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Change names for labs, train stops etc - Station names

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:45 pm
by Nirahiel
Ok first of all, if we decide to rename a station, we should have a list of all possible names, not only the names in the same network.
Also when choosing a name it should not be a name of a station that already exists in the network.

Finally I think we should be able to add a station more than once in the list, AND reorganize the list the way we want.
E.g. : Go to station "Production of something", then go to station "storage", now go to station "another production of the same thing", and then go to "storage" again.
It's only one example, i'm sure you can find more.

Re: Station names

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 11:23 pm
by Telarin
Yeah, I agree the train route setup needs some help. We should be able to rename stations to whatever we want, not just select from a predetermined list. And we definitely need an easier way to reorder stations in a train route, it can be difficult to get them in the order you want, because it seems to be inconsistent exactly where in the route a new station is added.

Re: Station names

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:49 am
by Dakkanor
if i recall correctly the names for train stations are based on contributors just like labs and other named machines. however to me that is a bad thing.

i like to have boring but systematic names indicating importance and order. usually things like Alpha-1 Beta-4-1 or Alpha - Beta or even Coal Primary/Coal-Alpha.
with making these stations the most important thing is to have names that are meaningful to the person using it, just like in programming. it would be very confusing to make a program where all the variables got randomly assigned names instead of something meaningful

Re: Station names

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:27 am
by Balinor
Agreed. I'm not sure if renaming the stations would be something I'm interested in but more logical names would definitely be an improvement in my opinion. The user names would be better with just the research units (or some other possible extra machinery still to come).

Re: Station names

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 1:04 pm
by SilverWarior
Dakkanor wrote:it would be very confusing to make a program where all the variables got randomly assigned names instead of something meaningful
Dou mean like in old days when variables didn't have names but only their locations and you needed miles of papers explaining which variable is for what.

But yes I would verry like to be able to rename my train stations freely since the names I'll give to them will quickly provide me some basic info on the station even thou tey will seem a bit boring.

Re: Station names

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 1:12 pm
by Dysoch
You should be able to name the station. As for the backer names, put them them on the signals.

Re: Station names

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:59 pm
by ssilk
I mean - besides renaming station names freely, there should be something like that, because currently I won't use the station name, even if it is mine. On the other hand, I wouldn't like to rename all stations like that. Too stupid.

I liked the way railroad tycoon did make station names.

There where cities and the first part of the station was named after the city. But for the second part the algorithm looked around, what type of village, industry, sea, resources etc. was near. So the stations became the name of the nearest city plus an indicator for the type of resource. The result was names like Eddington Woods for a station near a sawmill. Or Eddington Harbor, if the sea was near. And so on.

The biggest advantage of that was, that you could be relatively sure, that when you broke down a station (too small, wrong direction/place) and rebuilt it near the same place it got the same name. And then the trains didn't needed to be reprogrammed. Big advantage!


What if we can place "signs" on the ground? The player sets a sign on and can write anything on it. The sign represents the "area" around. And so this sign can be used to create a station name, like above.

What if the signs are placed by random, so that the player doesn't need to build one. He discovers a new chunk and the chunk has a sign and the sign has the name of a player. And the program writes a message: " new area found: ssilk grasslands". We can the go to the sign and rename it. Or let it as it is.

When we place a station directly besides the sign it gets the name "ssilk grasslands", in some more distant, near a big iron ore field it becomes "ssilk iron mines", when there are natives near "ssilk dead zone". Etc. etc.

Perhaps if the native "villages" are also named like that. Funny if I hover over a biter and the info shows "belongs to ssilk native village"... ;)

Ok, the last is a bit strange... But for the rest?

Re: Station names

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:20 pm
by Nirahiel
ssilk wrote:- snip -
I love this idea

Re: Station names

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:04 pm
by slpwnd
@ssilk This sounds very good. I agree that current system is not very user friendly for remembering the stations.

