Thank you all for the comments
I'll adress a couple of things:
@The Cry of Fallen Angels
There is more to communication than dialogue. Think of the o-so-common nonverbal communication. Just like a way of speaking forms a character, the way they move also. Remind not to put the complete focus on verbal communication.
The section on dynamic dialogue touches on that. I was focusing on speech specifically, so I didn't touch on other ways of communication - such as action and reaction. If I decide to expand on the tutorial, I might include these and mention alternative ways of communicating.
Also, as being one of these myself. I've had proper education, am also capable of using and understanding more complex words, but simply speak a lot of the so-called "slang". Enviroment is often a much more important factor than wealth or education.
I've also mentioned environment as well as the education level as important contributing factors. I didn't list them in a particular order of importance. But I've felt that education and wealth also deserved to be there because they do affect speech - no matter how minimal that may be.
Also, what relatively bothers me. You keep mentioning wealth. "I got money so I got a flowery speech". Incorrect of course, they live/grow up in different enviroments because of their wealth. The enviroment is what changes things around, not the money. Give a beggar a million and you bet they won't talk like a noble 1 second later.
I mentioned wealth in 2 sections, so I don't really think that I "keep" mentioning it, but that's not really the point
If you take a look at the section that talks about the economic standing, you'll notice that I also talk about some exceptions. I mention specifically that a poor person inheriting a lot of money won't change their speech immediately.
While the environment plays a huge factor, I feel it necessary to mention that wealth does too. The wealth may do nothing more than set the environment of nobility and social expectations, but it's still a factor that affects speech.
@Dyre
I have to agree with The Cry of Fallen Angels about wealth too, I have met wealthy people who spoke like they had never even touched a book. I have also met homeless men who spoke like scholars. Wealth has nothing to do with it, and libraries are abundant and free to use, anyone with the ambition to learn could easily amass a grand vocabulary with little to no money. [ ... ]
Knowledge is free.
While libraries are abundant and free to use today, that isn't an option for all time periods. Before the printing press was invented, all books had to be copied by hand - which was a laborious and long process. As a result, books were only available to priests (because they copied them) and nobles. Even scholars had to have a considerable amount of money before they could have access too such books.
Most fantasy RPG's take place in this sort of world - before the technology was developped to include steam engines and printing presses. This also means that every town won't have a library and that the majority of people won't have the opportunity to get an elaborate education. And just so it's not misunderstood, they can still get an education - but the wealth of a noble will allow them to get a lot more.
While knowledge might be free, ways to go about getting it may not be
In most fantasy RPGs for example, it is usually the poor lone hermit in a hut that knows more about the world than the nobles, and they usually speak in riddles .
If you look at the note, you'll notice that I mentioned that characters who have travelled and who are older (i.e. have lived) will usually have the most vocabulary and mannerisms. The hermit wold fit into the category of an older person who has experienced a lot - and thus gained from it.
But I think that a distinction needs to be made between knowledge and education. Education is just one of the tools to get knowledge, but it's not the only way. We can learn through reading, listening, observing, experiencing and even more ethereal things like dreaming. Because of this, the economic standing has little bearing on knowledge and intelligence.
I still stand by my point, however, that it's easier for the wealthy to get a formal education because they can afford many resources that the poor can't. This doesn't automatically make them any smarter nor does it automatically make them knowledgeable about everything. It just expands their vocabulary.
--
I tried to keep the tutorial brief and cover many areas that I could've elaborated on. It seems that a lot of the comments are things that I've covered, but not emphasized heavily. Should I go back and put more emphasis on them?
