[PATCH] Improve default player names.

[wraitii]

The game uses the "Player X" template for player names when playing on a random map. While this is not a big letdown, it would be nice to use a system similar to AOE I/II, where the name of the AIs were historical rulers. (additionally, we could show the AI used in the endgame screen next to the player name).

[Spahbod]

I wanted to do this in near future. Thank you for creating the ticket :D One thing is: Should we put the names in each civ's representative .json file or in the AI's?

[wraitii]

It seems more logical to put it in the civ's representative .json files. Perhaps AIs could also defines names that would override the civ names if present but that's secondary.

[dvangennip]

Funny, I had the same idea :) I will post a patch later today that should do the trick.

[dvangennip]

I have attached a patch that adjust the player name, but only if it is set to a default (Player <number>). When a HistoricalRulers? array is available within the civ JSON file it will take one of those names. Otherwise it sets the player name to the name of the civ. So an example game with 8 players could look like this:

• You
• Xenophon (Athenians)
• Cimon (Athenians)
• Macedonians
• Iberians
• Gauls
• Gauls 2
• Gauls 3

Currently I only added some historical rulers to the Athenians JSON file (taken from a list on WikiPedia?). All other civs will default to their civ name, and if more than one player has this civ it adds a number (as with the Gauls above). The first gets no number (if desired I can change this behaviour).

I found that just a name of ruler is difficult, because Athenians, Macedonians and Spartans cannot easily be distinguished from their looks. Unless someone is an expert of classic Greek rulers his or her name is not of much help. For now, I add (Athenians) behind their names. An alternative would be something like "Xenophon of Athens," but it requires the civ name added in this form (Athens is not in the file, only Athenians).

[Spahbod]

Added a patch. Ruler names are in civs.zip file. If it selects an existing ruler, or a player already has the name, it will add roman numbers to the end of it.

[historic_bruno]

Can't we just have at least 8 historical names per civ? That way they would be guaranteed to be unique for each game. That seems better than adding arbitrary numbers, since numbers would imply historical figures who may or may not have existed :)

[Spahbod]

Well, there are not enough names for some civs. Also a player can choose a name similar to an AI and that won't be good. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if it isn't historically accurate because we just add a bunch of "names", not "rulers".

[historic_bruno]

I'm not sure how we could detect and avoid name similarity or why we should try. Sounds like we need to find more historic names for those civs with less than 8 :P

[Spahbod]

It is almost impossible to find enough names for gauls, britons and iberians.

[dvangennip]

Adds a piece of code that adjusts default player names, if possible with names from a list

[dvangennip]

I updated my patch so it works with the civ files of Spahbod, plus a couple of fixes. It should work without issues now.

To avoid further double work: Our patches seem to do mostly the same, except that my code reverts to generic civilisation names if a list of possible AINames is not available (or is shorter than 8 names to avoid numbering; generic civ names are still numbered though, e.g. Hellenes III). What is the desired behaviour / which direction will be taken?

[Spahbod]

It depends on our ability to find more rulers for britons, gauls and iberians. If so, we can pick some names from the list.

[historic_bruno]

Gauls:

• ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catuvolcus
• ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diviciacus_%28Aedui%29
• ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumnorix
• ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casticus
• ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catamantaloedes

Iberians:

• Edeco "prince of the Edetani" - ​http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0234%3Abook%3D10%3Achapter%3D34
• ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandonius

There's some additions to sift through, hopefully they aren't duplicates. I didn't look for more Brittonic leaders because brit.json already had enough, but I think we can easily get 8 names per civ (and hopefully more to add variety). If we want to pick random names uniquely, there is a shuffling technique I used in the random map generator (for random player positions) that should work.

[Spahbod]

Yeah I was also thinking of that shuffling.

[wraitii]

Do names really have to be rulers? Couldn't we choose princes/whatever was in a position of power if we really lack names?

[historic_bruno]

In my opinion, yes we can choose other roles, most names to have survived this long would have been important, powerful people :)

A few more Gallic leaders, these were titled ​vergobret or uergobretos, like Diviciacus above:

• Liscus
• Valetiacos
• Convictolitavis
• Celtillos
• Sedullos

[historic_bruno]

And another Gallic chieftain: ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viridovix
(originally found in ​A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology and Geography)

[Spahbod]

New set of names. There are enough names for each civ now.

[Spahbod]

Changed generic names into real ones.

[Spahbod]

Latest patch. "Chooses" the names randomly.

[Spahbod]

As we have postponed the release, i think we can get this into alpha 11

[Spahbod]

Cleanup of the patch.

[Spahbod]

A small fix

[Spahbod]

In 12666:

Default ai player names patch: Codes. Fixes #1582.