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Add back more secondary languages.


Shadeykins

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Certain racial languages should not have restrictions on them.

 

Gray's can communicate telepathically for instance, and IPC's are robots, humans could also believably vocalize certain languages albeit with great difficult.

 

Languages not based off of body movement/bubbling (IE: Slime) should be able to be parsed/spoken.

 

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Certain racial languages should not have restrictions on them.

 

Gray's can communicate telepathically for instance, and IPC's are robots, humans could also believably vocalize certain languages albeit with great difficult.

 

Languages not based off of body movement/bubbling (IE: Slime) should be able to be parsed/spoken.

 

Strongly disagree with this--it not only takes away a part of what makes the race unique, but also inevitably leads to people picking the most common species language just so they can gain an advantage in terms of gameplay (I'm guessing, at the time of this posting, that would be the Tajaran language). pAI's translator package exists for a reason =p

 

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Add in more second languages then. Maybe sign language?

 

As it stands, 50% of people want Clownish gone which leaves only Tradeband/Gutter (and everyone picks tradeband).

 

Alternatively, allow a normally unselectable language as possible donator fluff.

 

Maybe I'm totally out to lunch on this, but perhaps a poll could be done to gauge whether or not the community wants options like skrellian/s'iik added back in?

 

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Lore wise, many of the languages cannot be spoken by other races, due to either unique vocal cord structures, and/or needing a tail or the like to speak it.

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Lore wise, many of the languages cannot be spoken by other races, due to either unique vocal cord structures, and/or needing a tail or the like to speak it.

 

Meh, thats some of the worst lore for special snowflake crap.

 

Barely makes any sense too, but thats something I don't want to get into.

 

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Alternatively, allow a normally unselectable language as possible donator fluff.?

 

No, never, huh-uh, no way, absolutely not, nevuhgunnahappen.

 

Pay to win is NOT a good thing for game balance, and we're certainly not going to even remotely begin to start allowing it on Paradise.

 

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Alternatively, allow a normally unselectable language as possible donator fluff.?

 

No, never, huh-uh, no way, absolutely not, nevuhgunnahappen.

 

Pay to win is NOT a good thing for game balance, and we're certainly not going to even remotely begin to start allowing it on Paradise.

 

Having a second language as fluff is not P2W, especially when it is easily accessible by everyone else. I could see the issue with fluffing multiple second languages, but trading out your regular one-off second language for something else is not P2W in the slightest, or even mildly unbalanced especially when it requires another person to speak to as it is. It is more or less an exact equivalent to "Where did you get that sweet hat?" except in terms of language "Where did you learn x language?".

 

The only possible scenario where this is pay-to-win is if two people have donated for an obscure language (say Skrellian) and they BOTH got antag somehow, and were both conducting a private conversation out in the open in Skrell in which case any other Skrell/PAi/whatever could understand them as-is making it.. Entirely moot. That's a huge stretch and barely qualifies as a "balance" issue or pay-to-win.

 

If you had other reasons for applying the P2W label to the suggestion I'd love to hear it, because I am personally (and honestly) clueless how it's P2W.

 

My two cents.

 

Either way, it was a mild suggestion and less of a "do this".

 

Lore wise, many of the languages cannot be spoken by other races, due to either unique vocal cord structures, and/or needing a tail or the like to speak it.

 

I can see slime people/vox/kidan because of bubbling/vibrating, screeching, or pincer clicks but S'iiktajr/Skrellian converts using plaintext characters which suggests that it's entirely composed of similar vocals to galactic common if not with pronunciation quirks.

 

Body movement when it plays into language is subcontext and only that, which means a language reliant on body movement that is "spoken" could be emulated/spoken by others albeit with a few misinterpretations regarding tone/context.

 

Unique vocal cord structures is also a moot point, because we have telepathic grays, and robots running around.

 

Still suggesting that more gets added (and dear god remove Clownish), something like Sign Language for a few of our mute characters we have hanging around would be a real boon. Could just parse it as "me makes a few quick hand motions."

 

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Lore wise, many of the languages cannot be spoken by other races, due to either unique vocal cord structures, and/or needing a tail or the like to speak it.

 

Meh, thats some of the worst lore for special snowflake crap.

 

Barely makes any sense too, but thats something I don't want to get into.

 

add holographic[spoiler2]for the tail gestures[/spoiler2] translator language thingies, click on it to speak a language its made for. comes with encryption key to translate stuff.

also make them expensive and availible at QM.

 

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Going to add this in as an addendum.

