Make EAL either mandatory (like TCB) or a free language for IPC's

[CourierBravo]

What it says on the tin. EAL to me should be a free language. They're robots, and thus less bound to the limits of the brain like organics are, they might as well have access to the robot language. But, if we wanted to maintain the current language limit, it could be just mandatory. The wiki states: "Typically all synthetics, IPCs included, are able to transmit and translate Encoded Audio Language." Which I think is plenty good reason to make it mandatory. Having it a freebie would just be nice, though.

I can imagine there will be concerns of conversation exclusion, but every species has their exclusive languages and its never really an issue these days. I remember it being one about 4 years ago, but thats it. These days language exclusion is pretty rare and when it is done? Its intention is to enhance an RP situation, not try and keep someone out. At least in my experience, our community is very good at trying to include other players/characters.

[hazelmouse]

There is notably some lore that hinges on EAL not being inherent to all synthetics, like how Burzsia is meant to keep it off their units so they can't scheme in a language their operators cannot parse. I think this would make perfect sense to be implemented similarly to Rootsong and Nral'malic, but only if synthetic lore says that it's fundamental to the race in the same way as those two languages.

[FlamingLily]

I think making it a free language makes sense, as opposed to a mandatory one (like rootsong). As hazelmouse said, it's not automatic in lore to all positronics like rootsong is to dionae (game mechanics notwithstanding), however it is such a fundamental language to the race that imo it makes sense to give it freely (i.e. it doesn't take a language slot if you take it). This does open up IPC to having 4 languages (like shells have), but at the same time kind of balances out shells so they can't know literally every human language at once (presumably we'd be balancing out shells so they don't have free EAL AND three additional slots for a total of 5 including tcb)

[Sniblet]

I’ve built more than one service synthetic with just a pile of human languages. They’re designed for hospitality, they’re meant to make people of all sorts feel at home. I’m always left fishing for reasons they wouldn’t have either Elyran or Freespeak, and if anyone asks, my IC explanations can only be flimsy.

”oh I can’t talk to the martians in their own tongue because, like, classism, I guess - you see, making the poor feel excluded takes priority over my whole reason for being.”

And no EAL. Simply not a priority. ICly, I can only resort to the Burzsian reasoning.

”my owners want to be extra extra sure that I can’t secretly plot against them. they are paranoid and abusive and would probably wipe me for any twitch. huh? yeah, I’m NT, don’t worry about it.”

Language slots are silly. It’s another one of our gameplay limitations that we’ve put in place and decided to hold sacred so that it might discourage the sort of behavior that none of our regular players are interested in or have been interested in in, like, years. Try budgeting the languages of a deaf or mute Himean, just as well as one of their industrial IPCs. Or a Martian. Or an Assunzioni. Or a New Suezi. Or a Lunan. Or a Konyanger. Or a mute Himean IPC.

SO many planets are exactly bilingual, because they're built around our two picks. Play a shell, play a Bishop, or suffer for eternity because you cannot build a fully believable character.

Edited 22 hours ago by Sniblet