Dark Adept -> Dark Acolyte?

[irrevenant]

Zhukov pointed out in another thread that "Dark Adept" is a bad name for the eponymous unit. An "adept" is a highly skilled individual, while the "Dark Adept" unit is an entry-level unit.

I suggest "Dark Acolyte".

[toms]

Maybe it isn't the correct name, but it sounds good.

Dark Acolyte is also nice.

[Zhukov]

I wasn't actually expecting this to get taken up. But seeing as you have decided to I might as well add my two cents.

While "Dark Adept" doesn't quite make sense language-wise, it does sound good, as toms points out. So a name change is hardly necessary.

That said, "Dark Acolyte" is certainly as good as, if not better then, the current name. As far as I know acolyte can mean something along the lines of disciple, follower, minion or assistant. (Incidentally it also has a religious meaning: a kind of priest's assistant.)

I think that would go well with the nature of the unit.
So for what it's worth, my vote goes for "Dark Acolyte".

[JW]

In any case I think Dark Sorcerer sounds more powerful than either name.

[Eleazar]

So for what it's worth, my vote goes for "Dark Acolyte".

I agree.

[Mustelid]

I thought that the Wesnoth world was set up so that magic was rare (and black magic particularly so, because it can't be openly practised); moreover, the description of the Mage gives the impression that they have to invest a great deal of time and study just to reach 1st-level abilities. Hence, anybody with any practical ability at magic whatsoever could reasonably be called adept.

Acolyte is a better word, though.

[Alks]

Certainly "Acolyte" sounds more suitable for wanna-be necromancer. More hierarchical than adept(implies the servitude and apprenticeship).

[turin]

Well, I don't really care. But if it IS changed to Acolyte, that would probably be a lot of work updating all the scenarios the Adept is a part of, so that's a step that shouldn't be taken lightly.

[Zhukov]

But if it IS changed to Acolyte, that would probably be a lot of work updating all the scenarios the Adept is a part of, so that's a step that shouldn't be taken lightly.

That didn't seem such an issue when the names of "Necromancer" and "Dark Sorcerer" were swapped not long ago...

[toms]

Well, I don't really care. But if it IS changed to Acolyte, that would probably be a lot of work updating all the scenarios the Adept is a part of, so that's a step that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Why should it be hard? The id could stay the same, and the name changed.

(um..yes, it confuses with programming new scenarios)

But I like both names.

[Noyga]

I'm fine with "Dark Adept".
While a Dark Adept is a highly skilled individual, we still have IMHO :
Dark Adept < Necromancer < Dark Sorcerer / Lich
So changing it to "Dark Acolyte" would fix an non existant problem.
Also the level 1 unit deserves to be 'highly skilled', having high defense and a quite powerful attack.

[JW]

I'm fine with "Dark Adept".
While a Dark Adept is a highly skilled individual, we still have IMHO :
Dark Adept < Dark Sorcerer < Necromancer / Lich
So changing it to "Dark Acolyte" would fix an non existant problem.
Also the level 1 unit deserves to be 'highly skilled', having high defense and a quite powerful attack.

Cheers. Although don't forget the name swap in bold that actually was a problem in hierarchy before.

[Sapient]

The name Dark Adept makes sense to me. This is someone who is adept enough at manipulating the dark forces to begin studies in dark magic. Someone who has only a limited grasp of the dark side, however, (a non-adept) would never reach the level of a battlefield dark mage.

[irrevenant]

My vision of the DA is strongly influenced by the old unit description that indicated that they trained in attack almost exclusively. (I'd like to see something like that put back in, actually). OTOH, magi, based on the description "have spent several years in study, and have amassed a sum of knowledge which sets them apart."

Being a level 1 unit indicates rough equivalence on the battlefield rather than skill, ranging from the infant Troll whelps to the highly skilled Magi.

Magi and DAs are roughly equal on the battlefield, but IMO that is because the wartime arts comprise only one facet of the Mage's knowledge while inflicting pain is the DA's sole focus.

In any case the DA is something less than a "Dark Sorceror" (who I imagine approaches the magical skill of the L1 mage).

I leave you with this thought:
Luke: "Is the dark side stronger?"
Yoda: "No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive."

[Mustelid]

Magi and DAs are roughly equal on the battlefield, but IMO that is because the wartime arts comprise only one facet of the Mage's knowledge while inflicting pain is the DA's sole focus.

Regardless of whether this is true or not, black magic in the Wesnoth world is a feared and shunned art. It's not widely practised - far less so than the socially acceptable forms of magic - and when it is practised it's done in secret.
This means two things:
First, absolute skill in an art can be quite low, but still be regarded as high because it's such a rare skill. If you're one of only a hundred dark necromancy students in the world, you'd probably be regarded as more of an adept than if there are millions.

Secondly, the general populace have very little idea about what skills, processes and techniques are involved in necromancy; with something like that, popular imagination can run riot. DAs are probably regarded as much more scary (and hence powerful, and hence skilled) than they actually are. So even if it's not a descriptively accurate term, it could easily be the one in common usage.