“M’Lord!”. I just LOVE the sound of it! How can one withstand? Hahahaha:) Great update!
Or a redoubtable war device which is devastating at such close range. Who wants to argue now?
On a related note, I’d really like "governor" to be added some time in the future. Over 400 terms in Port Carnelian, and still no one wants to acknowledge my position!
A bit disappointed that ‘ah, Si-, er, Mad-, er, yes’ is no longer even an option. As a helmeted humanoid shape with a roiling mass, I was quite fond of it.
Errr… I’d just like to ask if we can get the Addressed As on the Write A letter option rather then Connected Urchins. I mean I like the names but I don’t likr relying on chance for them.
I second having Addressed As under Write a Letter, which would be much more intuitive. Could be played up as sending letters informing all of your contacts and friends that the change has happened.
I’m surprised that no one’s mentioned that the title Doctor is as cheap as 200 whispered hints. It really irks me too, because there’s the actual profession in game that requires Watchful 100 (modified W100 needed to be a PoSI for the Notability). Having it so readily available to everyone feels wrong. At least a Watchful requirement should be applied to it, and considering the nature of vitality in the neath, a Mystery of the Elder Continent or the Boatman’s Opponent would also work, really this could be a really cool thing if done right.
On the topic, Write a Letter is a bit disorganised, it feels really strange that Favourable Circumstances isn’t under Society and Scandal, and that naming pets isn’t under Write a Letter (easily played up as filling out a form to the Constables).
[quote=Cecil ]I’m surprised that no one’s mentioned that the title Doctor is as cheap as 200 whispered hints. It really irks me too, because there’s the actual profession in game that requires Watchful 100 (modified W100 needed to be a PoSI for the Notability). Having it so readily available to everyone feels wrong. At least a Watchful requirement should be applied to it[/quote]I’m actually pretty happy about it; my character was a doctor before fleeing to the Neath, and not being able to quickly acquire the profession really bothered me.
I think the title can have a broad range of justifications … Everyone with a graduate degree is technically a "doctor". Thus said, a Watchful requirement could actually make sense - you gotta study to get that degree.
"Doctor," of course, applies to more professions than medicine, although many with Doctoral degrees do not use the title. (In the U.S., for example, lawyers are "Doctors of Jurisprudence," but instead of calling themselves "Doctor," they have appropriated the title "Esquire," which is really rather odd).
"Master," as suggested upthread, can also cover ship owners and those who have mastered a craft, but it is perhaps not used in the London that has fallen, because of those other Masters, who might frown on the usurpation of their titles. "Mistress," on the other hand, was once the common form of address for all women, married or otherwise, but that usage has fallen out of favor. I’m kind of surprised it has not made a comeback, since "Miss" and "Mrs" have largely become obsolete, but I’m sure there are good reasons for it.
As we are in London, it might be appropriate to have forms of address which were commonly used for non-English of certain nationalities, such as "Monsoor," "Mynheer," and "Don," but that might be pushing things.:) ("Don" would also work for more, ah, unsavory elements, although I don’t think it was usual to refer to criminal overlords as "Don" in London)
"Squire" would be a good addition, it was not uncommon for the proles to address their social superiors as such, even if the individual so-addressed did not in fact own any land.
"Goodman" or "Good Fellow" was often used by the upper classes to address the proles, with "Goodwife" (abbreviated "Goody") for females, but of course these addresses are both gender-specific and obsolete (unless they persisted/persist in regional dialect, but we’re in Middlesex).
I personally prefer "Being" to "Person" (and use that form of address myself when gender is indeterminate), because I think "Person" does carry an overtone of humanity to it. The problem, though, with "Gentle Being" or "Gentle Person" is that it conveys a stature of gentility, and some of our characters not only lack that stature, but despise it. One who is proud of, or notorious for, his abominable status would not likely want any title which smacked of civility.
– Mal
[quote=Robin Mask]If I had actually become a doctor, only for anyone to be named such[/quote]I was a doctor for an extended duration during Sacksmas, which may explain why I’m irked so.
[quote=malthaussen]"Doctor," of course, applies to more professions than medicine, although many with Doctoral degrees do not use the title. (In the U.S., for example, lawyers are "Doctors of Jurisprudence," but instead of calling themselves "Doctor," they have appropriated the title "Esquire," which is really rather odd).
[…]
I personally prefer "Being" to "Person" (and use that form of address myself when gender is indeterminate), because I think "Person" does carry an overtone of humanity to it. The problem, though, with "Gentle Being" or "Gentle Person" is that it conveys a stature of gentility, and some of our characters not only lack that stature, but despise it. One who is proud of, or notorious for, his abominable status would not likely want any title which smacked of civility.
– Mal[/quote]
When I made that post, doctorates had completely slipped my mind. I do still think a Watchful requirement of some kind would suit it even better. Though, the branch and result both strongly seem to imply a Doctor of medicine, but my opinion has been swayed and now I would much rather the option was to refer to doctorates!, a versatile title indeed.
Gentle Being/Person, I think, would also suit much better than ‘Citizen’ for a default gender neutral form of address.
You know, really, what all of us are asking for is a re-iteration of Admitted to the House of Chimes storylet, albeit certainly to a lesser extent.
I chose Captain because it’s closest to Commander, but now I’m questioning my choice… Wondering if I should go with Lieutenant instead, or perhaps Monster Hunter. I love being a Monster Hunter, but I feel like it’s not as natural a form of address, if that makes any sense? I’m torn!
