Why do we use the phrase "Press Space, Commander" when a player dies, whereas the game itself says "Press Space"? . . . . .
In fact the phrase "Press Space, Commander" is used in virtually all player prompts EXCEPT death.
Perhaps the majority of Oolite players simply haven't seen that message for a long time . . .
Good question. I would have sworn that it says "Press Space Commander", and I'm dying all the time during play testing (for a reset flying into the station is easier and shorter than docking and reloading my last save game). I guess I'm just never paying attention to what the message actually says.
but saying press space debris would be quite a funny feature to add in and see if anyone notices
and I just tested it and you are right... it does just say press space
Personally, when said phrase is probably on the screen, I'm probably too busy spinning round the living room on my super-swivelly office chair to read it, but I imagine it harks from the good old speccy/BBC Elite days.
Ahhhh, when I were a lad.......
Unless "Press Space" is a euphemism for "suck on vacuum having had your ship torn out from around you" - in which case, it is merely a suggestion...
I think it already is, at least in my house. I (and sometimes my siblings, none of which play Oolite) use the term, "I pressed space, Commander" in other video games.
In fact the phrase "Press Space, Commander" is used in virtually all player prompts EXCEPT death.
Actually, it's "Press Space Commander", which is irritatingly ungrammatical.
Unless "Press Space" is a euphemism for "suck on vacuum having had your ship torn out from around you" - in which case, it is merely a suggestion...
The grammar would be unchanged in that case. Without the comma, the obvious grammatical reading is to treat “Space Commander” as a noun phrase. In normal usage it would be “Press the space commander” or “press a space commander”, but if there’s only one then “press space commander” is an acceptable abbreviation.
As for the verb, it could mean that you should beep the space commander on the nose, but the word has other meanings.
Very amusing grammar lesson, Ahruman. I don't want to be pressed, in either meaning of the word.
I'm going to go edit my descriptions.plist to say, "Press space, space debris."
