Denied Rebel-Only Languages

[albertossic]

Was told to make a separate thread about this by @AdamCF <3 so here it is

Selling audiobooks, one of the main complaints is that since the only real barrier to learning languages is money (Maybe an Intelligence-based Cap on number of languages will be another suggestion, dunno), there's a situation where CPs and Loyalists essentially are all hexalingual, making the use of learning languages very limited since everybody you would want to speak in "code" around most likely knows twice as many languages as you do, at LEAST.

So, the idea was, maybe some certain new languages, languages that were too obscure for the Combine to commission learning tapes about them, could be added, teachable not through Combine audiotapes but some items/RP knowledge only accessible to the underground forces.

Languages like Gaelic, Fulani, Esperanto, maybe even Armenian/Kurdish/Georgian could become languages which CPs and Loyalists would have a very, very hard time learning. This would allow stuff like "proof of affiliation", too - Oh, you belong to X Gang? Say something in Comanche!

I'm listing multiple examples but obviously there's no need to add 10 of these, I just think some - maybe coupled with it no longer being displayed exactly what language somebody is speaking when you don't understand them (Maybe instead just broader categories, so that no CP can go "Hey, this guy is speaking Gaelic! I don't know what he's saying but only rebels know Gaelic! Get him!") would be a nice addition to the currently a bit underused language mechanic

 

[Gyrann]

While I sort of like your idea, I think the real problem is the fact that someone can learn so many languages and there isn't a cap, which is unrealistic and defies the point of languages.

 

[ShadoWiz4rd]

that'd be neat

 

[Votton]

While I sort of like your idea, I think the real problem is the fact that someone can learn so many languages and there isn't a cap, which is unrealistic and defies the point of languages.

I think this would be more ideal @Aspect, so implementing a max cap for languages, which has been suggested in the past

As logically speaking, it's more unlikely for people to have such a unique language that no one would know at all besides the x group unless you are some ancient undiscovered civilisation that hasn't had any contact with the outside world.

I'll keep this thread open for suggestions, but I think that's the best approach in my opinion than having omnilingual people.

 

[albertossic]

My point was more that some languages would probably not have been picked up by the combine for these audiobooks, making them prime material for the rebels to teach

But if there was a cap on how many languages you learn (Which I think should be based off of something, if not Intelligence, instead of a static cap of X languages for everybody) it would probably organically create a situation like this, where most CPs would choose Russian and Spanish over Bulgarian and Finnish, which is also good

 

[ghostuspokus]

This adds too much fluff and is completely unnecessary. People already ICly get beat for speaking anything that isn't English. Imho we should keep it as it is, maybe add 1-2 more languages. If you're going to speak some special language just speak it ICly.

 

[albertossic]

This adds too much fluff and is completely unnecessary. People already ICly get beat for speaking anything that isn't English. Imho we should keep it as it is, maybe add 1-2 more languages. If you're going to speak some special language just speak it ICly.

If you add 2 more languages, let one of them be a language that there's no audiobooks for, that can only be learned through e.g. expeditions or IC tutoring

The entire language system is "fluff", I don't understand your opposition to "fluff" in a roleplaying game

 

[ghostuspokus]

The opposition I am proposing is this is literally just adding more things that are not being used. Half of the languages already being offered aren't used by players, eg: Korean, Chinese, Arabian, and I'm sure plenty of others. I understand wanting to be secretive and mysterious/misunderstood as a Rebel; however, this is completely unnecessary. The point of you RPing a Rebel is to covert, be secretive- if you need a secret language you need to get from expeditions, don't you think that'd just put a bigger target on your back. What if you're caught speaking that language in the City? What if someone who is just next to you knows the language and rats you out? There is quite literally no point in this. As I stated in my last post in this thread, if you want to speak a special language just use google translate, there is no point in adding it to the server.

 

[AdamCF]

The opposition I am proposing is this is literally just adding more things that are not being used.

This would be used though. This isn’t just another set of languages. It’s another set of languages with an actual purpose other than to add diversity or w/e

Half of the languages already being offered aren't used by players, eg: Korean, Chinese, Arabian, and I'm sure plenty of others

They’re used by characters who know the languages IC. I’ve seen whole groups of Arabic and Chinese people around before. Sure they’re not used as often as English or Russian, but whats wrong with that? They’re still used.