You are assuming people actually need to have the job/degree to be addressed as such. But society/history is littered with people who chose titles to be addressed by without officially being allowed to.
Colonel Parker was never a colonel but that didn’t stop him from telling people to address him as such. (Technically I could actually claim that form of address but it would be reaching.)
I’m sure lots of people enjoy having their Fallen London character be a fake doctor (timey wimey or otherwise), a fake noble or any of the other myriad options.
[quote=Corran]You are assuming people actually need to have the job/degree to be addressed as such.[/quote]Well, yes, that’s what the other branches involving professions require, actually being part of the profession, professor included (although we don’t get paid for that, though, it’d be really neat if we did actually…).
Comrade for sure!
Looking at the list of possible “Addressed as” values, Canon appears twice (once before Sergeant besides with the other tier four professions) and Viscount and Viscountess are also listed despite no visible options to choose those. What are they from?
[quote=malthaussen]"Doctor," of course, applies to more professions than medicine, although many with Doctoral degrees do not use the title. (In the U.S., for example, lawyers are "Doctors of Jurisprudence," but instead of calling themselves "Doctor," they have appropriated the title "Esquire," which is really rather odd).
"Master," as suggested upthread, can also cover ship owners and those who have mastered a craft, but it is perhaps not used in the London that has fallen, because of those other Masters, who might frown on the usurpation of their titles. "Mistress," on the other hand, was once the common form of address for all women, married or otherwise, but that usage has fallen out of favor. I’m kind of surprised it has not made a comeback, since "Miss" and "Mrs" have largely become obsolete, but I’m sure there are good reasons for it.
As we are in London, it might be appropriate to have forms of address which were commonly used for non-English of certain nationalities, such as "Monsoor," "Mynheer," and "Don," but that might be pushing things.:) ("Don" would also work for more, ah, unsavory elements, although I don’t think it was usual to refer to criminal overlords as "Don" in London)
"Squire" would be a good addition, it was not uncommon for the proles to address their social superiors as such, even if the individual so-addressed did not in fact own any land.
"Goodman" or "Good Fellow" was often used by the upper classes to address the proles, with "Goodwife" (abbreviated "Goody") for females, but of course these addresses are both gender-specific and obsolete (unless they persisted/persist in regional dialect, but we’re in Middlesex).
I personally prefer "Being" to "Person" (and use that form of address myself when gender is indeterminate), because I think "Person" does carry an overtone of humanity to it. The problem, though, with "Gentle Being" or "Gentle Person" is that it conveys a stature of gentility, and some of our characters not only lack that stature, but despise it. One who is proud of, or notorious for, his abominable status would not likely want any title which smacked of civility.
– Mal[/quote]
Actually, the law degree that most American lawyers (including myself) have is "J.D." or "Juris Doctor", and is really a specialized bachelor’s degree. The "LLD" is a true doctorate of jurisprudence, but few American attorneys seek it because it is unnecessary for the practice of law here. So instead "Esquire" became the suffix indicating that the holder is an attorney at law. In some American states, lawyers are addressed, semi-formally, as "Attorney [name]", but that is not the case in the states in which I practice.
I see I’m rather late to the party, having been away for a few weeks, so I’ll try to be brief.
I wanted that for myself, but had to settle for "My Lord".
Only Sergeant is a police rank in Britain; above that are Inspector and Chief Inspector. When the Metropolitan Police was created, there was a conscious effort to make it as distinct as possible from the army because of the latter’s unpopularity (hence blue uniforms instead of red), so the exclusion of titles such as Lieutenant was deliberate.
Again, this is American practice. It is not, I understand, common in Britain to refer to someone by a title they no longer hold, retired military officers and bishops notwithstanding (both special cases). After all, anyone important in Victorian England who didn’t already have a peerage or knighthood (and many who did) was usually given one in consequence of their achievements, especially in the later years. Most former governors of British colonies would therefore be addressed as "Sir [Name]" or "Lord [Title]" (unless they held at the time another office that entitled them to a particular style), something you can actually see in practice here.
I picked Citizen as Myrto’s title several weeks ago by default, having disliked all the others. But now I’m finding I like it less and less, now that FL characters are actually calling Myrto “Citizen.” It feels like Myrto’s playing a cameo in the French Revolution.
I’m oddly delighted by the option for "doctor" to have your character claim professional status they may not be at all entitled to, like the titles of nobility.
I echo other people in wanting to see this added to the profile and/or letter-writing sections so that we can use the new titles as well as the NPCs do. Meanwhile, I’ve been abbreviating Citizen as "Ctz." in correspondence, as one would Dr. or Ms.
Edit: I also agree that it would be great to have a truly neutral gender-neutral title without the revolutionary inflection of "Citizen". I like the possibilities of Friend. In non-fallen non-London it always sounds somehow kind of snide unless you’re Quaker or Mr. Rogers, but since the term is used so often in the generic in FL it could be a very nice option.
edited by SarahTheEntwife on 5/12/2016
Does this mean that the "gentleman" or "Lady" ontop of your cameo changes too? So let’s say you are adressed as Sir and then Madame next. Will it change it from "Gentleman" to "Lady" then? Or is it just how people call you? (Having a problem and actually want to change gender in game for my character due to very important and personal reasons.)
Cameo’s are separate.
I believe Sir Shadow refers to the text above cameos, which for example identifies me as “an irresistible, magnificent, midnight and sinister gentleman.” The gender there cannot be changed in game, but Failbetter will change it for anyone who emails them.