Canthan language?

[Neftex.7594]

Am i the only one wondering why theres so much effort put into making of an imaginary new language? What is the target audience of this feature? Theres maybe like 10 people worldwide that care about this. Isnt there something more important for the game they can be focusing on?

 

im referring to this btw: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/designing-the-canthan-written-language/

[Ashantara.8731]

Just now, Neftex.7594 said:

Am i the only one wondering why theres so much effort put into making of an imaginary new language?

 

No, but I am certain there is good reason for it and am highly intrigued to discover what that might be.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

I think because the studio/Devs care about the little things in the Tyrian universe.

Without a language there's nothing to appear on signs, books, labels, etc.

Why should the quality of the franchise diminish with time?

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Also, thanks Devs/ArenaNet for more information blogs on all things Guild Wars 2.  Interesting read.  👍

[Dawdler.8521]

It cant possibly be because its the devs work to create an imaginary world for us to play in?

[Danikat.8537]

Considering the article says the majority of the work was done when they were making Factions (in 2005) it's a bit late to worry about the time and effort required now.

 

But it wouldn't surprise me if it was a passion-project for the people involved, something they wanted to do and went out of their way to make time for. But it does also say in the article players enjoy it. I know there's people who will look for any examples of writing in GW2 and take the time to translate them. They even did all the Pact Memorials in HoT, even though it must have become clear part-way through it's all lists of random names and repeated causes of death.

 

So, if the developers like including readable text and players like finding and creating it, why not? After all the point of a game is to be enjoyable and for some people this is fun.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Danikat.8537

[decease.3215]

imo they could just use any real life asian language... like Chinese... which is basically what they are aiming at...   i hope they don't expect us to learn that language to play the new expansion...

[notebene.3190]

"We can put a man on the moon..." 🙄🤓

[Neftex.7594]

49 minutes ago, Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

Without a language there's nothing to appear on signs, books, labels, etc.

 

42 minutes ago, Dawdler.8521 said:

It cant possibly be because its the devs work to create an imaginary world for us to play in?

 

you dont need to create actual language for that

[zealex.9410]

I wish they did this with the frogs in hot tbh.

[Dawdler.8521]

10 minutes ago, Neftex.7594 said:

 

 

you dont need to create actual language for that

You do if you want immersion.

 

Also its not like artists and creative designers will go "I dont have time for this, I need fix low level bugs in the graphics engine!" and then they start reading "graphics programming for dummies" while wondering wtf this code looking math is.

[Raknar.4735]

I'm happy they do stuff like this.

Small details like this make the world feel more immersive when building a completely new fantasy world. Stuff like this isn't new to Anet: Krytan, Charr markings with meaning, dwarven runes etc. show me that they care about their worldbuilding.

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by Raknar.4735

[Cronospere.8143]

Northwatch waypoint at Auric Basin you will see one of the other used languages there (new krytan)

 

Its not like its a huge amount of resources. 

They make a simpel drawing. Make a teksttype file (like times new roman or something) and you can easily write with it everywhere you like. 

Although this New Canthan seems a bit more difficult. Which is interesting in my opinion. 

Since this blog post Ive encountered more language in guildwars which i never was aware of. See well done. This made me appriciate the little things kore. 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by Cronospere.8143

[Omega.6801]

I would have prefered had ANet spent those resources on something else (actually I don't, but I coudn't resist).😉

These things happen as part of world building(or at least get startet), long before anything is actually coded, so they get a pass. True, not many people apreciate it, but when you know, that an inscription on a banner or a wall, a tavern shield or a road sign aren't just "random squiggly lines" but an actual language with actual meaning, it gives the world more depth.

Also, having unique languages to your fantasy world. Gives the players/readers/viewers a new way to identify with the franchise. Just think about how almost all YA-novels/stories rename everyday activities or objects, thus creating an understandable, yet foreign enough "in-group" language to identify with. Science fiction stories usully do this too, both with creating actual fantasy-languages("Klingon") but also with techno-babble("Lightsabre", "Phaser", wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey Stuff"). Same goes for the fantasy genre, using fantasy languages("Elvish") and redefining everyday words to give them a distinct in-world meaning("the one Ring", "the Discworld").

[JUN YANG.4328]

Just saw the symbol for the catha written language.  I can tell how the letter comes from. its part of simply chinese letter mix with japanese letter. Its good they can create a language for the game. but to me as a chinese is so not get use to looking at those smybol. its more like a chinese letter written side way ( or in 90 degree).

 

I think it need some round shape symbol,  Anet If you want to make that cool maybe use  "oracle bone script" (甲骨文) as a guide. its ancient chinese language  created from an object shape. (even i dont understand the wording).   you dont have to stick with chinese symbol although they had the oldest asian language.   you can also mix with korean and thai letters.   IMO it just look better.

[The Greyhawk.9107]

2 hours ago, Neftex.7594 said:

 

 

you dont need to create actual language for that

Sure, let's start using English writing after sixteen years of non-English writing.  Cool idea bro.

[JUN YANG.4328]

3 hours ago, decease.3215 said:

imo they could just use any real life asian language... like Chinese... which is basically what they are aiming at...   i hope they don't expect us to learn that language to play the new expansion...

