How should you be addressed?

[amerigoV]

I think all this is best illustrated by DM of the Rings

DM of the Rings XII:NPC Non Grata - Twenty Sided

Especially the note below the strip:

It’s great that you took the time to come up with “Count Devron Masuvius Beldamor the III, High Magester of the Realms of Greeenwood”, but you need to realize that the players are just going to refer to him as “that wizard guy”, or simply, “Mister fancy-pants”.

 

[The Shaman]

They call me MISTER Shaman!


And if they're smart, they'll do it from a position of supplication.


In our Flashing Blades game, anyone who thinks they can get away with it wants to be addressed as monsieur, madame, or mademoiselle (mon sieur, "my lord"; ma dame, "my lady"; ma demoiselle, "my damsel" or "my young lady"). Those who can't affect airs will likely be called maître or maîtresse ("master" and "mistress," respectively).

Everyone else is un paysan sanglante.

 

[[OMENRPG]Ben]

I DM'd a 3.5 Oriental Adventures game set in Rokugan, and even after consistent out of character promptings and in-character warnings, some of the things that the players called their NPC superiors caused some ruffled feathers (read: removed hands) of the characters.

It was interesting when two of the better combatants had to switch to one-handed weapon styles because they couldn't get someone to regenerate their missing hands back...

 

[Mark CMG]

Miss Jackson if you're nasty?

 

[AeroDm]

I think titles can add a bit of realism and depth to a campaign world and so I include a simple version varied by region. However, I think depth is shattered and the tapestry of the imagination is torn when players are (understandably) confused. So if you have a dozen different tiles of a dozen words each, you really can't hold it against the casual player when they ask "What the hell is this?" the minute you go into a title-tirade.

My solution was to introduce a generic title of respect (sort of like "Sir" in the US). The title is Riven (plural Raven) and relates to the word "Master" in the ancient tongue. For players that aren't in to memorizing honorifics, they can just call people Riven and play proceeds smoothly. NPCs appreciate being called by their proper title, so players that dedicate time to understanding titles are modestly better off.

This title also serves as a reminder that in my setting ravens ferry souls to the underworld and are believed to be a composite of the greatest souls they ever carried (hence the pluralization).