There are a number of names, mainly on monsters that are unclear, hard to remember or easy to mix up in cataclysm, I’d like to do something about that, but as I’m not a native english speaker it may be best if I come with suggestions that can be countered before I do that.
There might be minor spoilers though, shouldn’t be but I’ve spoiler marked it anyway.
-Zolf - Rhymes with golf instead of wolf making it hard to identify as a Zombie wolf, these suggestions may or may not rhyme better though, Zombolf, Ghoulf (with a later stage of Goolf?).
-Zoose - still obviously a zombie, but the name feels to me like a sauce rather than a moose, ZoMoose might be preferable.
-Brute and Hulk, both sound big, dangerous and able to take a beating but I would not be able to separate them for the life of me, I’d think it should be easier to tell them apart but I do not have suggestions for this.
-Sling and Makeshift sling - I am familiar with the differences of these ones, but they’re very easy to confuse ingame, also I’ve tried to check the internet for the name sling as a carrying implement and that has only been for rifles, maybe makeshift bag or something would work.
IMO, the difference between Brute and Hulk is pretty simple, one is a big angry thing and one is a MASSIVE angry thing. Although a case could be made for Zombie Titans.
I don’t really have anything positive to say about the Z system we use now, nor do I really like your alternatives.
I do very much agree there needs to be an alternative name for the makeshift sling, either makeshift bag or improvised backpack would probably work well.
I’m the author of the Zolf (zombie wolf) and Zougar (zombie cougar) and honestly I agree with you there, I can’t think of a good name that’s both short and clear though. I guess the tried-and-true zomwolf and zomcougar could work though.
If people want, I will see to it that the names are changed.
Brute and hulk: I guess it’s the matter of getting used to it, especially that their’s glyph is very distinct. Brute is a red Z while hulk is white Z with magenta background.
Sling and makeshift sling: Agree, I’m not a native English speaker too so the names sometimes confuses me, don’t know a better name though…
Yeah, tbh I don’t really like those things that create a new “zombiefied” name, that goes for zoose and zolf, but also for zlave.
I would much prefer Zombie Wolf, or Zombie Thrall (for the zlave, I believe there was a long discussion about that.)
[quote=“Zorbeltuss, post:1, topic:7340”]-Zolf - Rhymes with golf instead of wolf making it hard to identify as a Zombie wolf, these suggestions may or may not rhyme better though, Zombolf, Ghoulf (with a later stage of Goolf?).
-Zoose - still obviously a zombie, but the name feels to me like a sauce rather than a moose, ZoMoose might be preferable.[/quote]
I get that some people don’t like the znames, but the suggestions are in no way better, just different.
The descriptions make the difference between the two very clear:
“Its entire body bulges with distended muscles and swollen, festering wounds.”
In other words, a heavily muscled zombie, but still a human-sized one. This might be a bit understated so we can look at improving it.
“A human body now swollen to the size of six men, with arms as wide as a trash can.”
This is very clearly something you do not want to mess with unless you’re packing serious destructive power. again the description can probably be improved by providing some more context.
The main thing is they’re names, You’re supposed to learn what they are from their descriptions and interacting with them, and after that the name is just a label to remember, you’re not supposed to get anything more than a hint as to their nature from the name, and I’m not sure how you could get anything more from that
There is a slingshot, it’s a completely different thing. The reason the names for the two slings and slingshot are similar is they’re all derived from each other. Basically you’re complaining that English is confusing, which it is, but I’m not willing to call the item something less specific because people can’t be bothered to remember the difference between the two items. If in doubt, look at the description, if THAT isn’t clear it’s definitely a problem.
That’s a rather odd thing to bring up considering the fact that it was changed to “Zombie Slave”, so it doesn’t have the name you’re complaining about anymore.
