fantastical Idea

[Link092]

I have a fantastical Idea.


Do you have a system set up for languages? it would be cool to have a language system that keeps track of parts of language that you pick up, so when you hear near by convo's, it's translated!

[Marswipp]

A language learning system... Sounds fun!

[Interia_Discordius]

The Al Bhed language style in the Final Fantasy series would be a handy system to rip from, as it allows you a letter or two every conversation you come across until you have the full alphabet. You could have it set to one or two letters every X amount of hours from one person, so you can prevent people who cheat the system for it as well as provide a sense that you're actually learning.

[Link092]

you read my mind! but letter by letter doesn't to it justice... I was thinking words that you wrote into a log.

[Hellblazer]

Written words into a log sounds a very good idea. But at the same time I'd limit the amount of word you could write in a x number of time (I'd say x numbers of days really), to give a perspective of time. This way it would promote a continual rp into learning the language, and limit the abuse of someone actually writing the whole dictionary at once.

I'm not sure if there is a natural stat system (int, con etc) but if there is something like that or similar, then the number of language learn should be defined by how intelligent your char is.

[Link092]

you're all mind readers!!!



you could make it an item. Language journals? works like ears. that's an idea! language learned before the PC is in-game have "ears" and in-game, characters get journals to record bit's of language they pick up, and once mastered, they can be traded in for ears by the DM! and the INT modifier limits the # of ears/ journals you have... and The journal still works like an ear, but it's choppy.

[Interia_Discordius]

Well, I was hoping the journal would be the ear, and whatever you were physically taught or learned by yourself is all you would know period... the ear should only be given to natural or decades worth learned speakers, so to better emulate the system of true learning and encourage actual teaching RP.

[Hellblazer]

I agree with you there interia.

[Link092]

No no. I get that and I fully agree with it. but if some one takes the time to learn the language, then they will become fluent in it too. *shrugs* I guess it works the same, and might be easier. the tricky part will be differentiating the natural ears from learned ones. because characters will start with different ears (an elven thief would have Elvish, theives cant, and common. and if they're dark elven, you'd add Dark Elvish, deep sign, and under-common). just food for thought.



EDIT: ... because I'm all for the Teaching RP... I had one of my characters learn common from scratch. I probably could have extended the leaarning time, and I'm still trying to think of how I can incorporate a thick elvish accent... but I thought his decent INT could also justify his quick learning... (took him about 2-3 years.. some where in there.)


now excuse me, I must go finish my college paper.

[Eight-Bit]

Fantastical Appendix to the Fantastical Idea:

Why not make the "ears" we have now into journals. You use it, select a language to learn, and whenever in the presence of people speaking X language you learn a little bit at a time. You could only learn one language at a time, and the rate you would learn would be proportionate to your intelligence, charisma, and whatever verbal skills you have.

Living in downtown Springfield MA, over the course of a year and a half, I went from zero experience with Spanish to being able to hold a simple conversation. Giving people directions is what helped me learn. Writing, on the other hand, is not something I could do.

Heck, a whole Language skill could be applicable.

The only issue I can think of at this very moment with this system is the wide amount of data needed to store every word you know. That's a lot of information, and if you spread it over several characters, it ends up being massively inefficient.

I'm leaning towards the FF10 method, where you can learn a certain letter, seeing how I'm assuming the language systems will work by swapping an english letter with the fantasy language's letter.

[Marswipp]

I see a code-based language dictionary given various values; wherein the most basic words (the lowest values) are learned first.