How fluent is your English?

[Dreadder]

I really notice when a game is written by a non-English speaking person because they tend to use very formal English in the way that they were likely taught in school and often times use bigger more "proper" words than would normally be used among native English speakers.

Heh, that actually reminds me of Shaw's Pygmalion, where everyone thinks main female character is a Hungarian princess, since her English is too perfect; "... Can you show me any English woman who speaks English as it should be spoken? Only foreigners who have been taught to speak it speak it well."

But to be honest, I usually find unusual sentence order or unusual phrases to be a better give away. Let's face it, there's hardly many adult games written in overly formal language.

Also a lot of overuse of old 90,s and 80,s English Slang. BRO

Well, either that or we spent our youth in 80s and 90s and don't know (and even more importantly don't like) the "newer" slang. Though to be fair, I personally always hated "bro".

 

[c3p0]

Are you telling me gurls nowadays don't appreciate phrases such as the following?!
"Ye fairest Lady, might I touche thy holiest place wherefrom thy sweetest nectar floweth? Might my lips sample thy water and lock us tight in amorous embrace?"

Even if I would, I never could and even if I could, I never would
But I assume the girl would be pleased after her laughter has ended.

 

[Holy Bacchus]

But to be honest, I usually find unusual sentence order or unusual phrases to be a better give away. Let's face it, there's hardly many adult games written in overly formal language.

Yes, that is typically more of a giveaway.

There's also another thing that irks me, and it's not just non-native English speakers who are guilty of this as I've seen it being used more and more by native speakers too, and it's the use the word "of" instead of "have", i.e. "I should never of done that", and "you should of been there". Why this is being used so much I'll never know, but the correct word to use in those instances is "have", i.e. "I should never have done that" and "you should have been there". Also, most words with "have" after it can be shortened to just the "ve" part, i.e. "should've", which may be where the confusion comes from as, when spoken, it does sound like "should of".

 

[おい！]

You know what, yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

People may still read these older novels and the more modern day literoticas, but if you said to a native English speaking girl that you liked her "sex" when referring to her pussy, she'd laugh in your face because nobody uses that term in the modern, everyday world.

Well that has nothing to do with virtual sex games and may refer you back to this

Even so, nobody in the English speaking world refers to a woman's vagina as her "sex".

It is your words I do believe? IMO fiction has nothing to do with real life, you may feel differently of course. You can go over this same thing a thousand times, but the results will still be the same. You was wrong with your comment.

 

[Dreadder]

It is your words I do believe? IMO fiction has nothing to do with real life, you may feel differently of course. You can go over this same thing a thousand times, but the results will still be the same. You was wrong with your comment.

Hmm, must say I haven't met anyone (save from a couple of authors of adult games here and historical novels of course) who'd use sex as an expression for a pussy in every day life either.... Now, granted, that doesn't mean no one uses it anymore but I must admit it sounds strange as hell to me as well.

 

[random.person]

Hmm, must say I haven't met anyone (save from a couple of authors of adult games here and historical novels of course) who'd use sex as an expression for a pussy in every day life either.... Now, granted, that doesn't mean no one uses it anymore but I must admit it sounds strange as hell to me as well.

It's normal, because it is a literary expression. That doesn't mean no one ever in the history of the English language used it (as Holy Bacchus stated in his/her first post on the subject), nor that it's out of place in VNs: the narrator might use a higher linguistic register than the characters and that doesn't have anything to do with realism or common day usage of terms.

 

[Dreadder]

It's normal, because it is a literary expression. That doesn't mean no one ever in the history of the English language used it (as Holy Bacchus stated in his/her first post on the subject), nor that it's out of place in VNs: the narrator might use a higher linguistic register than the characters and that doesn't have anything to do with realism or common day usage of terms.

Indeed but I have a feeling there might be a bit of misunderstanding between you? I understood his posts as "no one uses this expression in such a way anymore", which I believe was a generalization, not a literate statement.

And to be honest, most cases I saw "sex" used that way, were in games where one could see the author was not a native English speaker much more clearly from his grammar and vocabulary in general.

But otherwise I agree, "sex" being used that way definitely has its place in historical novels, adult games covering medieval/fantasy genre and so on.

 

[random.person]

Indeed but I have a feeling there might be a bit of misunderstanding between you? I understood his posts as "no one uses this expression in such a way anymore", which I believe was a generalization, not a literate statement.

And to be honest, most cases I saw "sex" used that way, were in games where one could see the author was not a native English speaker much more clearly from his grammar and vocabulary in general.

But otherwise I agree, "sex" being used that way definitely has its place in historical novels, adult games covering medieval/fantasy genre and so on.

It is still used in contemporary novels in a modern setting. You can do a quick google search of "touched her sex" and find examples. I linked one a few posts ago.

 

[215303j]

As I said before, if you are serious about using language properly, it's about localisation / setting rather than proper use of English.
For example, a story set in:
- Northern England
- London
- Australian outback
- New York (Manhattan)
- New York (Bronx)
Would all use a different sub-set of the "proper" English language, to the point even where it becomes really hard to understand for outsiders, and maybe even moreso when written instead of spoken.

