Chaosforge Forum
DoomRL => Requests For Features => Topic started by: Electronic Samurai on September 15, 2012, 00:36
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Hello! I've been playing DoomRL for quite a while now, but I feel there's something missing. Whenever I start a new character, I get an irresistible urge to name them in the style of the MST3K episode 'Space Mutiny' - e.g. Dirk Hardchunk! Beef Toughguts! Rick Runfast! It amuses me to march these brave soldiers off to their untimely doom.
Sadly, these names always end up being one or two characters over the name limit. Would it be possible to increase the name field for new characters - perhaps double the length it is now?
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I like your style, sir!
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(A randomized generator for exactly these kinds of names would also seriously rock.)
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That shouldn't be too hard, as all three names you quoted have exactly three syllables, and they're all either words or first names. The first name can just be picked randomly, but the second one might take a little finessing, as "Runfast" is a bit different from the other two, being <verb><adverb> rather than <adjective><noun>. You wouldn't want to end up with "Jack Runguts", just doesn't have the same ring.
If you want to collect a whole bunch of different possibilities, then I could write some simple Ruby code to put them all together.
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As it happens, the full list of names used in the episode are available online! Here they are:
Slab Bulkhead
Fridge Largemeat
Punt Speedchunk
Butch Deadlift
Bold Bigflank
Splint Chesthair
Flint Ironstag
Bolt Vanderhuge
Thick McRunfast
Blast Hardcheese
Buff Drinklots
Crunch Slamchest
Fist Rockbone
Stump Beefknob
Smash Lampjaw
Punch Rockgroin
Buck Plankchest
Stump Junkman
Dirk Hardpec
Rip Steakface
Slate Slabrock
Crud Bonemeal
Brick Hardmeat
Rip Slagcheek
Punch Sideiron
Gristle McThornbody
Slate Fistcrunch
Buff Hardback
Bob Johnson
Blast Thickneck
Crunch Buttsteak
Slab Squatthrust
Lump Beefbroth
Touch Rustrod
Beef Blastbody
Big McLargehuge
Smoke Manmuscle
Beat Punchmeat
Hack Blowfist
Roll Fizzlebeef
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As it happens, the full list of names used in the episode are available online! Here they are:
Wait, then where'd I pick up Bulk van der Huge?
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You wouldn't want to end up with "Jack Runguts", just doesn't have the same ring.
I imagined someone who runs zombies through the guts with a chainsaw... actually pretty badass.
So anyway, we can set default name in the config file, this would need that we are able to set several default names chosen at random.
(hmm... I could switch between Ash Williams and Bruce Campbell)
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I forget about that feature all the time, but the default name config setting was meant to allow a function O.o.
EDIT: you can probably hack that in already -- the config file is reloaded after every game, so a function could set the default name to a different one on each reload.
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EDIT: you can probably hack that in already -- the config file is reloaded after every game, so a function could set the default name to a different one on each reload.
Ech. Not the answer I'm expecting. >.<
We need to really steer a little more away from having folks programmatically change things to up the UX.
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I started to try to make a generator in Lua, so it could maybe be worked into the game using a function, but I'm finding out I really don't like the way Lua does things. I guess I'm spoiled by Ruby, but Lua seems to do things in strange and non-intuitive ways.
I set up three tables, one for first names, one for the first part of the last name, and the last one for names that could go anywhere. The idea being the code will join the first name and the anywhere name table and pick one randomly for the first name. Then it will join the "first part of the last name" table, and the anywhere name table to pick the first part of the last name. Then it will just use the other name table to pick the second part of the last name. Then it will add a "Mc" to the name 10% of the time, put it together, capitalize the first letters of the two names, and return a string. Simple, right?
But Lua doesn't allow me to really join two tables temporarily. If I make a function to do that, it joins them permanently, I either have to undo the join manually, copy the two tables into a new table, or some other weirdness. If I wanted to be this careful with my data, I'd be using C. All functions tend to modify in place, I don't understand why Wikipedia says it can be used functionally, just because a language has first class functions doesn't mean it's functional. Everything seems to have side effects in Lua. I can see how it would be a giant pain in the butt to manage them if you were to ever start seriously coding in Lua. No thanks.
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Ahh, this was much easier in Ruby. Here's 50 generated names. See attached .rb file for source.
Speed Speedthick
Meat Hugeslam
Hair Hardpunch
Rock Vanderface
Stump Bonerip
Cheek Runstump
Big Thrustsplint
Fist Manmeat
Plank Boldsmoke
Fist Steaklift
Cheek Beefrip
Fist Flintrun
Bolt Bodydead
Butt Chunkgristle
Plank Slatesteak
Run Runsquat
Cheese Rollsmash
Smash Brickbeat
Fast Ripslab
Rip Slatehuge
Crunch Liftbig
Buff Largebuff
Fast Bodylarge
Brick Largethrust
Punch McNeckiron
Chest Beatknob
Lamp Neckslate
Splint Hardjunk
Lump McThicksmash
Jaw Meatthick
Buff Stagslab
Rust Cheesecheek
Slag Crunchsmash
Buff Crunchsmash
Knob Fridgerod
Face Blastlots
Fist Rockthick
Cheek Bodylarge
Hack Touchthick
Buck Smokefist
Squat Thickgristle
Stag Runhair
Punch McHardcrunch
Man Plankbrick
Beat Largelarge
Butt Buckdead
Large McFlintman
Hard McGristlemeat
Beef Slabgroin
Drink Bighack
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The reason Lua does that is because of efficiency. Being a small but expressive language it still comes close to C in terms of efficiency when using LuaJIT.
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I figured as much. Definitely not a language for quick-and-dirty stuff, though.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILx8vUSnac0
all of these names need to be usable (or better, randomly possible) for optimally manly names
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oops, that is what people were talking about in the first place, i should pay more attention :-P
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILx8vUSnac0
all of these names need to be usable (or better, randomly possible) for optimally manly names
I've never heard of that movie, but suddenly, I want to watch it. :D