I was listening to BBC the other day and they brought up that you never address someone by name in Iran or Afghanistan as it is insulting to do so.
Everyone expects to be addressed by their titles or by a title that sounds better than their actual one(s).

In gaming I don't see much of this.  Have I just overlooked it?

"Most Excellent Baker, how is your bread today?"

Quote from: Greentongue;1143257I was listening to BBC the other day and they brought up that you never address someone by name in Iran or Afghanistan as it is insulting to do so.
Everyone expects to be addressed by their titles or by a title that sounds better than their actual one(s).

In gaming I don't see much of this.  Have I just overlooked it?

"Most Excellent Baker, how is your bread today?"

We do in our current campaign, when in doubt you ask, or just use a cop out:

My good sir/madam is one example.

Of course dress can be a good indicator of if you should try for a higher honorific. Someone richly dressed could be a really rich merchant or a noble, so your best bet is to aim high:

 How can I help your highness?

Quote from: Greentongue;1143257I was listening to BBC the other day and they brought up that you never address someone by name in Iran or Afghanistan as it is insulting to do so.
Everyone expects to be addressed by their titles or by a title that sounds better than their actual one(s).

In gaming I don't see much of this.  Have I just overlooked it?

"Most Excellent Baker, how is your bread today?"

You could also have an inverse to this in some cultures, where someone is so low in status that you would never address them by name because it is unimportant to know.

Quote from: Lynn;1143268You could also have an inverse to this in some cultures, where someone is so low in status that you would never address them by name because it is unimportant to know.

The untouchables so to speak.

Quote from: Greentongue;1143257I was listening to BBC the other day and they brought up that you never address someone by name in Iran or Afghanistan as it is insulting to do so.
Everyone expects to be addressed by their titles or by a title that sounds better than their actual one(s).

In gaming I don't see much of this.  Have I just overlooked it?

"Most Excellent Baker, how is your bread today?"

Just as in the real world, it varies according to the cultures in the game's setting. Most settings don't bother, because they are Real World in 19xx or 20xx with fictional trappings appended.

How names and titles work and the intricacies of addressing people are all culturally interesting things to add to a setting.  

It's another aspect of lore, but you only need a handful of cultural aspects to make a nation/culture/area stand out.

I'd suggest no more than 5 distinct features...because we have 5 fingers. For me, I'd go with 3 features because that's easier for players to remember, and if players don't remember the features, they won't integrate them into their roleplay.

Titles are important. I normally don't speak with anyone below noble since my pc became the Duke of some shithole little village in the woods somewhere.

Note that in certain times, it was a minor crime to NOT address a nobleman by his proper title. Not a serious one, and not one prosecuted regularly (unless you made a habit of it), but it was there.

It's hard for a lot of us to grok this shit because we're hilariously removed from feudal times, but buddy, it was there.

Quote from: Ghostmaker;1143393Note that in certain times, it was a minor crime to NOT address a nobleman by his proper title. Not a serious one, and not one prosecuted regularly (unless you made a habit of it), but it was there.

It's hard for a lot of us to grok this shit because we're hilariously removed from feudal times, but buddy, it was there.

The show was actually about current times.
Yes, your paperwork will rot in their office if you didn't address them with the correct title.

Quote from: GeekyBugle;1143272The untouchables so to speak.

Not necessarily. Untouchables can really be the lowest of the low, but someone with a profession (blacksmith) may be lower and only merit being called by the profession. There may be no real statement of class difference in using it.

Another consideration are statuses that are associative or role based, like "lady of the house." In Japanese, the 'okusan' is sort of the lady of the house, ie the 'person of the oku' or back part of the house. It has other uses as well.

I work with surgeons and Nobel Prize-winning doctors and researchers... trust me, titles still are a thing. At least for those that have them.

I don't think I've ever run a game where titles didn't actually come into play, at least not in my adult life. Fantasy games? For sure. Military games? Absolutely. Hell i've had jerko lawyer NPC's get hot-and-bothered because they were not introduced as "Esquire" by the PC's.

Use titles as fodder for interaction.

But I say that about everything. Everything is on the table for interesting roleplaying. Titles are low-hanging fruit. You can use them to incur actual benefits, so as to have PC's chase after them. Likewise you can use them for negative reinforcement as well. Plus they're excellent for setting up societal rules and social mores around them to give your PC's some yardstick to measure do's and don'ts.

Go hog wild.

Quote from: tenbones;1143453I work with surgeons and Nobel Prize-winning doctors and researchers... trust me, titles still are a thing. At least for those that have them.

I don't think I've ever run a game where titles didn't actually come into play, at least not in my adult life. Fantasy games? For sure. Military games? Absolutely. Hell i've had jerko lawyer NPC's get hot-and-bothered because they were not introduced as "Esquire" by the PC's.

Use titles as fodder for interaction.

But I say that about everything. Everything is on the table for interesting roleplaying. Titles are low-hanging fruit. You can use them to incur actual benefits, so as to have PC's chase after them. Likewise you can use them for negative reinforcement as well. Plus they're excellent for setting up societal rules and social mores around them to give your PC's some yardstick to measure do's and don'ts.

Go hog wild.

In defense of said doctors, a lot of them busted their asses for those titles. I have absolutely no problem with taking correction if I miss one.

And that can happen in fantasy, too. There's an NPC wizard in Suzail, Cormyr who has the 'Defender of the Realm' title -- for blowing up four dragons attacking the city (side note: holy shit). Who's going to skip HIS title?

Quote from: Lynn;1143268You could also have an inverse to this in some cultures, where someone is so low in status that you would never address them by name because it is unimportant to know.

We have a narcissistic operator at work who does this... claims to keep forgetting your name if you're below his standing. I'd report the fucker if he pulled that on me.

Quote from: Greentongue;1143257I was listening to BBC the other day and they brought up that you never address someone by name in Iran or Afghanistan as it is insulting to do so.
Everyone expects to be addressed by their titles or by a title that sounds better than their actual one(s).

In gaming I don't see much of this.  Have I just overlooked it?

"Most Excellent Baker, how is your bread today?"

My most memorial encounters with Titles was during History class when I finally realised that the Duke of Buckingham was not the same guy.

Quote from: tenbones;1143453I work with surgeons and Nobel Prize-winning doctors and researchers... trust me, titles still are a thing. At least for those that have them.

...and makes it especially meaningful when you're given the ok to ditch the formality.  It also can communicate what the person values most - the youngest brother of the king in my Folia campaign has a set of titles the length of your forearm, but asks simply to be called Lord High Architect - because he's obsessed with building.  

Meanwhile, his brother's recent proclaiamation opened with: King Thomlen Herdan The First, Being chosen by the Gods themselves as King of Braesenia, Lord Protector of Blaenavon, Guardian of the Civilized Lands, Keeper of the North, Defender of the Faith, Blessed by the Guidance of the Council of Twelve...