Re: Station names

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:09 am
by Dakkanor
agreed with ssilk, good idea that. in general an intelligent way to generate names is easier to use than a manual one. i'd still like the ability to rename stations for things with specific purposes

but what about being able to designate and name areas on the map? right click on a spot and then select the chunks which are part of it, this could possibly be done in several layers each with their own overlay colour, which could be helpful for planning things out ect, my main way to tell things apart on the map is to either memorize my factory layout or to build things in specific patterns that i could recognize easily on the map.

the designation idea could overlap with ssilks idea, mark one area as your primary base, mark an area inside that as your foundry. build a pickup/delivery train system in the foundry and the station would be called something like "Primary Base - Foundry" add a '2' or a 'b' at the end if there's an existing station in that area.

Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 5:36 pm
by jorgenRe
So i have started to play around with trains(wich i love :D )
But there have been one problem in which i don't really like and that is that have to use the names other ppl have added to the game through paying extra(wich i sadly havent)
so therefore i get all these odd names for the stations, labs etc.
I would love if the devs could let us change name for the train stops so i could for example edit the name for my main unloading train stops to for example main station #1, main station #2 or coal mining site.

But i guess the train names might be okay by having like: train name(user set name) then: this train is driven by: random name(set by the ppl who payed extra for this game)

The reason is that that would make it both be better and make it easier to make the routes, seeing as you no longer would have to use the map to see what random name the station got.

I know pppl have payed extra for this, but it's just somewhat annoying, i'm sorry devs for saying this. :cry: , but It's still a really great game :D

Currently ive found a work around method wich involves luck(getting the right name) which i won't tell seeing as i'm not sure what reaction the devs have about mee doing this.
IT involves editing a file that usually cannot be edited ;)

Re: Change names for labs, stations etc.

Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 5:49 pm
by BurnHard
jorgenRe wrote:...use the names other ppl have added to the game through paying extra(wich i sadly havent)
You still can, by paying the difference to the highest tier from your current tier as an upgrade :)

Re: Change names for labs, stations etc.

Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 5:53 pm
by jorgenRe
BurnHard wrote:
jorgenRe wrote:...use the names other ppl have added to the game through paying extra(wich i sadly havent)
You still can, by paying the difference to the highest tier from your current tier as an upgrade :)
Well i could, but then i only get to choose 1 name :?

Re: Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 4:43 pm
by CruelOverlord
I actually really like how all the train stations have unique names. Leave it be.

Re: Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 4:46 pm
by Garm
CruelOverlord wrote:I actually really like how all the train stations have unique names. Leave it be.

Gets tedious if you have 50+ of them. Especially with multiple far away stations.

Re: Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 4:48 pm
by BurnHard
When you have a bigger base, you really want to rename the stations, eg. Northwest Iron deposit. Helps with planning and organising.

Re: Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 5:53 pm
by GotLag
Why not have stations, labs choose a random name on construction as they already do, but also provide an option for the player to choose a different name from the list (by a combo box or drop-down)? Donors get to keep their names on things, and players get to rename things.

Re: Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 6:18 pm
by Teurlinx
BurnHard wrote:When you have a bigger base, you really want to rename the stations, eg. Northwest Iron deposit. Helps with planning and organising.
Aye, maybe just keep the current names (which are nice for flavour anyway). But allow players to add a 2nd line to it with a description.

Marwin - Coal deposit, Izo Elezovic - 3rd Copper mine, etc.

Re: Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 6:45 pm
by Drury
Been playing (Open)TT(D)(Patch) for years and never had the urge to rename any of my stations however nonsensical and inaccurate their names might be. And so far I've never had the need to rename any of my train stations in Factorio either.

Speaking of the station/lab names, I wonder if anyone submitted "Adolf Hitler" as their name. If not, I'm pretty sure after submitting this post there will be several.

Re: Change names for labs, train stops etc.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 7:49 pm
by jorgenRe
Drury wrote:Been playing (Open)TT(D)(Patch) for years and never had the urge to rename any of my stations however nonsensical and inaccurate their names might be. And so far I've never had the need to rename any of my train stations in Factorio either.

Speaking of the station/lab names, I wonder if anyone submitted "Adolf Hitler" as their name. If not, I'm pretty sure after submitting this post there will be several.
as of 0.9.6 there is noone who have submitted the name "Adolf Hitler"