While I understand the server is most likely trying to keep a fair and level playing ground for everyone, I can not help but disagree with the notion of disallowing speaking of other languages.

Let me first say - by no means have I ever used another "language" just to exlcude a player from being able to interact with me. On quite the contrary - I feel that by cutting the use of any "language" has actually hindered certain roleplaying moments.

For example...a wood elf character of mine, who has hardly seen another elf in the Underdark, comes across another half wood elf character. Delightment and glee follow, as he has met someone of his own origin.

" You are of sylvan blood - like me? "

" I am, brother. "

" Do you speak the tongue of our people, and those of the wild? "

" I do, and that of the high tongue. "

" ... good...let's speak in common. "

Some of my more notable roleplaying moments occurred when I was trying to get past a language barrier. At no time did I think, " Gosh, I wish this guy would just speak normal..." The world of this setting is made up of many races and peoples, all with their own dialect and speech...much like the real world. To deny the ability to speak in their own tongue-- at least occasionally even-- seems to make the difference in races that much more jaded.

Just my two cents...obviously, regardless, I will continue to follow the rules and not speak in another "language". But I would gladly welcome back a time when it was allowed.

I second the motion, I use language to add, rather than exclude when it comes to RP. That way, my kobold of 14 INT can speak without sounding like a little bonehead. In fact, having above average INT by human standard I can show his poor speaking of common and make clever quips in Draconic or Kobold.

I have rarely seen anyone abuse language use, and I think it is harmless really. If anyone wants to get real anal, maybe a simple undroppable item that lists languages spoken or something? I know there are more complex ways of handling it, but I'd rather just see it RPed...after all, it is an RP server.

[n00b] ZOMG BRIG 0n T3H LANGUAGEZ!1! :)

Sedarine If anyone wants to get real anal, maybe a simple undroppable item that lists languages spoken or something? I know there are more complex ways of handling it, but I'd rather just see it RPed...after all, it is an RP server.

I do recall that there were two elves who spoke no common at first, and slowly picked some up. Of course they also used the (e) for conversation.

It made for an interesting time to learn what their words meant. But there were always plenty of translaters around to help, ... at least when I bumped into them.

Of course on the other hand, once a dark skinned elf showed up and wouldn't speak any common to our group in front of the Hall. That was a bit irritating as it was hard to RP it. Our group thought he might be a drow and we chased him, until a Spellguard Agent told us to back off.

I believe the word I am looking for is to use language in moderation, moderation, moderation, moderation, etc.

One of the main problems is that anyone can make out they speak any language, and a lot of people do make this out and start brazenly whacking <e> or <d> or whatever they want infront of their text despite playing a character with 8 INT, WIS and CHA. Suddenly Half Orcs are fluent in Dwarven, and Dwarves can speak Elven perfectly, which doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense without exceptional circumstances.

Given that anyone can make out they know any language, and noone can tell them otherwise and it's pretty much impossible to enforce and moderate the use of <e> or whatever in every character by a case by case basis to maintain setting integrity, you get all this cheesy stuff going on. It's much better for setting integrity if everyone just speaks common. No one is stopping you from using an accent or a dialect of common that everyone can understand but is still specific to your race or character.

And not to mention, whacking <e> infront of your text and expecting people to not understand you is ludicrous and pretentious. And it doesn't add -anything- RP wise. Infact, it adds an OOC symbol infront of your text which arguably detracts from the immersion.

For now, just don't use languages. We'll keep you appraised of any changes.

can the DMFI language widgets be implemented in game without hak-usage? For example - if there was a placeable in the OOC starting area which gave you your automatic language widgets based on race plus allowed you to select additional bonus languages based on your INT. The main problem with these widgets is that they fill the /dm channel with spam I think... not entirely sure.

I'm pretty sure I've seen a similar thing used elsewhere. On the Cormyr PW they also get you to choose a starting region to help allocate your automatic languages.

I can imagine it would all start to get very complex however, if you were to try and be PnP about language usage.

Sedarine ...clever quips in Draconic or Kobold.

There is no kobold language: kobolds speak a simple dialect of draconic.

The DMFI language system:

• Uses more OOC items to keep track of in your inventory.
• Uses the DM channel, which already receives too much spam.
• Uses the standard NWN/NPC listeners, which can be unreliable.

Figure out a way to give the PC plot items that state a language that they can speak. One small item for each language.

Any time a PC uses a language other than common, a DM can check their inventory and see if they speak that language.

If they can't, offer some penalty. If they can, on with the show.

Pros - More RP opportunities.

