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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DreamChaser" data-source="post: 4096069" data-attributes="member: 1190">Yes...I suppose this is true...but one side effect of said language is that the presuppose and force a specific subgenre on the game. If I want to use the Deadlands rules to play a non-western horror game, I still have the western horror terminology in place. Of course, this would beg the question, why am I using the Deadland's rules for a fairtail set in northern Scotland?Additionally, there is a second factor: common parlance. There is a reason that historically there has been a common language of diplomacy and trade (in Europe at various times Latin, French; in portions of Africa, Swahili). When you decide upon a single set of terms for things, it makes interaction possible. Like it or not, most terms in role playing are either taken from the historical standards set by D&D or deliberately chosen to not align. Anyone who has played Final Fantasy knowns HP, "spells" are universal fantasy concept (while hexes comes with connotations, at least in American English).Currently, if I have a player who wants his D&D character to have a wild west feel while another wants a Vampire the Masquerade feel, I don't need to mesh two sets of terminology. Sure, they need to deal with HP instead of wound levels or vitality which does takes us a step out of genre but it allows each of them to have the character they want without going completely out of genre by having an eladrin princess with "Grit" and "Moxie" making a "Chutzpa" test to enact a "hexified articulation"We also don't use la espada y protege for a English language game (sword and shield in Spanish).So to answer the question of the OP as well as the post quoted above:Does terminology affect the sense of setting? Absolutely. We are talking about a game of words.Does 4e's choice of terminology negatively impact the "feel" of the game? That is a decision only made at the individual level.Do **I** feel that 4e's terminology is negatively impacting the game? No. I feel that swapping in more elaborate, nuanced, or genre specific words would make the game exclusive, rather than inclusive, concept wise.DC</blockquote>

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