Choosing the first name of the children

[Nelfe]

For me, it was the sole regret of CK1 : the randomly-chosen first name of the newborn.

So, for CK2, I hope for a pull-down menu, containing the list of all the first names (male or female) of the newborn's father culture. Then, each player can choose what he likes.

For example, I prefer Louis, Henri, Philippe, Charles for french kings, rather than Orson or another awful name. Or, by the magic of the gameplay, to have a king with an occitan, swedish, etc. name (in my game with the Duchy of Barcelona, I have a son with a saxon first name, because his mother's culture is saxonic. Nice).

 

[Drakken]

For example, I prefer Louis, Henri, Philippe, Charles for french kings, rather than Orson or another awful name. Or, by the magic of the gameplay, to have a king with an occitan, swedish, etc. name (in my game with the Duchy of Barcelona, I have a son with a saxon first name, because his mother's culture is saxonic. Nice).

French Kings used a very narrow list of names, traditionally the first three sons were named either Louis, Charles, Philippe, or any amalgation of the three former.

Philippe wasn't even supposed to be in the list, as it is Greek in origin, but was brought in the French court usage (and consequently, to Western Europe as a whole) by Anne de Kiev, and when her son Philippe I came on the throne it became accepted. Kinda like Napoleon when he became Emperor, that first name was totally unknown in France beforehand, but became widely accepted and used afterwards.

Only cadets were named with other traditional Frankish names like Hugues, Henri, Raoul, or Robert. That said, I find it odd that no first son of a French King was ever given the name of Hugues in honour of Hugues Capet.

 

[unmerged(63836)]

Good suggestion - it should be in IMO, after all we are role-playing a character.

 

[Ruwaard]

I like the idea of a list of names, but it shouldn't be too static. Together with the traditional dynastic names, there definitely should be names from the family of the mother, maybe the name of the patron saint (of the country or dynasty) and another random name should be added to the list. Sometimes new names did enter the list.

 

[sixtpomp]

That is a great idea!

 

[LordofSaxony]

I liked the naming pop-up for your direct heirs. When they are born it gives you 4 names.. like..

A) Henry
B) Edward
C) John
D) William

First could be based on your grandfather (or grandmother), 2nd could be your father, 3rd and 4th could be random from culture naming pool.

 

[Captain Frakas]

Only cadets were named with other traditional Frankish names like Hugues, Henri, Raoul, or Robert. That said, I find it odd that no first son of a French King was ever given the name of Hugues in honour of Hugues Capet.

The first son is generally named after his paternal grandfather (with few exceptions).
Robert II of France (son of Hugues Capet) named his first son Hugues, but it was it's young brother, Henri, who succeeded his father to the crown of France.
After that, Hugues was given to cadets who never succeeded to their older brothers as king of France and thus this name was never given again to first sons and was progressively excluded from the main line dynastic fashion.

 

[The Kingmaker]

There were a lot of good ideas on this subject that were brought up in the other thread on this topic: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?505499-Naming-Children

 

[RedRooster81]

For me, it was the sole regret of CK1 : the randomly-chosen first name of the newborn.

So, for CK2, I hope for a pull-down menu, containing the list of all the first names (male or female) of the newborn's father culture. Then, each player can choose what he likes.

For example, I prefer Louis, Henri, Philippe, Charles for french kings, rather than Orson or another awful name. Or, by the magic of the gameplay, to have a king with an occitan, swedish, etc. name (in my game with the Duchy of Barcelona, I have a son with a saxon first name, because his mother's culture is saxonic. Nice).

I cut the CK1 name lists down to just a few names per culture for both men and women. Because they share the same basic engine, I assume that CK2 names will work out rather like the system in EU3: a name list per culture with rules for defining naming regal names (e.g., for German names, whether three successive kings named Wilhelm Augustus, Wilhelm, and Wilhelm Augustus would be titled Wilhelm I Augustus, Wilhelm II, and Wilhelm III Augustus or Wilhelm Augustus I, Wilhelm I, and Wilhelm Augustus II.)

Of course, it would be nice too if upon coronation you can determine the names of your new monarch or change their names by clicking on the current name, though I doubt these features would make it into CK2. But at least regnal names are confirmed.

