If anyone wanted to work on a conlang project as a group I think the best way would be forming together the rough sketch of a proto language and the x most common verbs, nouns, irregularities

For the proto-language a simple grammar would be best, I think allowing most of the complexity to be in the phonology/ phonotactics will allow it to branch into more interesting ways once brought to a consensus that peeps could then make into their own projects

So for the protolang I'm thinking it'd be either

Vowel complex (length, creaky/nasal voice, rising/lowering tone, vowel harmony )
Or
Consonant complex (germination, pharangeals, aspiration or voicing, palatalization/velarization/labialization)

Thoughts ?

@CursedConfetti As a growing up english speaker, it's much easier for me to imagine consonant complex, also because I always liked the idea of languages without distinct vowels, as I was led to believe hebrew was. This produces two cool things, I think: the writing system can simply be consonants joined or seperated, cursive-style or with dashes, and then which vowel sound is chosen to fill that space is left totally to the freedom of the speaker.

@CursedConfetti Or else cultural connotations emerge around vowel choice - like a person can speak formally or seductively or affrontively just by what sound they choose, and that tone *might* be conveyable over text.