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<blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 8442281" data-attributes="member: 16814">So, the problem I see here is a bunch of mechanical bits and bobs being invented to make languages &quot;interesting&quot; while not addressing why languages fail to be so in RPGs.&nbsp; It's not for lack of mechanics density, but because dealing with repeated similar challenges revolving around an inability to communicate is not actually fun for most people.&nbsp; So, no matter how many bells and whistles you add, the underlying problem -- communication in a leisure activity -- is not being addressed.To fix this, you could possibly look to how languages could be used in a non-exclusionary way -- ie, everyone, for whatever reason, can understand languages, but that some have extra benefits and/or problems associated with using them.&nbsp; Or take a page from many fantasy books where everyone speaks the same language but uses different dialects ([USER=71235]@niklinna[/USER]) to differentiate things.&nbsp; This makes language flavor, and useful for framing fictional situations, without making it exclusionary.&nbsp; Most of these types of settings will have an ancient language and a bad guy language, so that some exclusionary things can happen as needed by the plot, but that, overall, when just trying to converse with newly met people, language isn't a &quot;stop everything and play charades.&quot;&nbsp; I don't want to play charades.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ovinomancer, post: 8442281, member: 16814"] So, the problem I see here is a bunch of mechanical bits and bobs being invented to make languages "interesting" while not addressing why languages fail to be so in RPGs. It's not for lack of mechanics density, but because dealing with repeated similar challenges revolving around an inability to communicate is not actually fun for most people. So, no matter how many bells and whistles you add, the underlying problem -- communication in a leisure activity -- is not being addressed. To fix this, you could possibly look to how languages could be used in a non-exclusionary way -- ie, everyone, for whatever reason, can understand languages, but that some have extra benefits and/or problems associated with using them. Or take a page from many fantasy books where everyone speaks the same language but uses different dialects ([USER=71235]@niklinna[/USER]) to differentiate things. This makes language flavor, and useful for framing fictional situations, without making it exclusionary. Most of these types of settings will have an ancient language and a bad guy language, so that some exclusionary things can happen as needed by the plot, but that, overall, when just trying to converse with newly met people, language isn't a "stop everything and play charades." I don't want to play charades. [/QUOTE]

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