one word you should know .... Nomanclater, will help with describing Nouns Options

[Titanhex]

using cardinal numerals, to describe an Elements' Transformation, is not Creative..

Welcome to the reality of Video Game Design.

Game designers are a varied group. Some are highly technical, and don't mind using words like Fire 1,2,3,4. If you want to be creative and get stylized using I II III IV is also an option. You could even use foreign or archaic suffixes if you want to go vague. If you're lucky it'll catch on.

But video games are nice because they cover a rather broad spectrum of people now-a-days. There are a lot of people who don't care if the name is Fire 1/2/3/4. And those that do will still play the game anyways.

Naming is a minor part of the design framework. In the end access and ease-of-use take precedence over creativity. In that respect, naming things is important, but it is a minor part of the broader picture. Don't get lost on this simple detail.

I think you've discovered a new and exciting aspect of design, I've been there before. Get what you can out of it. Just know Nomenclature is more important in biology and medicine, where-as it's barely cared about in video games, and there's a very good reason for that. If you read other people's posts carefully you'll understand why.

Writing the names for objects and concepts doesn't even compare to being able to write long documented notes for members of your team.

[Tsukihime]

I guess I could stick with Fire, Fira, and Firaga like in the english version of FF8. That was pretty cool. Then again, the whole game was pretty different by most standards

But there really is not real way to get this point across: it's the same skill, just a bit stronger.

If you give it a completely different name, I would assume it's a different skill.
Which may be the case at times, but I might want to say "great, your proficiency has gone up and can use it at higher levels of expertise!"

This post has been edited by Tsukihime: Sep 12 2011, 04:17 AM

[shinyjiggly]

I think instead of "fire 1, fire 2,and fire 3", it would be more interesting to call them "Tiny flame, large fire, and HUGE HOUSE-BURNER". It gets the point across to noobs and yet is different from the average numbered names.
Adjectives can be your best friend sometimes.

[nohmaan]

Well, like I said, there is no problem in using a naming system to define your skills; though similarly there isn't anything wrong with using a number system. It's not important either way.

So you could name your Fire 1, Fire 2, and Fire 3 skills:

Kaji Ichi, Kaji Ni, Kaji San and still have the same effect as adding unique names while sticking to the numbering system by using a different language. The point I think I was trying to make is that it isn't important either way as long as your audience can understand the system in place.

[Donotfeedthemax]

Haha, unless I've misunderstood a whole lot in my life, this entire premise is so backwards. Nomenclature's most well know application, I believe (and the wikipedia article backs me up ), is scientific names. And although most scientific names seem really complicated and mysterious, if you know Latin, it's really an obvious thing. In the human body, there are often pairs of muscles. There's the gluteus Maximus and the gluteus minimus, correct me if I spelled that wrong. The Maximus and minimus are to designate bigger and smaller. So basically, they're called gluteus big and gluteus small. I'm pretty sure if the Romans had researched fire spells instead of animals, they would have named them the latin equivalent of fire 1, fire 2, and fire 3. So really, isn't nomenclature's application to give things simple names that make sense that are easily understood, rather than do anything remotely creative? I mean, I'm no expert, but from what I've learned in my life, it seems this way.

Also, can you stop capitalizing your As? It makes your posts SO difficult to read.

This post has been edited by Donotfeedthemax: Sep 14 2011, 06:23 AM

[ipsissimus10]

You all have some great Insight , there really is no wrong answer, It is A matter of opinion . Though it is most likey true that naming does not play A huge role in the success of the game. I tend to Micro Manage, Mabye i am Obscure , Or maybe Naming is Accute ?

Also from what I understand Nomenclature , translates to,
" to call A name " . ?.

This post has been edited by ipsissimus10: Sep 14 2011, 09:51 AM

[Alt_Jack]

Nomenclature's most well know application, I believe (and the wikipedia article backs me up ), is scientific names. And although most scientific names seem really complicated and mysterious, if you know Latin, it's really an obvious thing. In the human body, there are often pairs of muscles. There's the gluteus Maximus and the gluteus minimus, correct me if I spelled that wrong. The Maximus and minimus are to designate bigger and smaller. So basically, they're called gluteus big and gluteus small.

I like how out of roughly 600 muscles, you picked the one that translates into "big end" You also could've gone with foramen magnum, which is even more amusing.
There's a gluteus medius, too, but the forearm flexors and extensors are probably the best example of nomenclature usage. Flexor Carpi radialis is basically translated it "radial wrist flexer" ; the radius is, itself, a bone and thus the name tells you the muscle's location and action.
I should probably point out, though, that giving things Latin names is more of a continuation than a convention; the ancient greeks were the ones running around naming stuff, and we just kept those names. Chemistry doesn't really follow that convention (see: alchemy) , but medical sciences stick to it; it makes things a bit clearer and helps us relate things. The "normal" names that we give animals (ex: woodpecker and blue whale) are the modern equivallent of this simplified naming convention.

[Tsukihime]

For amusement, I will call every animal in my game by their scientific name.

So when you're walking through town and you see a cat on the side, and you talk to it, I will pull out the scientific name from wikipedia and then say "________ looks at you"

[Donotfeedthemax]

@Alt Jack,
I don't know many muscles, actually. Haha, I probably wouldn't have been able to recall any if I hadn't recently observed a dissected human. It was really cool, though, I literally got to hold somebody's heart in my hands.

If the ancient Greeks started naming animals and defined their taxonomy, then why do we use Latin names? I am under the impression that it was the Romans who spoke Latin, but did Latin originate with the Greeks too?

[Alt_Jack]

I don't know many muscles, actually. Haha, I probably wouldn't have been able to recall any if I hadn't recently observed a dissected human. It was really cool, though, I literally got to hold somebody's heart in my hands.

So have I, twice actually. And I'm betting that you had quite the shower afterwards. Mmm...formaldehyde.
I think my most memorable moment was when the girls (who make up the vast majority of our program) asked me to take the towel off one of the cadavar's face. I had already seen it, and felt the need to kindly warn them that the eyes were still in and the head had been sawed open so that the could be brain removed, but their curiousity got the better of them...

If the ancient Greeks started naming animals and defined their taxonomy, then why do we use Latin names? I am under the impression that it was the Romans who spoke Latin, but did Latin originate with the Greeks too?

History isn't my thing, so I'll let wiki tell that story for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_alphabet

[Donotfeedthemax]

So have I, twice actually. And I'm betting that you had quite the shower afterwards. Mmm...formaldehyde.
I think my most memorable moment was when the girls (who make up the vast majority of our program) asked me to take the towel off one of the cadavar's face. I had already seen it, and felt the need to kindly warn them that the eyes were still in and the head had been sawed open so that the could be brain removed, but their curiousity got the better of them...

Haha, actually, there wasn't time for a shower between that and the banquet this program had scheduled next... It was a little bit awkward, but for some reason, a lot of people said the dissection made them hungry...