Why do R2 units not speak?

Jean Paul · Post by **Jean Paul** » 2004-09-27 04:56pm

Almost every other droid type does, but R2 units never do, and from the looks of it, can't.

Is there an explanation for this?

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-09-27 04:58pm

They do speak, but only droid languages.

I'd assume that the R Series and other droids don't have vocabulators is because it's cheaper to manufacture.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2004-09-27 05:15pm

There isn't really any need for them to speak, thus no vocabulators. The R2 (and most of the other droids in the R series) are nothing more than starship mechanics. We saw their role in TPM as well as in the original trilogy. If needed, the droid can communicate via visual means.

In early drafts for Star Wars, R2 did speak, but GL later changed his mind.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2004-09-27 05:49pm

R units can be equiped with speaking modules.

People CAN understand them. Just not the audience.

Panzer Grenadier · Post by **Panzer Grenadier** » 2004-09-27 06:12pm

Is it possible to read what R2 is saying on that little screen in Lukes X-wing? It was always too small for me to make out.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2004-09-27 06:14pm

Panzer Grenadier wrote:Is it possible to read what R2 is saying on that little screen in Lukes X-wing? It was always too small for me to make out.

Yes.

Elheru Aran · Post by **Elheru Aran** » 2004-09-27 09:18pm

Most Artoos will be communicating with other droids and with computers. If someone really needs to talk to them, they'll either snag a protocol droid or plug a small palm-datapad into them. That simple, really...

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-09-27 09:23pm

Elheru Aran wrote:Most Artoos will be communicating with other droids and with computers. If someone really needs to talk to them, they'll either snag a protocol droid or plug a small palm-datapad into them. That simple, really...

Actually, given that Han can apparently understand maintenance droids that seem to speak a similar language I think it's more that the humans that use them know the language they use.

They're simply not the linguistic slouches most native-english speakers are.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2004-09-27 09:48pm

Early in Han's career, (I assume before he learned the droid language) he encountered an astromech droid that could speak Basic on an automated freighter (I think it was a freighter). I forgot what book it was in, but it described Han's early years.

Jim Raynor · Post by **Jim Raynor** » 2004-09-27 10:51pm

It's true that humans seen in SW can understand astromech droids. However, I still wonder why they aren't equipped with a Basic translator. On a droid that can calculate complex hyperspace jumps and store the plans to a 160 km wide battlestation, that should be no problem. I can't imagine why you should have to learn a completely new and foreign language just to be able to understand your droid.

President Sharky · Post by **President Sharky** » 2004-09-27 10:56pm

Perhaps their droidspeak is something similar to morse code, and the beeps and bloops have meanings that trained ears can understand?

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2004-09-27 11:57pm

President Sharky wrote:Perhaps their droidspeak is something similar to morse code, and the beeps and bloops have meanings that trained ears can understand?

It's possible that the standard droid language contains the actual information in sequences of beeps/boops (or more variations of sounds), while at the same time using tone and volume to convey overall emotions and reactions which are readily picked up by listeners. It'd be easier to understand or even begin to learn such a language if the fast little noise patterns fit to a relevant emotion for the given situation.

Afterall, the sound was designed in the first place to be synthesized sounds set to 'toddler speak', in order to present something readable as character to the audience, so it's not a stretch to suggest a droid was designed with this mentality in mind as well.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2004-09-28 09:22am

The Rebel droid-navigators are NOT typical astromech droids. I would suspect that the vast majority of astromechs go for years at a stretch without contact with flesh-and-blood lifeforms (except for periodic maintenance and memory wipes). With that in mind, how often do they really NEED the capability to speak Basic?

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-09-29 02:46am

There actually was an explicit case of an R-series astromech which could speak Basic, Q9-X4. It was a heavily modified and experimental R7 line droid, which had a penchant for customizing itself.

It was last seen in the posession of a Drall in the Corellian system during the Starbuster crisis. I don't know if Q9 popped up again in the NJO.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-09-29 08:55am

Iceberg wrote:The Rebel droid-navigators are NOT typical astromech droids. I would suspect that the vast majority of astromechs go for years at a stretch without contact with flesh-and-blood lifeforms (except for periodic maintenance and memory wipes). With that in mind, how often do they really NEED the capability to speak Basic?

Heck, they can probably save a few credits but not putting a module on and when you have a production run that large that add up fast.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-09-29 09:24am

I don't think they need a speaking module. R2 can get away with bleeps and bloops and everyone understand him fine. He's like Kenny on South Park.