 

[Nelfe]

I cut the CK1 name lists down to just a few names per culture for both men and women

Good idea, I will do the same

 

[Caranorn]

Good idea, I will do the same

But that will mean that children from the ai will use the same cut down name list. So not really an option in my mind. Lets hope we will have a better system for CK-II so that ai characters will also end up with at least semi-realistic dynastic names...

 

[Captain Frakas]

As children were not named after a cultural fashion but after the dynastic patrimony of the family, the better system would simply be that sons get named after either:
1. his paternal grandfather
2. any son of his paternal grandfather
3. any son of his paternal great-grandfather
4. any son of his maternal grandfather or of his maternal great-grandfather
5. another random ancestor

And daughters after either:
1. her paternal grandmother
2. any daughter of her paternal grandmother
3. any daughter of her paternal great-grandmother
4. any daughter of her maternal grandmother or of her maternal great-grandmother
5. another random ancestor

A child should not be attributed a name already given to one of his alive brothers.
The list are in order of priority but could be randomized a little bit:

1st option (50%), if already attributed, use the 2nd option.
2nd (25%), if they are all are already attributed, use the 3rd option
3rd (15%), if they are all are already attributed, use the 4th option.
4th (10%), if they are all are already attributed, use the 5th option.
5th (0%)

 

[Don_giorgio]

I like the idea of the player having something to say about their children's names. at least if we are not able to write our own let the AI give us a list of names... I dont like to have a son named Guigues as heir to the throne of France again!!! (happened to me yesterday while playing as King of France... LOL)

 

[Captain Frakas]

Guigues is the traditional name of the dynastic house of Albion who ruled the Dauphiné. Quasi-all rulers of this house were named Guigues.

 

[Don_giorgio]

Guigues is the traditional name of the dynastic house of Albion who ruled the Dauphiné. Quasi-all rulers of this house were named Guigues.

I agree, but i dont find it suitable for a King of France... Maybe its just me...

 

[Captain Frakas]

I agree, but i dont find it suitable for a King of France... Maybe its just me...

For a King of France of the house of Albion, it would perfectly suit.

But certainly not for a king of France from another house (like the Capetians who prefers Louis, Philippe, Eudes, Henri, Hugues, Robert ).

That's why I say that characters should be named like their near ancestors (parents, grand-parents, great-grand parents and uncles/aunt).
It's the best way to represent that in game.

 

[Maleficus]

French Kings used a very narrow list of names, traditionally the first three sons were named either Louis, Charles, Philippe, or any amalgation of the three former...

...Only cadets were named with other traditional Frankish names like Hugues, Henri, Raoul, or Robert.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Hugues Capet's son called Robert? And IIRC his sons were called Hugues, Henri and Robert...

Louis X and Philippe VI both called their heirs Jean, while Louis IX started with a Philippe then went for Jean Tristan, Pierre and Robert.

Now admittedly France has had a hell of a lot of kings called Louis (19 I think, which puts England's 11 (well, 10) Edwards into perspective) but so far as I can see the French royal naming convention wasn't as strict as you implied.


Anyway, as to the subject of the thread, yes the freedom to choose names is definitely something that needs including (Kings Humbert and Osmond irked me no end in CK1). Personally I think the 'letter from wife' idea that someone (I forget who) came up with ages ago is still probably to be the best way to implement this.

 

[RedRooster81]

There were some odd names, especially in the Norman list IMO. You could do this by event (if that is possible to do with the engine that is); another alternative is to limit the list of names for your culture; and finally have an event to change the name upon inheriting (which I like personally), so regal names follow the name of the primary titleholder. A <change_name> function would have to exist however.

 

[Orinsul]

What if you can enter your own name, or leave the random one. in the annoucing the birth message if you click on the childs name you can write in your own as with new colonies in EU3, rather than all this complicated stuff

 

[RedRooster81]

What if you can enter your own name, or leave the random one. in the annoucing the birth message if you click on the childs name you can write in your own as with new colonies in EU3, rather than all this complicated stuff

YES! That would be the simplest solution. I was making some others in case that was not an option.