[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#2565) Plural form needed for unit types

["Raimar Falke via RT" <rt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Jan 09, 2003 at 04:17:50AM -0800, Guest via RT wrote:
> 
> Raimar Falke via RT <rt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> > And the patch. 
> > 
> > Erik: last chance to object.
> 
> I take that chance.
> 
> 
> > -      notify_player(pplayer, _("Game: %d %s upgraded to %s for %d
> gold."),
> > -                    number_of_upgraded_units,
> unit_types[from_unittype].name,
> > -                    unit_types[to_unittype].name,
> > -                    cost * number_of_upgraded_units);
> > +      notify_player(pplayer,
> > +     PL_("Game: %d unit of %s upgraded to %s for %d gold.",
> > + "Game: %d units of %s upgraded to %s for %d gold.",
> > + number_of_upgraded_units), number_of_upgraded_units,
> > +     unit_types[from_unittype].name,
> > +     unit_types[to_unittype].name,
> > +     cost * number_of_upgraded_units);
> 
> This produces messages like
> "Game: 1 unit of legion upgraded to ..."
> "Game: 1 unit of carrier upgraded to ..."

What do you think if this is changed to

"Game: 1 unit of type legion upgraded to ..."
"Game: 1 unit of type carrier upgraded to ..."

> The fundamental problem is that some units have names that belong to a
> component of that unit ("settling unit"/"settler"). This needs to be
> handled in 1 of 2 ways.

> 1. Change the unit names so that they all refer to the whole unit, not
> to a component. For example change "settler" to something like "settling
> unit", "colonizing group", "settling team", ....

This makes the unit names longer. Too long and too complicated
IMHO. Just think what a civ2 player who sees freeciv for the first
time says: "why is a "settlers" called "colonizing group" in freeciv? 
And our answer would be "because to correct the grammatic of an
upgrade message"?! No. This suggestion is even worse than the one
which was to specify singular and plural for all units.

> 2. Make the ruleset indicate wether the unit name refers to the whole
> unit or a component. Change all code that produces messages about units
> to have 2 versions. For example "Game: %d %s upgraded to %s for %d
> gold."/"Game: %d units of %s upgraded to %s for %d gold."

The cost-value ratio is IMHO very bad.

> I prefer the 1st way. And I would like plural forms for unit types. I
> don't think the upgrade message should be changed before those issues
> have been fixed.

        Raimar

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