Gaming Game title contest.

[Loru]

As many of you know me and Woo482 are developing space shooter game. While I like working title (Tide of War), there is mod for Freespace named Tides of War so we need new name.

Here's the deal - if have good title idea for this game, feel free to post it. Author of the title picked for game will recieve free copy of the game when it comes out and of course will be credited for title.

Only one rule. We keep copyright for the name if it gets chosen.

Game dev thread link: http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=35048

Feel free to poke me via PM if you have additional questions.

Additional info copied from later posts for convinience.

Game background:

It's been more than 400 years since invention of FTL drive and humankind started colonizing other star system. Up to date there are more than 200 systems with human presence, spanning around 350 light years. No traces of intelligent life has been found, however plant and animal life is pretty common.

Space travel is based on FTL transport. Speed varies between 0.05 LY / Standard Day (24 hours) for bulk transports and 0,5 LY/ Standard Day for courier ships and military vessels. While in FTL ships can pass through any object (star, planet or even black hole), however FTL enter and exit point has to be located in point with minimum total gravity vector (for example L1) or at certain distance from the star (for Sun mass star it's 40AU). Longest single jump record is 11.4 light years, however typical jusmps are in the order of 1-2 lightyears.

Most of the populated star systems are recognized as independent states, with few states spanning multiple star systems. Forms of government include classic democracy model (in various forms), technocracy, constitutional monarchy, corporate states and even few theocracies. There are multiple treaties, alliances, unions and non-agression pacts between them, as well as extensive trading.

With easy access to powerfull and destructive technology, most important treaty is Epsilon Eridani Convention that forbids use of WMDs against humans. If any state will use it, all others will retaliate, anihilating attacker.

Notable political entities:

UN: oldest of surviving Earth organisations. It's role remained virtually the same. Instead of nations now it settles disputes betwen star systems. Bit more efficent and influential than it's 21st century version.

Solar Federation: Trade, monetary and military union of 12 systems. Adopted combined EU & NATO political structure.

Systems:
Sol, Alpha Centauri A, 61 Cygni A & B, Tau Ceti, Epsilon Indi, Groombridge 1618 (Gliese 380), Lalande 21185, Procyon, 61 Virginis, Gliese 1, Lacaille 8760 (AX Microscopii), Beta Hydri with numerous mining outpost in nearby unpopulated systems.

Omicron Syndicate: Alliance of 3 multi-system corporate states. Estabilished in 2354.

Systems:
Arcturus, Eta Boötis (Muphrid), HIP 64797, Beta Comae Berenices, HIP 72848, GJ 528 A & B and many mining outposts.

Vanguard Asylum: A single system technocracy located in Epsilon Eridani. Loosely allied, but not a part of Solar Federation. Technologically most advanced system, with numerous space habitats and extensive space infrastrucure.

Reticuli Kingdom: Constitutional monarchy notable in areas of DNA manipulation and genetic engineering. Home of the first enchanced humans. Located in Zeta Reticuli A & B

Player starts as a Federation starfighter pilot fresh of academy, serving on the escort carrier. Carrier is a part of small protection task force deployed by UN to Slayton Gateway trading hub located around 70 Ly. from Sol. Trading hub was recently attacked by some pirates and you're here to protect the hub. That's where true nature of pirates is revealed and war between major powers break loose.

And that's all I can say, I think.

 

[jedidia]

I think it's really difficult to find a good title without knowing more about the game. Backstory-wise as well as gameplay wise.

 

[Loru]

Gameplay wise it's a 3d space shooter similar to X-Wing/Tie-Fighter, Freespace or Wing Commander.

As for backstory I'll provide short introduction by the end of the weekend.

 

[jedidia]

Narrative-driven like Wing Commander or more scenario driven like the others? X-Wing level of difficulty or not quite so hardcore?

 

[Loru]

There is main plot for entire game however it'll serve as background to more campaign and scenario based game.

As for difficulty level... apart from 2 or 3 missions I didn't found original X-Wing that hard. Difficulty level will be adjusted during alpha and beta phase but now I'm thinking of it being bit easier than X-Wing.

 

[jedidia]

As for difficulty level... apart from 2 or 3 missions I didn't found original X-Wing that hard.

You didn't? Man, you're hard core... I think I didn't manage to finish a single campaign of that game! :lol:

 

[Loru]

Well - I got this game around 1996 and at the time it was the only space shooter I had. I was just stubborn enough to beat it. Took me few weeks though.

 

[Codz]

I loved TIE fighter. GOG just re-released it actually. Best of luck with the project!

 

[Loru]

Game background:

It's been more than 400 years since invention of FTL drive and humankind started colonizing other star system. Up to date there are more than 200 systems with human presence, spanning around 350 light years. No traces of intelligent life has been found, however plant and animal life is pretty common.

Space travel is based on FTL transport. Speed varies between 0.05 LY / Standard Day (24 hours) for bulk transports and 0,5 LY/ Standard Day for courier ships and military vessels. While in FTL ships can pass through any object (star, planet or even black hole), however FTL enter and exit point has to be located in point with minimum total gravity vector (for example L1) or at certain distance from the star (for Sun mass star it's 40AU). Longest single jump record is 11.4 light years, however typical jusmps are in the order of 1-2 lightyears.