 

If it's the case that speaking S'iik requires a tail (much like slime requires wibbly body movements, and Kidan certain arrangements of pincer clicks), then it should not be able to be spoken over public comm channels whatsoever. Lore is nice, lore is fun.

 

When lore is used to deliberately encourage cliquey behaviour and cut people out of participating in certain areas for no real good reason, lore is no longer serving it's intended purpose (which is to add, not take away).

 

It is 100% possible and easy to script in selection for other languages, and I've yet to see a good argument against it that isn't "If we add in those languages, people might choose them!". Other races are unique because of their benefits/disadvantages, language does not "add" or "take away" uniqueness, it's only added flavour for RP.

 

I've DM'd on a certain community of a game called Neverwinter Nights, and on said server there was class/race specific languages totally to about a whopping 16 or so languages. It was also a persistent world, and there was phrasebooks that would allow characters to learn new languages based off both their INT score and the frequency with which they heard the spoken language, with a cap to the amount of learnable languages based off INT.

 

There was also a certain skill (Lore) that allowed players (when reaching a certain skill value) to understand other languages with relative consistency.

 

This is a persistent server/world that has been running for over 8 years, and being able to understand other races/class specific languages never took anything away, and in fact only added to the complexity and depth of the system as a whole.

 

On Paradise, an incredibly long round is 3 hours, it is not a "persistent world" and there are many logical fallacies (such as someone being alive the next shift after being nuked, or melted, or whatever) already in place.

 

If you want to encourage racial/character uniqueness/add flavor to the environment, taking options away from people causes the exact opposite effect. Race/species is always something that should add to a character, not define them. Making language barriers strict and unbreachable does the opposite (There are only so many PAi's, translation is tedious to begin with, you need a live player to be a PAi, and most PAi's will wipe themselves if you're not an antag/doing something they deem interesting, anyways).

 

If you want to encourage game balance, language is also not the place to start as knowing multiple languages in a game where a shift is not permanent and lasts 2-3 hours at best (not to mention said language requires participation of other players anyways) does not even remotely imbalance anything.

 

If you don't want everyone to "take the most common language available", then you should also remove tradeband, and gutter. The actual solution to the issue you propose with adding these languages into the selection is fixed by adding in /more languages/ not taking away the existing ones.

 

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^

 

Exactly sums up how I feel.

 

It is far more interesting to have an ecosystem of people talking over the radio, with all kinds of different languages, some people being able eavesdrop on others, some talking openly. Having languages locked behind a wall of "Species only" is awful and makes languages useless for anything but their worst aspects!

 

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Having a second language as fluff is not P2W, especially when it is easily accessible by everyone else. I could see the issue with fluffing multiple second languages, but trading out your regular one-off second language for something else is not P2W in the slightest, or even mildly unbalanced especially when it requires another person to speak to as it is. It is more or less an exact equivalent to "Where did you get that sweet hat?" except in terms of language "Where did you learn x language?".

 

I'm a bit shocked you don't see how this is pay to win. It's a game feature that specifically bars you, as a particular species form accessing another language---a feature which impacts how the game play and balance of it--you can't seriously tell me that your actions would change if you knew those two IPCs, who you couldn't normally understand, were talking about killing you dead.

 

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Having a second language as fluff is not P2W, especially when it is easily accessible by everyone else. I could see the issue with fluffing multiple second languages, but trading out your regular one-off second language for something else is not P2W in the slightest, or even mildly unbalanced especially when it requires another person to speak to as it is. It is more or less an exact equivalent to "Where did you get that sweet hat?" except in terms of language "Where did you learn x language?".

 

I'm a bit shocked you don't see how this is pay to win. It's a game feature that specifically bars you, as a particular species form accessing another language---a feature which impacts how the game play and balance of it--you can't seriously tell me that your actions would change if you knew those two IPCs, who you couldn't normally understand, were talking about killing you dead.

 

To date I have never seen any instance where people are openly talking about their evil plans infront of other people. I believe everyone in their right mind uses the whisper function or PDA's to discuss devious plans, PDA's especially when you're plotting about someone nearby.

 

In that instance I can see it in that fashion sure, but the likelihood of that occurring is so infinitely small it's barely worth mentioning.

 

My argument regarding race-locked languages still stands however, and it's an awful idea that encourages cliqueyness and contributes zil to the environment of the server other than "Oh, I can no longer/talk/roleplay with these people because they refuse to communicate in common/I'm not a Tajaran/IPC/Whatever."

