Do any of the gamemaster understand IPA?

[Nemt]

(International phonetic alphabet)

If so, I think it would be really helpful to include IPA spellings for places, names, and words in the game.

[Gamemaster]

We are not familiar with that system of phonetic writing, but we looked it up. Looks like it would be helpful, but it includes a lot of symbols that we don't know how to easily put on our web pages.

Also, it would be a huge amount of work to render all the person and place names into any kind of phonetic writing, not to mention all the other words from various languages. It is a good idea, but we may have to file it away for future consideration.

[Nemt]

All the IPA characters are included in unicode, if you ever do decide to use them.

EDIT: I'd also be happy to help if you ever want to try it out.

[Gamemaster]

If you're willing to do it, then we can post it.

It should be organized somehow. Perhaps in these three categories:

(1) place names

(2) names of persons

(3) words


This is probably the order they should be done in as well. Or maybe they should all be combined in one big list. Another way to organize them would be by language. All the Zekresh words and names could be in one list, all the Verronese words and names in another list.

We're not sure what's the best way.

[Gamemaster]

Perhaps a searchable document or database of some sort would be best.

In addition to pronounciations, it should be like a dictionary and include definitions. We already have a couple documents that do this part. Our documents also include notes on word origins which would be normal for a dictionary type document. For example, the place name "Lisatrom" (the capital of Salan Lisal Koppa) is derived from the words "Lisal" meaning island and "trom" meaning town. Presumably it was originally Lisaltrom, but the "L" got dropped over time.

A better example is "Dronatram" the capital of Salan Dronan. It is derived from words meaning "Oak Town", but the Dronan language has evolved since the city was named. The word for city is now "triam", not "tram" and the word for oak is "dron", not "drona" but the town name retains these archaic word forms.

Anyway, we can provide all that information. It's just organized by language which might not be the best and of course it doesn't have phonetic spellings.

[Nemt]

Sounds good, the only problem now is I'd be writing them the way I pronounce game places/names/etc. which may not be correct. Additionally, if I'm the only playtester who knows IPA, it might not be worth it. I thought it would've been more widely known here.

[Kortelan]

I know it well enough to figure it out if I am willing to spend the time to go sound by sound but it is very slow for me.

[Nemt]

That's good, you can say if you generally agree with the way I'm saying them, than.

for example (hoping the characters appear on the board),
Angenmar Paven: ɒn gɛn m¨»r peɪ vɪn

EDIT: Hmm..no luck

[Kortelan]

I imagine the "A"s in Pavan to have the long A sound.

[Nemt]

Isn't it Paven?

[Kortelan]

Woops yeah. I have been saying it that way but not typing it that way. Wow I am off today. Stupid Physics.

[Nemt]

I also used a long a in paven, though.