Galaxies had a system that was like that. All species understood galactic basic, but aliens also had their own language. Wookiees were especially burdened in that they couldn't speak in galactic basic, only Shyriiwook. This meant that wookiees couldn't be understood by anyone that hadn't learned their language. Of course, players could teach other players languages (as well as skills and things) so a wookiee player might begin negotiations with a player by teaching Shyriiwook to the other guy's character.

That was the best language system in a game I had played. Do you remember if they kept in the language barriers after they took away the ability to teach them?

You can talk between factions in SWTOR, and most other games. Only WoW and DAoC disallows it. I've found most extreme rudeness in such artificially faction-ed games is within your own faction, since they know you can't do anything about their behavior.

I agree with a lot of different opinions in this topic.

Various factions limits the players abilities to be fully immersed and sandboxed. However it contributed to the best PvP/RvR system MMos have ever known through DAoC.

In addition, answering to the OP, Factions that cannot communicate with each other is maybe not the best, but enabling 'Language Skills' that you can level up like back in the old EQ days could be a really cool side route. Meaning by that that originally no one can communicate with one another unless you are from the same alliance, but over time and after much practice you can speak the specific tongues you have practices. It would make a traitor more interesting as well.

I believe that language barriers should exist but that the ability to learn these languages a la Everquest would be amazing.

It would be a terrible idea to NOT make the "/yell" and "/say" channels understandable for all races.

Retconn'd!


True, and that was also the ONLY truly fun thing about the original APB was the constant open proximity mic everyone had. Talking crap over that to each other was endless fun, getting taiunted when you got taken down was hilarious! You could also convince one side to drop their weapons and walk away, which we (as enforcers) did many times. "It's not worth it man! You got two choices, death or prison, but there's a third, man! What would your momma say about the life you lead?" etc. So much fun!

One great memory, I was booking it for an objective and a criminal was behind me (not that I knew it) and I was telling my buddy "I got this man, I'm almost there." then I hear "No you ain't biatch!" and BOOM shotgun to the back, dead. I was literally in tears laughing for 5 minutes!

AFAIC - Rift also let you talk to Reds, we had a whole conversation with an assassin who was trying to take us out during beta. It was great! Lack of communication just makes it seem like you're fighting more intelligent AI.

You need to be able to talk to enemy players.

For one, it'd be silly if every faction made up their own secret language. Not to mention how one of the reasons they made it three factions, was so two could gang up on the biggest one, to avoid imbalance. That's kind of impossible if you can't communicate.

Plus, like Reymas said, it's too easy to get into the "it's red, it's dead" mind set when you can't talk to them.

I think the best solution is for /say and /yell or /shout to be read by all. I think things like /global or /alliance should only be read by the people of your faction.

Just keep Emil well-stocked in Mead and I'm sure he can whip up like 10+ languages in a fortnight.