The question I have does a comlink translate language for a player when communicating with each other?

Communications issues are mostly hand-waved in this system, unless there is a narrative reason not to. If you need to explain it, a comlink with a translator would do the trick.

Language issues are only an issue if they make game better. And commlinks are just handheld radios.

I only make communications an issue when it serves the plot. That's when you can "jam their transmissions" or tell the players "you need a protocol droid". If that's not happening, don't worry about it.

I cast my vote with the gentlemen(or gentlewomen, I don't know you people!) above me. Typically, things like ammo, translators, ship/vehicle fuel, and food/water are only made relevant if the story is enhanced by it. I just ask myself "is this just busy-work or does it advance the plot?" and then go based on that answer.

On 4/28/2018 at 12:57 PM, Ebwook said:

The question I have does a comlink translate language for a player when communicating with each other?

As the others have said, communication issues only occur if it serves the plot. But to answer your question, no, a standard comlink does not have a built in translator.

On 5/3/2018 at 6:36 PM, evo454 said:

I cast my vote with the gentlemen(or gentlewomen, I don't know you people!) above me. Typically, things like ammo, translators, ship/vehicle fuel, and food/water are only made relevant if the story is enhanced by it. I just ask myself "is this just busy-work or does it advance the plot?" and then go based on that answer.

I hear that's a lesson the writers of The Last Jedi needed to have learned...

Thanks to all, for the feed back.

On 5/6/2018 at 9:05 AM, HappyDaze said:

I hear that's a lesson the writers of The Last Jedi needed to have learned...

I have one guy playing a Jawa in my current game. I advised all the players that language is pretty open in Star Wars and they could understand him if they desired. I got trounced, the player and two others had already worked the back story that they could understand him and be his translators. So now I have a member of the party that only two other can understand and he does pretty well speaking mainly in Jawanese when in character (and sometimes out of character because he forgets to flip the switch).

One more vote for "the party understands each other unless previously agreed they did not." While it makes for some interesting roleplaying on a rare occasion, it's more often an annoyance for the party to not be able to communicate.

It's a plot thing imo. The first thing any new cultures do when meeting is learn to communicate. In human history there has been tens of thousands of spoken languages according to linguists and there's a prediction that by 2100 90% of languages will be dead, we will speak just a handful. Through all that we learned to communicate with one another and most of that without tech. I would think the Star Wars races all sort of did the same thing and just everyone learned 'common' and the more prolific/wealthy/far flung racial languages.

I am not afraid to drop language barriers in my campaign.

Though most of the spacefaring sophonts can freely speak the common language, there are occasions where some locals aren't able to communicate freely with all of the PC's. I do it for color.

As for the Commlinks, they're just radios, and all of my PC's are able to understand each other, so not really an issue for me.

Hi HappyDaze. While I KNOW you didn't see the Last Jedi, you are not wrong . . .

Handwave language barriers unless it's for a plot device or you need a job for a 3-PO unit.

It is the Star Wars way.

I also think too much communication is detrimental to the story at times. A lot of people like to have the HoloNet be like the internet.

Email from Academystarpilot4332: Hi I was told that you live out past the Dune Sea, an R2 unit we bought from some Jawas says it belongs to you and had a holo of a girl saying you are her only hope. She said you were in the Clone Wars which is cool.

Email from BenfromTat: I don't recall ever owning a droid before.

Email from Academystarpilot4332: Well he says he belongs to you and he is on a secret mission. He was with a 3PO protocol droid.

Imperial Forces descend on Lars Farm and Kenobi's Hermit Hut after intercepting mail traffic on that little dustball world.

OR

Luke : I searched Starship Captains in Mos Eisley who could take us to Alderaan and there is one leaving today, but he wants 10,000 so I changed the filter for less expensive fares only.

Most have already touched on language being a non-issue in this rpg for many good reasons. Here's my alternative that doesn't necessarily contradict their opinions:

Part of the fun of Star Wars is the weirdness of the different aliens and each and every one has their own language. While it shouldn't come up much, it would be fun to run into more communication issues in the game than what normally happen, so I use a houserule of "Intellect 1 grants you galactic basic and your native tongue. Every point beyond that, you know 1 additional language, established when you choose, at any point in the game. Decisions on known languages are final. Force Users get to choose an additional language per Force Rating."