From owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Mon Apr 26 08:19:08 1999 Received: (from bin@localhost) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) id IAA17071; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 08:19:08 +1200 Received: from mailhost.auckland.ac.nz (mailhost.auckland.ac.nz [130.216.1.4]) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) with ESMTP id IAA17068 for ; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 08:19:07 +1200 Received: from sci4 (lbr-122-42.lbrsc.auckland.ac.nz [130.216.122.42]) by mailhost.auckland.ac.nz (8.9.2/8.9.2/8.9.2-ua) with SMTP id IAA07638 for ; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 08:16:02 +1200 (NZST) Message-Id: <199904252016.IAA07638@mailhost.auckland.ac.nz> Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 08:17:30 +0000 Subject: No time discounts X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v2.53/R1) From: "Michael Parkinson" To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz Sender: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Errors-To: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Loop: dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Requests: To unsubscribe from this list, or change your subscription address, send a message to dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz. Reply-To: m.parkinson@auckland.ac.nz, dq@dq.sf.org.nz Dear all. Since NO other skill has time discounts (even when EP discounts of over 70% apply), I have dropped all reference to time discounts. However ranking should only be 1x Rank weeks like other skills. Likewise the bard 50% time discount should be eliminated -- hopefully Bards should be compensated by the immersion rules which may suit a "traditional" bard, if such an animal exists, over mere adventurers. Since ranking is proposed to be only 1xRank weeks, not the ill-guided 2xRank weeks [it was my original suggestion, so I feel free to acknowledge it as an error], the apparent need for the Bard discount is also reduced. Of course, this still leaves the anomaly of Rank 0 ... A slightly modified draft to follow -- as soon as I known whether people favour the clumped or smooth model of languages. Summary: Clumped is artificially stepped so that it is easy to know how well a character should understand or learn a foreign language. Smoothed more closely represents mundane language relations, but requires a family tree to be drawn for each language family indicating "closeness" in order to know how well a character should understand or learn a foreign language. regards, michael Michael Parkinson Mathematics & Statistics Librarian Science Library, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, AUCKLAND, N.Z. Email: m.parkinson@auckland.ac.nz Phone: (09) 3737 599 x 5858 Fax: (09) 3082 304 -------------------------------- "But, Signor Simplicio, do dump the thought & hope you have, that men can be so more well-read, learned, & versed in books ... that, despite nature, they were for causing that which is false to become true. -- Galileo, Dialogo. -- see unsubscribe instructions in message headers -- From owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Mon Apr 26 14:59:57 1999 Received: (from bin@localhost) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) id OAA17762; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 14:59:57 +1200 Received: from akl-notes.aj.co.nz (ns.aj.co.nz [202.27.194.165]) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) with SMTP id OAA17759 for ; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 14:59:54 +1200 Received: by akl-notes.aj.co.nz(Lotus SMTP MTA v4.6.3 (778.2 1-4-1999)) id 4C25675F.0010A631 ; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 15:01:51 +1200 X-Lotus-FromDomain: AJ.CO.NZ Message-ID: <4C25675F.0010A4EC.00@akl-notes.aj.co.nz> Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 15:01:45 +1200 Subject: Re: Languages Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline From: Rosemary_Mansfield/AJNzl/NZ@aj.co.nz To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz Sender: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Errors-To: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Loop: dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Requests: To unsubscribe from this list, or change your subscription address, send a message to dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz. Reply-To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz Clumping vs Smooth (re language groups) I definitely prefer the clumped method of handling language groups. It isn't as realistic as the smooth method but given we have a very limited list of what languages actually exist, I think it fits our system of training better. Generally: I still have this gut feeling that the language proposal is too complicated, but I don't immediately know why. If I get a chance to review the document in more detail I may be able to pin this down. Some quick thoughts: a) Unpronounceable Tongues This section needs to be more clearly linked to the sentence in Restrictions "Characters may not speak a tongue for which they do not have the vocal apparatus." We can then have a generic paragraph detailing how to understand an unpronounceable tongue, quasi-magical speaking of such tongues, and a short list of those tongues in the rules that are unpronounceable by PC races (ie. languages of races aren't humanoid). b) Codes and ciphers How many people acutally use this? Do we need it? I partly ask because historically codes and ciphers were VERY basic until modern times. The sophiticated idea that we have of c&c didn't start to develop until Napoleonic times and is linked closely to the rise of wide spread literacy. I'd like to loose this as a language skill and move it to philosopher & spy, with a concept that a c&c is a disguise of a peice of prose in an existing language. c) I'd like to overtly mention that non-sentients don't have languages, probably in the 'Restrictions' section. Communicating with non-sentients fits in the area of beastmasters, and those characters with write-ups saying the can speak horse, or whatever, either have a psuedo magical ability, or a knowledge skill related to beastmaster. Rosemary This message contains confidential information intended only for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient any use, review, perusal, dissemination, distribution or copying of this document is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error please immediately telephone us on +64-9-356 4000 and destroy the original message. -- see unsubscribe instructions in message headers -- From owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Mon Apr 26 17:14:34 1999 Received: (from bin@localhost) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) id RAA17931; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 17:14:34 +1200 Received: from smtp2.ihug.co.nz (tk2.ihug.co.nz [203.29.160.14]) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) with ESMTP id RAA17928 for ; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 17:14:32 +1200 Received: from jimarona.ihug.co.nz (p493-tnt2.akl.ihug.co.nz [203.109.255.238]) by smtp2.ihug.co.nz (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id RAA06469; Mon, 26 Apr 1999 17:11:13 +1200 Subject: Re: No time discounts Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 17:07:45 +1200 Message-ID: <01be8fa2$b8aef420$eeff6dcb@jimarona.ihug.co.nz> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3 From: "Jim Arona" To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz Sender: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Errors-To: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Loop: dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Requests: To unsubscribe from this list, or change your subscription address, send a message to dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz. Reply-To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz -----Original Message----- From: Michael Parkinson > >A slightly modified draft to follow -- as soon as I known whether people >favour the clumped or smooth model of languages. > Clumped. I prefer to know what it is that a character can do, than being impressed with the elegance of a model. Jim. -- see unsubscribe instructions in message headers --