Most of the populated star systems are recognized as independent states, with few states spanning multiple star systems. Forms of government include classic democracy model (in various forms), technocracy, constitutional monarchy, corporate states and even few theocracies. There are multiple treaties, alliances, unions and non-agression pacts between them, as well as extensive trading.

With easy access to powerfull and destructive technology, most important treaty is Epsilon Eridani Convention that forbids use of WMDs against humans. If any state will use it, all others will retaliate, anihilating attacker.

Notable political entities:

UN: oldest of surviving Earth organisations. It's role remained virtually the same. Instead of nations now it settles disputes betwen star systems. Bit more efficent and influential than it's 21st century version.

Solar Federation: Trade, monetary and military union of 12 systems. Adopted combined EU & NATO political structure.

Systems:
Sol, Alpha Centauri A, 61 Cygni A & B, Tau Ceti, Epsilon Indi, Groombridge 1618 (Gliese 380), Lalande 21185, Procyon, 61 Virginis, Gliese 1, Lacaille 8760 (AX Microscopii), Beta Hydri with numerous mining outpost in nearby unpopulated systems.

Omicron Syndicate: Alliance of 3 multi-system corporate states. Estabilished in 2354.

Systems:
Arcturus, Eta Boötis (Muphrid), HIP 64797, Beta Comae Berenices, HIP 72848, GJ 528 A & B and many mining outposts.

Vanguard Asylum: A single system technocracy located in Epsilon Eridani. Loosely allied, but not a part of Solar Federation. Technologically most advanced system, with numerous space habitats and extensive space infrastrucure.

Reticuli Kingdom: Constitutional monarchy notable in areas of DNA manipulation and genetic engineering. Home of the first enchanced humans. Located in Zeta Reticuli A & B

 

[jedidia]

And the premise of the game? You don't need to go into any narrative detail, just the premise. Since it's a space shooter and the original title was "tide of war", I assume there's a war going on, or starting. Who is fighting who, and over what for what reason? which side does the player fight on? Will the narrative be more clear cut "good guys vs. bad guys" or more ambiguous where the player is asking himself at points whether he's fighting for the right side?

I think these are all pretty important details to find an evocative name.

 

[Codz]

And the premise of the game? You don't need to go into any narrative detail, just the premise. Since it's a space shooter and the original title was "tide of war", I assume there's a war going on, or starting. Who is fighting who, and over what for what reason? which side does the player fight on? Will the narrative be more clear cut "good guys vs. bad guys" or more ambiguous where the player is asking himself at points whether he's fighting for the right side?

I think these are all pretty important details to find an evocative name.

Ambiguous? You mean pull a Wing Commander 4?:lol:

 

[Loru]

Player starts as a Federation starfighter pilot fresh of academy, serving on the escort carrier. Carrier is a part of small protection task force deployed by UN to Slayton Gateway trading hub located around 70 Ly. from Sol. Trading hub was recently attacked by some pirates and you're here to protect the hub. That's where true nature of pirates is revealed and war between major powers break loose.

And that's all I can say, I think.

 

[Nicholander]

I really like the idea of this! Continue the awesome development, guys! :thumbup:

Anyway, for a title of the game, I'd suggest something like where's first 'Space Combat' and then whatever year the game takes place in.

IE: Space Combat: 2439



Also, by the way, how 'hard' or realistic is this game going to be? I obviously see that there's a lot of handwavium judging from the dev thread, but will there be things such as 'sound in space'?

 

[Loru]

thanks for 1st title.

As for questions regarding game itself please post it in dev thread.

 

[jedidia]

Thanks, I'll give it a bit of thought. I still think the devs themselves could probably come up with the best name, but I'll make something up. Not that I'm that great at naming things in general... :shifty:

---------- Post added at 04:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:08 PM ----------

Right, here's my suggestion for a title and why I picked it:

The suggested title is "a sword over the abyss", or alternatively "the sword over the abyss". The first variation sounds more fancy, the second sounds more... marketable.

Without any background knowledge, "sword" evoces war, and abyss evoces a feeling of dread and hidden menace, and, of course, space.

The whole thing is inspired by a quote from [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Gromyko"]Andrei Gromyko[/ame] who used it in criticism of the US strategic defense initiative during the cold war, saying that "The world may end up under a Sword of Damocles, on a tightrope over the abyss". Which is kind of what this whole shadowy pirate thing seems to be leading up to early in the game, judging by the information provided.

 

[Loru]

I'm throwing in 2 of my ideas:

Intercept Vector - large parts of missions will be intercepting enemy fighters before they reach their targets.

Void Hawk - ambigious double reference to star fighter or its pilot.

 

[Linguofreak]

With easy access to powerfull and destructive technology, most important treaty is Epsilon Eridani Convention that forbids use of WMDs against humans. If any state will use it, all others will retaliate, anihilating attacker.

You might want to go for a slightly different name for this. There is already a series of Sci-Fi books that uses the name "Eridani Edict" for a policy of annihilating anyone who makes willy-nilly WMD strikes against a planetary surface (targeted strikes against military installations and governmental centers from low orbit after a call to surrender are fine).

 

[Loru]

For now we've settled on Void Hawk.

You're still free to post title ideas.

 

[Linguofreak]

One suggestion might just be to rearrange your original working title to "Wartide".

 

[Loru]

One suggestion might just be to rearrange your original working title to "Wartide".

Kinda like it. Made some investigation how would it look.