In-game callsigns

Kassatsu

Omni Ace
Omni Ace
Jun 13, 2017
20
42
13
#1
How will NPCs refer to players when they aren't using the backer titles? "Reaper unit"? I admit I have no idea how the NPC voiceovers and radio chatter (if any) will be planned, however...

I propose to add fully voiced, semi-customizable callsigns that are auto-generated upon login.

One callsign for every letter in the alphabet, plus up to one hundred numbers. Everything from A-00 all the way up to Z-99. Some callsigns may be reserved based on leaderboard rankings or backer status. Also need some objective leaderboard statistics if that's to be a thing, but that's another thread.

I realize this can and in all likelihood, will mean some awkward hack jobs on the voiceovers, but I'd much rather be referred to as "Reaper six-seven" or "Ace two-zero" than "ARES 35" when I know for a fact every single other player in the game is also supposed to be "ARES 35".

Ideally, a couple letters would be reserved for the backer titles, for instance A for "Ace" as in "Omni Ace". "S" for "Slayer" as in "Kaiju Slayer" (let's face it, the less syllables used, the better, and faster it is to call out other players and the easier it will be on the voiceover system, and I personally would rather hear "slayer" or "ace" over "kaiju slayer" or "omni ace" unless it's a formal NPC guard in a base saluting as you walk by or something). Failing that, a different callsign for "A" will be used, and Omni Aces would then be OA-##, with Kaiju Slayers being KS-##. Were the first milestone backers given any in-game titles? Same deal with them. Maybe "MX" for Max Kahunas, because that sounds way better than "MK".

You should be able to set one or more preferences for callsigns, as these are assigned upon login. If set to no preference, it will default to your highest backer title, leaderboard title, or regular callsign and assigned in an ascending order. No preferences for someone not on a leaderboard or with a backer title would simply start them off at whatever letter and number is the next available (should the default letter be 'R' as in 'reaper'?), so if we the default is R-00, and there are 46 players online, R-46 is the next available callsign, and NPCs would refer to you as "Reaper four-six" or "Reaper forty-six". In more intense combat situations, the voiceovers would automatically abbreviate to simply "R-four-six" or "R-forty-six".

Opening up your map should display the assigned callsign, as well as the player name on the icons of other players for easy reference on the map. Client-side options would include either callsigns only, player names only, or both (default).

If, by some miracle, an entire zone (or, if they're globally unique, the entire planet) is fully populated with every possible callsign, then simply add a third number digit to the end. Multiple letter prefixes might be acceptable as well, though I think those should be reserved for special cases (backer/leaderboard titles). We're talking several thousand players in a relatively small area at this point, but it could happen.

Preferences can be set in the options menu, and will let you pick any available callsign. For instance, someone at the omni ace level would be able to pick their own unique backer callsign, or any other freely available ones, plus leaderboard callsigns (if applicable - Would the "Reaper" callsign be reserved for the top 100 players, with each number being fixed and representing their individual ranking? #1 leaderboard ranking would equate to R-00 and so on, up to the #100 player being R-99). Preferencing into "K-17" wouldn't guarantee you get it if there's already someone else with that callsign currently online, but if there is not, you'll always receive it upon login. Reasonably "safe" areas should allow you to change your callsign without relogging, with an accompanying voiceover along the lines of "R-17, you are being reassigned callsign A-01".

You should be able to set a second and third preference as well, unless you choose your leaderboard ranking as your first (since that's guaranteed to be available to you, and you alone for as long as you hold that leaderboard rank), as well as backer callsigns. I don't think there are 100 kaiju slayers or omni aces out there, so there's likely to always be a number available. I also feel like having the numbers set based on the order they pledged in, if that's even possible or feasible to figure out, would be a decent way to set it, I would own that OA-24 or whatever backer callsign I get assigned so hard.

I'm aware this is a very large number of standalone words (26 letters + the full callsigns, 0-19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90... We're talking something like 80 standalone words here) for every single voiced NPC that will ever refer to the player directly, not to mention the potentially awkward sounding hack job to put them together during gameplay, but personally I feel like it would be worth it for the end result. Player voices could also then call out individual other players directly via callsigns to give orders or status updates, without the need for voice chat. Despite being 2017, not everyone has or is willing to use their microphone, at least not all the time.

EDIT: tl;dr please put in the effort to make thousands of potential unique callsigns using standalone words that can be put together for the purposes of radio/NPC chatter. I think Arma 3 does this to some extent.
 
Likes: Silv3r Shadow
Jul 27, 2016
167
234
43
#2
While I want to see something customizable for NPCs to refer to us as(and this is a good idea) I don't think it needs to be done to this scale, nor should the precious funding the game is getting be used on it at this point or any time prior to beta/alpha.

