Language Skills

Largely an RP tool. Language skills would essentially be the ability to speak and understand different fictional languages in-game. This was a very popular ability on the NWN server I helped run for several years.

With the possibility of playable races and the precedence set in BotA that different races each have their own languages (see Ch 19 of BotA) or elves in the very least are seen using a unique language.. people are going to want to be able to understand and speak those languages.

It would be doubly awesome if this also extended to reading and writing.

The base mechanics don't need to be complicated. How language mods I've seen work is by simple pattern transliteration. Example.. for one language TH may become P.. but for another language it is ' or GL.

Those who have learned a language will see the spoken/written text in English (or their native language in localized versions).. while those who don't understand the language will see the transliteration.

Your skill level with a language may determine the % of words/letters you understand.

You would have the ability to translate written material to and from a language as well as write in that language.

A playable race would know their own language by default.

You could easily switch the language you want to speak with a / command or possible UI button.

 

Languages can be interesting.

Makes sense to me for Human vs. Elf vs. Orc.

How about beyond that. Could different towns have different dialects (using some sort of word replacement technology)?

Could players with really bad karma find themselves cursed with a language only similar players can understand?

Could a player forced to squawk like chicken due to a cursed helm only be understood by a mage with the right skill until the helm could be pulled off?

 

lol I like that last idea. It's certainly could be possible.

 

This is an amazing idea; and not only for Roleplay; you could find ancien texts or riddles written in a foreign language describing some treasure hunt or so. The skill would allow to "translate" the document in some readable format that can then be sold to adventurers. Combine this with mapmaking and you have a real treasure hunt

 

I hadn't really considered the broader implications but yes.. I've wanted similar abilities with the written languages we know will probably exist.. such as runic and the other 'yet to be revealed' language Richard has been working on. Combine additional spoken languages and the tech for it with stuff like cartography, magic (moon runes anyone?) and other features this wouldn't be hard to integrate with and well, there's a lot of potential there.

Ancient books, maps.. RP.. could be kinda mind blowing what players would be able to come up with.