Tenians Language Chat Extension for select FG 3.0 rulesets

FG v3.1.3 has most of the functionality of this extension built in. However, you can continue to use this extension if you wish.

For the base FG language functionality to use the same languages/fonts this extension uses download and enable this extension: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...s-(FG-v3-1-3-)

I've modified Tenian's language extension to work with the 3.5E and PFRPG rulesets. Note: The languages in this extension are fairly generic 3.5e/PF languages, but also include most of the Pathfinder Inner Sea Human languages as well.

v3.4 is FG 3.1.2 Compatible

Update - V3.4. 8th August 2015.

Feature update:

1. Added code for understanding all languages but can't speak them. Use a language name of "comprehend languages" or "understands all" on the character sheet. See below for how to use this.
2. Added code for speaking all languages. Use a language name of "tongues" or "speaks all" on the character sheet. See below for how to use this.
3. Added error handling for /setlanguage - needs two arguments to write to database. This avoids issues with blank entries.
4. /help slashhandler to return extension help.
5. Set default current language with /currentlanguage <language name>. See below for how to use this.

V3.3c: Updated to include 5E languages based off PHB language list page 123. e.g. Elvish (not elven), Dwarvish, etc.. Thanks to Griogre.

Now works with Fantasy Grounds V3.0 rulesets: 3.5E, 4E, 5E, PFRPG and Castles & Crusades.

V3.3: Fixed issue where players couldn't chat in custom language added via /setlanguage

v3.2: Added 3 new slashhandler commands to allow the GM to add custom font mappings /setlanguage, /removelanguage and /listlanguages (these can be shortened unless there is a conflict with another extension/ruleset). "Custom Languages" can be exported to a module through the use module export window. Details on how to use this new functionality is available in post #23: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...l=1#post167105

v3.1: Added - random character scrambling to avoid copy/paste "cheat". Random scrambling is seeded from each word and the language name so each word should be represented the same each time it is used for a specific language - but it is still gibberish.

Then enable the "Fantasy Language Chat" extension before you load your campaign.

To Use:

/lang {abyssal|aquan|auran|celestial|draconic|druidic|dw arven|dwarvish|elven|elvish|giant|gnome|gnomish|go blin|gnoll|halfling|igna n|infernal|orc|sylvan|terran|undercommon|deepspeec h|aklo|necril|orvian|primordial|common|hallit|keli sh|osiriani|polyglot|s hadowtongue|shoanti|skald|tien|varisian|vudrani} {text}

See post #3 below for a screenshot of the fonts used.

Players can only speak in languages listed on their sheet. It will provide translations as needed.

The Host can speak in any language. They can also use a second command to speak in any font, even those not associated with languages (emotefont for example)

/fc {internal font name} {text}

Set current/default language

In v3.4 the user can now set the current language using /currentlanguage <language name> After this is set there is no need to use the language name when using the /lang command. e.g. /lang Hello. To remove the current default use /currentlanguage without any arguments.

Understanding/speaking all languages

With spells it is possible for characters to understand and/or speak all languages. e.g tongues or comprehend languages spells. 4 new "languages" have been added that have special effects:

• "comprehend languages" or "understands all" on the PC sheet means that they can understand all languages but can't speak all.
• "speaks all" means that the PC can speak all languages but not understand them.
• "tongues" means they can speak and understand all. This is the same as using "understands all" and "speaks all" for the PC languages.

Thanks so much to Callum for reviewing and modifying specific to the 3.5E and PF SRDs.

For other rulesets: As long as languages are stored in the same place in the DB for the character sheet translations should work OK. It looks in charsheet.id-000XX.languagelist, then the <name> tag of all of the children to determine if a character can speak a language. Translations will not currently work for rulesets with languages as skills, e.g. Rolemaster, Call of Cthulhu, BRP, etc.. The GM can still use the fontchat capability but no translation will occur.