I've proposed just having player names, but NPCs refer to us as reaper 1-100 or something similar. It only affects how NPCs interact with us, but helps diminish the feeling that we're all the same.
 

Nalessa

Commander
Jan 6, 2017
84
219
33
38
Belgium
#3
The way Aero greeted you every time was really nice in Faufau.

Though it could feel a little judgemental at times when you were away for half an hour to eat, then she'd be all like "Boss, stop with your hangovers and start blapping chosen!" ... Aero pls ;_;

Elite Dangerous has really cool callsigns though.

When you approach a large port you will hear traffic control say something like:
Core Dynamics (the manufacturor of your ship) November Alpha Lima (Nal, first 3 letters of your name!)

If you change ship that's made by a different company, you will hear that name instead, it was a really nice addition they added with this, made stations feel more alive, you felt more part of the actual universe, etc etc ...

And there are a bunch of different voices aswell, male, female, asian, british, russian, 'murican, some I have no idea what accent it's even supposed to be ^-^'
 

Silv3r Shadow

Max Kahuna
Max Kahuna
Kaiju Slayer
Jul 29, 2016
341
764
93
#4
I love the idea, if it were implemented every single alphanumeric character doesn't need to be recorded for example: 'Delta' '68', Delta and 68 audio can be recorded separately. So the 99 numbers can be used for every letter, vice versa. Even if the the number 20, 30 etc were recorded separate, like '20' '1'. It would greatly be an even more viable option IMO :p

For max kahuna and kaiju slayers, I'm not to sure what could be said. Max or kahuna (or both) same for slayer. A little bit more uniqueness would be nice, but don't want to make us our own special category, idk, maybe a private poll.
 
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Likes: Degiance

Pandagnome

Kaiju Slayer
Fart Siege
Welcome Wagon
Happy Kaiju
Jul 27, 2016
7,730
10,079
113
Island of Tofu
#6
I like titles that depend on what frame you play most
If it was a heavy frame and you had shields and stuff the Npc's would refer you as Protector
If you were a medic you would be called Doctor,

As you rank up it would change e.g. a medic would start off as
Surgeon, then go to Doctor and whatever

If you had say backed the game it would just show a little logo next to the tag
everyone gets a logo but the backers get a unique one near the tag.

The npc could even do a little animation like an arm across the chest, a bow, or salute even the funky chicken depending on
your role and what backing title you had.

:D
 
Likes: Degiance
Jul 27, 2016
167
234
43
#7
I like titles that depend on what frame you play most
If it was a heavy frame and you had shields and stuff the Npc's would refer you as Protector
If you were a medic you would be called Doctor,

As you rank up it would change e.g. a medic would start off as
Surgeon, then go to Doctor and whatever

If you had say backed the game it would just show a little logo next to the tag
everyone gets a logo but the backers get a unique one near the tag.

The npc could even do a little animation like an arm across the chest, a bow, or salute even the funky chicken depending on
your role and what backing title you had.

:D
The issue is that we won't have medic or tank classes. I can see this working with Light/Medium/Heavy, though.
 

Degiance

Deepscanner
Jul 5, 2017
1,937
4,625
113
Finland
degiance.deviantart.com
#8
The issue is that we won't have medic or tank classes. I can see this working with Light/Medium/Heavy, though.
Well it could work if there was given a option to choose, like if your making a light frame with healing, support aspects you could choose to be called a medic and you could rank up on that based on your war record like in a roleplay type of way to improve the immersion that it is a war againts Kai-ju. (Might be a bad idea not sure. Just something that came to mind.)

But if i was offered to take a call sign or make up one? I'd take "D-80 #42". 42 becouse of that lab rat who kept messing with scientist at Harvard and screwing up their data.
 
Likes: Pandagnome

Pandagnome

Kaiju Slayer
Fart Siege
Welcome Wagon
Happy Kaiju
Jul 27, 2016
7,730
10,079
113
Island of Tofu
#9
The issue is that we won't have medic or tank classes. I can see this working with Light/Medium/Heavy, though.
Ah yes, but was thinking say you picked a heavy frame and played it equipping more for example heavy weaponry, couldn't there be a selection of roles to select from so that just make it easier to be identified. This could be helpful for searching groups looking for someone playing that specific role e.g. Shield Guardian, Heavy Gunner, Medic Enforcer, Stealth Ninja etc etc

The role names could be better its just an idea also for the rp too i guess
greets with your name followed by the role e.g. ThisismyName Medic Enforcer
 
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Pandagnome

Kaiju Slayer
Fart Siege
Welcome Wagon
Happy Kaiju
Jul 27, 2016
7,730
10,079
113
Island of Tofu
#10
Well it could work if there was given a option to choose, like if your making a light frame with healing, support aspects you could choose to be called a medic and you could rank up on that based on your war record like in a roleplay type of way to improve the immersion that it is a war againts Kai-ju. (Might be a bad idea not sure. Just something that came to mind.)

