Telling people to RP in Planeshift is like telling people to shoot stuff in Halo.

We're supposed to shoot stuff in Halo?  Well who woulda thunk it?   

I can see both sides of the point.  Yes, it is a long walk between Ojaveda and Hydlaa.  But, as was pointed out, if you have a traveling companion, have a conversation on the way.  Besides, if you run, you end up draining your stamina to the point of having to stop and have a chat anyway.  Might as well walk. 

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Walking isn't fast and exciting, but have you never decided to just walk about and help those in need.

I very often just walk around purely  with the aim of helping people, It is pretty much what my guild aims to do, But if you mean just walking about in the general course of questing and training and such then that is what would get pretty boring.

Also you tend to get a good sense for when someone needs your help, especially when leaving the death realm or seeing people walking round the plaza many times.

I frequently spend time in Ojaveda looking for those who appear to be new and could use a little guidance.  I have met some really great RP'ers that way.  And those who aren't quite as good at keeping IC and OOC straight usually just don't know.  I give them a few tips to get them started off on the right foot.  When I'm in Oja with this purpose, I almost always walk, or even just stand near a high traffic area and make myself available.

This brings me to the conclusion that with the introduction of ingame languages the policy should be changed like following:

All chat in public channels should generally either be in English or, if it is in any other language than English (whether real or one of the official artificial languages conceived especially for PlaneShift like Enkien), a direct translation should be provided subsequently.

I think this is a good general solution that also would solve the steady "why the hell cant i talk [put any language here]?!?!" with the answer - You can, but you have to provide a direct translation to english.

Actually, I think that would kill it.  I would quickly grow weary of saying the same thing twice every time I say something.  I would just drop the freakin' Enkien and speak English.  I think it can be RP'ed like any RL conversation between two individuals who don't speak the same language.  They manage to get through it in RL, so why not in RP?

I don't see any problem in putting one Enki word here and there when chatting, just like NPCs do

But I've just learned today that 'Tabei' means 'friend'. I thought it meant 'stranger', which is closer to the Enki race psicology (everybody addressed me like that the first time i was in Ojaveda... 'How can I help you, Stranger' sound way more appropriate for Enkis than 'How can I help you, Friend').

Just my two trias.

Actually, you have to remember that is coming from the merchants who want your business.  They have a motive in calling you "Friend" rather than "Stranger".  This is a common practice in many cultures.  I have had it happen to me in shops in Korea and The Philippines.  A merchant who wants to do business with you is going to want you to feel like you are his friend.

Now if I, as a player character, were to call you "Tabei" the first time I've seen you, that would be odd.  Unless I'm just overly friendly.  More than likely, I would use the proper friendly greeting for a stranger, which is "Grrensholo, Taajho".  Just in case you didn't know, Taajho means stranger.

Personally, I like the idea of the languages adding a richness to the RP experience.  I think that players just have to use some sense when interacting with others.  If you use a basic phrase and someone doesn't understand, then stop using the language and revert to the common tongue.  I've found that it actually sparks interest in others who ask if I can teach them some more.

I also like the idea of characters of various races learning some basic phrases.  That also happens when you visit a foreign country.  When I lived in Germany, I learned some basic German.  But I was FAR, FAR, FAR from being fluent.  So my German friends, while appreciating my effort to learn their language, would speak to me primarily in English.

I don't really think it's all that odd that a Kran who is frequently in Ojaveda might encounter an Enki who doesn't speak Enkien.  Think about it, perhaps the Enki you encounter isn't from Ojaveda.  Maybe they live in another land and they're just newly arrived in Ojaveda.  Not everyone of a particular race or nationality speaks the language of that race.  My family is of German descent, yet I knew no German before I lived in Germany and still don't know much of it.

I don't think it really breaks RP that much.  Just RP it as you would act IRL in a similar situation.  Does that make sense?

dieing wasnt even my fault. i fell through the floor. o_0

And THAT right there is the bug on the top of my hate list.  It drives me nuts to fall off the end of the world because I slipped through a tiny crack.  Can we put some sort of "safety net" just below the known world to stop the fall so we can /unstick back to where we were?

Oddly enough for a medieval society, literacy is assumed for all characters because anyone can use a crafting book or read a library book. I am lazy, I sign things thusly:

B.

You know, you're right.  It is rather odd.  In a medieval society, crafting skills would be taught by verbal instruction, demonstration and practice.  And if the town had a library, it would most likely be in a nobleman's house or a monestary.  I don't think the concept of a public library was something you would have seen in that time period.  I guess we are just an EXCEPTIONAL society. 

Wow. Didn't think anyone would bother reading anything I'd written anymore. Glad you like it. I may get around to the naming and/or formatting, but I haven't bothered yet since I didn't think anyone would read this again.

Nicely written.  I liked the "almost, but not quite" ending.  Nice twist.  Not the "happily ever after" ending some would use.

Makes me wish I was better acquainted with Phinehas IC.  Whether I would like him or not, or vice versa, I can't say.  But it would be interesting.

I'm glad everyone had a good time, I truly am.  I hate to be the dissenting opinion, but I didn't much enjoy being a Gobble.  I asked a GM to change me back to an Enki, but it just wasn't the same.  I kept logging on to see if Halloween had ended yet.

But, as I said, I am glad so many enjoyed it.  I'm not trying to rain on your parade.