I understand wanting to be secretive and mysterious/misunderstood as a Rebel; however, this is completely unnecessary. The point of you RPing a Rebel is to covert, be secretive- if you need a secret language you need to get from expeditions, don't you think that'd just put a bigger target on your back

Yeah, rebels want to be secretive. That's not massively easy as a surface rebel right now. Also, it’s not unnecessary. As you said yourself, it’d allow for a little more secrecy. Put a bigger target on your back? In what way? Yeah, speaking an entirely unknown language in front of a CP is going to get you beat, maybe questioned if word spreads about the rise of a non-approved language. What’s wrong with that? If the player constantly uses the language in the city, that’s on them.

What if someone who is just next to you knows the language and rats you out?

Tough luck. Also, if they know the language, they must’ve got an audiobook or whatever from the smugglers. That could be a big charge.

There is quite literally no point in this

Yes there is. You’ve already given a couple reasons in your post.

if you want to speak a special language just use google translate

This is inconvenient. It’d be better to spend 30 minutes modifying the existing scripts and adding Gaelic to the smugglers.

there is no point in adding it to the server.

Yeah there is. It gives rebels a way to communicate which can’t easily be intercepted by the combine. You’ve already said this yourself.


In the end, your opposition to the suggestion is “I get you want to be secretive, but this is a pointless suggestion despite the fact that I just gave a very valid point to add it. You’d also be punished if you were stupid enough to speak the rebel language in public”

 

[HOKI]

Add Croatian to rebel languages

 

[albertossic]

The opposition I am proposing is this is literally just adding more things that are not being used. Half of the languages already being offered aren't used by players, eg: Korean, Chinese, Arabian, and I'm sure plenty of others. I understand wanting to be secretive and mysterious/misunderstood as a Rebel; however, this is completely unnecessary. The point of you RPing a Rebel is to covert, be secretive- if you need a secret language you need to get from expeditions, don't you think that'd just put a bigger target on your back. What if you're caught speaking that language in the City? What if someone who is just next to you knows the language and rats you out? There is quite literally no point in this. As I stated in my last post in this thread, if you want to speak a special language just use google translate, there is no point in adding it to the server.

Again, your objection is just that it would be fluff, to which my response is that the entire language system is essentially fluff, and there is nothing wrong with that

I was under the impression that a rework of how / how many languages can be learned is planned, this is a proposal for a state in the game - where widespread languages are common among the CP and Loyalists and less widespread ones are more common among the poor and criminals
This doesn't have to be through rebel-only languages, it could also come to be organically through higher prices on more popular languages or it becoming harder to learn a new language the more languages your character already knows, but yes, it will be fluff, it will not be an essential component of RP, that is what being fluff entails

 

[Chico]

if you just wanted a negative score you could have said

 

[ghostuspokus]

This would be used though. This isn’t just another set of languages. It’s another set of languages with an actual purpose other than to add diversity or w/e


They’re used by characters who know the languages IC. I’ve seen whole groups of Arabic and Chinese people around before. Sure they’re not used as often as English or Russian, but whats wrong with that? They’re still used.


Yeah, rebels want to be secretive. That's not massively easy as a surface rebel right now. Also, it’s not unnecessary. As you said yourself, it’d allow for a little more secrecy. Put a bigger target on your back? In what way? Yeah, speaking an entirely unknown language in front of a CP is going to get you beat, maybe questioned if word spreads about the rise of a non-approved language. What’s wrong with that? If the player constantly uses the language in the city, that’s on them.


Tough luck. Also, if they know the language, they must’ve got an audiobook or whatever from the smugglers. That could be a big charge.


Yes there is. You’ve already given a couple reasons in your post.


This is inconvenient. It’d be better to spend 30 minutes modifying the existing scripts and adding Gaelic to the smugglers.


Yeah there is. It gives rebels a way to communicate which can’t easily be intercepted by the combine. You’ve already said this yourself.


In the end, your opposition to the suggestion is “I get you want to be secretive, but this is a pointless suggestion despite the fact that I just gave a very valid point to add it. You’d also be punished if you were stupid enough to speak the rebel language in public”

You have a point thank you. I repeal my original thought and give a +1.

 

[AdamCF]

Did a disagreement in an hl2rp server genuinely just get resolved? Never thought I’d live see this day haha

 

[Atle]

Probably will add more languages and such eventually but a rebel specific one? Eehh seems unecessary

DENIED