suggest all-purpose comments please

Started by EnterTheStory (aka tolworthy), Wed 18/02/2009 09:35:06

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EnterTheStory (aka tolworthy)

I'm trying to think of general purpose comments that can be used when looking at or thinking of something. But you can't use the object's name, or even the word "it." Here are my lame attempts so far:

1. "M'eh"

2. "Boring"

3. "Interesting"

4. "Sometimes words like [string] come into my mind, I don't know why."


Any other suggestions?



More details:

I have over 200 characters and 1000 objects. Any character can think about any other character or object, even if it's not in the same room. The user right clicks on character X, then right clicks on character  or object Y, then character X says something. Most characters and objects have default responses, but I also need generic responses.

A particular problem is children's responses. Most of my default responses assume the speaker is an adult. But those comments sound strange coming from the mouth of a child. On the other hand, it should be easier to find generic kids' responses, since most kids have general purpose phrases like "meh" and "boring."

I can't even use words like "it" and "those" because of issues with translation: many languages have different forms of "it" depending on the context (see this thread for details).

You can't say "looks like" or "I'm looking at" because the object may not be in the same room.

All characters are individuals, not groups, so saying 'I' is acceptable.

You can use the exact string of the object, if that's any use. It is also acceptable to specify a class of speaker (e.g. "if speaker is a child", "if speaker is male" etc.). But the only thing I can't specify is the looked at thing, since there are too many.

Use slang if you want. In fact, that may be the only way to solve the problem. It's probably impossible to find general purpose comments that work in every possible language or culture, so I'm asking translators to find their own general purpose responses, using whatever works for them.


SSH

I didn't know that "meh" is a contraction: what does the apostrophe replace?

Here's some suggestions:

"I don't have any strong feelings about this"

"I don't have any opinion about this"

For kids:

"Whatever"

"Yeah, right"

"OK, I suppose"

12

EnterTheStory (aka tolworthy)

Quote from: SSH on Wed 18/02/2009 10:02:45I didn't know that "meh" is a contraction: what does the apostrophe replace?

A pause. I don't know it it's a contraction for anyone else, but the kids I hear always put a short pause between the 'm' and the 'eh'

Quote from: SSH on Wed 18/02/2009 10:02:45Here's some suggestions:

Thanks

Quote from: SSH on Wed 18/02/2009 10:02:45"I don't have any opinion about this"

Would 'this' work for plurals? I'm thinking yes, as it means 'this topic' but what do others think?

Andorxor

#3
My uncle has the same,but bigger
Reminds me on the time when my cat chased a dachshund through the park
I bet you will not put this into your nose
Susie once put something like that into her nose,it took them 3 hours to remove it
That reminds me on a joke i heard:"A priest ,a horse and Micheal Jackson visit the Vatican to talk with the pope about [string]..."
 

paolo

tolworthy, check out http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Meh. Apparently some paper dictionaries are considering including "meh" in their next editions. (By the way, there may well be a pause but that's not what apostrophes are for.)

Quote from: Andorxor on Wed 18/02/2009 11:36:26
My uncle has the same,but bigger
Reminds me on the time when my cat chased a dachshund through the park
I bet you will not put this into your nose
Susie once put something like that into her nose,it took them 3 hours to remove it
That reminds me on a joke i heard:"A priest ,a horse and Micheal Jackson visit the Vatican to talk with the pope about [string]..."


Now, I would be much more likely to click on lots of objects if I got amusing responses like this. To my mind, "meh", "boring", etc, would get really tedious really quickly. Ben There, Dan That had a witty response for just about every incorrect action, and it made the game fun to play while you were hunting for the right action to move the game on.

EnterTheStory (aka tolworthy)

Quote from: paolo on Thu 19/02/2009 18:34:51Now, I would be much more likely to click on lots of objects if I got amusing responses like this.
Me too. Could you suggest any?

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

Quote1. "M'eh"


No.  Please don't use this utterly annoying internet meme or any other annoying internet meme in your game, please (unless it's a game about annoying internet memes).  If you don't hear people saying a word in their daily activities (like LOLCATS and ROFLMAOZEDONG) then the smart thing to do is not to use it.

Also, random one-off comments for things you can't do often annoy players, anyway.  It's better to have nothing than to have comments that seem thrown together and inappropriate for a certain item.

Snarky

Quote from: ProgZmax on Thu 19/02/2009 19:59:28
Quote1. "M'eh"
No.  Please don't use this utterly annoying internet meme or any other annoying internet meme in your game, please (unless it's a game about annoying internet memes).  If you don't hear people saying a word in their daily activities (like LOLCATS and ROFLMAOZEDONG) then the smart thing to do is not to use it.

"Meh" is a perfectly real word that people use in actual speech. Or, more accurately, it's one version of a common grunt (which can also be said as "ehh", "hmmf" or really any other sound you like, as long as you use the right tone of voice) that expresses indifference or lack of enthusiasm. (According to the Wiki article linked, this variation was popularized by The Simpsons.)

QuoteAlso, random one-off comments for things you can't do often annoy players, anyway.  It's better to have nothing than to have comments that seem thrown together and inappropriate for a certain item.

Wrong. Having no response whatsoever is never the right answer.

Lionmonkey

-Wow, That is probably the most boring thing, I've ever seen!

-Wathing this is almost as big a waste of time as discussing it.

-You don't see stuff like that around here every day. Oh wait, you do.

-Where? What? I can't see it. Okay, I lied, I can see it.