Nope. dont use Chinese,  everything relate to China these days is negative. if they use chinese, only thing it had is lots of  objection, fury, racism etc  it will relate to politic. so none of real language should be use in this game, except english.  

Edited July 23, 2021 by JUN YANG.4328

[Firebeard.1746]

Little details like this give the world polish and flavor. The question about whether or not it's useful against other things is hard to answer. If the artist(s) responsible are done with asset design/creation, then them having extra cycles to make the world more interesting isn't a bad thing and adds more depth.

[firedragon.8953]

I love it! 

Why have foliage? Why have stars in the sky? It is because they make the world beautiful.

Words are no different, but they carry a magic to transfer a specific thought into the mind if you are willing to learn their ways.

[Dawdler.8521]

5 hours ago, JUN YANG.4328 said:

I think it need some round shape symbol

Found the Korean.

 

Also it doesnt really matter.

[JUN YANG.4328]

1 hour ago, Dawdler.8521 said:

Found the Korean.

 

Also it doesnt really matter.

it just make me so confuse sometimes.  

 

here an example for the Chinese wording “ 十，一，什，丁， 行，辛，玉，作，左，介" etc if you turn these wording in 90 degree is really similar imo

[Ashantara.8731]

7 hours ago, The Greyhawk.9107 said:

Sure, let's start using English writing after sixteen years of non-English writing.  Cool idea bro.

 

Nice to see someone twisting another person's words. What they meant was that they could use a fantasy language that isn't an actual language. No one said anything about using English.

 

9 hours ago, zealex.9410 said:

I wish they did this with the frogs in hot tbh.

 

I don't think they have an actual written language. Those hunters probably use simple signs for things like "Danger!" etc.

[Danikat.8537]

11 hours ago, decease.3215 said:

imo they could just use any real life asian language... like Chinese... which is basically what they are aiming at...   i hope they don't expect us to learn that language to play the new expansion...

Do you need to know New Krytan to play GW2 at the moment? Or the asuran script, or charr ideograms?

 

It will be the same with Canthan in EoD: it will be used for images, like signs and posters on walls, but any text you need to understand will be on an interactive object and clicking on it will tell you what it says in English, French, German or Spanish (whichever your game is set to use).

 

11 hours ago, zealex.9410 said:

I wish they did this with the frogs in hot tbh.

They implied it rather than showing it, probably because of the time required to design a spoken language. You have to train the Itzel Language and Nuhoch Language masteries before you can speak to and trade with most members of the tribes, which like most masteries implies you've spend enough time in the jungle to become familiar with that skill. (The fact that you can learn it by doing totally unrelated activities is due to game mechanics taking precedence over lore - it's more important that players have that choice of how to gain mastery points.)

 

10 hours ago, lokh.2695 said:

I would have prefered had ANet spent those resources on something else (actually I don't, but I coudn't resist).😉

These things happen as part of world building(or at least get startet), long before anything is actually coded, so they get a pass. True, not many people apreciate it, but when you know, that an inscription on a banner or a wall, a tavern shield or a road sign aren't just "random squiggly lines" but an actual language with actual meaning, it gives the world more depth.

Also, having unique languages to your fantasy world. Gives the players/readers/viewers a new way to identify with the franchise. Just think about how almost all YA-novels/stories rename everyday activities or objects, thus creating an understandable, yet foreign enough "in-group" language to identify with. Science fiction stories usully do this too, both with creating actual fantasy-languages("Klingon") but also with techno-babble("Lightsabre", "Phaser", wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey Stuff"). Same goes for the fantasy genre, using fantasy languages("Elvish") and redefining everyday words to give them a distinct in-world meaning("the one Ring", "the Discworld").

 

Fictional languages are actually how we got the fantasy genre. Tolkien started out just inventing new languages, but because he was a linguist he understood that languages are influenced by the history and culture of the people who speak them so in order to create a convincing fictional language he needed to create people who spoke it, the world they lived in and establish their culture and how it changed over time. He combined that with stories he made up for his children and got the beginnings of his legendarium.

 

Then other people built on that, but of course they didn't all feel the need to invent new languages in the process. I've seen some discussions on the subject which go out of their way to emphasise that Tolkien focused on language because he was a linguist and it's just as valid for other fantasy writers to focus on music or food or military tactics or in-universe folklore or whatever it is which interests them most and to simply allude to the language/s used if necessary, because many aspiring fantasy writers feel obligated to invent at least the basics of a language for their characters to use.

 

Even so I think you're right that intentionally or otherwise they will end up introducing new terms (or ones with new meanings) to their readers, because you can't write a fantasy story without some fictional things in it.

[zealex.9410]

Ill w8 till i see it ingame, iirc they made similar statements during the hot reveal and coupled it in lore masteries.

[Tseison.4659]

It’s pretty obvious they’re targeting the Asian crowd (which is not an issue for me, being half) but still, I hope this is not some sort of fetishizing and wonder why they didn’t bother to put any effort in the final battle for Jormag and Primor. But anyways….still excited to see what the trailer and EoD has to offer since Factions was my very first game that I played years ago.