Best Name for Game?

[mratomek]

I am working on a universal set of minis battle and adventure rules. Something along the lines of GURPS for miniatures. I have two working titles and need some help as to what best resonates--or if both suck.

Monster Rules (where Monster refers to the scope of the rules--like a monster car).

MOD Forces (Modified as in custom miniatures--since the game doesn't require a player to use a specific range of minis).

Thoughts, ideas, likes, dislikes...

thanks.

[joepub]

My guess is this ACTUALLY belongs in Publishing, because you are talking about how to market your completed game.

Neither Monster Rules nor MOD Forces is a good name. Neither tells me anything about your game.

"Monster Rules" might be about monsters, but I'm not 100% sure.
MOD Forces would assumedly be about these british secret agents who ride mopeds.

Those are the impressions those titles give.
Think about this:
-What is your game about?
-What does you game have on all the other games of the type?
-What will grab people?

I've read a bunch of AP reports on Monster Rules/MOD Forces...
and from what I can tell the game is:
-super, super flexible
-a miniatures battle game - but one that allows you to put the "win condition" on something OTHER THAN straight out slaughter.
-although setup time seems like it'd take a while, play seems fast and deadly. This seems like a strength.
-Tons of flexibility.

Now... you need a name that says: "totally customizable, snappy play, small model count, awesomeness".

You also want to factor in one final thing: Is this a book, or are you going to market a boxed set with some models in it and stuff?
If it's just a book, stress the fact that it's flexible and customizable.
If it comes with models, stress the fact that it's fun and fast.

Maybe incorporate the word "skirmish" in the title.
-Skirmish Grounds
-Skirmish Heroes

[Valamir]

I think Joe's on the right track

If you want to keep the tone light, you can also get a little playful with the name.

Like:

Universal Skirmish Unlimited Conflict.

Descriptive, and fun with the handy smack talking acronym USUC.

as in "Hey, lets play some USUC!"


Yeah...maybe its a stretch.  But the key is pick something memorable.  All of the cool bad ass sounding names blend together into an undifferentiated blur.

[Call Me Curly]

miniMAX

minimen

Skirmini

Infini-minis

[joepub]

I vote against an acronym. I'm not sure if that was a serious suggestion or not, but I strongly vote against it.
I also vote against "miniMAX", although "skirmini" has this AWESOME ring to it.

minipunk?

[jackson_tegu]

yeah, i'm against the acronyms too.

actually, i like something that joe said so much that i think you should name your game it.
"win condition".
since i'm drawn to the not-total-slaughter situation (and i usually end up ad hoc-ing games
to be more in line with that anyway) that name would be something i'd certainly pick off the
shelf. it's punchy, it speaks to an immediate conflict and infers quick resolution. to me.

or, if you wanted a more coffee-themed game, you could have "battle grounds". or "the mini grinder"
or "cup o' destruction" or "bean grenediers must defeat cap' chino."

...and the fact that i'm quoting joe, i promise, didn't figure into this foolishness at all.

yay! first post!

[jackson_tegu]

cripes, and BOTH potential racial slurs were VERY unintentional.
giant apologies.
what a doozy of a first post.

[TroyLovesRPG]

mini battle overdrive

[Josh Roby]

Infiniminis is neat because it's fun to say.  This is actually something that you should always try with your titles: say them aloud.

Minipunk would be a very cool name if and only if you are really planning on pushing this balls-to-the-wall to the point where you're establishing an entire genre of play.  If you are, this would be a very useful, effective title for a game line rather than a single product.

And don't overlook the power of the title-subtitle one-two punch.

Infiniminis
Minipunk Madness

[mratomek]

I really appreciate everyone's feedback. It has confirmed a few things for me.

Fist of all, is that tryting to name a system that is all things to all people is, well, impossible (unless you have tons and tons of money with which to market said name).

So I was considering focusing the system on a single genre. That would help me focus the name and then I could offer setting/name extensions later. So which one do I start with? Here are a couple of the names I have been kicking around to possible use as the setting for the initial book:

Skulltower (Fantasy)
Black Hole (Modern Horrror & Sci Fi)
Big City Heroes (Super Heroes)
Dawn of the Apocalypse (Post Apocalyptic Desolation)
Dominant Species (Dark Future Space Battle (a la 40k))

Thoughts, ideas, criticisms?

Thanks.

MrAtomek

[joepub]

Fist of all, is that tryting to name a system that is all things to all people is, well, impossible (unless you have tons and tons of money with which to market said name).

Dude, we totally gave you some universal awesomeness:
-Mini Battle Overdrive
-Skirmini
-Skirmish
-Win Condition

But...
As far as genre names... I don't like any of those except dominant species.
The fantasy one is totally a Bad Fantasy Name Syndrome-afflicted title.

Let me ask you a question here: What are you trying to pitch with this name?
We've all given suggestions for cool names for your game, and then you told us "well, I guess my original request isn't really possible."