However there are a couple of problems:
- Most games don't even come close to this level of detail
- Localised language could also be annoying if it serves no further purpose. Personally I prefer not to spend time deciphering slang unless it serves a purpose, e.g. mark an NPC as a member of a certain social class, e.g. Hispanic gangsters using Spanish words in English sentences. It could also break immersion if you identify (too) closely with an MC, but he keeps using words that you'd never use in your life.
- Using words that your international audience doesn't really comprehend (even if they know the literal meaning) can lead to confusion.

Maybe slightly off topic, but I often find it easier to speak English with Russians than with actual English people, mainly because of the way they express themselves. There can be a lot of nuances when speaking with Englishmen, but sometimes I feel that I'm missing half of them...

 

[Dreadder]

It is still used in contemporary novels in a modern setting. You can do a quick google search of "touched her sex" and find examples. I linked one a few posts ago.

Well, you can certainly find examples of just about anything on the internet, no matter how widely used the phrase. Especially since there are thousands of written works being written and published online every week, quite a few of them by non-native writers as well.

I am however quite an avid reader myself as well and I don't believe I have ever encountered use of "sex" for pussy in a modern setting, at least not yet. Now, as I said, that doesn't mean it's not being used, but my personal experience does lead me to the train of thought that it must be quite rare at best.

 

[freedom.call]

my personal experience does lead me to the train of thought that it must be quite rare at best.

Well, could be because most games are abandoned before the sex starts leaking.

 

[Dreadder]

Well, could be because most games are abandoned before the sex starts leaking.

Umm, I was actually speaking about literature and use of that expression in general, so I am not really sure what that has to do with games being abandoned. Could it be that you perhaps misunderstood my post or is it me who's missing something?

 

[freedom.call]

Umm, I was actually speaking about literature and use of that expression in general, so I am not really sure what that has to do with games being abandoned. Could it be that you perhaps misunderstood my post or is it me who's missing something?

My mistake, I thought you were talking about 'reading' in adult games so I tried to make a connection.

 

[おい！]

Well, could be because most games are abandoned before the sex starts leaking.

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[Holy Bacchus]

It's normal, because it is a literary expression. That doesn't mean no one ever in the history of the English language used it (as Holy Bacchus stated in his first post on the subject), nor that it's out of place in VNs: the narrator might use a higher linguistic register than the characters and that doesn't have anything to do with realism or common day usage of terms.

Well, gee, I guess I'll just have to apologise for being the first person ever in the history of humankind to make a broad, generalised statement about about a particular subject instead of getting hung up on the minutiae of said subject like a complete anal retentive.

 

[random.person]

Well, gee, I guess I'll just have to apologise for being the first person ever in the history of humankind to make a broad, generalised statement about about a particular subject instead of getting hung up on the minutiae of said subject like a complete anal retentive.

Nah, you should just admit you were wrong =*
After all, to prove it we linked you a dictionary and exemples in novels from the 1700s and contemporary - the latter with both medieval and modern settings!

 

[Holy Bacchus]

Nah, you should just admit you were wrong =*
After all, to prove it we linked you a dictionary and exemples in novels from the 1700s and contemporary - the latter with both medieval and modern settings!

Just as soon as you admit that you've never once made a broad, generalised statement in your entire life.

You remind me of a guy I knew who was so devoid of a funny bone that not only did he never laugh at a joke but he'd also interject with, "Actually that's not entirely accurate", and would then proceed to explain how the joke was factually incorrect.

 

[random.person]

Just as soon as you admit that you've never once made a broad, generalised statement in your entire life.

You remind me of a guy I knew who was so devoid of a funny bone that not only did he never laugh at a joke but he'd also interject with, "Actually that's not entirely accurate", and would then proceed to explain how the joke was factually incorrect.

Your statement wasn't wrong simply because it was generalized. But because it stated it was bad English practice to use the expression in a VN. And that is wrong since that wording is used in professional novels. It doesn't matter how much you have restricted the scope of your statement, it still isn't true that it's a mistake/odd to use that expression in a VN.
And that was the whole point you tried to make, so you were totally wrong and proved so.

I hope that no writer gets confused by your opinion, that's why I insisted on replying that it was wrong.
So we can end it here, after all the fact that you moved the goal post every time to try to come on top has already been noted and there's nothing else that could be added on the subject.

Trying the ad hominem as a last resort was funny though! It always gets a chuckle out of me when it happens. It smells of a job well done =*

 

[おい！]

Nah, you should just admit you were wrong =*
After all, to prove it we linked you a dictionary and exemples in novels from the 1700s and contemporary - the latter with both medieval and modern settings!

They do not have admit they were wrong in my book, it's already been proven by us.

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Some men are greater than others.

 

[Dreadder]

Oh for fuck's sake... Might I suggest that we agree to disagree and leave it at that, since this debate is getting a bit out of hand and is also somewhat off topic?