Author Topic: Question about quest language  (Read 848 times)

MustangMR

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Question about quest language
« on: May 07, 2008, 03:40:28 pm »
Sorry if this is addressed somewhere, but I would like to know how the community feels about the language used in the quests.  I admit it, I'm American.  We speak English different from other parts of the world, even within our own country, and I don't want to come across as saying it all has to be American English.  Let me use a quick example that is a fundamental part of the game right now that is quite awkward for me. 

There is something we all type to get a quest... "Do you have a job?".  That question would not be correct to get a quest for us.  What that is asking is if the person I'm talking to has a job, as in "employed", so if I ask Harnquist that question, he should answer "Yes, I'm a blacksmith", not "Oh, sure, go do this for me".  See the difference?  I would never think to ask it that way except the guide told me to do it that way.  It needs something else to qualify "job".  I would ask "Do you have a job for me?" or "Do you have any work?".  Either of those would indicate I'm looking to do something for him, but anything other than "do you have a job?" seems to put puzzled looks of confusion on the NPC's face right now. 

I know it's a bit of a strange question, but it's kind of important because doing the quests requires a certain perspective, and if I am having troubles doing one, I don't want to post a bug report on something that is really a language issue.  I'm no English major, but these kinds of issues can get pretty frustrating when trying to work inside a text parser like PS has.  I do want to help make it as good as possible.

Thoughts?  Don't worry about it?  Learn to speak other dialects? 

Tuxide

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2008, 03:43:41 pm »
"Do you have a job?"
This is an ambiguous phrase, it can mean either one.  This is why English sucks as a language.

MustangMR

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2008, 03:47:13 pm »
No argument there.  It's all I got though.  To me, the question is not ambiguous though.  It is a correct question, just not what we should be asking for work.

Prolix

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2008, 03:48:32 pm »
"can I help you " has always worked for me. I have never asked for a job.

Tuxide

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2008, 03:53:46 pm »
Well, perhaps the NPCs are hoping you mean the other way.  If so, then that's the NPC's fault for misinterpreting people.

"can I help you "
...which I don't consider correct grammar, I prefer "may I help you" (which last time I checked doesn't work).  I should probably say that I'm also from the United States.

Mythryndel

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2008, 03:59:21 pm »
I believe that I use "May I help you" and it works. I try to use proper grammar. I am also from the US.

Prolix

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #6 on: May 07, 2008, 04:08:19 pm »
Well I am from Canada and for us May is a month!  :D
Seriously, though, can is commonly used in place of may in conversation.
Also can indicates ability while may indicates permission so even if they want your help they may be uncertain of your ability. Asking Can I leads them to  stating their problem for you to judge your ability.

MustangMR

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2008, 04:14:06 pm »
Cool.  Apparently there are more choices than I was able to discover.  I like "may I help you", but even that seems awkward for the situation.  I really am just looking for work, unless they first come to me in distress or I see them in trouble.  Then I would ask it that way.  NPC's dont' really show themselves in distress unless they initiate the dialog. 

Think we're too hung up on the one question, though.  That was just an example.  One thing I've discovered playing PS is that it's a very international game.  I've run into people from all over the world, and I'm just curious what the overall feeling is on this subject.

Under the moon

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #8 on: May 07, 2008, 05:25:08 pm »
It is a syntax issue that eliminates unneeded words and searches only the first four un-ignored words for a phrase. It you typed "Do you have a job for me?" The server parses that down to "Do you have job."

So ya, if you think it is hard guessing the right phrase, try writing triggers trying to account for everything any player might think of saying to an NPC and reducing it down to four words or less. :)

Dajoji

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2008, 05:33:34 pm »
There usually is an option that works both grammatically and with the game's syntax, like "give me a quest" or "do you need help?".


MustangMR

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2008, 06:23:55 pm »
So ya, if you think it is hard guessing the right phrase, try writing triggers trying to account for everything any player might think of saying to an NPC and reducing it down to four words or less. :)

A daunting task indeed.  So yeah, think I missed the mark.  It's not about language, it's about parsing the fewest meaningful words.  Okay, think that may actually help a lot.  Thanks!

So would "Do you have a job for me" missing the trigger really be a bug?

Jeraphon

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2008, 07:04:14 pm »
There's about two dozen different ways to initiate a quest.

Tuxide

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2008, 08:05:20 pm »
There is one thing that it doesn't account for, and that is typos.  Oh wait yeah it does, the NPCs respond by making fun of you.

neko kyouran

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2008, 08:08:12 pm »
I like to think of it as PS's little way of helping you improve your typing skills.  :)

Taniquetil

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Re: Question about quest language
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2008, 09:38:14 pm »
"Can i help you?" is perfect grammar... the correct answer, if the NPC does have a quest for you, would be "Yes, here is the thing i need done." Then, you can either accept the quest or decline it. The initiating question is just another way of asking if there is a job that needs to be done. It is up to you to decide whether you "may" do the job. Besides, it has always worked for me (i find "give me a quest" too blunt and demanding).

btw, i love how the NPCs make fun of you, kudos to the devs :thumbup:
"Only two things are really infinite: the Universe and human stupidity; and I'm not so sure about the former."             ~Albert Einstein