Language Proficiency?

[Enoki]

I would consider that language difficulty would also have to be gauged relative to the species in question (i.e. Trokh ("Aslan") and various dialects of it might be easy to average for an Aslan, but very difficult for a human or Vargr (and vice versa), due to the difference in mouth and vocal arrangements/tonal range of the species. Perhaps even the ability of the ear and speech-centers of the brain might make meaningful comprehension between different species difficult due to what each brain is hardwired to hear and interpret. OTOH it might be possible that one can understand a language but be physically unable to speak it (and vice-versa).

Depending upon how granular you wish to be, you might wish to allow languages that have a common-root origin to be easier to pick up if the speaker knows a language in the language family or subfamily. For example, I would guess that it is probably easy for a Swede to learn Norwegian, Danish, or Icelandic, somewhat more difficult to learn German, more difficult to learn English or French, and a lot more difficult to learn Korean.

Absolutely. Maybe score it 1 to 10 in difficulty and 1 to 10 in difficulty for a native or species that is closely related. Something like N 1 -10 A 1-10 where N species are listed and all other species are in the A category.
Vargar would be one. The language of a Cytrialin where you have two distinct species that interact symbiotically and with some degree of psyonics involved would be another even as the spoken language is a derivative of Vilani. Aslan would be a third.

 

[robject]

There are already smart phone apps that allow you to translate languages on the fly. You speak to the phone and it reads back the translation along with a displayed written version.

As a long-time referee, I would cackle with glee if one of my players picked up one of these, expressing my intention to use this technology against them.

Because I usually let things slide, these sorts of occasions indicate to them where my boundaries are.

 

[Enoki]

As a long-time referee, I would cackle with glee if one of my players picked up one of these, expressing my intention to use this technology against them.

Because I usually let things slide, these sorts of occasions indicate to them where my boundaries are.

What? Something like this:

 

[Timerover51]

The tried and true way would be to shoot all the Vargr that don't respond correctly, and then breed those.

Just wait for someone to copy this and forward it to PETA.

 

[Condottiere]

I'm pretty sure they can find more egregious comments from me.

 

[McPerth]

Just wait for someone to copy this and forward it to PETA.

I guess the whole Vargr concept (artificially uplift a specie) would be distasteful (to say the least) to PETA, but Ancients didn' t seem to be stopped by current ecologism view...

But this discussion is for another thread in the pit if anyone is interested on it

 

[Chris Barlow]

In my version of the Third Imperium I use the following rules:

1. Core sectors of the Third Imperium and Solomani Rime. Various dialects of either Galanglic or Vilani spoken by most of the humans on most systems as a first or second language. As a second language assume a Mongoose or classic traveller skill level of 1 for any NPC/PNC under thirsty, level 2 if over thirty.

2. Further away from the core of the Third Imperium, each system has its own language. Only those that need to deal with off-worlders, speak and read Galanglic or Vilani. So if you have a career with any of the Imperial Armed Forces or Scout Service or Merchants career, then I assume you will have fluent Vilani and/or Galanglic. Also any world with a class D or better spaceport, any player character can choose level one of either language as a background skill. Yes I know background skills are normally level zero. For learning either Pan Imperial languages I am assuming it is learnt in both junior and senior high school.

3. Just as on Earth if you want a job as either a pilot on international flights or an air traffic controller, you are required to at least speak English. I assume that any Imperial Spaceport Authority and even a sector beyond the Thirds Imperium, spaceport staff will have a good knowledge on either of the two imperial languages.

4. For players and even NPC's asking so how do I speak the local language. My response as a referee is get a computer with the relevant language(s) as software.


5. I always thought the every human in the Third Imperium speaks the same language, was always one of Travellers least realistic rules. The defining least believable rule in the "Traveller as Americans' only in space" era.