There were many interesting thoughts in the Another Name ? (http://forum.battlemaster.org/index.php/topic,3381.0.html) topic.
I'd like to revive that with a stronger focus. I am still looking for a name. Imagine that the focus of BattleMaster were the political game, the fact that a region lord can not survive on his own, that realms are made of players, that diplomacy is made by players, history is written by players, that it does not have "a" story, but many - all written by players. And what is politics other than a summary term for player interaction?
While BattleMaster is a strategy game, it has always been first and foremost a game where battles are the result of politics, where war is the continuation of politics with other methods, as Clausewitz put it.
That in mind - what would be a perfect name? New ideas or the best picks from the old topic, please. I'm looking forward to checking out what your crazy minds come up with. :-)
I will not consider anything with the word "Quill" in it a serious name...
Machinations
The Will to Power
Feuds and Feudalism
The Consequences of Rulership
A New Medieval History
The Politics of Survival
Schemers in Scarcity
What Price Power?
The Great and Terrible Game
Lies and Consequences
Written By the Victors (or Those Who Write History)
Quote from: Anaris on December 20, 2012, 04:18:54 PM
Written By the Victors
I really like that one.
By the Sword Dictated
Thrones in Crimson (or Crimson Thrones)
The Weight of Words
Sealed Oaths
Coat of Arms (this one is repeated from the old topic :P)
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
The Price We Pay
Immortality or Nothing
Keep Your Enemies Closer
Better to die than lose
The Lies We Live
So Say We All
Lords and Lies
Quote from: Foundation on December 20, 2012, 05:55:18 PM
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Awfulness is Awesomeness :P
Quote from: Dante Silverfire on December 20, 2012, 09:16:46 PM
Keep Your Enemies Closer
I actually quite like "Keep Your Friends Close". Captures the teamwork aspect of BM, while implying the "and Keep Your Enemies Closer" intrigue thing.
Quote from: Hroppa on December 20, 2012, 11:27:55 PM
I actually quite like "Keep Your Friends Close". Captures the teamwork aspect of BM, while implying the "and Keep Your Enemies Closer" intrigue thing.
That's a good point.
"Keep Your Friends Close"
should be another one then.
Most of them sound like book titles, not game titles.
The vast majority of games have very short names, 2 words at max. When there are exceptions, then the words are very short. There are very few exceptions to this.
So, who can come up with a gone one or two word title?
Ambition
Deadly Diplomacy
Who Shall Rule
Anarchy's Answer
Feudalism
Grasping Fate
Political Animals
Nobility
Call to Arms
Honourless
The problem with really short names is that they're inevitably generic; very hard to convey teamwork, scheming, politics and a medieval feel.
Shame we're not a little closer to the Roman era. Otherwise I'd suggest "Give Unto Caesar" to allude to the game's political machinations, religious aspects, etc.
I think it's important to remember that for a lot of those one-word games, the one word is something very specific to the setting: one of the best collections of examples is the Elder Scrolls series, with Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim meaning little to anyone who doesn't know about the world itself and what's going on in it. So we're not going to be able to come up with anything that can come close to that, unless you give us more data (which I'm guessing that, at this point, you don't have a lot of, based on what you've said about the game and its stage of development).
Power Play
Power's Price
Intrigue
Schemes
Victors' History
...I would also note that the two words in a successful game's title are often accompanied by a simple joining word: for instance, God of War, Might and Magic, Prince of Persia. This also opens up the possibilities considerably. Thus...
Principalities and Powers
Conflict and Compromise
Cost of Compromise
Art of the Possible
Liars and Legends
World(s) of Intrigue
Land(s) of Intrigue
Lord(s) of Intrigue
...And, even though it doesn't entirely meet your criteria, and it's already the title of a Babylon 5 episode, I can't pass up at least mentioning this one because it seems so perfect:
Rumors, Bargains, and Lies
Oath's Price
Allegiance's Price
Price of Allegiance
Oathsworn
Principalities and Powers
I liked this one best.
Inked in Blood
Divided Loyalties
Powerbroker
Dominion
Ultimate Power
Statecraft
Shattered Thrones
Deceit
Endless Power
King's Gambit
Dominion is a wonderful game! I just wish I played it more often...
Some names that are not english terms, as Tim pointed out. Tell me what they invoke in you, what your initial feeling/reaction is:
- Ampiros
- Exusya
- Exousion
- Primogens
Quote from: Tom on December 29, 2012, 03:40:06 PM
Some names that are not english terms, as Tim pointed out. Tell me what they invoke in you, what your initial feeling/reaction is:
- Ampiros
- Exusya
- Exousion
- Primogens
Ampiros makes me think of an empire setting out to march and destroy their enemies.
