Xenolinguistics

[Strager]

Ukuqonda Umphumela Izilimi Nzima .

Learning to speak with other people here on Earth has been a challenge. When you consider the absolute isolation and zero common history two species on different planets would have, one must assume that their languages would be even more difficult to learn.

Hvernig munum við læra að tala við aðrar þjóðir ?

My thought is that there should be no "Universal Translator" technology and that at first two species meeting for the first time should have no way to communicate. In order to make even a real first "contact" the alien species should need to be studied - access to an alien ship or planet would speed this process up and there could be an order or something the other species could give a character to be "cooperative" and help establish a dialogue.

Notitia de hac re nobis aliquis ?

 

[fridabina]

I liked the way Sword of the stars handled it, with seperate techs for different race languages and integrating them into society. Hopefully we get something similar.

 

[SIEGE-109]

I think so. Considering that in one of the screenshots they were researching a planet, you should also expect to research alien languages.

 

[Esben_DRK]

I'd like this kind of attention to detail.
And if that's slightly too narrow, it could also, IMO, be a "recent discovery"-penalty to relations. It then degrades over time (Like many relationship modifiers do in EU4). At higher levels, it simply disallows meaningful interation (Except violence, I'd guess. If someone shoots at your ship, you know what's up), and at lower levels it might allow interaction, but is simply a penalty due to not understanding the culture or the finer nuances of language etc.

 

[SIEGE-109]

It might cause your peeps to flip out and kill the aliens because they feel threatened.

Imagine you see alien ships approaching your planet, you have no idea what they want. Do you let the alien warships come in range to decimate planetary defenses, or do you fire on diplomatic/trade ships, provoking the war you tried to stop? Maybe your men's itchy trigger-fingers will make the decision for you.

I could imagine a sadistic game event where if you fire, then they were coming in peace, but if you don't fire, then they were coming in war!! LOL, no don't include anything meta like that plz.

 

[Strager]

If someone shoots at your ship, you know what's up

That's assuming you even know they are "shooting" - a better example would be an abduction. Imagine you come across a species for the first time. They abduct one of your ships crew members in order to learn more about you. How do you respond? They might just be trying to learn your language, or they could be dissecting the poor sod to learn better ways to kill you.

 

[Esben_DRK]

That's assuming you even know they are "shooting" - a better example would be an abduction. Imagine you come across a species for the first time. They abduct one of your ships crew members in order to learn more about you. How do you respond? They might just be trying to learn your language, or they could be dissecting the poor sod to learn better ways to kill you.

True enough. It could add a lot of anxiety when you make first contact.
I think it should be a major event, especially the first time you make first contact yourself, or if you're the first contact for someone else.
Issues like the one you lay out could be a part of that major-event-narrative.

 

[Amroth]

I would really like it if "first contact" was a real empire effecting thing and that getting to know said empire in friendly terms also lets you know about empires they know of if they are willing to provide that information.

 

[King Ari]

Possibly have it so after you meet a new species you get a high probability of a social technology "card" that allows you to preform diplomatic actions further than just pew pew pew