Mech Naming Conventions?

[Arch-Heretek]

Are there any specific naming conventions to 'Mechs, namely like how naval ships are named in the modern world? Would different factions name them differently, would it be up to individual units or their traditions, some sort of commission, personal taste, etc?

 

[Packrat]

Individuals name their own mechs, and there doesn't really seem to be any conventions to it; it's simply a way for pilots to express themselves. If they inherited the mech from someone they knew and/or respected, however, they usually kept the previous name.

 

[Arch-Heretek]

That's a bit of a shame, I've run out of ideas for most of my 'Mechs. I've been using naval conventions, namely Eastern types since calling a 'Mech "Essex" feels off to me. For example, my Hunchback is called Sankt Georg, my MWO Raven is called Huszar, though I'm thinking of calling my Quickdraw that due to the lack of Ravens.

 

[Yankee Kitsune]

That's a bit of a shame, I've run out of ideas for most of my 'Mechs. I've been using naval conventions, namely Eastern types since calling a 'Mech "Essex" feels off to me. For example, my Hunchback is called Sankt Georg, my MWO Raven is called Huszar, though I'm thinking of calling my Quickdraw that due to the lack of Ravens.

'Mechs would be considered more like tanks/vehicles with names being completely unofficial and come up with by the crew. Dropships/Jumpships would follow more naval traditions though since a lot of these craft have been around for centuries any pattern has probably faded away

 

[Thehiredgun]

Are there any specific naming conventions to 'Mechs, namely like how naval ships are named in the modern world? Would different factions name them differently, would it be up to individual units or their traditions, some sort of commission, personal taste, etc?

Not like ships no. Think of it more like a fighter ace naming his fighter . I believe it would be more of personal preference.
But that's just my opinion.
As a side not wouldn't it be cool to have kill tallys on your Mech like aces of old?

 

[Kutuzov1]

Not like ships no. Think of it more like a fighter ace naming his fighter . I believe it would be more of personal preference.
But that's just my opinion.
As a side not wouldn't it be cool to have kill tallys on your Mech like aces of old?

German thanks in WWII used colored rings on the main gun. Mechs and veichle silhouettes in different colors for different denominations on the chest of the mech will do.

For naming mechs, it will change from planet to planet and from language to language, plus personal preference for those privately hold. Someone from Rashalague speaking Norwegian will call his mech differently from a Kurita of Japanese origin.

 

[BunglingLummox]

That's a bit of a shame, I've run out of ideas for most of my 'Mechs. I've been using naval conventions, namely Eastern types since calling a 'Mech "Essex" feels off to me. For example, my Hunchback is called Sankt Georg, my MWO Raven is called Huszar, though I'm thinking of calling my Quickdraw that due to the lack of Ravens.

I have been literally stealing warship names, so my Awesomes are called Bismarck and Tirpitz, my Atlas is Yamato, King Crab is Musashi, etc. My Victor is called Rodney because both of them make me think of some bloke in a pub instead of an enormous death machine (yes, there was a battleship called Rodney).

My old COM-2D is Campbeltown, and I will donate an internet cookie to anyone that can tell me why.

 

[Thehiredgun]

German thanks in WWII used colored rings on the main gun. Mechs and veichle silhouettes in different colors for different denominations on the chest of the mech will do.

Exactly that would be awesome. A little silhouette of the mech you KO ed.

I have been literally stealing warship names, so my Awesomes are called Bismarck and Tirpitz, my Atlas is Yamato, King Crab is Musashi, etc. My Victor is called Rodney because both of them make me think of some bloke in a pub instead of an enormous death machine (yes, there was a battleship called Rodney).

My old COM-2D is Campbeltown, and I will donate an internet cookie to anyone that can tell me why.

As a ww2 nut I greatly approve of that!!! Hms Rodney was a beast of a ship for its time. But no match for ships like yamato!
Campbeltown I know has a great story and everything ,but sadly I do not know com 2d.[/QUOTE]

 

[BunglingLummox]

Campbeltown I know has a great story and everything ,but sadly I do not know com 2d.

Gonna call this close enough. COM-2D is a Commando.

 

[TaurianMerc]

Gonna call this close enough. COM-2D is a Commando.

Not because you keep getting it stuck in doorways and having to blow it up?

And fun fact: the previous HMS Rodney (the admiral class not the cherry tree one) was the last Royal Navy battleship to carry a traditional carved figurehead.

 

[Thehiredgun]

Gonna call this close enough. COM-2D is a Commando.

Sorry still learning battletech lore ( dont actually have the game but find the lore very interesting)
I may use that idea to name mechs after ships, but being a man of high interest in Japanese ships. Im gonna name them after only Japanese ships of ww2.

 

[Dacadus]

You will find some of the early factions named mech,s after god,s of war or animals, aka Atlas, Zeus, Crab, Puma ect , while others after the shape,s the mech,s most looked like to the makers.
You may find better lore from the MechWarrior pen and paper books that came out as they printed some really good stuff about the history and the mech,s back then.

 

[TaurianMerc]

You will find some of the early factions named mech,s after god,s of war or animals, aka Atlas, Zeus, Crab, Puma ect , while others after the shape,s the mech,s most looked like to the makers

The OP is talking about the names of individual mechs, not the type.
For instance my Zeus is called "Grey Brows" (extra big virtual cookie for anyone who gets the reference)

 

[Thehiredgun]

So if I stick to my naming scheme that would mean whatever glitch gets into should be named kuma. ( a ww2 cruiser but also means bear in Japanese)

 

[cjlr]

So if I stick to my naming scheme that would mean whatever glitch gets into should be named kuma. ( a ww2 cruiser but also means bear in Japanese)

... And in Swahili it means, ah, 'lady parts'. So there's that.

 

[cjlr]

Anyway, for me so far, given my merc outfit's Hellenistic theme, I've been identifying my mechs based on their battlefield role. Euzonos, thureophoros, thorakita, hypaspiste, that kind of thing.

 

[Thehiredgun]

... And in Swahili it means, ah, 'lady parts'. So there's that.

Just died laughing ! Perfect. Best mech name ever

 

[Packrat]

... And in Swahili it means, ah, 'lady parts'. So there's that.

Well, Glitch is a woman, so...

 

[WhiteChapel]

Usually personal rides have a name that is either related to the personality of the mech or something important to the pilot. For example if your pilot is from the Lyran capital their mech might be called the Tharkad Express, or more esoterically my Lyran pilot drives the Highlander she named after her hometown, CCR (Cold Creek Revival). I've taken to calling the Atlas II Widowmaker, as it has over 40 kills and has now lost 4 pilots, all to headshots (I've lost 5 pilots total). My unit CO drives a Zeus named Albatross since the only mission I've failed was a story mission that I swapped it out for another mech. My other mainstay mech is my missile boat Stalker (4 LRM20's) that I wanted to call Woosh but have taken to calling Glass Jaw because it has so little armor.