I only play with the different languages to try and get someone's attention of a particular race or to try and "connect with them on some kind of racial level. maybe I'm not a good person to ask though?

Yeah, but then my elfen character wouldn't be able to talk about how much he "hates those mutts" in Serenwilde (provided elfen was chosen for Serenwilde in this instance).

Maybe create a Faeling or Shadowtongue dialect of the Elfen language?

I'm still not partial to the idea of city and commune languages being that of an existing race.

I'm not partial to the idea at all. That's what CT is for.

It's more for RP purposes than anything. Speaking Lucidian would just be awesome!

When I'm dinking around on my Halli alt, I usually imagine that Lucidian is used a bit like Latin. EVERYWHERE for scientific, medical, artsy, and legal stuff.

I'm personally enjoying racial languages on my Seren character. It allows me to further play out the "arrogant elfen" kind of character.

Here's my thoughts on language analogues

Merian- Greek
Elfen- Latin
Dracnari- Arabic
Lucidian- Close Encounters of the Third Kind(Alternatively, you can be a modem)

I'd suggest:

Merian - Greek
Elfen - Finnish
Dracnari - Arabic
Lucidian - Latin

YES FINNISH.

Would Dwarven be German or Russian?

I have great fun speculating on the grammar and vocabulary of the various language. I always thought that Lucidian would be noun-heavy and big on logical progression, while any Trill language that might/might not have existed in the past would be very adjective heavy, with lots of shades of subjective meaning. Different words for grand natural beauty, delicate natural beauty, grand artificial beauty (architecture), etc.

Whichever of the Germanic languages they used up in Scotland. Krokani are Russian.

Eye disagree.

In Soviet Paavik, illusions see you.

I still think we should remove languages from Bookbinding, replace it with something else. I'm thinking one-off scrolls/origami sculptures/prayer strips/whatever. Bookbinder makes it, enchanter enchants it, owner reads it or uses it (destroying it) to gain a moderately potent but situational benefit.

Then maybe add yet another skillset. Lusternia loves having more skillsets. Make it not-at-all crucial for combat/survival/advancement, ergo completely optional. Trans skill is the ability to read/write (but not speak) Divine language.

Or if skillsets MUST include some utility, maybe include some very small influence boosts based on language and Linguistics skill indicating a stronger grasp of language. Like if you're influencing furrikin (for example), you get a boost if you're currently speaking furrikini and if you've any training in Linguistics (indicating greater than baseline language skills). Having the language either due to race or by selection via Linguistics counts, but it's the skill in Linguistics which determines how potent the benefit is. For those races without their own language, have this bonus tied to Common and Linguistics skill. Have Linguistics provide a small scaling boost to debate potency, from 0% to 15% at Trans.

By trans Linguistics, you should have every language available. If they introduce any more languages, add in another language-learning ability in Linguistics. Perhaps remove racial language as a 'racial' benefit and have it come from Inept Linguistics, with those of a race without an innate racial language having a choice - allowing them to pick up the most common racial language of their org from the outset.

This satisfies those people who want every language, gives non-spec races a chance to learn the dominant racial language of their home, gives Lusternia yet another way to sell credits, and gets people out of bookbinding who took it only for languages while (hopefully) giving bookbinding something a bit more substantial in the way of things to make.

(Almost) everyone is happy, and there is much rejoicing.

edit: Perhaps I should have put this in Ideas...

I joined bookbinding for making books and for the languages. I think it offers flavor. Please no.