The Extension. Save this file in your <FG App Data Folder>\extensions directory and enable the "Fantasy Language Chat" extension before you load your campaign.

(Previous version downloads 287)

Issue list:

1. "Unknown special message type received" and no language fonts on specific player. As per this post. Status: waiting for feedback on "clear cache" fix.
2. Possible issue with /mood command and parentheses. As per this post. Status: unable to recreate, need more info.

Recently fixed issues:

1. If /setlanguage is called without the correct 2 arguments it will add a blank/problem entry to the database which will result in future errors. Fix to come. Details here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...l=1#post170402 Code to stop this happening added in v3.4

Future development ideas:

• Default font if language is not recognised - perhaps even a random font.
• Graphical administration of custom language mappings (in addition to the current slashhandler commands).
• Expand random word length code to present a mean length difference of 0 rather than add up to 6 characters to a word, which resulted in sentences being too long.
• Documentation for the extension - showing the default fonts used and expanding on the use of the extension.
• Look into the feasibility of using custom FG effects to reflect spells (tongues, comprehend languages, etc.) or the use of a translator to allow other players to "understand" or speak languages.
• Slash command that doesn't scramble text - allows GM to use different fonts with the original words.
• TAB auto completion of language names.
• Feature request - add an option to use the old "X is speaking Y" chat window text - allowing everyone to know what language is being spoken, even if they don't understand it.
• Feedback to GM which PCs "understood" the language.

Added in recent versions:

• Chat window help for the 3 new language admin commands. Addedin v3.4
• Language toggle - makes all chat entries in a specific language until the toggle is removed/changed. More than likely a slash handler, e.g. /currentlanguage Elven Addedin v3.4
• Combine new code from Callum regarding spoken and understood languages, tongues and comprehend languages. Addedin v3.4
• Chat window help (for /lang and /fc). Added to v3.1.
• Perhaps a campaign specific override for certain language names - allowing a GM to code which font to use for which language on a campaign-by-campaign basis via chat window "slash" commands. Added to v3.2.
• A module approach to languages - allowing activation of one Language module to control the languages and fonts used. Similar to the way the calendar functions now. This would allow the same extension to be used for a multitude of rulesets/settings and GMs to specify their own language/font relations.Added to v3.2.

These are example screenshots of the fonts used (more in the next post):

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...chmentid=23621
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...chmentid=23622

These are example screenshots of the fonts used.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...chmentid=23616
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...chmentid=23617
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...chmentid=23618
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...chmentid=23619
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...chmentid=23620

Hah, I didn't know that Osiriani came out in hieroglyphics! Fantastic.

What would you need to add Thassilonian to this? I know where to get an image of every rune, but I don't know that anyone's made a font based off it yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gwaihir Scout

What would you need to add Thassilonian to this? I know where to get an image of every rune, but I don't know that anyone's made a font based off it yet.

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The main work would be making this into a Fantasy Grounds font file. There is an Font Generator available in the "utilities" section of the downloads page where you can convert True Type Fonts (TTF) to FG fonts: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/downloads/

Or, you can edit your own font using the font editor: https://googledrive.com/host/0B27SCD...nt-editor.html

Then it is a case of putting the new font entry in the extension.xml file. e.g. if the new font is called thassilonian.fgf and you want the new language name to be thassilonian you'd add this entry:

Code:

---

<font name="thassilonian">
        <fgffile name="fonts/thassilonian.fgf" />
        <color value="#000000" />
</font>

---

Then using /lang thassilonian Hello! in chat will use the thassilonian.fgf font.

Hmmm. Did you do all those font examples in a single sitting in FG? I see a lot of duplicates between fonts. If the scrambler is based on the font and not the language, you may have someone that can speak Orc able to tell what Terran words are for example.

