Secure Comms 001: OOC Chatter, Prattle, Gossip, and Blather

[Rex]

Kallina of Furie

What languages does she speak?
What languages would her Polyvox have?

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[Pulpatoon]

Rex, do you see the Furies as being aliens or humans?

An aesthetic aspect of Star Frontiers is that the aliens are significantly alien (well, originally. They added straight-up space dwarves in a later supplement, but I think they were universally hated). So, if the furies are aliens, I'd suggest that either they have a non-humanoid form, or that they have some specific, engineered reason to look like humans.

However, from the build and background you've presented, I think they work pretty well as humans, perhaps descendants of a separatist cult with strong militaristic values who found a little planet to call their own and raise lots of little ninjas.

Your choice, of course. If you want the furies to be an example of "parallel evolution," or something similar, we can roll with it!

[Pulpatoon]

What languages does she speak?
What languages would her Polyvox have?

This is a good question. Languages can be a lot of fun, or an invitation to the clomping foot of nerdism. I am certainly guilty of developing elaborate language schemes that were of active disinterest to my players. So, I'd like to hear what you guys are interested in.

Option 1: Set your polyvox and forget it! The polyvox knows all galactic languages, and can quickly acquire new ones after listening in to a few hours of conversation.

Option 2: "Bree-Yark" only means "surrender" in the southern island dialect of Truane's Star. The polyvox is limited and imperfect in its translation. It knows the most common galactic languages, but translates them into a standard multi-species trade language. It is still incumbent on travelers to learn several languages if they want to catch any nuance in conversation.

[Rex]

I was thinking of her as human. Just giving some cultural background of the planet, which was probably settled by a militant wing or even military itself. I am like you on languages, I like them. But can go with whatever.

[Pulpatoon]

I was thinking of her as human. Just giving some cultural background of the planet, which was probably settled by a militant wing or even military itself. I am like you on languages, I like them. But can go with whatever.

Great!

[Lignacious]

Option 1: Set your polyvox and forget it! The polyvox knows all galactic languages, and can quickly acquire new ones after listening in to a few hours of conversation.

Option 2: "Bree-Yark" only means "surrender" in the southern island dialect of Truane's Star. The polyvox is limited and imperfect in its translation. It knows the most common galactic languages, but translates them into a standard multi-species trade language. It is still incumbent on travelers to learn several languages if they want to catch any nuance in conversation.

FWIW,. I think we can have the best of both worlds. I think option 2 opens the door for some fun RP, but let the polyvox 'learn' after enough interaction (at the gm's discretion)..

But I'm good with anything-- not being able to communicate at all i can be more annoying than interesting (at least sometimes).

[shaidar]

I don't mind which way we go.

The PolyVox completely missed my attention.

I guess Bertie speaks PanGalactic and she's got her telepathy to fall back on until she buys a new unit and gets one installed in Jeeves. Other languages would not be routinely taught on her homeworld.

I assume her telepathy isn't in a specific language, that it's a direct connection into the language centres of the brain and bypasses the need for a common tongue?

[Pulpatoon]

Okay, let's try this:
It being a cosmopolitan galaxy with easy contact between species and planets, I imagine that there's a lot of languages, and that it is common to be educated in quite a few.

Pangal. A constructed and licensed language intended for interspecies communication. Designed by PanGalactic Linguistic Models to work within the hearing and vocal range of most known sentient species. PanGalactic allows for free use by individuals, but charges organizations and governments for producing materials in it. You can be fined for introducing unapproved innovations into Pangal. It is no one's native language, and it's artlessly focused on functional efficiency. It's also easy to learn, with a vocabulary under 5000 words and very standardized grammar.

Humans and yazirians have hundreds of extant languages, which they use to as regional or tribal identifiers. Most humans and yazirians have a birth-tongue that they were raised with and know a couple other languages for their species. If they are well educated or experienced travelers, they may know an alien language as well.

Vrk'tliktl. Vrusk have dozens of specific languages, some of which have social, regional, or historical significance. Others are highly specialized for particular areas of endeavor—jargon raised to the point of language. But they also maintain a standardized language, Vrk'tliktl, which nearly all vrusk are fluent in. Like Pangal, Vrk'tliktl is strictly controlled across the galaxy to prevent linguistic drift. The average vrusk is fluent in a dozen vrusk languages in addition to Vrk'tliktl, and a couple alien languages.

Dralasite. Dralasites have one, big, shaggy melting pot of a language. They experience as much linguistic drift as any other species, but whenever dralasites with different dialects meet, they flow their languages together. As a result, Dralasite is the most bloated, unwieldy language in the galaxy. Every word has thousands of synonyms, and standardized grammar is observed almost exclusively by deviating from it. It's an easy language to learn a little of, but nearly impossible for non-dralasites to master (and not just because there is an olfactory component to Dralasite that other species need a polyvox to emulate). It is also famously rich and rewarding—it is a language that allows for intricate layers of inference, allusion, wordplay, and poetry. Dralasite literature is considered the best in the galaxy, and the cognoscenti are will point out that people who think dralasites have a terrible sense of humor are simply missing the nuances.

Machine Languages are at least as complex and varied as others, but there also universal protocols—both commercial standards not unlike pangal, and some non-commercial ones that originated with the Matrioshkas.

