Comments on: Learning to Read Aquarian http://ludusnovus.net/2009/01/08/learning-to-read-aquarian/ The Art of Interaction Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:39:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Stephen Maxwell http://ludusnovus.net/2009/01/08/learning-to-read-aquarian/comment-page-1/#comment-39181 Stephen Maxwell Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:53:09 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=283#comment-39181 Ah... this reminds me of the Commander Keen games. Amazing early platformers (#4 is still my favorite side-scrolling platformer of all time), with a great sense of style, though I suppose today a lot of it would seem cliched. CK had a letter-substitution language on signs in the background, that I spent a lot of time deciphering. It was almost disappointing when I found the secret level with the entire thing translated for you. Ah… this reminds me of the Commander Keen games. Amazing early platformers (#4 is still my favorite side-scrolling platformer of all time), with a great sense of style, though I suppose today a lot of it would seem cliched. CK had a letter-substitution language on signs in the background, that I spent a lot of time deciphering. It was almost disappointing when I found the secret level with the entire thing translated for you.

]]> By: Gregory Weir http://ludusnovus.net/2009/01/08/learning-to-read-aquarian/comment-page-1/#comment-35073 Gregory Weir Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:03:09 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=283#comment-35073 The Ultima runes are also a letter substitution cipher, yes. But they had, I believe, a full transliteration printed in the manuals as a sort of copy protection scheme. And I'd fully expect that sort of thing from the enormous, world-rich roleplaying series that is Ultima. In <i>Aquaria,</i> it's more unexpected. And yes, IF is a great place to look for inspiration. I mentioned <i>The Edifice</i>, but I really should have brought up <i><a href="http://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=w5s3sv43s3p98v45" rel="nofollow">The Gostak</a></i>. Can we really expect to see a fully developed language? Evidently. Are the players willing to learn it? At least a few of them are. The Ultima runes are also a letter substitution cipher, yes. But they had, I believe, a full transliteration printed in the manuals as a sort of copy protection scheme. And I’d fully expect that sort of thing from the enormous, world-rich roleplaying series that is Ultima. In Aquaria, it’s more unexpected.

And yes, IF is a great place to look for inspiration. I mentioned The Edifice, but I really should have brought up The Gostak. Can we really expect to see a fully developed language? Evidently. Are the players willing to learn it? At least a few of them are.

]]> By: moonwinkle http://ludusnovus.net/2009/01/08/learning-to-read-aquarian/comment-page-1/#comment-35071 moonwinkle Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:55:52 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=283#comment-35071 I think -my memory is a bit blurry- that actually, the aquarian or mithalan alphabet is the same case as in the Ultima series. It's simply a substitution of the western alphabet. And while there isn't a full display of the letters in the game, i'm pretty sure there is a game file that contains all the symbols replacing each letter. I've never played Riven (!) but that puzzle seems interesting. However, I think hardly any developer will take the colossal work that is creating an artificial language so it fulfills the economy and comunicability. I won't say never, but can we really expect to see a full develeped language. altough it may present some great opportunities for puzzles, are the players willing to learn a new language? Take for example klingon or elven in Star Trek & LoTR. Even with the huge fanbase surrounding both, how many people actually learned those languages. And, if it's not meant to be part of the core experience: How many people will actually take the time to decipher a completely different language with an unusual logic just for the easter eggs? Imagine Mass Effect if every alien species in the universe does NOT speak in english... And regarding The Edifice... is it me, or IF is what people should be looking for inspiration? I think -my memory is a bit blurry- that actually, the aquarian or mithalan alphabet is the same case as in the Ultima series. It’s simply a substitution of the western alphabet. And while there isn’t a full display of the letters in the game, i’m pretty sure there is a game file that contains all the symbols replacing each letter.

I’ve never played Riven (!) but that puzzle seems interesting. However, I think hardly any developer will take the colossal work that is creating an artificial language so it fulfills the economy and comunicability. I won’t say never, but can we really expect to see a full develeped language. altough it may present some great opportunities for puzzles, are the players willing to learn a new language? Take for example klingon or elven in Star Trek & LoTR. Even with the huge fanbase surrounding both, how many people actually learned those languages. And, if it’s not meant to be part of the core experience: How many people will actually take the time to decipher a completely different language with an unusual logic just for the easter eggs?
Imagine Mass Effect if every alien species in the universe does NOT speak in english…

And regarding The Edifice… is it me, or IF is what people should be looking for inspiration?

]]> By: Gregory Weir http://ludusnovus.net/2009/01/08/learning-to-read-aquarian/comment-page-1/#comment-34724 Gregory Weir Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:00:55 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=283#comment-34724 Part of me wants a game to include a language that's not just an alphabet cipher. Part of me thinks that would be the worst thing ever. And then I remember <a href="http://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=4tb9soabrb4apqzd" rel="nofollow">The Edifice</a>. Part of me wants a game to include a language that’s not just an alphabet cipher. Part of me thinks that would be the worst thing ever.

And then I remember The Edifice.

]]> By: auntie http://ludusnovus.net/2009/01/08/learning-to-read-aquarian/comment-page-1/#comment-34706 auntie Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:05:32 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=283#comment-34706 the ultima games have an alphabet like this as well, though it's a little disappointing they're simple substitutions for english letters. incidentally, i consider learning riven's numerical system the greatest adventure game puzzle ever made. the ultima games have an alphabet like this as well, though it’s a little disappointing they’re simple substitutions for english letters.

incidentally, i consider learning riven’s numerical system the greatest adventure game puzzle ever made.

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