Author Topic: Language etiquette (Read 2048 times)

Masterjack · « **on:** August 30, 2007, 12:27:38 PM »

I'm not sure if it is proper or not but it sure annoys me. It is when you are in a party and members start talking in a language you do not understand. I believe it is rude. I can understand a quick greeting to someone of the same race. When it goes into a lengthy conversation, that annoys me. Let me know what you think. I would like to know if it is just me.

P.S This is not a bash for those that do it.

ycleption · « **Reply #1 on:** August 30, 2007, 12:32:53 PM »

err... is this an OOC comment or an IC comment?
I think in many circumstances, it is perfectly appropriate to converse in non-common languages that are not understood by others. Actually I think it should probably happen more often, (depending on the race) to reinforce a characters racial background. Many character may even do so intentionally, because it annoys other IC...
*shrug*

Filatus · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2007, 12:59:25 PM »

Personally I agree on a certain level. But it hasn't been as bad as it used to, I think. I loved it when they came with the only common rule in Prantz.

Anyway, you can always take it IC, which is what I always did. Because it does in fact come across as very rude to hold a long conversation in elvish wile you're standing in a bigger group, that has a conversation in common.

darkstorme · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2007, 01:00:28 PM »

Certainly elven characters might enhance their elitism by chattering away in Elven... I can think of a few elves who would prefer to see humans discomfited, and would sit there smugly chattering away.

Filatus · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2007, 01:03:42 PM »

Quote from: darkstorme

Certainly elven characters might enhance their elitism by chattering away in Elven... I can think of a few elves who would prefer to see humans discomfited, and would sit there smugly chattering away.

Sure you can always play an uppity elf who thinks common is beneath him. But in the end, if you bring it down to what good manners are, changing a conversation of a group to elvish with most of them not speaking it, should be considered extremely rude if there aren't any good reasons.

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #5 on:** August 30, 2007, 01:03:59 PM »

best way to solve that problem...

Learn Elvish

My Ranger loves chatting with other elves in Elvish, and quite commonly talks down the other races when doing so... hehehe

Skywatcher · « **Reply #6 on:** August 30, 2007, 01:05:01 PM »

Assuming this is OOC my answer would be that you should just respond IC as your character would. I usually ask people to speak common if the conversation is relating to the group so all can be involved but if its a personal conversation I just ignore it and assume they want to be a seperate group at the time. I mean in real life if I was in a group of people and a few went off and sat in the corner and started conversing in a language I didn't understand I would ignore them. If I was having a meeting and 2 of the 8 people in the meeting started talking to each other in a language that the rest of us didn't understand I would ask them politely to speak english. If everyone in the group but me started speaking a language I didn't understand I would ask them to speak english and if they didn't then I would leave assuming they didn't want me there due to the rudeness. So basically respond as your character would.

Falonthas · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2007, 01:24:41 PM »

i recall when drogo first came from the woods he didnt speak human and he had to learn

so you can always think they are being rude
just think ok maybe they havent been exposed to the common tongue

course after four game years he had to let on he had learned more then runnn lemon berk pallydum

Masterjack · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2007, 02:15:08 PM »

Quote from: ycleption

err... is this an OOC comment or an IC comment?

A bit of both I guess. I'm from Canada and have this problem with French speaking people I work with. That is why I wanted to know if it was just me or if others felt the same in game.

Good comments so far

Rowana · « **Reply #9 on:** August 30, 2007, 03:31:48 PM »

It personally doesn't bother me OOC. There are a plethora of reasons a PC might speak in another language... a few I can think of are 1) not being well versed in common 2) not being versed in common at all 3) trying to relay something privately about the situation that may require a friend's support ("This reminds me of that time when..... It was soo terrible, I'm not certain if I can stay") 4) use the other language to plot against PC(s) in the party where the PC has done something against the grain of the general group, 5) physical handicaps that cause the absence of being able to use common, etc etc etc.. You get the idea.

I also think it's perfectly acceptable for a -character- to get narky towards those having a discussion in another language. If we all went around doing things that were only acceptable by the masses, the RP would be pretty limited. Anyway, I think we should keep in mind languages are more then a quest tool to deal with a quest NPC.

~row

Varka · « **Reply #10 on:** August 30, 2007, 03:41:06 PM »

Dont come to Denmark!!!! We are rude here...

lol aahh kidding

I love to see when different races speak their own language. It shows that there is a difference on Layo.
If you ever have been in a big city like Berlin (from my own experience) you will easily run into many a lot of different language and cultures and I personally love it.

Example:
Me: English and German
My girlfriend: English and Frence
Girlfriends friend living in Berlin: German and Frence
The boyfriend of the Girlfriends friend living in Berlin: German (and a bit English)

(Imagine the conversation we had in the Restaurant. People were starring at us)

To think right away that it is rude? Well I guess I would only believe so, if I think they would speak about me. May they simply discuss other things like a certain prices of an item..more something else.

A good idea is to emote while speaking in another language. That gives some away to the ones not understanding anything.

True it is annoying because you get curios but I would not mark it right away and say it would be rude.

My 2 cents.

SteveJW · « **Reply #11 on:** August 30, 2007, 03:42:35 PM »

Quote from: darkstorme

Certainly elven characters might enhance their elitism by chattering away in Elven... I can think of a few elves who would prefer to see humans discomfited, and would sit there smugly chattering away.