Some of the same fonts are used for different languages. In theory if the same words were used in languages that share the same font then a keen eyed Person with a great memory for fonts might be able to remember them - but it's a long shot. I may look into adding the language name to the random seed calculation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trenloe

Some of the same fonts are used for different languages. In theory if the same words were used in languages that share the same font then a keen eyed Person with a great memory for fonts might be able to remember them - but it's a long shot. I may look into adding the language name to the random seed calculation.

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Take a look at the Savage Worlds language thing.. it already does this somehow.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blackfoot

Take a look at the Savage Worlds language thing.. it already does this somehow.

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That does a random scrambling with no specific random seed using the StringToGobldiegook code I created in a previous thread, so the same words are completely different every time. It was discussed in that thread that it would be more realistic if the scrambling returned the same result for each word. Which is what this release of the extension does - see the notes in the first post.

However, as mentioned by Nickademus above, it means that languages that share the same font will show the same word across the different languages. So, I think I'll add the language name to the random seed code so that a word in a specific language is always the same for that language only.

Thank you. An alternative would be to add additional fonts. Much more difficult by comparison.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nickademus

Thank you. An alternative would be to add additional fonts. Much more difficult by comparison.

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Using the same fonts for certain languages were based off 3.5e and Pathfinder documentation indicating that some languages share the same alphabet. As a result I think doing scrambling based off the language and the word is the best approach so that, for example, the Dwarven and Orcish written word for "fight" would be different for each language and would always be the same for the specific language.

Tren, am I correct that I can edit the "extension.xml" file to add new language/font combinations... especially if I'm just using the existing fonts?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dr_venture

Tren, am I correct that I can edit the "extension.xml" file to add new language/font combinations... especially if I'm just using the existing fonts?

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Yep - info provided in post #5.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trenloe

Yep - info provided in post #5.

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*facepalm* Of course it is.

Rookie question: does every player need to have this extension installed?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hangarflying

Rookie question: does every player need to have this extension installed?

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No, just the GM - the code from the extension will be downloaded by the players and put in the player campaign cache when they connect to the GM.

UPDATE: V3.1 released:

• Randomseed for letter scrambling now includes the language name. This results in the same scrambled word being used each time with different words across languages that share the same alphabet/font.
• Cleaned up chat slashhandler help.

Download available post #1.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trenloe

UPDATE: V3.1 released:

• Randomseed for letter scrambling now includes the language name. This results in the same scrambled word being used each time with different words across langauges that share the same alphabet/font.
• Cleaned up chat slashhandler help.

Download available post #1.

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Heh. I downloaded the extension literally 10 minutes before you made this update.

Thank you sir. Your tolerance of my OCD is admirable.

Any possibility of making this work with dialogue and assigned speakers so we can drag and drop the block text into the chat frame?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hangarflying

Any possibility of making this work with dialogue and assigned speakers so we can drag and drop the block text into the chat frame?

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That would be a fairly significant change - particularly the interface in a story entry as that would need to be changed to allow entering of a language as well as a speaker. Story entries are stored in the Fantasy Grounds formattedtextcontrol control and there is very little that can be done programatically with information that is stored in that control. I can't think of a way to store language information in a story entry and make it available to the languages extension.

It has been mentioned in the past about having a way of setting the current language for all chat entries, so that everything that would be shown as a "chat" entry (in the speech bubble) would use the language font. I've added this to the future development ideas in post #2, don't don't expect anything soon...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trenloe

I can't think of a way to store language information in a story entry and make it available to the languages extension.

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It would be the same way as storing language information in the chat box. Start the story entry with "/lang abyssal So you've finally come. Now you will die."

The problem is not on the extension's side of things but rather in how a story entry is handled when dragged to the chat window. If it takes the raw text from the formattedtextcontrol and applies it to the chat log as if it were coming from the chat box, then this would work fine. I assume that FG instead applies the the raw text from the formattedtext control directly to the chat log with no apparent source.

In theory, swapping a function call to change the apparent source could make this work quite easily.

v3.2 released!

