[MUD-Dev] Spoken Languages & Food [was RP thesis...]

[Matt Chatterley]

On Wed, 28 May 1997, Marian Griffith wrote:
> On Mon 26 May, Matt Chatterley wrote:
> > On Mon, 26 May 1997, Marian Griffith wrote:
> > > On Sun 18 May, Matt Chatterley wrote:
> 
> [language talk snipped]
> 
> > My current approach will probably be to assign one 'general' language,
> > plus racial (or geographical) orientated languages (ie elvish, or
> > midlandish). Hmm.
> 
> I wonder what is the point of having racial languages if there is a
> general language that everybody speaks. In a typical game there is
> no reason to use a different language, and in fact every reason not
> to. Players talk to either gossip, or to communicate during combat.
> Neither is helped when players use an uncommon language so you can
> expect players to use the general language almost exclusively.
> If you intend to have several languages you must, somehow, root them
> in the game. And for more than the occasional scroll or scribbling on
> the wall I think.

Yeah, I meet an internal clash of opinions with myself here. I would like
languages to play some part - but I don't want to make communication with
other players frustrating in any way. I'm stumped.
  
> > > Not to mention the fact that adventurers usually are the misfits who were
> > > forced to taking to adventuring for fear of meeting the gallow at home.
> 
> > Heh. Whatever the circumstances, the 'adventurer' (clasically the central
> > PCs in a pen&paper RPG.. this is not so true in all MUSHes for instance),
> > is exceptional compared to everyone else. This makes it slightly more
> > reasonable to assume that adventurers can all communicate via a 'trade
> > tongue'. Only slightly though. :P
> 
> <grin> Let's not get into details of what is and what should be.
> It is easier for the players to have them be the exceptional characters,
> and in general it makes more sense that way too. It's just that the kind
> of people who live by the sword aren't usually considered special. Quite
> the contrary in fact. But that's a roleplaying consideration and it need
> not bother players of a combat oriented game.

True. :)

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	http://user.itl.net/~neddy/index.html
"Fishing is complete and utter madness."  -Spike Milligan