Con - Items need to be toolsetted for each language possible. DMs need to monitor language use.

Con offsets - Once items are toolsetted, they are there. If PCs know DMs could monitor their language usage, they are less apt to abuse it.

The only thing Languages get used for are dubiously "witty" insults.

I really like the use of languages. I have often had good RP experiences with them. With mature RPers the issue of enforcement is rarely a problem, especially if you make clear to the people who do use it, that anyone may choose to ignore it. This can lead to some awkward newbie moments, but these do not exclude the RP device as being legitimate and often entertaining. I have seen it used as a storytelling technique, much like foreshadowing. I have used it to give players a fair warning that PvP is about to start. I have had a character who spoke no undercommon, and as such could only speak to people of his own race. It was great fun for me and (I hope) others, trying to signal "2 gnolls and a beholder in the next room" to someone without a common language. On another server I have had characters get in trouble for speaking orcish on the streets.

While none of these experiences were game bendingly wonderful, I think languages add another tool to people for good RPing.

This thread is ironically timed.

I agree with the main aim of the thread, talking a racial language or any for that matter only adds to immersion..

With of course the caveat that any player can quite rightly understand (or OOC ask to be told) anything that any characters are saying in any lanaguage.

Its not something I use particularly but if it adds to your RP experience then all power to you :)

Oh and Howland, why ironic?

:lol:

*e* Ninelives doth protest too much!

>_>

-DD

Personally, my feeling is that there are more interesting, productive and cool changes that can be brought about to increase the level of play in the server. I was a proponent of languages for a long time, but eventually I realized it's too much hassle for not enough benefit.

Unless we live in a perfect world, of course, and these things get implemented in the space of five minutes and run smoothly ever after.

The DM ruling is the DM ruling and I'll play by it, but I disagree with only using common.

Roleplaying your ability to use languages other than common requires nothing more than roleplaying any of the other abilities of your character. In the same way characters with Cha 8 could act very social and enthusiastic, an orc barbarian can walk around speaking drow, dwarven, and draconic while having no ranks in Lore and Int 6. Neither case should happen. People on this server tend to act pretty responsibly with playing their other characteristics, so languages should be no different.

Just take it as a consideration when you create your character, and stick with it. Put it on your IG description if you want to be held accountable.

Language does add to immersion. Putting (e) or whatever in front of text is no more OOC than putting in * or [] for emotes, its just a necessary convention. And finally, people can inappropriately act as if they heard what you were whispering to someone else even though you took the time to use \w and emote *whispers in his ear* as happened to me just last week.

erglion And finally, people can inappropriately act as if they heard what you were whispering to someone else even though you took the time to use \w and emote *whispers in his ear* as happened to me just last week.

If I whisper in someone's ear, I generally emote *whispers in ear* and then send a private tell to that player.

If you use the game engines whisper mode and someone sees it, then it means they are close enough to hear you even though you are whispering. Would have been nice if that range were dependant on your listen score, eh?

Agreed with Jayde moon, but then, that is why you have Feat, Skil focus move/hide silent and can sneak into a room before they lock it and prey to all the gods and goddesses one doesn't notice you,

Jayde Moon If I whisper in someone's ear, I generally emote *whispers in ear* and then send a private tell to that player.

If you use the game engines whisper mode and someone sees it, then it means they are close enough to hear you even though you are whispering. Would have been nice if that range were dependant on your listen score, eh?

Er I'm not 100% on this but emoting [whispers in someones ear] and sending a tell is against the rules I believe DM's have stated in the past. Again not entirely sure I'd check with a DM on that one.

The reason being is nwn has a perfectly good whisper function in place. If you use a tell nobody can hear you for definate. If I recall correctly and maybe I'm completely wrong thats the exact arguement that said Dm whom was against using tells for whispers used.

If the DMs so say, then the DMs so say.

The 'whispering in someone's ear' that I'm talking about is the kind that's so quiet that sometimes the person your whispering too is even like, "Dude, you gotta say that again, I didn't catch it."

The whisper function allows folks several paces away to hear what you are whispering, without any mechanism to show that they didn't hear it clearly or anything, you were either 5 or 6 steps away and heard it perfectly clear, or one inch further away and didn't hear a thing.

I do not think the whisper function fully represents what you can do with a hushed voice.

I think emoting *whispering in someone's ear* and using a tell would require maturity on the player doing it so that they weren't using that method unless they were right up on the person they were whispering to. Otherwise, you're cheezing.

But again, if the DM ruling is that you can only whisper on the whisper channel, so shall it be.

Apologies, while related, this is somewhat off topic... back to languages: