Armageddon General Discussion Board

General => Code Discussion => Topic started by: BuNutzCola on December 26, 2009, 07:28:37 AM

Title: Languages
Post by: BuNutzCola on December 26, 2009, 07:28:37 AM
This may or may not be the case already , but I didn't seem to see that trend with my last long lived polyglot.

I'd really like there to be a separation between speaking and understanding language proficiency.

As I understand it right now you "branch" the language from hearing it, but then only gain proficiency from speaking.

I know in real life, I can understand a great deal more of hawaiian than I have the proficiency for speaking. And while I can form plenty of sentences in french, I have a huge difficulty following a conversation in it, especially if they are fast speakers.

You folks understand what I'm getting at here? I'm too tired/mildly intoxicated to be sure I'm forming a coherent post.
Title: Re: Languages
Post by: Delstro on December 26, 2009, 10:41:10 AM
I understand what you are saying, but I don't see how the additional realism would benefit RP.
Most people I see IG usually take some form of lesson before speaking a language proficiently. I feel that if you make this mandatory, the code will force this into a mundane grinding session and that will make it annoying, not a spice of RP life.
Title: Re: Languages
Post by: valeria on December 26, 2009, 11:02:36 AM
It sounds like the way it is now works about how I learn languages, myself.  Maybe this is different from person to person, since it sounds like it's different with you.  But usually I can understand a language a lot better than I can speak it, but only when I start getting fluent with speaking it do I start getting really good at understanding it.  But even if I can't speak something, if I hear enough of it, I can at least say a few words or get better with a little bit of study. 

That's how it's worked with me and Spanish.  I wouldn't call myself proficient because I've never really tried to study the grammar and stuff, but I CAN communicate at least a little, and understand a lot more than that. 

So to me, it doesn't make sense for there to be two skills.  They're pretty interconnected.
Title: Re: Languages
Post by: musashi on December 26, 2009, 06:31:33 PM
For the record I think that you only improve a language by hearing other people who are better than you at it speak it ... not speaking it yourself.
Title: Re: Languages
Post by: janeshephard on December 27, 2009, 08:21:49 PM
Quote from: musashi on December 26, 2009, 06:31:33 PM
For the record I think that you only improve a language by hearing other people who are better than you at it speak it ... not speaking it yourself.

This is clearly what the documentation states.
Title: Re: Languages
Post by: Qzzrbl on December 27, 2009, 09:39:05 PM
Quote from: Delstro on December 26, 2009, 10:41:10 AM
I understand what you are saying, but I don't see how the additional realism would benefit RP.
Most people I see IG usually take some form of lesson before speaking a language proficiently. I feel that if you make this mandatory, the code will force this into a mundane grinding session and that will make it annoying, not a spice of RP life.

I think it would be pretty interesting to understand a language, but not be able to speak it....
Title: Re: Languages
Post by: janeshephard on December 27, 2009, 11:09:58 PM
Quote from: Qzzrbl on December 27, 2009, 09:39:05 PM
Quote from: Delstro on December 26, 2009, 10:41:10 AM
I understand what you are saying, but I don't see how the additional realism would benefit RP.
Most people I see IG usually take some form of lesson before speaking a language proficiently. I feel that if you make this mandatory, the code will force this into a mundane grinding session and that will make it annoying, not a spice of RP life.

I think it would be pretty interesting to understand a language, but not be able to speak it....

You can RP this by simply never talking. Much like people will never change their accents because, honestly, it's not so easy to do.