Quartet, a recently launched turn-based role-playing game, is attracting interest not for its gameplay or visuals, but for a distinct grammatical feature in its settings. This classic JRPG, reminiscent of Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest with its 16-bit appeal, has a modest player count of approximately 160 daily concurrent users. However, it has ignited conversations on Reddit due to a peculiar option in its settings: the ability to enable or disable the Oxford comma in text boxes.
Reddit user Freddy_Pharkas brought attention to this feature, remarking on its rarity in his 42 years of gaming experience. The Oxford comma, a punctuation mark positioned before the final ‘and’ in a list, has been a topic of debate in English writing for a long time. While some style guides recommend its use to avert ambiguity, others deem it unnecessary and disruptive to reading flow.
In Quartet, players can choose whether to incorporate this comma, a decision believed to have arisen from a conflict among the game’s developers. This option distinguishes itself from standard game settings such as text scroll speed and display style, and has captivated players, kindling discussions regarding language and style preferences.
The inclusion of the Oxford comma in Quartet underscores the continuing debate over its necessity and stylistic role in English writing, adding an unforeseen layer of intrigue to this otherwise traditional JRPG.