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Communication in a MMO Communication is important. To make deals, or just to flip off your opponent. The classic global text chat has been used extensively as a means of communication, though as MMO's become more complex and immersive, the means of communication necessarily also changes. As example Ultima Online had text hovering over the players avatar with no distracting bubble. In a large open world, local discussions just made logical sense. But communication is not only limited to text. Some examples include The Endless Forest, where communication is done through emotes and symbols, and Journey, where players use visual cues to signal intent. The older Battlefield games relied heavily on "Context Menu" communication and in-game sound to communicate. Communicating with sounds and UI elements is much more efficient than the in-game text chat functions. Voice (VoIP) is the next logical step (discussed here), but voice suffers from a large disadvantage: not everyone speaks the same language and even then not with the same proficiency. Emotes (discussed here) are universal, but even with an extensive emote library, it is difficult to conduct a meaningful conversation. Discussion Does DU need a (simple) universal language? Should it be created by NQ or the players? As an alternative, how about a library of emotes which extend beyond the usual "sit" and "flip off" that could convey concepts like "deal" or "no deal"? Or do you think global text chat with a 3rd party voice app is sufficient? Further reading.