Plus, it's not like R2 doesn't convey much more emotive range and character in his computer noises than Han Solo ever does.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2004-09-29 09:25am

I highly doubt humans and most other sapients can understand Droidspeak. It's supposed to far more information-dense than any biological language. I'm not sure what role tone and inflection plays, if any. It may just be thrown in there for the listener's benefit.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2004-09-29 10:21am

Lazy Raptor wrote:I highly doubt humans and most other sapients can understand Droidspeak. It's supposed to far more information-dense than any biological language. I'm not sure what role tone and inflection plays, if any. It may just be thrown in there for the listener's benefit.

Everybody Artoo interacts with understands him just fine, so it MUST be understandable to biologics.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-09-29 10:35am

Actually for just something for fun...and who knows how much is actually official.

But checkout Star Wars: Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide

It's by Ben Burtt who did all the Star Wars languages and has a section specifically for droid speak. So Iceberg is possibly onto something.

Besides the books has illustartion by Sergio Aragones.

Mad · Post by **Mad** » 2004-09-29 10:47am

Iceberg wrote:Everybody Artoo interacts with understands him just fine, so it MUST be understandable to biologics.

They understand him like I understand my dog.

ESB, on Dagobah:
Artoo: *bleep bloop*
Luke: If you're saying coming here was a bad idea, I'm beginning you agree with you.

It's clear that Luke doesn't understand exactly what Artoo said, but with the tone Artoo used and the situation they were in, Luke could make a guess at what Artoo was saying.

Threepio has to interpret everything Artoo says in order for them to respond to anything more than his tone and inflection. (Except for when Luke is in his X-wing, where it shows the translations of Artoo's bleeps as text on his display.)

Sean Howard · Post by **Sean Howard** » 2004-09-29 12:05pm

StormtrooperOfDeath wrote:R units can be equiped with speaking modules.

People CAN understand them. Just not the audience.

I always liked the presence of a bunch of different languages in SW, I think it really adds character to the films.

However, it does seem weird that people can usually understand English (or Common or whatever it is), but speak in their own languages. Like Jabba the Hutt speaks one language to C3P0, who speaks english to leia, who then speaks back in a third language. If everyone understands English why don't they all just speak it and dispense with the translators?

With wookies or Hammerheads it makes sense, like their vocal chords arent capable of the same articulations humans are. But thats clearly not the deal with Jabba the Hutt or droids or most things.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2004-09-29 12:18pm

Sean Howard wrote:
StormtrooperOfDeath wrote:R units can be equiped with speaking modules.

People CAN understand them. Just not the audience.
I always liked the presence of a bunch of different languages in SW, I think it really adds character to the films.

However, it does seem weird that people can usually understand English (or Common or whatever it is), but speak in their own languages. Like Jabba the Hutt speaks one language to C3P0, who speaks english to leia, who then speaks back in a third language. If everyone understands English why don't they all just speak it and dispense with the translators?

With wookies or Hammerheads it makes sense, like their vocal chords arent capable of the same articulations humans are. But thats clearly not the deal with Jabba the Hutt or droids or most things.

Hmm, it seems as if you're rather new to Star Wars (not that it's a bad thing). The "common" language in Star Wars is called Basic.
In the scene you refer to, C-3P0 acts like translator for Boushh (Leia) who speaks Ubese and Jabba who speaks Huttese. Jabba understands Basic, but it seems as if he can't speak it because of the Hutts' vocal anatomy.

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2004-09-29 12:18pm

Sean Howard wrote: But thats clearly not the deal with Jabba the Hutt or droids or most things.

Jabba could understand basic, but I don't think he could speak it. Likewise Han understood Huttese, but pronunciation was difficult for a human.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-09-29 02:10pm

Sharp-kun wrote:Jabba could understand basic, but I don't think he could speak it. Likewise Han understood Huttese, but pronunciation was difficult for a human.

I think Han must know like a dozen languages and can probably swear fluently in a hundred. Because he understands Greedo's peoples language, Huttese, Wookiee, what ever language Leia was speaking while undercover and droid (on top of English) completely conversationally without need of a translator.

However, I don't think that Huttese is beyond the scope of humans, since Anakin managed to speak it just fine.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2004-09-29 02:20pm

Iceberg wrote:Everybody Artoo interacts with understands him just fine, so it MUST be understandable to biologics.

Do you know of an instance where humans get specific information from R2 without 3PO or some other translator around?

You can tell from his tone, inflection and behavior what he thinks of the situation he's in, but the only ones who really understand him are other droids and computer systems.