A question of languages

[drasik]

Ok I don't know if this is a code bug or something with the skill.

I have the skill to speak Allundean, but for some reason cannot understand it when it is spoken.

Is this a bug or is it the skill?

[Larrath]

If you cannot understand a language at all, this is what you will see:
'The tall muscular man says, in an unfamilliar tongue:
"gdfsa ewra"'.

If you have a limited understanding of a language, you will see this:
'The tall muscular man says, in Allundean:
"gwera weaq"'.


It probably just means that your skill level is low.  It gets better as you listen more and more to the language.

[crymerci]

Just like with other skills, with new languages you start out with a very low skill level and have to learn more about it before it starts to work well.

I don't think this is a bug unless a) you're an elf or half-elf or b) you're a linguist.

[drasik]

Larrath, as with before I thank you.

You're help is much appreciated.

But the thing is the elf could understand me even with a low knowledge in the skill.

[Larrath]

You're welcome.

I'm not sure if you got your latest PM, but I truly would suggest you just email me with questions.  It's faster and more comfortable, believe me.

(mudling@gmail.com)

[Anonymous]

But the thing is the elf could understand me even with a low knowledge in the skill.

That's the way it works.  Consider it to mean that you only know a couple of words in Allundean, just as you would slowly progress to learn another language.  Learning other languages takes a lot of time with most characters.

[Angela Christine]

But the thing is the elf could understand me even with a low knowledge in the skill.

That's the way it works.  Consider it to mean that you only know a couple of words in Allundean, just as you would slowly progress to learn another language.  Learning other languages takes a lot of time with most characters.

Also, the other PC may be better at decoding partial gibberish than you are.  The language code doesn't actually translate text into other languages, it just switches around some of the letters.  That means that the grammer and punctuation will still be the same as it was in plain english, so you can decode it like a puzzle to some extent.  A single letter alone is most likely an "a" or "I".  A two letter word is probably "an" "if" "so" "to" "be" "of" "or" or possibly one of the many less common two letter words.  Apostrophes can be great hints too:  "I'x" was probably "I'm" and "cus't" may well have been "can't".  

You put together your best guess of what most of the words were, and then you can often guess from context what the sentance was supposed to mean even if you don't get every single word.  You have to struggle to understand someone who doesn't speak your language well (or if you don't speak their language well) but that is  true in real life as well.  Like in real life, using short, simple words to express simple ideas will make it easier to work out what each person is trying to say.  You may not be able to explain the theory of relativity, but you can probably explain that you want to sell a shell for fifty 'sid, or that you are looking for a place to buy water.  Obviously this process is easier if you are a native english speaker, have excellent reading comprehension, and you are both spelling everything correctly.

Using the emote function to pantomime hand signals may help too.  Rubbing your belly and then pantomiming eatting usually means that a person is hungry.  Crossing your legs and hopping around looking distressed probably means that you are looking for the latrines.  Holding up your empty waterskin and looking pitiful may get the idea across that you need water, and so on.


Good luck.

Angela Christine