I know this topic has come up every once in a while, but I was reading through the racial languages post on the newbie forum, and I thought I would throw another idea out there.

I'm in the boat of people that doesn't like the use of the 'language' scripts - mainly because, one drow may be using the "drow" language, and all the other drow can't understand them.

Obviously, however, there is some demand for racial languages, else someone wouldn't have bothered to write an entire script for it. If there ever were to be racial languages, however, it would have to be something built into the code, so that it works universally for everyone. Here's an idea I'll toss out there.

During character creation you get a set number of "language points", the number of which is based off your int and/or wis. Everyone could pick 'common' for 0 points, allowing everyone to understand everyone else, unless there is some specific roleplay reason that a character doesn't want to have it. Might also tie it in so that EVERYONE starts with common, then if you want to not know it, you can pray about having it removed, similar to characters who have roleplayed being deaf or mute. Then everyone gets their appropriate racial language either for free, or perhaps 1 "point". All of the other languages cost more of the points, and characters could select from what's left, using what's left of their points. It would also open the door for characters to try to learn new languages in game by roleplaying with the appropriate immortals and/or mobs. Maybe your average fire giant only gets enough points to learn common and fire giant from the start, while an elf or a gnome could learn their common and native tongues, plus X number of others. People should also be able to not use their language points if it fits for their character to not have more languages.

In game play, it would work like a toggle. You select which language you are talking in, and it stays that way until you change it, i.e. "language elvish" or "language common". Anyone that speaks to you in a language you understand, you automatically understand. If someone speaks to you in a language you don't know, you just see "Bob says something in elvish." or "Bob tells you something in dwarven." or "Bob yells something in arial." That way there is no need to actually write out entire languages for people to see. Dumber characters might even only see "Bob says something in a language you can't understand."

Anyway, just a bored brainstorm.

Ulthur

"Don't worry cutsy buttons. Tonight, dyin's not on the menu!"

- Strong Bad as Dangeresque

... and the consensus among the Immortals I've spoken with on the topic is that it creates a barrier to communication with no real gain in playability. A fair bit of coding (we have a ton of ways to communicate which would be affected) for something that might have more of a negative side than a positive one. Put another way, I'm not really that interested in empowering a bunch of "I only speak my native language, so I basically never communicate with 90% of anyone" characters.

A number of MUDs have this exact feature, and I think we're willing to let them keep it.


valguarnera@carrionfields.com

It just makes some freaking sense to be able to speak your native language. Sheesh.

I like this idea. It would prevent someone from writing a script to translate the language as well. Felars could growl, dwarves grumble, arial chirp and so on.