City naming conventions.

[Octavian X]

Rush has the phonetic alphabet right.

For the curious: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet

I prefer the idea of using the phonetic alphabet for the names, though. Maybe its just me, but I tend to associate those more closely with the military.

We could, though, qualify the names of the cities with another name related to its function. For example, 'Base' could denote a core city (Alpha Base), 'Fort' could be a defensive position (Fort Bravo), 'Camp' for a city meant to pump out units (Camp Charlie), etc.

[Cptn Fancypants]

City names should reflect neither the size of the Merc Empire (Alpha, Bravo, etc.) nor their strategic significance (Base vs. Fort). Mercs give nothing free of charge.

I suggest compiling a list of suitable names, ordering them randomly, posting the list to the forum, and assigning city names in list order as cities are founded.

As noted above, we could even use alphabet names if ordered randomly.

[Kloreep]

Well, clearly no one is too worried about the name Berlin.

Unless someone has a strong objection, I'd like to see Berlin renamed Alpha Base. It's going to be pretty clear, I think, that the city is our capital, so I wouldn't worry too much about the name; for future sites we can mix the order up.

[Cptn Fancypants]

There's not too much we can do to hide our capital. We might as well name it "Our capital, almost certainly the first city we founded. Breaking important things inside here will probably go a long way towards defeating us."

[polarnomad]

Alpha Base

[polarnomad]

So, shall our next site be named Camp Bravo?

[UnOrthOdOx]

I like Fort Bravo better

[Cptn Fancypants]

No Bravo.

I think team members should nominate non-informative names they like. We could then have a Borda-count election (an "instant run-off" vote, where each voter ranks their choices instead of voting for a single one) that orders the names from most popular to least. Then we just pop names off the list as we settle cities.

[polarnomad]

Originally posted by Cptn Fancypants
No Bravo.

I think team members should nominate non-informative names they like. We could then have a Borda-count election (an "instant run-off" vote, where each voter ranks their choices instead of voting for a single one) that orders the names from most popular to least. Then we just pop names off the list as we settle cities.

Ooo sounds fun! So do we suggest one each or what?

[Cptn Fancypants]

You can suggest as many as you want. You still only get one favorite, one second-favorite, etc. in the final voting.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Fine, we not going with a convention I nominate Raven's Nest in honor of one of my favorite mercenary themed games.

[Cptn Fancypants]

I nominate Cuckoo's Nest.

[polarnomad]

I nominate:

Gibbet Cove

Something nice and gruesome!

[polarnomad]

Looks like we're not expecting to have a sprawling empire then... Only four cities!

[Kloreep]

Looks like we should vote on the new city. Borda count sounds good to me.

I'd like to nominate Fort Sierra and Sierra Base so that we have a phonetic alphabet option that does not give away city number.

The options so far:
Camp Bravo
Fort Bravo
Raven's Nest
Cuckoo's Nest
Gibbet Cove
Fort Sierra
Sierra Base

How about we start voting in 24 hours? (Give time for any last-minute nominations. Or last-minute objections on Borda counting. )