Languages

[QuantumRabbit]

Assuming you have, let's say an 8...which really is not a bad score. That is 16 picks, and a +1 to all knowledge...that is enough to get Language Federation and Native at say 4 each so totals of 5...leaving 8 more points, for 4 in each culture...Providing you with again, 5s.
Even providing you have this basically average intellegence, you have plenty to be fluent in 2 languages and cultures, I fail to see how this is too much considering most people of this day and age don't have 2 fluent languages or knowledge of how 2 cultures work. In fact, if anything it may be a bit much to say the average character can be fluent in 2 like that...
I am just going by todays standards and DND rules where an average character has 1 language...

[Ergi]

But you don't have any skill ranks in history, politics, religion or world knowledge. Of course those skills won't be as useful as culture or an additional language, but I believe a rounded character should be proficient in some of those. It would be really hard to explain a character who hasn't picked up at least some knowledge about his home planet and recent history (=politics).

[gbnogkfs]

What about "You do not have to make a test to understand your own language?"

[senussi@hotmail.com]

I'm not a CODA player but I AM a linguist and I always end up burning extra brain calories worrying about language issues. I have a suggestion that I've used for a couple settings.

For character generation only, if it is relevent to the characters background, just halve the cost for language/cultural skills.

So you have Picard who's a Federation citizen of Earth. His native language is Fed Standard. However, he also belongs to a cultural minority that has its own language and customs. It is a trait of Earthers to attach significance to their ethnicities, particularly during the TOS era. Fed standard is simply the language he learned in school, French being what his mother bawled him out with at home. I think that it is reasonable to allow some largely superfluous skills that add color.

Of course, use this within reason. Just because you are of Japanese descent (or grew up on a culturally Japanese colony world) doesn't mean you should get to be a ninja or be a master of Suio-Ryu (unless you pay the points for the relevent skills). However you should get half-cost Japanese language skills and half cost skills that represent cultural knowledge (maybe origami, Japanese kids wield folded paper like American kids wield crayons), or cultural practices related to daily life. Survival skills (hunting, spear-fishing, small boat handling) or knowledge skills (like knowledge of agriculture or husbandry practices, gaming, some art or craft skill).

It's reasonable and allows some flavor without handing out free skills or creating too many opportunities for abuse. Sure Chakotay got to use a spear for hunting once or twice. However, it did not create an imbalance but it did give him a chance to wax about being an Amerind "My people did not use the bow..." A Martian colonist knows some Human history, sure, but also some Martian history or perhaps a personal understanding of the issues surrounding colonies and their representation on the Federation council.

Anyway just my thoughts...

CP

[Doug Burke]

Originally posted by gbnogkfs
What about "You do not have to make a test to understand your own language?"

In most cases this would be true. But how many of us have watched people's eyes glaze over as we explained what our jobs are and things we know?

[gbnogkfs]

Originally posted by Doug Burke
In most cases this would be true. But how many of us have watched people's eyes glaze over as we explained what our jobs are and things we know?

You are certainly right, but, after all, I was just reading the rules...