Wouldn't work with Kyle. He speaks Elven. Loves the look on their faces when he responds to them.

ColtCommando · « **Reply #12 on:** August 30, 2007, 05:10:32 PM »

There are a few ways of looking at this I supose. If there is a big party around a campfire and everyone is disscussing something together in common, and then a group of two or three take the same conversationg into another language (whatever it be) Either so that those that cannot speak the language (probably a few that dissagree with those moving into the new language) cannot understand what is being said about them, or their agument. Or, conversly, just becuase they do not speak common as fluently as a natural speaker, and as such cannot convey the subtle nuiances they wish to express, like they can in their native tounge.

Either way in this instance it is the whole groups concersation being transfered into a tounge most cannot understand (weather it is intentional or unintentional to "put people off") And many, including Cid, will generaly take offence.

Now take another scenario, a group is speaking common around a fire, and a few elves are standing a bit behind the group, the elves are part of the group, but are only partialy active in the parties conversation, and this group of elves begins a conversation amongst themselves (weather about the main convo or not, as noone but them can understand it doesnt realy matter;) ) This would be rather common I supose, as they are all elves, and sort of in their own little group, but still connected to the main. In this case I generaly will not get upset, unless for some reason I get the suspicion they are talking about the group speaking common... Then again, agrivation ensues.

Obviously elves will use their tongue to belittle races they see as inferior, this is RP, and as such RPing the annoyance of it I think is waranted.

I think the main thing is, weather those speaking the tongue you do not understand are speaking about you, or about their own love affair, do what youre charector would do. If they are naturaly suspicious, then they are probably going to be offending, if they are happy-go-lucky carefree, comepltely accepting type, they probably will enjoy the sound of the different language, not realy caring what they are saying.

Anyhow.. my two cents.

Lord of the Forest · « **Reply #13 on:** August 30, 2007, 06:01:13 PM »

I think it depends on where you are as well. Certainly in public you'll likely stick to common while on Voltrex or dwarven halls common could be considered as rude

ColtCommando · « **Reply #14 on:** August 30, 2007, 06:09:18 PM »

A great point, one I had not even considered.

ycleption · « **Reply #15 on:** August 30, 2007, 06:22:17 PM »

Perhaps this is obvious, but consider where your character is coming from.... if your character grew up speaking mostly dwarvish, chances are he or she will revert to dwarvish, even if others consider it rude.
If your character grew up in a multi-lingual environment, chances are that he or she will be more tolerant of people speaking different languages (although I suppose, that might affect someone the reverse way).

I am tempted to make a number of comparisons to real life, and my own experience with languages, but there is no real universal ingua franca like common in RL, but, to echo LoTF, acceptable language etiquette will vary quite a bit with place. I'd imagine that largish cities will have pockets where common is less spoken in favor of elvish or halfling or whatever, (like RL, at least here in the states) Most adventurers are fairly well-traveled, and surely have experience in dealing with people who prefer to speak various languages....

So, my basic point is, keep it IC, both with regards to what language your character chooses to speak, and how your character chooses to react to others language use.

Pseudonym · « **Reply #16 on:** August 30, 2007, 09:14:35 PM »

OOC: I love it.
IC: I hate it.

Then again, my character Ark always thinks he's the centre of everyone's universe and if someone is talking in another language it has to be about him. He holds this conviction with 100% certainty 100% of the time.

Filatus · « **Reply #17 on:** August 30, 2007, 09:19:10 PM »

In the end most things are justifiable in some way or the other. Still, just because you can do something, doesn't mean you have to. And I think that basically sparked this post. About looking more at the moment you're in and your own character before starting to talk elvish or whatever language.

I know my character Daeron has a language ear he used a number of times that can be counted on one hand. And he had it for over two years.

Hellblazer · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2007, 07:43:34 AM »

Quote from: Masterjack

A bit of both I guess. I'm from Canada and have this problem with French speaking people I work with. That is why I wanted to know if it was just me or if others felt the same in game.

Good comments so far

Quoi?? T'as un problème avec le français??

I tend to agree with most comments here. It depends on the location, situation, people involved and background. Rain doesn't really have that problem, most of the time he doesn't care. On the other hand Lex'or finds it at time vexing but he doesn't show it, he will, however, ask for translation.

Odranoela · « **Reply #19 on:** August 31, 2007, 09:05:07 AM »

I don't let it bother me OOC or/and on the real world in pubs and clubs.
In-game: that's a different story.
I usually use the halfling ear to send a short greet when I find another halfling in a party, but I usually.. -usually- don't stop to have long conversations in the middle of party.
Ofcourse I use the Thieve's Cant ear too, but that's mostly for one-liners and if someone in the party understands it, fine, if not, fine.
I think it depends on who you're with in game.
Once I met Wren and some other elven folks in Stormcrest Crossroads, one was a druid or ranger and didn't speak common, the other was plain arrogant and insisted in speaking elven [ not flaming the guy/gal, each one has the right to react any way they think their characters would ] and Wren is just Wren.
He translated some stuff for me, and others he didn't but we managed to have a conversation, us all.
I didn't get bothered OOC but Lino got so annoyed!
It was fun to RP that, but I guess that if it happened a lot it would be odd..