such that you never run out. Otherwise, it'll go to default name generation without prefixes/suffixes.

Also, just had another idea. I've often wanted to merge a bunch of shipname mods. My problem is, unless I hand-randomize them, I'll only ever see the names from one mod, until I make a ton of ships.

Solution: Add a feature to shuffle names when writing output file.