But if i was offered to take a call sign or make up one? I'd take "D-80 #42". 42 becouse of that lab rat who kept messing with scientist at Harvard and screwing up their data.
I just realized you already mentioned that i agree with you :D:p:oops:
 
Likes: Degiance

Torgue_Joey

Kaiju Slayer
KAIJU 'SPLODER
Jul 27, 2016
1,123
2,703
113
Germany
#12
Well it could work if there was given a option to choose, like if your making a light frame with healing, support aspects you could choose to be called a medic and you could rank up on that based on your war record like in a roleplay type of way to improve the immersion that it is a war againts Kai-ju. (Might be a bad idea not sure. Just something that came to mind.)

But if i was offered to take a call sign or make up one? I'd take "D-80 #42". 42 becouse of that lab rat who kept messing with scientist at Harvard and screwing up their data.
MY ENGINEER IN GUILD WARS 2 RUNS AROUND WITH A "PROFESSOR" TITLE. IMAGING HIM BEING THE GUILDS MAD SCIENTIST.
ONE HAD THE "COMBAT HEALER" TITLE ACTIVE. RUNING AROUND HEALING/HELPING RANDOM PEOPLES.
 
Likes: Degiance

BunnyHunny

Deepscanner
Aug 20, 2016
127
69
28
#14
Or something along the lines of choosing a "nickname" from a list of things that are offered. It wouldn't be super unique, but would give your character that bit more of flair when NPCs talk to you.
Some other games offer similar things.
When creating a character, you would choose some stuff about what lead your character to where he is now, like "joined the forces, after his family got killed during the war", "was raised in an orphanage and got drafted"...

Depending on what you chose, you would be addressed in a certain way.

That, or calling a player by the class/frame he plays.
Going further than that (≈3-5 different options), is too much imo.
There is no need to make every player feel like a special snowflake, by addressing them with something personalized, because they are not.

It is even questionable, if NPC should directly address the players at all.
 
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Torgue_Joey

Kaiju Slayer
KAIJU 'SPLODER
Jul 27, 2016
1,123
2,703
113
Germany
#17
my engineer was named Watt McCaulit after my favourite inventor.
THE "PROFESSOR" WAS JUST A TITLE YOU CAN TURN ON AND OFF AND SHOW UNDER YOUR NAME.
HIS NAME'S JOE FAULPFOTE. A LAZY PIECE OF SH*T THAT ONE. TILL ANET BUFFED UP HIS CONDI DAMAGE.
NOW HE RUNS AROUND BURNING SH*T TO CRISP LIKE A MANIAC.
 
Likes: Degiance

BunnyHunny

Deepscanner
Aug 20, 2016
127
69
28
#18
NPC or no NPC, I think callsigns are a good idea for combat leaders to identify other players by, as in "P33, G27, B08,...infiltrate the city and destroy building x."
Ingame names already kinda do that job, don't they?
It is not like these call signs would be quicker to say or write than normal names anyway.
Not even talking about remembering them.

It is usually easier to quickly read a name, than a (random) combination of numbers and letters as well.

So even though, callsigns would visually make the player "names" shorter, the time it takes to say, write or read them, would be most likely longer.
There would be no practical benefit to them.

For anything like leading a combat, it would be more useful to have a good platoon interface, allowing the leader to assign members of his platoon to different squads (within the platoon) quickly and put multiple differently colored waypoints on the map (like in PlanetSide 2).


I really do not see any use for callsigns, as they are suggested in this thread.
 
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Jul 27, 2016
167
234
43
#19
Ingame names already kinda do that job, don't they?
It is not like these call signs would be quicker to say or write than normal names anyway.
Not even talking about remembering them.

It is usually easier to quickly read a name, than a (random) combination of numbers and letters as well.

So even though, callsigns would visually make the player "names" shorter, the time it takes to say, write or read them, would be most likely longer.
There would be no practical benefit to them.

For anything like leading a combat, it would be more useful to have a good platoon interface, allowing the leader to assign members of his platoon to different squads (within the platoon) quickly and put multiple differently colored waypoints on the map (like in PlanetSide 2).


I really do not see any use for callsigns, as they are suggested in this thread.
Obviously this is an after-launch QoL thing. Nobody wants this to be a priority, but it would be nice to be referred to as something other than Reaper or Pilot or Soldier, and even better if it's something we chose.