Rename minetest_game

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Wuzzy
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Rename minetest_game

by Wuzzy » Post

I suggest to rename the current default Minetest subgame, which is often referred to as “minetest_game” or “vanilla Minetest game” (in the community wiki). In game.cfg, the subgame is just called “Minetest”, like the engine.

The subgame lacks a “real” name, one that does not sound too technical and is not equal to the name of the engine.

It is easy for newbies to conflate both minetest_game and Minetest (the engine), partly because of the same/similar name.

IMO the new name should not be “Minetest”. The name should avoid confusion with the engine. But I have no concrete ideas, sadly. Does anyone have ideas for a better name for minetest_game?

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Krock » Post

How about Official subgame?
It's included by default and developed officially.
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Baggypants » Post

Mineland

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by ExeterDad » Post

minetest_demo or game_demo

Self explanatory to new users. It's a minimum game that gets them up and running enough to use the engine. Also implies there are other (and arguably more polished) games available.

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Krock » Post

ExeterDad wrote:minetest_demo or game_demo
<snip>
minimum game that gets <snip>
Are you talking about the minimal developement test game?
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Linuxdirk » Post

Wuzzy wrote:It is easy for newbies to conflate both minetest_game and Minetest (the engine), partly because of the same/similar name.
The main problem is, that even by more experienced users and in the documentation, the terms “Minetest” and “minetest_game” are used synonymous.

If it would be 100 percent clear in usage of the terms and in the documentation that “Minetest” refers to the engine and explicitly excluding the game itself and “minetest_game” only refers to the game itself and explicitly excluding the engine it would be all fine :)

Maybe rename “Minetest” to “Minetest Engine” and “minetest_game” to “Minetest Game” and use “Minetest” for the combination of “Minetest Engine” and “Minetest Game” for having better names.

Other games for “Minetest Engine” could be called “Minetest XYZ” without breaking naming conventions.

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by ExeterDad » Post

Krock wrote: Are you talking about the minimal developement test game?
Negative Sir,
Talking about the official game. All the new users (including myself in the beginning) seem disappointed that there is little to do and nothing to fight. If demo is within the name, they will know that there is so much more that can be done with the game. Whether it's installing mods to customize the game, or install another sub game outright.

On that note (yet offtopic), a subgame download and install tab would be a nice feature on the main screen.

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by rubenwardy » Post

Linuxdirk wrote:Maybe rename “Minetest” to “Minetest Engine” and “minetest_game” to “Minetest Game” and use “Minetest” for the combination of “Minetest Engine” and “Minetest Game” for having better names.

Other games for “Minetest Engine” could be called “Minetest XYZ” without breaking naming conventions.
I like that idea.
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by TG-MyinaWD » Post

But don't it called "minetest_game" since it Is Minetest and the Game is the Game. But whatever reaname it to would need lots of rewrite. like minetest.register and so on.

Furthermore I think the Folder it self needs an "_" to load right? Well I don't add it but It since I use windows and I never had an Fail cannot find folder yet.

But I sometimes rename my minetest_game folder to master_game. and the game.conf Minetest part to Official Minetest.

Another idea ;)
MT-MESE Engine

Also Minetest Needs a new Concept Design maybe in 2015.
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Linuxdirk » Post

Alt. Tester wrote:But whatever reaname it to would need lots of rewrite. like minetest.register and so on.
You register stuff to the Minetest engine (minetest) so it can be used by the game (minetest_game). What’s the problem with that?

I’m pretty sure you can write a game for Minetest (the engine) that establishes an own engine that accepts mods and you can create a function/class/thing called mymod.register() for being easily distinguishable from the register function for the Minetest engine.

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by lansney » Post

Linuxdirk wrote:
Wuzzy wrote:It is easy for newbies to conflate both minetest_game and Minetest (the engine), partly because of the same/similar name.
The main problem is, that even by more experienced users and in the documentation, the terms “Minetest” and “minetest_game” are used synonymous.

If it would be 100 percent clear in usage of the terms and in the documentation that “Minetest” refers to the engine and explicitly excluding the game itself and “minetest_game” only refers to the game itself and explicitly excluding the engine it would be all fine :)

Maybe rename “Minetest” to “Minetest Engine” and “minetest_game” to “Minetest Game” and use “Minetest” for the combination of “Minetest Engine” and “Minetest Game” for having better names.

Other games for “Minetest Engine” could be called “Minetest XYZ” without breaking naming conventions.
+42 , CAN be a very good idea to clarify and structurate things ...
MT > MC

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Wuzzy » Post

Furthermore I think the Folder it self needs an "_" to load right?
No. Also, the folder name does not matter much. You can set the human-readable name in game.cfg.

Oh, besides: I am only talking about the *real* name for the subgame, not the internal one used for the folder or whatever. And “minetest_game” simply sounds too technical for me.

“Mineland” sounds interesting, but also too gamey. This sub“game” is not a game in the strict sense. The name would be great if it would be actually a game, but sadly it is not.
I don't like “Minetest Game” for the same reason.