So, what languages does your character speak?
Let's say everyone speaks Pangal and a birth-tongue, plus 1d6 additional languages (if you are Educated or Vrsuk, roll twice and keep the higher result). Feel free to invent languages, and we can compile a list. If your character is new to interplanetary travel, like Chip, you can keep these language slots free and fill them in as your character has a chance to learn languages.

Polyvoxes. The standard polyvox is a small device, often designed to look like jewelry, worn near the speaking and hearing organs. When you encounter a known galactic language, roll a 2d6 test. On a high result, you get a fluid, nuanced translation. On a moderate success, you receive a partial or approximate translation. On a failure, the polyvox does not know that language. 500 credits.

Specialized polyvoxes can sense and display visual, tactile, olfactory, thermal, electromagnetic, and psychic signals for species that do not use means other than sound to communicate. 1000 credits

Adaptive polyvoxes have the multi-spectrum capabilities of specialized polyvoxes, and are designed to acquire languages. An adaptive polyvox requires access to between 10-100 hours of conversation to learn a new language. 2500 credits.

Telepathy. Mechanically, telepathy allows you to communicate and receive ten words. I think we can handle this in two ways: (1) If you have a language in common, you can send a sub-vocalization, using all the specificity of language; (2) if you don't share a language, you can communicate in images, sense memories, and emotions.

Inventing Languages
Okay, if we're going to invent human languages, we need to nail down a bit of history that we might otherwise leave unspecified. Specifically, are the humans of Star Frontiers from Earth? If so, how long have they been migrating around the galaxy, inventing new languages?

I think it's easiest to make room for our inevitable cultural references if the humans are from Earth. I'd suggest two possibilities from there:
(1) Humans have been out in the galaxy for a long time, and have about as much emotional connection to Earth than we do with, say, they city of Urb.
(2) This is actually only a few generations in the future. The Vrusk had first contact with humans in the 21st Century, and we really took to galactic culture. In just a few generations, we've spread out and adapted and become one of the four most common species. Some other species are starting to get a little nervous about just how quickly we've proliferated. In this situation, most humans languages would be the same ones we find on the planet, today, except for those settlements that intentionally decided to adopt a novel tongue.

What do you think?

[shaidar]

All sounds good to me.

Of the two options presented, I'd be happy with either, but the second is most expedient and I like the frisson it might create with the other races.

I assume I should roll a d6 for Jeeves as well?

[Pulpatoon]

I assume I should roll a d6 for Jeeves as well?

Yes, please! If your conception of Jeeves is that it i as erudite as its literary model, feel free to roll twice and take the better.

[shaidar]

Cool, done.

I think I'll probably leave some language slots open for Bertie, but I can see her father having programmed Jeeves with some alien tongues to assist in his duties.

Here's an idea for the language of Bertie's homeworld:

Vereco: This is the language of Psi Prime, an artificial language designed for clarity, consistency and the clear communication of scientific and intellectual constructs. The planet is aggressively trying to have the galaxy take it up as the lingua scientifica. Detractors call it cold and clinical.

[Rex]

Kallina is well educated, an investigator with a Keen Mind. So going with 2 rolls take the best.

I am fine with either option, it makes no difference to me. I will assume the second and can change some later if need be.

Languages [_2d6]=(4+4)=8

Pangal
Furie
Vrk'tliktl
Dralasite
A common Yazirian language
English

[Rex]

Random for my Polyvox.

1-3 Standard
4-5 Specialized
6 Adaptive

Polyxox [1d6]=3

Standard it is.

[shaidar]

Based on current earth populations, would Mandarin and Hindu have made it to the stars?

[Pulpatoon]

Based on current earth populations, would Mandarin and Hindu have made it to the stars?

They absolutely would have, although I'm happy for you guys to make some calls about this (you're not going to mess up any of my plans by deciding that Basque became the dominant human language in the galaxy).

Since, as posted elsewhere, I kinda arbitrarily decided to base human names around Truane's Star on Nigerian and Slavic names, I've added Yoruba and Slovac to the list of languages one is likely to encounter in this region of space.

BTW, wikipedia tells me that there are 525 languages in Nigeria alone. The mind boggles! And a good reminder that we shouldn't even try to make a comprehensive catalog of languages. We can focus on the ones we find relevant or interesting for game purposes.

[shaidar]

Very true, we run the risk of a language list too long to be useful

The list of human languages you've already listed is pretty sufficient.

[Rex]

Yeah, languages is complicated in many ways. I am good with what we have so far.

[Pulpatoon]

darkvision, minor telekinesis

Cybersavant, did you want to trade out telekinesis for gliding?

Also, do you have any thoughts on the specific yazirian language Skur Vonn speaks? (if this doesn't interest you, don't worry about it)
Anddo you have an image you'd like to use to represent Skur Vonn?

Lastly, both Cybersavant and Rex: could you make more specific choices for your combat proficiencies? That is, please pick a specific weapon, like a, say, a force pike or a gyrojet pistol?

[Rex]

I will change it to Stunner since that is what she has.

[Pulpatoon]

I will change it to Stunner since that is what she has.

Thanks! I figured as much, but didn't want to presume.