---
# nuzlocke-tracker-igl3
title: Name Generation
status: completed
type: epic
priority: normal
created_at: 2026-02-05T13:45:15Z
updated_at: 2026-02-11T20:48:02Z
---

Implement a dictionary-based nickname generation system for Nuzlocke runs. Instead of using an LLM API to generate names on the fly, provide a static dictionary of words categorised by theme. A word can belong to multiple categories, making it usable across different naming schemes.

## Architecture Decisions

- **Dictionary storage**: Static JSON file in `backend/src/app/seeds/data/`, alongside other seed data. Not exposed to frontend directly.
- **Dictionary format**: Category-keyed structure (`{ "mythology": ["Apollo", ...], "space": ["Nova", ...] }`) for fast lookup by naming scheme. Words may appear in multiple categories.
- **Suggestion logic**: Backend service with API endpoint. Frontend calls the backend to get suggestions.
- **Used-name tracking**: No new storage needed. The existing `Encounter.nickname` field already tracks assigned names. The suggestion engine queries encounter nicknames for the current run and excludes them.
- **Naming scheme per run**: Dedicated nullable `naming_scheme` column on `NuzlockeRun` (not in the `rules` JSONB).

## Approach

- **Static dictionary**: A local data file (JSON) containing words organised by category (e.g. mythology, food, space, nature, warriors, music, etc.)
- **~150-200 words per category**: A typical Nuzlocke has ~100 encounters, so this provides ample variety without repetition.
- **Name suggestion UX**: When registering a new encounter, the user is shown 5-10 suggested names from their chosen naming scheme. They can click one to select it, or regenerate for a fresh batch.
- **Naming scheme selection**: Users pick a naming scheme (category) per run, either at run creation or in run settings.

## Success Criteria

- [x] Word dictionary data file exists with multiple categories, each containing 150-200 words
- [x] Name suggestion engine picks random names from the selected category, avoiding duplicates already used in the run
- [x] Encounter registration UI shows 5-10 clickable name suggestions
- [x] User can regenerate suggestions if none fit
- [x] User can select a naming scheme per run