• Added 3 new slashhandler commands to allow the GM to add custom font mappings /setlanguage, /removelanguage and /listlanguages (these can be shortened unless there is a conflict with another extension/ruleset).
• "Custom Languages" added to a campaign using the slashhandler commands can be exported to a module through the use module export window. This allows custom language mapping to be stored as a module and re-used in other campaigns.

Custom Campaign language mapping
3 new slash handlers have been added to the extension:

1) /setlanguage (can usually be shortened to /setl )

/setlanguage takes 2 parameters, the first is the name of the custom language to be used campaign, the second is the font to use for this language. examples of the font name and the actual font can be found in post #3 of this thread: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...l=1#post166710

Examples:

/setl egyptian osiriani

This will allow /lang egyptian <text> to be used in the chat window and will map the custom language "egyptian" to the "osiriani" font:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...%20Example.JPG

The current language mappings in the extension are still available. If the GM wants to change the mapping for an existing language they can use this as normal - the order for mapping checks is: campaign language mapping -> module language mapping -> original extension language mapping, with the first match encountered being the mapping that is used.

2) /listlanguages (can usually be shortened to /listl )

/listlanguages returns all of the current custom language mappings in this campaign and any opened modules.

For example:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...%20Example.JPG

3) /removelanguage (can usually be shortened to /removel )

/removelanguage takes a single parameter of languagename and if this language exists within the campaign as a custom language it will be removed. Note: this only works for languages in the campaign, not in modules (which are read only).

Example:

/removel egyptian

This is shown in the following screenshot - first /listl was used to show that egyptian is a campaign language, then /removel egytian is executed to remove the language mapping for egyptian and finally /listl is called again to show that the language has been removed.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...%20Example.JPG


Language Modules

"Custom Languages" has been added as an option to the "Module Export" window. This allows custom language mappings to be stored in a module and re-used in other campaigns. You can see language mappings from open modules and the current campaign using the /listlanguages command.

Note:

• Languages in a module are read only, they cannot be modified with the /removelanguage command.
• Languages in a module are read after languages in a campaign - the campaign mappings will always be used first. The order is: campaign mapping -> module mapping -> original extension mapping, with the first match encountered being the mapping that is used.
• Order of checking languages in multiple modules cannot be guaranteed. If you open multiple modules with custom language mappings be sure you have no duplicates as which one that will be used could be random.
• Using the /listlanguages command will show language mappings from both the local campaign and any open modules.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...-%20Export.JPG

*tear*

I can finally speak Gobbledygook in a game.

Much obliged on all the work.

This looks awesome. Did you manage to get the language mode feature to be included, where it functions like '/mood' ?

Any possibility of getting a list of the name of fonts used with the stock languages?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blackfoot

This looks awesome. Did you manage to get the language mode feature to be included, where it functions like '/mood' ?

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Nope, that is still on the future development list in post #2.

I'm going to have to think about it as that will require changes to the base CoreRPG chat code. What has been great about this extensions so far is that it doesn't modify any CoreRPG files in any way - it is purely called from slashhandler commands. Adding in a language toggle would require changes to the base CoreRPG code (that's OK, extensions can handle that!), I need to investigate and think of a good way to do this with the minimum impact to CoreRPG code.

But, thanks BF for the reminder that /mood is essentially similar functionality - I'll look at how that works...

EDIT: Does /mood work for Chat text from a story entry? No, it doesn't... :(

Did you see my suggestion above?

Changing the functionality of the story entry drag-n-drop would allow the language command (and mood for that matter) to act normally. Would be beneficial even for people that don't use the languages.

(Oh and by the way, you can drag story entries to the chat box and hit enter to have them process this way already. If someone really wanted the /lang or /mood in a chunk of boxed text, they could drag to the chat box instead of the chat window.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nickademus

Did you see my suggestion above?

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Yeah, this is all covered by the "Language toggle - makes all chat entries in a specific language until the toggle is removed/changed. More than likely a slash handler, e.g. /currentlanguage Elven" item in the future development list in post #2.

