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Success! I have taken NML to the next level, specifically using NML to generate random town names. What it does is it takes a list of bases (drawn from Alberta Town Names) and then randomly adds prefixes and suffixes to them. That means that even on the largest maps, you should never run out of names. For example, it is possible to get:

• Acme (just the base)

• Fort Acme (prefix)

• East Acme (another prefix)

• Acme Acres (suffix)

• Acme Place (another suffix)

• North Acme Falls (both a prefix and suffix) and many others...

Prefix and suffix probability are relatively low, so you shouldn't be overrun with particularly long names.

This is an example list (high number of towns, 512x256 map):


Available here or on Bananas. Enjoy!

If you have a name that you think should be added, let me know. Alternately, if you get a name that doesn't make any sense (like the 'Lake Cold Lake' I got in testing...), let me know so I can fix it! (and yes, 'Acme' is a real town in Alberta)

To Use:

• 1. Download MinchinWeb's Random Town Names through the game's online content system.

• 2. Select the GRF (MinchinWeb's Random Town Names v1.1) in the NewGRF menu.

• 3. Back on the game title screen, go to Game Options, and then under town names select MinchinWeb's Random I

P.S. Some of my favorite names that were generated in testing:

• Fort Minchinbury

• Drift Pile Lake

• Zama Ridge

• Old Thompsonford

• Princess Virginia Park

• Janvier Bay

• Unwin Mountain

• Vader Lake Outpost

• Zama Bend

• Ermineskin

• Nose River

• Iron Creek Estates

• St. Mary Springs

• Purple Lake

Edit (March 28, 2011): The source file below *should* actually contain my NML source now. The source is also available at https://code.google.com/p/openttd-noai-w ... wn%20Names, which includes my Excel files that I used to generate this.

Awesome! This is what I needed, a GRF that generates completely random town names, not ones form a specific country! Although I did see a few familiar places in there, such as Innisfail, Collingwood, Lake Windermere, Campbelltown, Minchinbury... But it's great to have something less generic than the default town names, and less specific than "<insert country> Town Names"

Also other sets run out of names after a few hundred (claiming "there is no more space on the map") and your set successfully named 13000 towns on a 2048 * 8192 map.

EDIT: Here are a few errors: There are quite a few that are "Lake <something> Lake" and also a "High Heights"

Emperor Jake wrote:EDIT: Here are a few errors: There are quite a few that are "Lake <something> Lake" and also a "High Heights"

I think I have these two fixed, let me know if it's otherwise. And I'm glad it's working for you! I did some back-of-the-envelope math and it should be able to generate 2 million plus names. I'm not sure why anyone would want to play on a map THAT big...

Very awesome! I kinda wanted to do something with United States town names, something unique yet fairly generic.

Do you have a simple text list of the town names, prefixes, suffixes that we could have a look at? Not needed as I've just found the .nml file. That's exactly what I was looking for...

I wrote a simple qbasic program to generate names for when I play Civ that uses the same sort of technique (I think)...taking a basic town name with a probability of using a prefix, suffix or concatenating a stub...
Names are predominantly British name parts.

For example, for my name generator

"Lizard" can only have a suffix, like Lizard Bay or Lizardstone
"Drysdale" can have prefix or suffix, like Chipping Drysdale or Drysdale Bourton

For Ottd, as names can be longer than the 15 characters available for Civ, it would be possible to have names with both a prefix and suffix.

"Pinski" could become Port Pinski Lodge.

Now I'm just going to try your grf....Pretty good...."Writing-on-Stone" was an interesting name.

Might be worth telling people to select the grf in the game options setting to get the grf to be used instead of the default town names. Took me 3 attempts to realise that I had to change something!

3iff wrote:Might be worth telling people to select the grf in the game options setting to get the grf to be used instead of the default town names. Took me 3 attempts to realise that I had to change something!

Hmmm, When I add it, the grf is activated automatically. What OpenTTD version are you using?

Anyway, I have taken a good look at the code, and I am working on an Australian style town names generator, which is based off your code, but will give me much-needed practise in NML. I only just realised how much better it is than NFO

I'm using a slightly modified nightly 21514...a bit old perhaps. I did have an alternative name choice active (English additional) which may have overridden the new setting.

I've just been looking through the code and it's pretty extensive. Anyway, I've been impressed enough to download NML and see what I can come up with. I did briefly look at NFO but quickly gave up.

Best town name generator around, I'd say
But, uhm... the tar as linked in the 1st posting does not contain the source, but the grf and the lang directory

planetmaker wrote:Best town name generator around, I'd say

Thanks!

planetmaker wrote:But, uhm... the tar as linked in the 1st posting does not contain the source, but the grf and the lang directory

Uhm yeah...tar's on a windows machine are a bit of a pain. I should have it fixed now.

MinchinWeb wrote:Uhm yeah...tar's on a windows machine are a bit of a pain. I should have it fixed now.

Try this http://www.7-zip.org/

OK, maybe some of these names are a little TOO random:

St. William Lake Trailer Park
Rocky Mountain Horse
Big St. Brian Creek
Tuscany Avenue
University of Calgary
West The Palisades

kamnet wrote:OK, maybe some of these names are a little TOO random:

St. William Lake Trailer Park
Rocky Mountain Horse
Big St. Brian Creek
Tuscany Avenue
University of Calgary
West The Palisades

It's hard to beat real life for random
Rocky Mountain House is a real town in Alberta, and the University of Calgary is among the neighbourhoods in (surprise!) Calgary.

(and if it really is 'Rocky Mountain Horse and not House, let me know - that would be a typo that needs to be fixed)

The five part names are a little extreme, but should be rare. How big a map are you playing on?

It could have been horse or house, I didn't save the game. No complaints, just really unusual. This was on a 2048x2048 map. Most of the names are pretty good, though.

Only issue that I have with towns being named "Trailer Park" or "Trailer Court" is that we still don't have a released NewGRF for trailer/caravan parks.

I had to share my favourite randomly generated name yet : 'Head-Smashed-In'
Which promptly became the headquarters of the Head-Smashed-In Transport Co. Once I finally recovered from seeing that name.
Damn, I like these names.

Head-Smashed-In is not random. It is a real location in Alberta Canada (albeit it is the english translation of the Blackfoot name).

Hi Sorry to bother.

One thing that I found "wrong" in a sense of more grammar, Is "little the orchards". sounds wrong. how difficult would it be to make the grf, chance a name like that to "the little orchards"?

Gremnon wrote:I had to share my favourite randomly generated name yet : 'Head-Smashed-In'

Yup, it's a real place! It even got featured on a U2 song cover:

te_lanus wrote:Hi Sorry to bother.

One thing that I found "wrong" in a sense of more grammar, Is "little the orchards". sounds wrong. how difficult would it be to make the grf, chance a name like that to "the little orchards"?

No bother at all. "Little The Orchards" is rather strange. I'll fix it for the next release!