Dynamic names

[virusman]

Recently I wrote an NWNX-plugin for my RP PW to dynamically change player/creature names that are being sent to clients. In other words, the real names remain (for DMs and scripts), while the ones displayed in player clients may be different and are changed by scripts.
For example, I see somebody for the first time, so his/her name is "Stranger" for me. When he/she tells me his/her name (it can be a false name), I can set this name to be displayed automatically next time we meet. So there will be no "name over the head" problem.
Something like that:
http://data.virusman.ru/nwn/name_disp3.jpg (just changed all display names to "Test name")
http://data.virusman.ru/nwn/name_disp4.jpg (first number is client PC object ID, second is the creature ObjID)
http://data.virusman.ru/nwn/names_party.jpg (party example; the grey word is "Stranger" in russian)
http://data.virusman.ru/nwn/nwnx_names1.jpg
http://data.virusman.ru/nwn/nwnx_names2.jpg
It can be used to hide real PC names and allow players to set a custom name to any other PC.

It's still in development and I haven't decided if it'll be released or not..

[dorrian]

That both sounds and looks truly amazing. Did you end up doing much with this? I would love to hear more about it.

[nwn_martin]

i have always wished for hiding identity, this is totally awesome

[virusman]

We use it for our identity hiding system on my PW.
This is the most complicated plugin of all my NWNX plugins. It supports only NWServer 1.67 (Linux) now. When 1.69 comes out, I'll port it to 1.69.
It's impossible to port it to Windows.
And I'll probably never do anything like this again. I spent 2 weeks in disasm/debug just to make something that nobody thought was possible.

[Papillon]

I know this feeling... Happened to me with resource manager.
_________________
Papillon

[Zebranky]

Does SetName() effectively do the same thing as this plugin (for PCs), or does it actually change the PC's name with regards to everything? If the latter, then I just might have to try the impossible and port it to Windows.

[FunkySwerve]

You can do pc name changes fairly effortlessly using leto. I have a post on the leto forms with the needed functions, just fyi.
Funky

[virusman]

SetName doesn't work for PCs. Even if it did, its effect would be global.

[Zebranky]

I don't want to permanently change the PC's name, as that would royally screw up all references to them in the DB.

[bard]

Any news with dynamic names plugin?
Such an amazing thing should definitely be part of all RP NWN worlds!

[PhyrPhly]

This is very interesting. Nice job!

I'm curious... You state that a PC can dynamically name a "stranger". Since this is server-side, is the "new" name displayed for all clients? (e.g. PlayerA sets PlayerB's character's name from "Stranger" to "Bob", does PlayerC see PlayerB's character as "Stranger" or "Bob"?)

If all PC/NPC names are unique to every player, are you using some sort of table to store these names?

Thanks,
- PhyrPhly

[virusman]

[Extreme]

i Want to thank you for making this plugin. I have not put her in yet, but this is exactly what teh doctor ordered

[Zaith]

[virusman]

The plugin is not available yet. As I said before, I'll release it after 1.69 (final) comes out.