Racial Speech Skill

[Agelastos]

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall had Language Skills. IIRC (it's been 16 years), if your character knew how to speak the Daedric language, that skill would be checked whenever s/he came close to a Daedra. If successful, the Daedra would be non-hostile (until provoked), allowing you to speak with it.

 

By Odin's empty eye-socket, Daggerfall was a great game. One of these days I'll have to replay it...

Edited November 18, 2012 by Agelastos

[Vhostym]

I think you could also make language a more cultural concept, like how many modern CRPGs do it. When someone speaks another language they don't speak it exclusively, but instead intersperse words of the language into their speech to emphasize certain points or use culturally relevant invective. With a higher language skill or intelligence stat the player could do this as well, giving them a cultural connection, and probably a reputation boost as well. This would show how the player is knowledgeable about the culture and would add some level of immersion. If you wanted to go overboard you could add in a mechanic where the more you interact with a culture (quests, companions or something else) the more you understand their language and can gain this quasi-fluency.

 

Also I second Agelastos, Daggerfall was the best Elder Scrolls game, with Morrowind as a close-ish second.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Vhostym

[wanderon]

How about a tome or series of tomes of translation for different cultures - perhaps beginers, intermediate, and masters?