 

If you want to encourage racial/character uniqueness/add flavor to the environment, taking options away from people causes the exact opposite effect. Race/species is always something that should add to a character, not define them. Making language barriers strict and unbreachable does the opposite (There are only so many PAi's, translation is tedious to begin with, you need a live player to be a PAi, and most PAi's will wipe themselves if you're not an antag/doing something they deem interesting, anyways).

 

If you want to encourage game balance, language is also not the place to start as knowing multiple languages in a game where a shift is not permanent and lasts 2-3 hours at best (not to mention said language requires participation of other players anyways) does not even remotely imbalance anything.

 

If you don't want everyone to "take the most common language available", then you should also remove tradeband, and gutter. The actual solution to the issue you propose with adding these languages into the selection is fixed by adding in /more languages/ not taking away the existing ones.

 

My argument still stands here, and I'm strongly against removing/restricting things from other players in ways that deliberately/unintentionally stifle roleplay. Unbreachable language barriers absolutely stifle roleplay, and the PAi argument is inert because a PAi requires another player to play, and 99% of people don't want to be downloaded just so you can have a chat with the nearby Skrell.

 

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I'd rather not have everybody able to speak racial languages, the idea of some people being able to speak Trinary, Bubblish or Chittin feels biologically impossible. I'm okay with people being able to UNDERSTAND Bubblish, Siktaj-whatsit and stuff, but they shouldn't be able to speak it.

I'd also be cool with a special encryption key being able to translate things as well.

 

Also the Universal Recorder translates everything it records.

 

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My argument regarding race-locked languages still stands however, and it's an awful idea that encourages cliqueyness and contributes zil to the environment of the server other than "Oh, I can no longer/talk/roleplay with these people because they refuse to communicate in common/I'm not a Tajaran/IPC/Whatever."

 

Doesn't this do the exact opposite of what you're complaining about? By allowing people to have their own racial language that only others of their race can speak and understand you're kind of making things feel a bit more real and a bit more alien. What are those saying? Why are they pointing at ? Why are they acting so suspicious....should i be worried about this? That brings a hell of a whole lot more to RP than if just any random person could understand any language. If people want to not speak in common and only wish to speak in their native language that is entirely up to them and a choice they make for their character and it gives "excluded" characters something legitimate to complain and react about ICly.

 

My argument still stands here, and I'm strongly against removing/restricting things from other players in ways that deliberately/unintentionally stifle roleplay. Unbreachable language barriers absolutely stifle roleplay, and the PAi argument is inert because a PAi requires another player to play, and 99% of people don't want to be downloaded just so you can have a chat with the nearby Skrell.

 

What you're suggesting IS removing and restricting things. You're suggesting to change the entire language thing to basically suit you. You're suggesting to force people to change how they choose to RP and you're complaining that you want to RP with people who (apparently) don't want to RP with you. I mean seriously. If someone refuses to speak to you in common and you really want to speak with them but they continue to talk in their racial language why exactly do you want to continue a conversation with them anyways? Wouldn't you ICly just be annoyed and frustrated and maybe leave and find people who are like-minded to RP/Complain at? It's not stifling roleplay, it's just limiting your ability to understand what they're saying but it certainly isn't limiting your ability to react ICly to what is going on and to maybe even stir up something more interesting. It really just sounds like people want to be able to eavesdrop on a conversation and to have an advantage that you wouldn't have otherwise.

 

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My argument regarding race-locked languages still stands however, and it's an awful idea that encourages cliqueyness and contributes zil to the environment of the server other than "Oh, I can no longer/talk/roleplay with these people because they refuse to communicate in common/I'm not a Tajaran/IPC/Whatever."

 

Doesn't this do the exact opposite of what you're complaining about? By allowing people to have their own racial language that only others of their race can speak and understand you're kind of making things feel a bit more real and a bit more alien. What are those saying? Why are they pointing at ? Why are they acting so suspicious....should i be worried about this? That brings a hell of a whole lot more to RP than if just any random person could understand any language. If people want to not speak in common and only wish to speak in their native language that is entirely up to them and a choice they make for their character and it gives "excluded" characters something legitimate to complain and react about ICly.

 

My argument still stands here, and I'm strongly against removing/restricting things from other players in ways that deliberately/unintentionally stifle roleplay. Unbreachable language barriers absolutely stifle roleplay, and the PAi argument is inert because a PAi requires another player to play, and 99% of people don't want to be downloaded just so you can have a chat with the nearby Skrell.