Hmm. Perhaps I'm not explaining well enough. I'm not talking about the language extension at all.

I'm saying, if you modified how the story entry text is handled when it is dragged onto the chat window, you could get it to register all slash commands as if the text were sent from the chat box.

That is what would be required to do the "Language toggle - makes all chat entries in a specific language until the toggle is removed/changed. More than likely a slash handler, e.g. /currentlanguage Elven" functionality. The toggle would set all future chat entries (until toggle changed or removed) to use the language specified in the toggle.

Coding would need to be done to allow for freeform chat entered and for text of type = chat being dragged to the chat window to be intercepted and processed by the language extension.

EDIT: I'm not looking to change any other base functionality of the CoreRPG ruleset, if making the change I discover that it will allow other process (like mood) to be acted on I'll look into it. But, not planning on any major updates for a while - I think I'll let this version run and see if there are any issues with it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trenloe

Nope, that is still on the future development list in post #2.

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Well the changes thus far look really great, I'm looking forward to putting it into play.
Thanks!

Trenloe, awesome job!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trenloe

v3.2 released!

• Added 3 new slashhandler commands to allow the GM to add custom font mappings /setlanguage, /removelanguage and /listlanguages (these can be shortened unless there is a conflict with another extension/ruleset).
• "Custom Languages" added to a campaign using the slashhandler commands can be exported to a module through the use module export window. This allows custom language mapping to be stored as a module and re-used in other campaigns.

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This is great, Trenloe - thanks! I'd made various change to the font assignments for my own use, and this will make it much easier to adjust. I guess if I want to use different fonts to those provided, I'll have to add those in to the extension myself manually?

Actually, I've checked, and my old version (for FG2) of the extension seems to work fine. Did you have to make many changes to update it for FG3?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Callum

I guess if I want to use different fonts to those provided, I'll have to add those in to the extension myself manually?

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Yep, details in post #5.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Callum

Actually, I've checked, and my old version (for FG2) of the extension seems to work fine. Did you have to make many changes to update it for FG3?

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The main one was to add in the various different rulesets. If you're happy with your versions just use that. The version in this thread uses repeatable text scrambling, so if your players are away of the copy/paste cheat you may want to use it and make the custom assignments you want into a module for repeated use.

Thanks Trenloe. I am really happy with the repeatable text scrambling...keeps the translated languages internally consistent, but stops those pesky players and their copy/paste tricks! Great job.

I've now played around with version 3.2, and it's great! One thing I really like is that if you, as GM, mistype a language name the text still gets scrambled, thus making the error less costly.

I've made a few special modifications myself, which you might want to consider for your version, Trenloe:

1. Reduced the maximum random number of extra characters to 3, instead of 6 - the translated phrases were getting too long
2. Restricted the gibberish characters to only lower-case letters - many fonts don't have numbers or upper-case letters in their style

I've also added in my support for the tongues and comprehend languages spells - I can send you my script file if you're interested.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Callum

I can send you my script file if you're interested.

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Yes please.

Running a C&C game last night - one of the players reported getting error messages after each language message he received. The other 3 players reported no problems. Here's what he was seeing in chat:

Attachment 5999

It looks like for some reason his FG instance didn't get the language resourced downloaded properly... thus I assume this is a FG app bug of some kind. Still, I figured I should post about it.

Callum, those changes sound sensible... nice work! Tren, thanks for all the work on this and everything else. Sorry, but the forum won't let me add any more reputation :P

As I can't attach any files to PMs, and I can't attach lua files to here, I've attached my whole ext file. The main difference in the script is adding a new understandsLanguage function, and then calling that instead of speaksLanguage when looking to translate, and checking for "tongues" and "comprehend languages" among the list of languages at the appropriate places.

One thing I wondered was whether it would be possible for the /listlanguages command to also list the unmodified language-to-font assignments (or for another command to do so)?