Its all in the topic really.

The game I plan to start soon, I have one droid player, a custom built pilot droid.

Now as the rules suggest, he will know all the languages of the other races in the group (Trandoshan, Twi'lek, Rodian, Drall, Selonian and Basic).

But at some point I want to run Trouble Brewing, and the Astromech in that clearly has information the Players might want to get.

But Astromechs only speak Binary.

Would it be a stretch to assume the Droid player can speak binary? Or would it be better to limit the mechanic to using his datapad to translate into text (while plugged into the Astromech)

(I am assuming the datapad would not work wirelessly as a translator, but rather as a method for the Astromech to output to text at the NPCs choice, in order to prevent abuse of the datapad as a universal translator)

Your thoughts?

RD

I'd say yes. My GM let's our droid player as well.

If all the other races speak their natural language, why wouldnt the droid?

Good point korjik... I hadn't twigged that Binary would be the 'Natural' language of Droids.

Thank you!

Yeah, I've never heard of a droid in Star Wars that didn't understand an astromech.

The datapad as an output method for an astromech is a great idea, though, so if your droid PC is busy, that is a solid option.

In the context of the game this doesn't matter, but if all droids speak Binary, why did Owen Lars tell C-3PO he needed a droid that spoke Binary?

In the context of the game this doesn't matter, but if all droids speak Binary, why did Owen Lars tell C-3PO he needed a droid that spoke Binary?

All the droids on Tatooine were really dumb.......

He didnt, he wanted a Droid that could speak Bocce.

3PO mentions that he can, and that he previously programmed Binary Load Lifters.

"What I really need is a droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators." - Owen Lars, ANH

"Do you speak bocce?"

"Why yes sir, its like a second language to me"

Owen may well be referring to Bocce as "the binary language" as inferred by his previous statement.

Either way, points can be proven on both sides by quoting and arguing the inference of said quote's

But... I'm not going to, both quote are right, and both can be argued. I doff my cap to you,

I always felt as though those were two separate requests that Owen was asking for. (this is from memory so apologies if I missed anything)

"I assume you're programmed for etiquette and protocol. <C3P0 starts to respond> I have no need for a protocol droid."

"Of course not, sir. Not in an environment such as this."

"What I really need is a droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators."

"Sir my last job was programming binary load lifters; similar to your vaporators in many respects."

"Can you speak Bocce?"

"It's like a second language to me sir."

So what I took from that was Owen was cool on what he needed for his work (specialized binary for vaporators). Then as a sweetener he checks to see if it also speaks Bocce that Beru wants as a translator for some unexplained reason. Owen is a moisture farmer; I don't feel like his wife would need to remind him to get a droid that can actually interact with the main equipment he uses to make his living.

Anyway, to circle back to the OP, I always have treated 'binary' as the base droid language that they can all use to communicate with each other.

Thats one way to look at it, and I wont argue with it.

In respect of my original post, I would take it to mean Owen is generalizing, when he refers to Binary, but is actually looking for a droid that speaks Bocce.

You could view it as a dialect (in which case it would include Binary), or a generalization of "droid speak" and not actual Binary.

Or perhaps the 'Binary' that Vaporators and Astromechs use are different.... I believe it comes down to interpretation, and as far as my OP goes.... not important

I have what I need, so I don't need to argue about it.

Discuss away regardless! Might throw some useful bits up !

Would it be a stretch to assume the Droid player can speak binary? Or would it be better to limit the mechanic to using his datapad to translate into text (while plugged into the Astromech)

The standard answer is "Yes, but …" In this case, I would say "Yes, unless it is important to your story hook that the droid PC doesn’t speak binary (or this particular flavor of binary), and therefore someone or something else has to be found to translate."

So, is the fact that the Astromech only speaks binary a thing that you want to use to hang part of the adventure on? In that case, then the droid PC doesn’t speak binary, or at least not this particular flavor of binary.

On the other hand, if you just want to hand-wave that issue away and get to the real meat of your adventure, then of course the droid PC speaks binary and can be a perfect translator for the party and the Astromech droid.

So, what is more important for your game and your story that you want to help tell?

(I am assuming the datapad would not work wirelessly as a translator, but rather as a method for the Astromech to output to text at the NPCs choice, in order to prevent abuse of the datapad as a universal translator)

Datapads aren’t intelligent by themselves, but there is always the Tranlang Holo V Audio/Visual Translator, from page 54 of Enter the Unknown. It is basically the same software as used on a 3PO protocol droid, but ported to run on the equivalent of an Advanced data pad. Costs only 750 credits, and comes with built-in audio, visual, and holographic recording and playback systems, in addition to being fluent in over six million forms of communication.

[ Edit: Clarification ]

I think of that line as being a negotiation tactic.

He sees 3PO and knows its exactly what he needs, but if he lets on to the Jawas they're going to jack the price up. So he goes and talks to 3PO as if he really has no need of a protocol droid. And says as much, then sort of off hand he asks if the droid can interface with Moisture Vaparators. And if it can speak Bocce(a common trade language)

And so he gets what he wants, but makes it appear as if it was just an off the cuff purchase so as to keep the price down.

Its also entirely possible that there are multiple programming languages as well, different dialects of Binary if you will(remember when 3PO is talking to the Falcon about the hyperdrive)

So maybe Vaparators are programmed with an uncommon form of Binary that not all droids would be able to directly communicate with. But for our game purposes we just say all droids speak Binary and are done with it.

It could be that moister vaporator binary is just a programming language as opposed to the morse code like beeping of an astromech's "spoken" binary.

It could be that moister vaporator binary is just a programming language as opposed to the morse code like beeping of an astromech's "spoken" binary.

I think that's likely.

Threepio also says "I don't know where your ship learned to communicate, but it has the most unusual dialect", indicating something like a 'spoken language' coming from the Millennium Falcon as well.

I forget the exact line, but they also kinda refer to R2's communications with the Cloud City computer as "The city's computer told you..."