- Will you stop bringing people's attention to random props?
,

EnterTheStory (aka tolworthy)

Quote from: Lionmonkey on Thu 19/02/2009 20:57:23
-Wow, That is probably the most boring thing, I've ever seen!

-Watching this is almost as big a waste of time as discussing it.

-You don't see stuff like that around here every day. Oh wait, you do.

-Where? What? I can't see it. Okay, I lied, I can see it.

- Will you stop bringing people's attention to random props?
Those are good, thanks. I won't be able to use them as they are ("that" and "it" cause translation problems, and the character may not be able to see the thing they're thinking about) but I might be able to adapt the ideas.

Trent R

I know that translation causes problems, but if you're gonna use, IMO, crap responses* then it wouldn't matter to me if the translation was wrong.


~Trent
*I'm with ProgZ that random comments for things that don't work are annoying to the player.
To give back to the AGS community, I can get you free, full versions of commercial software. Recently, Paint Shop Pro X, and eXPert PDF Pro 6. Please PM me for details.


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(deleted)

#11
(deleted)

IndieBoy

Unless these responses are part of the gameplay I don't think it is a great idea. You can have a good game with one or two characters and a few objects and you can have a rubbish game with 1000s of characters and objects. Although saying that, some different responses can make things a little fresh. But you don't want the player to get bored and start playing the game of "let's count how many different responses can I get by looking at the floor" cause I know I would do that.

Anyhoo here is some suggestions:
Well what's new?
Pfft
What do you think?
Huh?
Just the usual
It looks fine
Quote from: Calin Elephantsittingonface on Tue 08/02/2011 09:00:55
The only person in favour of the mobs seems to be IndieBoy.. but he's scottish so we dont listen to him anyway.

EnterTheStory (aka tolworthy)

Quote from: hofmeier on Thu 19/02/2009 22:18:40
Quote from: SSH on Wed 18/02/2009 10:02:45
I didn't know that "meh" is a contraction: what does the apostrophe replace?

"My enthusiasm wanes"  ....Okay, not really.

According to languagehat.com it's probably a contraction of the Yiddish 'mnyeh' though there are other possibilities. Yiddish would certainly fit the Simpsons' humor.

Dualnames

-There's really nothing to say about this apart that it features a cool generic response.
Worked on Strangeland, Primordia, Hob's Barrow, The Cat Lady, Mage's Initiation, Until I Have You, Downfall, Hunie Pop, and every game in the Wadjet Eye Games catalogue (porting)

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

Quote"Meh" is a perfectly real word that people use in actual speech. Or, more accurately, it's one version of a common grunt (which can also be said as "ehh", "hmmf" or really any other sound you like, as long as you use the right tone of voice) that expresses indifference or lack of enthusiasm.

No.  Something dubiously originating from The Simpsons carries the stain of fad all over it.

QuoteWrong. Having no response whatsoever is never the right answer.

Double wrong (or triple?).  If your design is consistent, no response is as indicative of an item having 0 use in a game as a ton of random 'I can't do that's' and much less annoying to the average player in the bargain.  I'm far more annoyed by snotty one-liners than by a distinct lack thereof.

Stupot

#16
Here's something for you fact fans.

Meh is actually a form of the Old English verb mighe meaning 'to urinate'.

[/useless trivia]
MAGGIES 2024
Voting is over  |  Play the games

Snarky

That's funny, Stupot. That verb ("mige") still exists as a slang term in Norwegian. I never knew it had such deep roots.

Quote from: ProgZmax on Sat 21/02/2009 04:09:46
No.  Something dubiously originating from The Simpsons carries the stain of fad all over it.

First of all, the word definitely didn't originate with The Simpsons. Fairly unambiguous written examples (same or similar interjection with the same meaning) go back to at least 1983. Secondly, it's been used on The Simpsons since 1995 or earlier, so it's a pretty long-lasting fad at this point.

Still, the more general point--that words and phrases that haven't yet achieved general acceptance can stand out as "incorrect" or as inferior language to some members of your audience--is pertinent. I like the advice of Jack Lynch, who takes a pragmatic, common-sense approach to matters of grammar and style: If your readers respond negatively to something you write, it doesn't matter whether you're technically correct, or that you can cite precedents from Chaucer to Dickens. If it strikes them as wrong, then it's wrong as far as they're concerned.

Quote
Double wrong (or triple?).  If your design is consistent, no response is as indicative of an item having 0 use in a game as a ton of random 'I can't do that's' and much less annoying to the average player in the bargain.  I'm far more annoyed by snotty one-liners than by a distinct lack thereof.

Then how come any game that doesn't offer default responses for undefined actions invariably gets hit with criticism, while the reverse never happens (that I've noticed)? This isn't simply a matter of writing styles or game designer preference; it gets into issues of usability, feedback and definitions of "working correctly."

Oh, and on a completely unrelated note: Thanks for sending me the link to those instructions for modifying your graphics driver to support 320x200 resolution. I finally got around to performing the hack, and it works like a charm.

Andail

Funny, the utterance "meh" has its own usage and etymology in the Swedish language. Less eloquent teenagers use it to express disapproval, skepticism or disliking. It originates, very simply, from "men" which means but.

Matti

I'm with ProgZmax here (regarding the random phrases, not the word "meh"):

It always annoyed me when the character's responses to certain items and actions didn't make sense and even more when they started to repeat themselves.

There should be a unique response for every obvious/logical action and the handful of actions left just don't "deserve" (or need) a response.

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