I'm all for clever localization but please don't just leave out important story.

English
Hmph. Trickery is they shield. This frail, ignoble creature is not gifted, but chosen... Hearken to me, Hydaelyn! I remember... and I consent.

Japanese to english
This light... You protect him! Hydaelyn, you bestow more power on this one, who already bears the Echo! Could it be, you think him special? Hydaelyn, you wish me to grant him power?

Well i don't really care if they think that the way he is talking does match more for english people that still does not explain why in english he is clearly insulting us when in the japanese version he just wonders if hydaelyn thinks that we are special.

The Japanese version beats the player over the head with what's going on, over-explaining everything. English Midgardsormr has more personality (unlike everyone else, he doesn't think you're all that) and implies things rather than stating them outright. All the same information, however, is fundamentally there.

The English script interprets the Dragonspeak more faithfully than the Japanese one. The latter of which has no depth or multiple meanings behind carefully-chosen words. This is contrary to what we've been told by Fern, and serves to betray the character being established moreso than how some claim the English script does. A lot of the dialogue seems to be enigmatic, as if we can pull multiple meanings out of what's being said -- which, again, falls in line with the description.

All of the elements supposedly "absent" from the English script can be derived from it by taking more than a cursory glance.

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Originally Posted by Almalexia

I'm not one for daylight. What, specifically, does Midgardsormr contradict in his EN v. JP script?

The only difference I see: one is excruciatingly literal, and the other has a mote of character.

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More than occasion.

One expresses clear intent to kill after displaying the Echo (not the blessing). The other does not at all. ("You earn a reprieve." is never in the Japaneese text at all, let alone the statement that it's at an end.)
One states, clearly, that you are under trial, the other takes your power and implies that he did it to revive himself.
One makes heavy implication that the dragons are purely vengeance driven. The other states that they're going to war in earnest to prevent the same sin to be repeated.

The scripts are entirely different from one another.

To anyone that claims that a translator doesn't have the right to make such a change:
What if the change was made by someone on the lore team, and given the OK by the head of said team? Because that is exactly what has happened here!

God bless you people saying "all the information is there", especially even after reading the spoilerific link here: http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/commen...ersus_english/

Per the most upvoted comment which translates every line:

Line 1: Implies there is someone else besides you who has the Echo, that Midgardsormr has run into. Who?

Line 2: Not too much missed here besides the implication that he thinks Hydaelyn is legit, so whatever.

Line 3: EN tells us... Nothing. Glad he got that laugh in there, though, right? Information is more or less non-critical, but unusual to leave out.

Line 4/5/6: Originally meaning is essentially completely lost. EN version implies they want to murder the Ishgardians because of past crimes. Makes dragons out to be jerks that want to punish the current people for past slights, whereas the REAL problem is they are about to make another mistake. They keep screwing up, which is why the dragons need to step in. EN implies dragons are just angry people without a good reason. But sure, the EN "has all the information".

Line 7/8/9: Once again the JP versions makes clear that Ishgard is unrepentant and will continue to sin, that this is JUSTICE and not as the EN puts it "retribution". The entire tone is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

Line 10: The EN version flat out states that Midgardsormr thinks you are weak and pathetic, nothing special, whereas JP version he's surprised that the PC is so special to Hydaelyn. Again, tone and CONTENT are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

Line 11: Continues from line 10, content abstractly similar, but EN version muddies up the connotation that Midgarsormr is not just in accord with Hydaelyn but that he is ACTUALLY GIVING THE PC MORE POWER BY HER CONSENT, whereas here and in the rest of the EN version it makes it seem like he's being a jerk by stripping your power.

Line 12: EN versions he says he won't hurt you, whereas JP version makes it clear he is going to test you.

Line 13/14/15/16: Once again huge differences in both tone and CONTENT. JP version makes it clear that he simply sealed your blessings, whereas EN version implies he outright destroyed it and talks more trash about Hydaelyn, even though in the JP version he appears to respect her (EN and JP versions are about as similar as book and movie Dumbledore from Goblet of Fire... that is, completely and insanely different for no good reason one can fathom).

Remaining lines: More differences in tone and content. EN versions implies you're some kind of worm, whereas JP version reinforces that this is a test, and you are to prove you're as special as Hydaelyn believes.

Long story short, EN Midgardsormr isn't succinct so much as he is obtuse. And a jerk, somehow, despite that not being the case in the original JP.

In other words, Fern's post about the dragon language and all, while interesting, doesn't speak to the radical CONTENT changes in the dialogue. Saying that "all the information is there" is apologist at best and trolling at worst.

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Originally Posted by Mholito

To anyone that claims that a translator doesn't have the right to make such a change:
What if the change was made by someone on the lore team, and given the OK by the head of said team? Because that is exactly what has happened here!

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What, exactly, is the point of the EN lore being radically different from the JP lore? In EN, Midgardsormr is a dick? Who thinks you're just a lowly worm? In JP he's an ancient, powerful being that wants to test to see if you are special?

That's like watching anime where the EN team rewrote everything because lol why not. You are no longer watching the original story. Maybe you want the original story? What about that?

Given who the English voice actor for Midgardsomr is, his comments about you being a thrall to others and his cryptic actions make a lot of sense.

I like how some people still believe there is an "original Japanese" script, when we've been outright told this isn't the case.

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Originally Posted by Hyrist

One makes heavy implication that the dragons are purely vengeance driven. The other states that they're going to war in earnest to prevent the same sin to be repeated.

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While you can choose to infer that this is the case, the notion that this is what the EN narrative lays out explicitly is entirely false. What Middy said is essentially the same as "They started this war [which we as reader KNOW is ongoing, not long passed] and we're going to finish it."

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Originally Posted by Hiruke

What, exactly, is the point of the EN lore being radically different from the JP lore? In EN, Midgardsormr is a dick? Who thinks you're just a lowly worm? In JP he's an ancient, powerful being that wants to test to see if you are special?

That's like watching anime where the EN team rewrote everything because lol why not. You are no longer watching the original story. Maybe you want the original story? What about that?

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Different cultures?