Foreign Languages in your game (It's NOT what you think!)

[Simon D. Aelsi]

How do you use a foreign language in a game? For example, you could say "____ comes across a statue with an inscription with an unintelligible language"

... But how much more cool would it be if that so-called text or inscription was in an ACTUAL other language? For example, coming across a tribal ruin and trying to read texts there...

Has anyone done this? What font would be used? What language?

Is this even possible?

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

As long as the language uses the alphabet, I don't see any problem... you can for example use a different font color using the \C[id] escape code to denote that it's another language

 

[Mouser]

Cryptograms are used a lot for stuff like this.

 

[Diretooth]

Even better, a conlang you developed yourself.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

Even better, a conlang you developed yourself.

 ...What's that? x_x

Cryptograms are used a lot for stuff like this.

I'll have to google those....

 

[Sharm]

Conlang is just a constructed language, like Klingon. I've been thinking about making one of these for a story I'm writing, but it's probably a lot more work than the payoff would be. It'd be easier to just make a font full of letters that look nothing like ours and write normally in it.

 

[Omega Weapon]

@Sharm, Why not an actual non-English language? Go on, teach your players.

Though, some people would use a translator, or just wait till the game translates it for them, others know the language and aren't hindered by it. It's either Billingual Bonus or Gratuitous Foreign Language.

Otherwise, Dragonlanguage is quite useful if your target audience hasn't played Skyrim yet.

 

[Sharm]

@Omega Weapon: Because it's a sci-fi and the languages are alien. Unless you mean I should teach them my alien languages, but I don't really see the point. What I'll probably end up doing is just making up bits of the language as it comes up in the story and not worry about constructing the whole thing. Especially since there's actually at least two of them.

 

[Omega Weapon]

@Sharm. I actually meant any real world language that is not English. You could still use some obscure one, just not Maori, unless you want the same backlash that Lego got.

 

[Sharm]

Nah, I'd have to know the language well enough to not be rude with my use of it. I didn't know there was a backlash against Lego, from everything I heard (from my brother who lived in NZ for a few years) Bionicle was super popular there.

 

[Omega Weapon]

Some Maori people were butthurt because Lego used words from them, and messed up in proper usage. Like the Matoran used to be called Tohunga, but not every Matoran is what a "Tohunga" is. Or how Jala became Jaller. (I was a huge Bionicle fan back in the day, and they should bring back Bionicle)

It was just the few butthurt ones that made Lego change names and stuff.

There is no shame in asking a native speaker, Sharm. I could help you with Dutch, or even Limburgian, if you want.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

A native speaker, eh? I'd have never thought of that one.

I've heard of a fake language called "Al Behd" before... I wonder how popular that is anymore... Aiya but I plan to sell (or halfway sell-set up a 'donate if you liked this! :3' button) so I might not be able to use that one...

 

[Omega Weapon]

"Al Behd" was used in Final Fantasy X, so I think you can't use it in a commercial game, even if it is just a cipher with a fancy font.

 

[Sharm]

If I ever decide to make a game with a language in it, I'll keep that in mind. If I were to use a real language I think I'd rather center the game around the language though, make it the center of the plot somehow.

 

[SLEEP]

Cryptograms and other simple language cyphers are a decent approach. Simple ones where you just substitute letters for other letters. Al bhed from FFX is one example, Dinosaur language from Starfox Adventure is another. There are more complecated ways to encrypt writing, but don't do it the obtuse way. There's also manmade languages, like Esperanto, which are made intentionally easy for people to learn. There's a lot of linguistics experts who've made easy-to-learn languages out there. <finally, there's some people who just put traslated versions of other languages in brackets> A dingbat font, like Windings or Webdings can also convey another language. thats all i can think of