Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Burmalay]

I think it's cool if every race would speak on each own language & dialects.
The trade skills will depends on language skills. You can trade without knowing the language but it will not allow you to make profitable deals.
For adventurer it can be really hard to understand people & involve him into fights because of misunderstanding. Even wars can be started because of it.
Something like this.

[Owlbread]

There was actually a big language thread a few months ago, although I don't think we covered stuff like this. This is a very good idea - especially if procedural generation is involved.

[Mesa]

Well, it kind of works, since individual races have individual language files, but that's it.
I guess that you could learn the various dialects/languages from the people that speak the target language and your hero's language (and potentially teach others someway, too).

So that's a yes from me.

[RockBiterSon]

So how would you implement it? If you go up to a merchant who doesn't speak your language what actually happens?

[Burmalay]

So how would you implement it? If you go up to a merchant who doesn't speak your language what actually happens?

I think you can't see actual names of the items and when you want to buy something you will buy more likely those items which you didn't want to buy & merchant will rise prices in trying to trick you. The item names will randomly generated to not allow you to use a side programs to check it actual item name. Or actual item will generate after buying so anyway you can't commit profitable deal.
I think it would be cool if "liar" skill will determine effectiveness of deals. If merchant can't lie, he can't trick you but it not means you will buy what you want because of language knowledge. If merchant can't lie you, you will see the actual items names list in shop & can translate it with side program or something, but the items names will be replaced if merchant can lie you.

[Deboche]

you should be able to learn languages from captured prisoners somehow

[King Mir]

So how would you implement it? If you go up to a merchant who doesn't speak your language what actually happens?

I think you can't see actual names of the items and when you want to buy something you will buy more likely those items which you didn't want to buy & merchant will rise prices in trying to trick you. The item names will randomly generated to not allow you to use a side programs to check it actual item name. Or actual item will generate after buying so anyway you can't commit profitable deal.
I think it would be cool if "liar" skill will determine effectiveness of deals. If merchant can't lie, he can't trick you but it not means you will buy what you want because of language knowledge. If merchant can't lie you, you will see the actual items names list in shop & can translate it with side program or something, but the items names will be replaced if merchant can lie you.

That doesn't make sense. You can see the inventory. You don't need the merchant to identify it.

Furthermore, the merchant wants to convince you that his wares are worth something. Concealing what they are makes them worth less to you, not more.

It might make sense for a merchant to trick you on the quality of his wares, but that's not related to not speaking the same language.

[Vlad]

I like the idea of fighting an enemy you can't understand.

If you don't know their language you would have no idea what they're saying to your dwarves or what their leader is saying to his men until they end up killing your dwarves because they didn't back away or something along those lines.

But then if you learn their language you can interrogate them for info or communicate with them to avoid conflict; make them lose morale, retreat, surrender, etc.