Language skill

[McPerth]

Looking at those levels, and noting that level 4+ is pretty rare in skill terms, and level 3 is axiomatically defined as a professional skill level... it would seem to be a good fit, but it makes level 0 in a language somewhat more fluent than I'd care for. I'd instead use 2x level as the ILR or DLI level equivalent. (DLI uses a very similar scale.)

I don't know about DLI, but IMHO as level 0 (as defined in the sidebar in page 51 of the Core Book, as we're in the MgT forum) means he is competent in that skill but has little experience, I see it usable as the ILR 1 as Fox's Master devines in his post, while each level, defined on the same sidebar as several years of experience using that skill, might well be ILR 2, and skill 2 ILR 3, but I don't see it as much as full profesional experience (as Fox's Master defines ILR 4, that would be level x 2) yet, leaving that as Profesional working experience (ILR 3, according to Fox's Master).

Personally, dealing with MgT, I'd keep with the skill +1 as ILR, as Fox's Master defined it. Other Traveller versions may vary, of course.

 

[Fox's Master]

Language Skills

One of the issues surrounding a Language Skill is its multifaceted nature. Thus, a level of proficiency in one area does not immediately translate (no pun intended) to a level of proficiency in another area. For example, a Korean linguist, who is competent in English may have the following test scores:

Listening (Korean): 3
Reading (Korean): 3
Speaking (Korean): 5
Speaking (English): 2+
Interpretation (Korean/English): 3
Translation (Korean-to-English): 2+
Translation (English-to-Korean): 2

It is the rare linguist indeed who possesses mastery in all aspects and disciplines within operational (vice theoretical) linguistics.

 

[McPerth]

One of the issues surrounding a Language Skill is its multifaceted nature. Thus, a level of proficiency in one area does not immediately translate (no pun intended) to a level of proficiency in another area. For example, a Korean linguist, who is competent in English may have the following test scores:

Listening (Korean): 3
Reading (Korean): 3
Speaking (Korean): 5
Speaking (English): 2+
Interpretation (Korean/English): 3
Translation (Korean-to-English): 2+
Translation (English-to-Korean): 2

It is the rare linguist indeed who possesses mastery in all aspects and disciplines within operational (vice theoretical) linguistics.

I agree with you in this (probably my English would be higher in Reading/writting and translating tan in spokeaking), but, as in most cases, it should be reduced to a single skill per language or the game will become unbearable.

 

[Fox's Master]

Language Skill

McPerth,

I couldn't agree more ~ it's ostensibly similar in many respects to the way we, as gamers, deal with engineering or medicine. There are scores of disciplines in each of those areas, but it would prove untenable to apply some level to each of the specialties. I'm running a Serenity campaign and the game mechanic for skills is outstanding. If you want to see a mechanic which will blow you away...check out Top Secret S.I. Its level of fidelity is absurd (i.e. instead of a generic Carpentry Skill at Level 2, you would have separate skills for Saw, Power Tools, etc.

One of the frustrating things for me with Traveller was that it resembled real life too much in some terms ~ making the mortgage, while not resembling life in others: never improving your skills. If I went through life worried solely about payin' the bills and never improving...where's Jack Kevorkian?