ArenaNet:Guild Wars 2 suggestions/Languages

Languages (Discussion)
What if there were a multitude of languages in Guild Wars, depending on such things as: race (Asuran, Norn...); region (so that northern Charr might not understand southern Charr), time period (a modern Elonian might speak differently from an ancient Elonian), and society (for instance, secret languages for assassin guilds, or runic writing systems for recording elementalist spells). What if languages were learnable, and mastery of languages was useful in game terms?

This diversity of language could exist alongside a "common tongue" that everyone speaks.

There are a number of ways expertise in languages could be translated into game mechanics. The basic idea is that unless a character understands a particular language, they would simply see gobbledygook or a generic "You don't speak this language" message when encountering that language.


 * As a skill. Languages could be a skill like any other skill -- either non-profession specific, or attached to some sort of researcher profession.
 * As an inherent feature of a character. Just as characters can be "ascended" or not, or might have quest pre-requisites to be allowed certain options at NPCs, they could inherently understand or not understand a text.
 * As a title track in itself, or as an ability attached to a title track. On this approach, there wouldn't be specific languages, but all texts would be given degrees of obscurity. Perhaps language skill could correlate with cartography -- so in role-playing terms, the more of a game a character experiences, the more languages they learn. Depending on a character's rank in the language title track, and depending on the obscurity rating of a text, they would or would not understand what it said.


 * Why this is a good idea
 * Adds more dimensions to gameplay and roleplay. Anything that takes the game away from being purely combat-based is a good thing.
 * Opens up more design possibilities for puzzles and quests.


 * Why it may not work out
 * too many types of voice recordings for cutscenes
 * most players dont read what quests are about, they just follow the arrow on the map
 * language skill?! dont think so