In-game languages

[AzureNight]

I'd like to see the Romans speak Latin (i.e. unit commands and such), and all cultures with respective reconstructed languages where possible. It would be a shame to see all units speaking English with accents, and adding in some ancient language would add that extra touch of authenticity. Obviously it wouldn't have to be perfect as no one even truly knows what any of those languages would have sounded like back then, but again it would be a lot better than English with faux accents.

What does everyone think about this?

[Prof]

Definitely yes!

I think there was even a mod for the first RTW that gave the Romans Latin voices and it was awesome. Having them say "signa in hostes inferte" (or something like that...my Latin is very rusty) just made the battles soooo much more authentic.

[Paragon]

B-b-but muh SEIMFURR DISPRRAY

[Adreno]

Poison oder strangulation... its a tough decision..

[Matamoros]

Agreed. Immersion is essential.
Latin would be no problem of course. I think it's relatively easy to reproduce old Celtic and old German. The rest (Egyptian, Persian and the ancient eastern languages) would be enough with the correspondent eastern sounds. No one would notice anyway. Like Shogun 2, nobody understands a word except for the japanese people. Get the job done with subtitles.

[PROMETHEUS ts]

I'd like to see the Romans speak Latin (i.e. unit commands and such), and all cultures with respective reconstructed languages where possible. It would be a shame to see all units speaking English with accents, and adding in some ancient language would add that extra touch of authenticity. Obviously it wouldn't have to be perfect as no one even truly knows what any of those languages would have sounded like back then, but again it would be a lot better than English with faux accents.

What does everyone think about this?

I woul dlike them to use Latin but only if they will use Classical LAtin pronounce and not fall in the common error of using the Medieval corrupted latin pronounce ....

The Classical pronounce is more hard and harsk , more similar to the german than the Italian actually ...

For example Caesar is not pronounced in Sisar but Kaisar ( from wich it come the German Kaiser word ) .....

[ChairmanCrassus]

Sorry, guys I have to disagree with you. I would rather have them talk in the language of whatever region it is being marketed to (English in US, UK, Can, Aus; French in France, etc.). So if they say "grouping up" or "hold fire" or "FLEE!", I can actually understand them. Most casual players would also probably like this. Perhaps its something the modding community can do.

[Prof]

If it didn't mean that the game would need a few more GB, I'd just say, do both and make it an option.

But if I had the choice, I'd say: authentic voices with optional subtitles.

[Julio-Claudian]

I woul dlike them to use Latin but only if they will use Classical LAtin pronounce and not fall in the common error of using the Medieval corrupted latin pronounce ....

The Classical pronounce is more hard and harsk , more similar to the german than the Italian actually ...

For example Caesar is not pronounced in Sisar but Kaisar ( from wich it come the German Kaiser word ) .....

Yes indeed. It must be classical Latin. But I think they'd recognise that if they were gonna do it.

[Hobbes]

For example Caesar is not pronounced in Sisar but Kaisar ( from wich it come the German Kaiser word ) .....

Wiki says /'kajsar/

[PROMETHEUS ts]

Wiki says /'kajsar/

Well I hadn't the type to look fo r the pronounciation letters ... but I tried to imitate the sound for the writing with english reading ...

[Julio-Claudian]

Wiki says /'kajsar/

It's Kaisar lol.

ae = ai as it were.

[Hobbes]

It's Kaisar lol.

ae = ai as it were.

I am not using the latin alphabet in that post.

[Paragon]

Do we even know how the acient egyptians pronounced their language anyway?

My guess is that it would be like "bird, eye, bird, river, man doing some weird dance, different type of bird"

[ChairmanCrassus]

Do we even know how the acient egyptians pronounced their language anyway?

My guess is that it would be like "bird, eye, bird, river, man doing some weird dance, different type of bird"

Wouldn't they be speaking Greek by this time?

[PROMETHEUS ts]

Do we even know how the acient egyptians pronounced their language anyway?

My guess is that it would be like "bird, eye, bird, river, man doing some weird dance, different type of bird"

Yes , the most close language is the Copt ...

[AngryTitusPullo]

Do we even know how the acient egyptians pronounced their language anyway?

My guess is that it would be like "bird, eye, bird, river, man doing some weird dance, different type of bird"

During Roman period the egyptians (at least the ruling class) speaks greek.

[DAVIDE]

Do we even know how the acient egyptians pronounced their language anyway?

My guess is that it would be like "bird, eye, bird, river, man doing some weird dance, different type of bird"

During Roman period the egyptians (at least the ruling class) speaks greek.

Apparently in the Mummy the Egyptian was pretty authentic. But they would be Ptolemaic Egptians and your army would be hoplites that are instructed in Greek so the troops would speak Greek.

\Facepalm!

Egyptians at the time spoke the "Demotic", a language very similar to the Coptic, the final evolution of the Egyptian. The Hieroglyphs was only a written language and used for sacred texts or inscriptions. The Hieratic coexisted together with the Hieroglyphic language and was a simplification of this one, written in cursive but yet using symbols and it was also spoken by the whole alphabetized population of Egypt. Perfect for being reported on papyruses, ostrakons, tablets or stone. Hieratic then replaced by the Demotic around VI century BC, from the greek word "demos" aka "people", written and spoken by everyone in Egypt till the V or VI century AD


Thebes, 305 BC. Prayer to Amun-Ra. Demotic

[AngryTitusPullo]

\Facepalm!

Egyptians at the time spoke the "Demotic", a language very similar to the Coptic, the final evolution of the Egyptian. The Hieroglyphs was only a written language and used for sacred texts or inscriptions. The Hieratic coexisted together with the Hieroglyphic language and was a simplification of this one, written in cursive but yet using symbols and it was also spoken by the whole alphabetized population of Egypt. Perfect for being reported on papyruses, ostrakons, tablets or stone. Hieratic then replaced by the Demotic around VI century BC, from the greek word "demos" aka "people", written and spoken by everyone in Egypt till the V or VI century AD


Thebes, 305 BC. Prayer to Amun-Ra. Demotic

Which egyptian ? The papyrus makers or the people that make up the armies during the roman period ?

[DAVIDE]

Which egyptian ? The papyrus makers or the people that make up the armies during the roman period ?

Demotic, or better "Sekh Shhiat" (The name in Egyptian language) was spoken and written by everyone in Egypt. From the Pharaoh, passing by the army to the last peasant working along the swamps. And during the Roman occupation of Egypt, Egyptians continued to speak and write the Demotic and Coptic, his evolution. The last inscription in Demotic, is dated december, 11 452 AD, a graffiti on a wall in the temple of Isis, island of Philae