Would it be possible for you to institute a variation of the language system on Achaea? I would seriously love it that you start out with the ability to speak the languages of your race, but when you say reincarnate, or use a dagger of reincarnation you keep the languages you had previously. Then you actually spend the time to learn and master the new language of your chosen race. It would be a nifty idea, but would make so much more sense RPwise than suddenly losing all knowledge of your mother tongue and learning a new one.

That and I really wish I could still speak Lobo as I am RPing one of the few solitary "lone wolves" who as part of his individualistic streak and his adoption of Magnagora as his new pack changed his race to Dracnari to be more like his mentor and role model Valek (and yes, he was kinda my mentor at that time of the game before things went really whacky).

PS. I still have the Lobo description not because of that or that I thought a furry Dracnari would be cool, but because I have been unable to think of a decent Dracnari description. *grin*

It'd be great if there were a language for Serens, Mags and Celestians.

It would be great if there weren't a common language, too.

There needs to be, it would go against history. *sagenod*

Desdemona, go away, you already tried that TWICE.

Languages should just be something you can learn with lessons. Then when you reincarnate you don't magically know the language. Hopefully you took the time to learn it beforehand.

There'd be two amulets of the changeling, one as now, and a more expensive one that also includes all the relevant languages.

Ideally you'd gain in understanding of a language progressively, but practically this is hard to implement. Maybe a two-level system: from "something unintelligible" to something like mutter/drunk to perfect knowledge. Even if it was a boolean (you know it or you don't) though this would be great for RP and for other purposes.

Someone open that and check to see if that is okay for general consumption.

I am way paranoid about opening any links people post after subjecting thousands of people to Tubgirl, Goatse, Lemonparty and things even worse.

And I'll keep trying. I doubt that the common tongue was forever there, so it can easily leave us as it came.

Languages should be something that takes lessons, but not actual LESSONs, just something that requires your time to learn (A whole learning period for a weak), consisting of sessions of 10 mins each extended for a whole Lusternian year, at the cost of nothing more than gold from certified Language masters.

AWww have I ever lead you astray?

It may not have been there forever, but there would definitely have been a point where some hybrid became the standard language for trading and insulting your enemies. Just like English has pretty much turned into required knowledge these days. The fact of the matter is that without a common way to communicate, then there would be no trading or parleying except between members of the same city or the same race - and that would cause so many more difficulties than we have at the moment.

Not if you implement a language learning system. You could learn commune/city tongue, racial tongue, and then communicate internationally and between different races. A common tongue is just... hideous to me.

Then forget you know English and communicate entirely in Pakistani please.

Funny

English is my second language. Did I know English before I learned it? NO. Did I even know how to properly speak my natal tongue before I conditioned myself to speak it and imitate sounds and finally engage on a learning process to be fluent it it? NO.

Have you ever heard of Babel? Are you even aware of in actuallity in some places there is a big communication gap? Meh, English wasn't a "requirement" until fairly recently.

Edit: As for languages... I'd bother to learn Urdu, but I'd rather go for Japanese, Latin, and German.

Well speak on these boards entirely in Spanish then, and don't listen to any of ours unless they're similarly in Spanish. (I think it's Spanish anyway. )

Well, the equivalent of learning a language and use it is completely different than a universal tongue. Me, I learned English, thusly I've overcome the communication barrier to be able to communicate with those of English tongue (especially those who call English their native tongue). Still, though this doesn't make English a magical tongue that all beings know how to speak. No, as every language involves a process that enables you to learn it... to which more and more people decide to learn just like any other language. Also, I could bother posting in my natal tongue, but ignoring the fact that I've learned English isn't likely, thanks to my regular interaction with English.

However, in a fantasy world like Lusternia as easily as you can possess the common tongue you can also remove it. This of course, would leave Lusternia with the challenge of learning to communicate internationally/between races, by learning languages, and in the end overcoming whatever existing barrier that were to be present.

While in theory that would be more realistic and challenging in some ways, Desdemona, it would be shockingly hard to work with.

How would the market channel work? Newbie? How would a Viscanti character interact with Serenwilde/Celest citizens when it is unlikely there are any Viscanti in them?

If everyone can learn languages easily, what is the point of a racial language? Eventually, most people will be fluent in all of them and I imagine a substitute 'common' racial language will emerge anyway.

If learning languages is hard, will people who don't spend a fortune on credits be left isolated within their own race/commune for most of their young lives? Will they have to accept lesser skill in important areas like their guildskills just in order to communicate with others?

We had this debate already. Desdemona got totally overwhelmed, but she ain't givin' up. I'll find you the post if you want.

Hehe, no, I can imagine how it would have gone. Never mind me then.

Looks like I don't have a favorable reputation.

Anyhow, to answer to your post... My original idea was that the common language is obliterated, races stick to learning their tongue, then they gradually create the national language. Then some denizens could teach the tongue of other places, but no one would be allowed to learn more than three languages (i.e. learn Lucidian, Trill, Viscanti-yes the Viscanti could create their language or adopt Orclach seeing how Viscanti/Orcs interact somewhat).

Erm, I'll leave the rest silent. You can go search for my post The Great Cataclysm, if you wish to know more about it. Even though, I agree it may prove to be quite a challenging experience... and lots of fun (at least for me).