The thought process behind 'E' naming

[Axeface]

Ive bought this up before to essentially no sucess, but it reallyu bothers me so I am just trying to find a way to accept it.
Egosoft what is the thought process behind the E all the new ships are getting? I just think it's such a strange decision. Am I really the only one? I cant quite describe why it bothers me, but I feel like its something everyone should just understand. The easiest way to explain it would be to say its immersion breaking, why are the ships named like this in the fiction?

[Tomonor]

"Enhanced".

[Axeface]

I was going to edit to ask what E even stands for, well now I know. But now the question remains, why is everyone naming there ships like this.

Does anyone understand where I'm coming from?

[LameFox]

In principle I think it's no weirder than "Vanguard" and "Sentinel". IIRC even back in X3 there were "Enhanced" ship variants. Though why it's shortened to E and the others aren't, I'm not really sure. Won't complain though because some of the names get very long already. Maybe more should abbreviate.

[Alan Phipps]

I doubt that 'they' are naming their ship types like that. Rather your translation software is translating the type name from original language/communication and presenting it in a manner that the player can more easily understand. Blame the translator software!

[Tomonor]

I was going to edit to ask what E even stands for, well now I know. But now the question remains, why is everyone naming there ships like this.

Does anyone understand where I'm coming from?

Oh, so as in, in-universe? See Alan's reply - it's the abbreviation for the Enhanced variation and ship variations exist since X3: Reunion.

This is the simplest way to indicate that the ships have received an update, but technically remained the same ships.

[adeine]

In universe, the more creative solution would have been to rename the old variants 'Prototype'.

[Alan Phipps]

I don't think prototype would be appropriate in a name for a ship type in general and commercial usage. Maybe the Xenon had it more right using Branch 9 versions, etc. Even Mk 1 and then Mk 2, etc versions would have worked.

[Uwe Poppel]

Well, there are usually maybe one to five prototypes, but there were too many Oddys and Behemoths etc. in the universe.
Maybe renaming the old version would have caused problems with the program?
I find the “E” designation appropriate and nice and short.
Personally, I always found the previous variants “Vanguard” and “Sentinel” too complicated.

[adeine]

I don't think prototype would be appropriate in a name for a ship type in general and commercial usage. Maybe the Xenon had it more right using Branch 9 versions, etc. Even Mk 1 and then Mk 2, etc versions would have worked.

I don't think the NPC factions really use the old ships once you update (beyond what is left over in game), do they?

[j.harshaw]

I don't think prototype would be appropriate in a name for a ship type in general and commercial usage. Maybe the Xenon had it more right using Branch 9 versions, etc. Even Mk 1 and then Mk 2, etc versions would have worked.

I don't think the NPC factions really use the old ships once you update (beyond what is left over in game), do they?

They haven't so far. Some missions might ask for the old variants, though.

[xrogaan]

"Enhanced".

I would have gone with "Mk. II", but "Enhanced" is fine too. Just that the 'E' made me profoundly confused when I first met those ships, wasn't aware that they were new versions of existing ships.

[CBJ]

Unfortunately, for historical reasons, which I must admit have irked me for as long as I've been involved in the development, the "Mk II" designation is already (mis)used to mean more powerful versions of certain items. Otherwise that would have been my first choice too.

[Tamina]

I know what you mean, the "E" naming bothers me as well. Would have expected a name in the "Vanguard" and "Sentinel" scheme, like Behemoth "Ascendant", "Sovereign", "Apex" or something like that and not just plain "E".

The E naming scheme looks so weird. Like before Apple made it cool to name stuff iStuff.

[Caldari Navy]

What about this solution?
Egosoft allready can rename Race or station when some storyline mission is done , why dont use same method for ship naming when all old ship dissapear from race ,ships will be renamed to standard name simply removing E

[oddgit]

I always assumed it meant enhanced or evolved, similar to when car companies update a model, Ferrari FXX Evo.

[LameFox]

I know what you mean, the "E" naming bothers me as well. Would have expected a name in the "Vanguard" and "Sentinel" scheme, like Behemoth "Ascendant", "Sovereign", "Apex" or something like that and not just plain "E".

The E naming scheme looks so weird. Like before Apple made it cool to name stuff iStuff.

On the other hand though... there are ships floating around this game named like (real example) "ARG Gas Miner Magnetar (Gas) Vanguard". I kind of wish more of this stuff would be shortened or even removed. "ARG Gas Miner Magnetar GV" sounds a lot more elegant to me.