There’s like - a Zolf, a Zougar, a Zombear and Zoose - or at least there they are when I’m paying attention.
a)a Zombolf is confusing, WolZ packs an entirely different meaning, Z-Wolf feels the same as Zolf;
b) Zombougar twists the tongue, CouZgar is viable only visually, and Z-Cougar is kinda misleading;
c) Zombear works just fine, it makes sense and it’s likable;
d) ZoMoose is kinda funny, Z-Moose is yet again the same, and MooZe could grind as a form of slang.
I’m thinking - what if wolves turned into Grim Howlers, cougars became Decay Cats and mooses looked like Antler Horrors when they got up and walked (yet) again?
Those names might not help with the translation but they’re distinctive, strike fear in the heart of the player and are not as bland as “zombie wolf” and not as silly as “zolf”. So I am largely in favour of them.
I thought this was a thread to reclassify enemies in a more translatable manner. If I’m wrong and its just about renaming enemies then yeah duke it out. Till then I’m sticking to the point and would like to point out that zolf isn’t any better then zwolf.
This has nothing to do with translation, translators should change names as they see fit in their own language, including having a completely different take on the name, using local puns or jokes, whatever.
[quote=“Kevin Granade, post:8, topic:7340”]The descriptions make the difference between the two very clear:
"Its entire body bulges with distended muscles and swollen, festering wounds."
In other words, a heavily muscled zombie, but still a human-sized one. This might be a bit understated so we can look at improving it.
"A human body now swollen to the size of six men, with arms as wide as a trash can."
This is very clearly something you do not want to mess with unless you’re packing serious destructive power. again the description can probably be improved by providing some more context.
The main thing is they’re names, You’re supposed to learn what they are from their descriptions and interacting with them, and after that the name is just a label to remember, you’re not supposed to get anything more than a hint as to their nature from the name, and I’m not sure how you could get anything more from that[/quote]
The problem is not that the name says little about them but rather that they’re easy to mistake for one another, a mistake which will make atleast me not read the description of one because I’ve read the other and I think that this is the one I read the description of.
[quote=“vultures, post:9, topic:7340”]There’s like - a Zolf, a Zougar, a Zombear and Zoose - or at least there they are when I’m paying attention.
a)a Zombolf is confusing, WolZ packs an entirely different meaning, Z-Wolf feels the same as Zolf;
b) Zombougar twists the tongue, CouZgar is viable only visually, and Z-Cougar is kinda misleading;
c) Zombear works just fine, it makes sense and it’s likable;
d) ZoMoose is kinda funny, Z-Moose is yet again the same, and MooZe could grind as a form of slang.
I’m thinking - what if wolves turned into Grim Howlers, cougars became Decay Cats and mooses looked like Antler Horrors when they got up and walked (yet) again?[/quote]
Your names are great and yeah I really like Zombear.
I probably should have made it clear that I didn’t consider my name examples good enough, just a slight bit better (except the Ghoulf and the Goolf which somehow I like).
Lastly I apparently missed one really confusing Z animal, the Z-9 (this may be because I’m more familiar with British English in some cases though), I have no clue as to a better name, but to me it feels more like a Zombie robot rather than the zombie dog with armor it is.
i thought z-9 was one of the best chosen names there are xD
Not telling you what it is of the bat if you do not get the pun (which honestly i didn t before i found out that it was a dog) but still a very nice name imo.
And as far as i am concerned the names do not have to be discriptive at all .
[quote=“Valpo, post:19, topic:7340”]i thought z-9 was one of the best chosen names there are xD
Not telling you what it is of the bat if you do not get the pun (which honestly i didn t before i found out that it was a dog) but still a very nice name imo.
And as far as i am concerned the names do not have to be discriptive at all .[/quote]
It is actually the biggest problem as far as recognition goes for me with these, I know I have met them before, but I need to think for half a minute or check the description (whichever is most handy at the time) to remember what they are. The pun is Canine = K-9 => Z-9, I presume, but even with the pun I’m still unsure why it has armor or why it couldn’t be just another monster with big canine teeth.
But then again it probably confers to something in American Culture that I’m not aware of.