 

What you're suggesting IS removing and restricting things. You're suggesting to change the entire language thing to basically suit you. You're suggesting to force people to change how they choose to RP and you're complaining that you want to RP with people who (apparently) don't want to RP with you. I mean seriously. If someone refuses to speak to you in common and you really want to speak with them but they continue to talk in their racial language why exactly do you want to continue a conversation with them anyways? Wouldn't you ICly just be annoyed and frustrated and maybe leave and find people who are like-minded to RP/Complain at? It's not stifling roleplay, it's just limiting your ability to understand what they're saying but it certainly isn't limiting your ability to react ICly to what is going on and to maybe even stir up something more interesting. It really just sounds like people want to be able to eavesdrop on a conversation and to have an advantage that you wouldn't have otherwise.

 

Arguments are largely based on conjecture and reasoning, not personal experiences with the server. I've dev'd, worked with, and admin'd on plenty of roleplaying servers with a variety of systems, and a malleable language system is something that's always been a boon whilst a rigid one /does/ create cliques. I might be inclined to agree more with your argument if this were an ultra-heavy RP server, it isn't. It's medium, and creating legitimate barriers between players does not contribute anything to the atmosphere, nobody stands around wondering what the Tajarans are talking about or being anxious because there's likely other problems/things to do at hand. Say, blobs, xenos, nuke-ops, viruses, things exploding, things imploding, oh god the pressure, etc.

 

Please do not conflate my reasoning with "omg this happened to me pls fix".

 

Suggesting the addition and unrestriction of languages is not "restricting and removing", by the way... It is literally, by definition, the EXACT opposite.

 

Currently language barriers are completely unbreachable, if you're really going to make the realism argument then you should also take into account that it's 550 years from now and there's legitimately no reason why everyone wouldn't have a translator on-hand given how often one interacts with alien species. Language barriers are also something that directly interfere with productivity, and given that you're working for a Corp that gives 0 shits about ethics and only results, I'm going to say that "realistically" NT wouldn't even begin to hire people who didn't speak galactic common, or that they'd have systems in place to make sure people are absolutely understood at all times.

 

Not to mention it's SS13, on a medium RP server. Please do not make the realism argument while there are half-naked wizards running around turning people into female slimes.

 

I'd rather not have everybody able to speak racial languages, the idea of some people being able to speak Trinary, Bubblish or Chittin feels biologically impossible. I'm okay with people being able to UNDERSTAND Bubblish, Siktaj-whatsit and stuff, but they shouldn't be able to speak it.

I'd also be cool with a special encryption key being able to translate things as well.

 

Also the Universal Recorder translates everything it records.

 

Trinary, Bubblish and Chittin make no sense to be able to speak, but other languages such as Skrellian and S'iik do. I'd add that with a binary translator key, Trinary should be roughly understood as-is. Recording and playing back every single sentence every time is also a tremendous hassle. Record, wait for speak. Playback, erase memory. Reply. Turn recorder back on. Every. Single. Sentence. It's not an effective translation tool.

 

It used to be that you could at least somewhat parse what was being said, now that is simply not the case and there is no real effective way at breaking those barriers since they are absolute and unbreachable without using tedious tools (Recorder) or finding a bored enough player who'll be your pocket-translator.

 

Fox stated that his issue was entirely with everyone rushing to pick the most commonly used language.

 

My reply is "Add more languages so there is no clear-cut "common winner."". This method guarantees that there is still some level of intrigue regarding usage of language (Though not even, since everyone whispers or uses the PDA anyways), and does not needlessly restrict languages for snowflakey reasons like "S'iik can only be spoken with a tail, but somehow can also be spoken over radio, because reasons."

 

Everyone gets more options, and it's an overall win-win.

 

Or, how about this. Everyone gets a second language if they're non-human already, so remove all second language options for non-humans and make humans the only ones able to take a second language.

 

And.. If you're going to attack my reasoning, please provide an alternative suggestion so we can actually collaborate/draw something out of this rather than just beating down ideas for the hell of it.

 

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Is people picking the most used language really an issue? I mean, it makes sense, people wouldn't learn a language that is never used. And its a good way to encourage people to choose other races.

 

 

Kinda repeating myself, but second languages DOES massively increase roleplay and interactions. Just ask Kei, before the ""bug"" was fixed, Buck was able to talk Taraajrnajrnajn, and it led so some very fun interactions when several tarajrnasn started speaking over the main radio.

 

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I'm not 100% against the idea, we can alter the fluff if it's obstructing RP.

 

And when did the fluff ever really damned matter for anything more then a basic guide??

 

Kinda funny that the "RP fluff" is wrecking RP.

 

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