Exusya just sounds cool.
the -ion on Exousion ruins it.
Primogens sounds too familiar.
Quote from: Gustav Kuriga on December 29, 2012, 05:15:51 PM
Ampiros makes me think of an empire setting out to march and destroy their enemies.
Exusya just sounds cool.
the -ion on Exousion ruins it.
Primogens sounds too familiar.
+1
Primogens makes me think of World of Darkness.
Quote from: Gustav Kuriga on December 29, 2012, 05:15:51 PMAmpiros makes me think of an empire setting out to march and destroy their enemies.
I agree. It is very similar-sounding to "Imperial" or "Imperious" or some other "Empire"-related words. I like it as a name, but I don't get any feel of what the name means, unless I already know what the game is.
The Exusya and Exousion feel extremely awkward and vaguely unpronounceable.
Primogens... sounds very video-gamey, or like the name of a heavy metal band. But the only feel I get from it is "We can't think of anything that describes our game, so we're just going to pick something that we think sounds cool and heavy metal style." Not a name I would pick.
Quote from: Indirik on December 29, 2012, 07:51:02 PM
Primogens... sounds very video-gamey, or like the name of a heavy metal band. But the only feel I get from it is "We can't think of anything that describes our game, so we're just going to pick something that we think sounds cool and heavy metal style." Not a name I would pick.
It sounds to me different, in fact is the option I like the most among the others. It brings me to mind the way medieval lords legated their domains to the eldest sons, who kept the title and rights while the youngests had to make career in a monastery :D
But it's true that for somebody without the slightest clue of what the game is about, maybe it would sound a little "heavymetal-ish". Anyway, personally I think it's the most elegant and "serious-looking" option, with a cool air related to aristocracy and such.
I ... umm ... got nothing like that out of it. :P Funny how that works.
Quote from: Indirik link=topic=3591.msg864
40#msg86440 date=1356832003
I ... umm ... got nothing like that out of it. :P Funny how that works.
I think because it sounds similar to primogeniture, which is what he's talking about.
Ok, here it goes, another round of brainstorming and its results. Tell me your thoughts:
Legacy of Blood
Legacy of Power
Age of Nobility
Might & Fealty
Reign of the Sword
Legacy of the Sword
You may also dig out any older suggestions and recombine them with each other or this.
I like Age of Nobility and Reign of the Sword. Age of Fealty would work as well. All of these convey something about the game, and the Age titles are similar enough to AOE that it might encourage people to give it a look over if they are fans of the AOE games.
As unique as the game is, it has enough core elements similar to that franchise to pull off those names and earn an honest look into this game.
I like 'fealty' being included in the name.
(A name relating BM to primogeniture would be particularly inappropriate imo, since family inheritance of titles is just about the biggest single area where BM diverges from medieval norms)
It would be appropriate for a BM-like game to be called "Age of ____" considering the map graphics used are likely to be from Age of Wonders. It also sounds very pleasant.
I don't like the "Legacy of ____" names, because they make me think of something more fantasy oriented like Warhammer, where there's wizards and whatnot running around lusting for blood and power.
"____ of the Sword" names aren't good, because they sound like book names. They make me think of the tale of Excalibur, not so much of a sandbox MMO game with no general plotline.
"fealty" is a weak-sounding word. Replacing it with just about *any* word gives you a much stronger, and more assertive-sounding title.
I do like the current name choice of, Might and Fealty. Based on what Tom has said in both of the threads on it, the name fits perfectly.
Fealty, politics, medieval age.... sounds like oaths. Here are names based on oaths:
Age of Oaths
Oath's Age
Blood and Oaths
Oathcastle
Islands of Oaths
Oathlands
Made-up word:
Othera
Oath Sworn
Oathbound
Oathblood
Vows and Honour
Oath of Kings
Vow of Kings
Vows of Might
Oaths of Power
Oathlands. I like that.
A name that came to me was "Order & Chaos".
The orderliness of realms and fealty etc and the chaos of intrigues, revolts and war.
"Fealty Or Blood"
Implies options...
Quote from: Ironsides on January 07, 2013, 02:35:22 AM
"Fealty Or Blood"
Implies options...
Ha I like your options as its serve me or die but I guess you do have that option in this game where in BM unless you were a rogue you basically had to serve somebody.
Seize the Throne
I like the idea of going a little more dark...little less regal and more gritty.
Bloodsworn
Honor and Infamy
You are late... Necromancer. :-)