[Eero Tuovinen]

If the system is universal, I should think it the height of folly to cram it into a genre just because you can't think of a good generic name. Talk about lack of marketing plan!

As I see it, you absolutely have to identify your target audience as the first thing, so here's short descriptions of the main ones:

1) Go for the grognard market and use a descriptive name with a reasonable acronym. Serious, none of that f**** humour people insist on when they want to be backhandedly "cool" about playing with toy soldiers. This is a serious business with it's own aesthetic, and you're competing with games like De Bellis Multitudinis (affectionately known as "DBM" by it's players), a generic system for fighting historical, pre-gunpowder era battles. These guys won't go for something "cute", they want professionality and are quite happy with a bw ashcan copy of the rules as long as you don't mix up your skirmishers and hoplites.

2) Go for the teenager market and use a colorful, punchy name. Like Warhammer or Heroclix. For this market you need production values, and have to decide whether you're a gateway product yourself or riding on the coattails of those larger games. In the latter case make sure your rules are compatible with their minis. In any case your name and packaging needs to be themeful, even if universal.

3) Go for the generic gamer market and use a humorous name. Realize that your target audience generally isn't interested in investing serious time in the game, so design accordingly. I'm thinking of games like Fairy Meat or Mechaton here, something that you might pick up for the premise and play like it were a boardgame, instead of spending a month painting your army.

My point is, most of the names suggested or bandied about thus far are IMO horrible for any except the generic gamer market. A cute pun might be okay for the occasional hobbyist buying into a time commitment of a couple of hours, but I wouldn't touch something called "Skirmini" or "Mini Battle Overdrive" with a long stick if I was looking for a serious rules system I'd be willing to build an army for. Is your game one of those where we're supposed to build an army of two dozen + figures out of an army list and paint them? If so, you need a name that says the effort will be worth the payoff, not something that screams triviality. If your game really isn't the SJG card game of the minis market, then don't market it as such.

(You'll note that I don't actually know anything about your game, it's just that the "GURPS of miniatures gaming" doesn't sound like a small and cute game to me, considering the amount of money and time hobbyists generally invest in their minis gaming.)

I could give you a number of suggestions for names, but it'd be a bit pointless without knowing more about the product, target audience and the marketing plan, which are all crucial if you want the name to actually make sense. Going with the GURPS reference I'd suggest considering something with words like "tactical", "strategic" or "wargame" in it, because those are usually associated with heavy and serious combat simulation wargames. Consider the classics: you might have heard of Tactical Studies Rules, a wargame company from the '70s. That name screams commitment to wargaming. Or Squad Leader, which is punchy and to the point.

So my suggestion: instead of polling here for random suggestions, develop your publishing plan and write to us about it. Then it'll be much easier to suggest appropriate names.

(For the record, Skulltower is a great name for anything that's trying to go for a '80s overblown sword & sorcery feel. It could be the name of a Fighting Fantasy adventure book, easily. So if that's your angle, then it'd be reasonable. I'd expect to get a plastic skull prop in the package, though, and chainmail bikinis on the cover.)

[GregStolze]

Something I've noticed is that (in RPGs at least) games tend to benefit from doing just exactly what they say on the cover.  What do you get in D&D?  Why, yes, as a matter of fact, you do go into dungeons fairly often and are quite likely to conflict with dragons.  Vampire the Masquerade?  By golly, you're vampires, but see, you're trying to keep your identity secret.

Unknown Armies, on the other hand, could be about anything.  We came up with that name because it sounded cool before I'd noticed how useful it was to have a name that says what the product does.  Ditto EVERWAY.  GODLIKE is a bit better.  Abyss was, by all accounts, a poor game, but you sure knew what you were getting into when you bought it. 

You want something that's accurate but evocative.  That's why I went with REIGN for a game of fantasy leadership.

-G.

[mratomek]

Fist of all, is that tryting to name a system that is all things to all people is, well, impossible (unless you have tons and tons of money with which to market said name).

Dude, we totally gave you some universal awesomeness:
-Mini Battle Overdrive
-Skirmini
-Skirmish
-Win Condition

But...
As far as genre names... I don't like any of those except dominant species.
The fantasy one is totally a Bad Fantasy Name Syndrome-afflicted title.

Let me ask you a question here: What are you trying to pitch with this name?
We've all given suggestions for cool names for your game, and then you told us "well, I guess my original request isn't really possible."

A good brand name has to have a little magic to it. I actually really considered Infinimini, but it was simply too hard to say. The other names, although good a more discriptive, didn't have that magic. Ultimately, I think the best names combine a measure of informative and abstract. The informative piece helps people initially grasp what it is, but the abstract piece gives you much more punch and ownership later on.

The game I am trying to pitch with the name is a minis battle and adventure game, a game system that blurs the line a bit between RPGs and wargames. You can create characters and adventures similar to RPGs, but the game is played-out in a more condensed, fast-paced manner similar to a minis wargame.

[Paul Czege]

Children of the Sprue

Paul