General Alien Conversation, for Referees and Players

[robject]

I want to develop a list of conversational phrases. But I want them to be useful for a character in a game.

What conversational bits in "alien" languages are most likely to be used in a Traveller game?

Here's a negative example: "How much for that Jump Drive?"

Games are unlikely to involve asking someone the price of a jump drive in Oynprith, for example.

We've hardly ever used alien language in our games. I would if there were a reason, but usually there isn't one. I've used it once during a First Contact situation. I can't remember using it otherwise.

But supposing the crew had an Aslan player character, for instance. What phrases might that player want to know?

 

[Enoki]

Well, in all my travels around the planet I've found that

The most useful item to carry along is an umbrella.

The three most useful phrases to know in another language are:

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Not only NO! but, F... NO!" (or an emphatic variant thereof)

"Another beer here!"

Well, that's my two cents on it.

 

[flykiller]

What conversational bits in "alien" languages are most likely to be used in a Traveller game?

what, you mean like the chinese phrase "gung ho!"? (means "all in!" or "best effort!") and I liked the way Serenity tried to incorporate chinese into the characters' world-view, though the movie bowdlerized it.

well it depends on how well those alien phrases fit into human interests and concerns. vargr phrases about "good odor" may have little utility to humans anywhere, but aslan phrases about "smart-ass submission" may find a place in military parlance.

you might make more progress with simple names that stand for something relevant. for example even people who don't speak a word of spanish or japanese know what a conquistador and a samurai are, and what those individuals would stand for. and it would go both ways - aslan probably would find the human words "dweeb" and "geek" very fitting for some members of their race, and the vargr might frequently use the human word "rogue" for some of theirs.

 

[Ulsyus]

The first thing I always learn is to say I don't speak their language, setting expectations.

Then meelo Elinika (for Greek)

Dari yod no darum (for Dari -Tajikistan & Afghanistan)

Etc...

After that my limited vocab always made more sense I suppose.

Isn't one of the problems with trying to include some phrases in Vilani or Trokh that they need to be constructed rather than just rolled up from the tables?

 

[Dulinor]

Well, in all my travels around the planet I've found that

The most useful item to carry along is an umbrella.

Surely you meant a towel...

 

[Quint]

When I've thought about alien languages I've focused on "odd translations" rather than useful phrases. So there is a semi-notorious Aslan ship (a combat scout now being used as a merchant) whose name translates as "Dangerous Toes" - it's captained by a human, who's married to the female Aslan owner, and the rest of the crew is just as unique and odd.

Fundamentally, I'd simply let the player's drive this one. If they want the conversational phrases I'd throw the book at them and let them do the work. I'd keep final veto to make sure it was something I could pronounce, but unless I had an explicit reason as to why I wanted the phrase already made I think it's probably more work than is generally needed.

I already generate mounds of data that the players never bother with or value...

D.

 

[Timerover51]

As I have literally no head for languages, for me the most important phrase is:

"I do not understand you."

Now, if they are communicating using either Egyptian Hieroglyphics or written Old English I might have a chance at it. Possibly the same for Elvish, depending on the mode used to write it. Dwarve runes I can manage.

 

[flykiller]

"Dangerous Toes"

(laugh)

Egyptian Hieroglyphics

you learned those? what drove you to that?

 

[Spinward Scout]

This might help. It's in Star Wars languages, but has a listing of different words and phrases.

http://www.completewermosguide.com/index.html

 

[Ulsyus]

We've hardly ever used alien language in our games. I would if there were a reason, but usually there isn't one. I've used it once during a First Contact situation. I can't remember using it otherwise.

But supposing the crew had an Aslan player character, for instance. What phrases might that player want to know?

Has there been any sort of call-out to any language/linguistics geeks out there in the Traveller community? Surely there'd be a couple out there somewhere...

 

[Quint]

(laugh)

The captain's name is Dinty Moore and his wife's name is some typically Aslan name, but gets shortened to "Barbara" or even "Barb" (never "Barbie" after she understood what a Barbie doll was).

In general I keep things relatively serious with NPC's and let the players ham things up, this was set of NPC's has grown into regularly re-occurring "Harry Mud" style of problem-NPC's that aren't hostile or ill-intentioned, just trouble and a hassle to deal with, and a source of lots of humor.

D.

 

[Timerover51]

I want to develop a list of conversational phrases. But I want them to be useful for a character in a game.

What conversational bits in "alien" languages are most likely to be used in a Traveller game?

Here's a negative example: "How much for that Jump Drive?"

Games are unlikely to involve asking someone the price of a jump drive in Oynprith, for example.

We've hardly ever used alien language in our games. I would if there were a reason, but usually there isn't one. I've used it once during a First Contact situation. I can't remember using it otherwise.

But supposing the crew had an Aslan player character, for instance. What phrases might that player want to know?

First, given the rise of online translators, I could see the likelihood that a translator program would be on a cell phone equivalent that would convert spoken Anglic into whatever language is necessary. You speak into the device, then hit a button, and the translation is put out in audio format.

Otherwise, you do what the US Army did in World War 2 and supply the necessary personnel with Anglic to whatever and whatever to Anglic phrase books. The Anglic message is in printed format with the equivalent printed in the appropriate language, and for reply, the other language is printed with the Anglic equivalent for replies. As long as Monty Python is not doing the translating you should be fine.

 

[FreeTrav]

The thing about alien languages is that they're going to be inextricably tied up with alien culture and psychology, so you'd need to look at this sort of question on a case-by-case (race-by-race?) basis - you can say that "More beer, here!" would be a useful phrase - but since the titoets of Drai burn when exposed to alcohol (the way you or I do when exposed to strong acids), that phrase isn't going to translate into their language. Other phrases will have different problems, for example if the phrase is actually an insult or expletive that references something that's taboo or impolite in Imperial culture - but considered normal and unremarkable in the alien culture, or completely inapplicable (for example, if a race reproduces by nonconjugal fission, like an amoeba, is it even possible to make a ribald comment, or a meaningful translation of invective as simple as "<crude verb for copulation> you!"?).

 

[Ulsyus]

I had thought that, given they were the first alien race to be named in CT, that the Vilani language would have some sort of write-up.

The old GDP Vilani (& Vagr) module doesn't have anything. The GT main book has a list of Vilani family names and a reference to them having origins in past occupations. There's a reasonable list there, but there's no indication in English (or any other terrestrial language for that matter) of what of what they are. As such they look like words simply put together using the old Vilani language tables.

If there were going to be any phrases initially developed, wouldn't it make sense to do them in Vilani, as that would be the most widespread language spoken in the 3I besides Standard?

 

[flykiller]

that would be the most widespread language spoken in the 3I besides Standard?

actually there might be wide swaths where vilani is the sole language.

in my "recovery" story I included some vilani - totally made up, but it attracted no comments.

 

[Ulsyus]

actually there might be wide swaths where vilani is the sole language.

in my "recovery" story I included some vilani - totally made up, but it attracted no comments.

Did you base it on any language-building methods at all? Maybe? Or was it just randomly generated?

 

[flykiller]

Did you base it on any language-building methods at all?

no. there is a "vilani" "word generator" out there, and I used that. I was pursuing the story, not the language. tolkien I'm not.