I like “Minetest Demo” (“minetest_demo” may be the internal name used for the folder), because for a game, it is admittedly too shallow (first, it is not a game in the strict sense: It is mainly a sandbox with no goals, secondly, there are no challenges, etc. etc. etc. A game has goals and it is all about meaningful decisions.). Also as far I know the developers of this subgame are seeing it more as a “base to mod the hell out of it” and it has also been decided to not add mobs in this subgame. So it is unlikeley this sub“game” will ever become a game by itself alone.

But the word “Demo” is also problematic, because it is also a term from the proprietary software world for crippled software, as opposed to the “full version” (read: the uncrippled version). Players could probably run away screaming as soon as they see the word “Demo”. (“What? I thought it was free! Now this is just a stupid demo! Stupid liars! I delete this.”)

Maybe “Minetest Demonstration”, “Minetest Example Game” or just “Demonstration”.

What would be actually needed is a name which conveys:
  • It's not a game
  • It's a sandbox (building and mining stuff are the most which you can do for now)
  • It is intended to be a base for modding
“Minetest Base” or “Base” would be cool, but the first name is already taken and “Base” is too similar.

Maybe “Foundation”. This name does not sound as if the sub“game” it refers to were a game. Also, “Foundation” can be understood in the sense of “that thing on which you build houses on” (lol), so it conveys the sandbox block-building meaning. But it can also be understood as the technical foundation for mods. There are also limits, what is not so clear here that the name could be falsely understoof that this subgame is a requirement for modding. But probably the documentation shoud make that clear anyways. IMO far to many mods depend on the default sub“game”.
Clearly NOT “Minetest Foundation”, it could be understood as if it were the foundation OF Minetest, lol.

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Linuxdirk » Post

Wuzzy wrote:What would be actually needed is a name which conveys:
  • It's not a game
  • It's a sandbox (building and mining stuff are the most which you can do for now)
  • It is intended to be a base for modding
“Minetest Base” or “Base” would be cool, but the first name is already taken and “Base” is too similar.
“Minetest Sandbox”?

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by rubenwardy » Post

Minetest Vanilla
Minetest VanillaBox
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by philipbenr » Post

+1 to VanillaBox

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Sokomine » Post

Why not just "Minetest Vanilla" or "Vanilla Minetest" (whatever works better in English)? Or "Common base game" could work as well. The name as such is less important than telling people that there's more out there and where and how they can easily locate and install what they like.
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Wuzzy » Post

I made this discussion into an GitHub issue:

https://github.com/minetest/minetest_game/issues/437

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by BlockMen » Post

Everything sounds strange. Minetest Vanilla is IMO the best of all those suggestions

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Wuzzy » Post

Yeah, “Minetest Vanilla” sounds indeed like a good option, I would not oppose it if such a name is chosen.

Of course many names sound strange because most ideas come from brainstorming. ;-)

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Thermal_Shock » Post

We could always just revert the name back to Minetest NeXt.

Since the eventual goal is to have multiple games bundled with the engine. It would probably be better to avoid using terms that would give it more weight than the others. Such as official, default or vanilla.

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by rubenwardy » Post

I agree. The included sub games shouldn't make them thing "oh, this is the main minetest game" they should different varying purposes. You'd need ability for a description and a screenshot like in the mod store.
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Zoig » Post

What about simple_game as a name?

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by philipbenr » Post

I think that Vanilla Minetest would be best.

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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Don » Post

How about Open_Mine?
Open pit mining is a real thing and Minetest is an open source game. It also implies that it is open to modding.
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Re: Rename minetest_game

by Napiophelios » Post

Linuxdirk wrote:
Wuzzy wrote:It is easy for newbies to conflate both minetest_game and Minetest (the engine), partly because of the same/similar name.
The main problem is, that even by more experienced users and in the documentation, the terms “Minetest” and “minetest_game” are used synonymous.

If it would be 100 percent clear in usage of the terms and in the documentation that “Minetest” refers to the engine and explicitly excluding the game itself and “minetest_game” only refers to the game itself and explicitly excluding the engine it would be all fine :)

Maybe rename “Minetest” to “Minetest Engine” and “minetest_game” to “Minetest Game” and use “Minetest” for the combination of “Minetest Engine” and “Minetest Game” for having better names.

Other games for “Minetest Engine” could be called “Minetest XYZ” without breaking naming conventions.
I believe LinuxDirk has it right. You just need clarity in the usage of the terms.
The way he explains it is pretty much how I already understood it to be (at least I thought so)

This whole topic is based on how Wuzzy thinks new comers might be confused,
but if people download Minetest and dont find a "Minetest" game inside they will be confused...maybe even pissed.

Who downloads minecraft to play the "diggingdanistheman-demo_game" nobody
You download Minecraft to play Minecraft and you download Minetest to play Minetest.
its pretty simple.

And calling it vanilla or basic or whatever just undermines the game

I think some things should just be left alone.
Of course this is just my opinion

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