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

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Originally Posted by Delily

You know I can't answer those questions. At this point, all I can reiterate is my support for the translators to make our story more cryptic. The top comment on the reddit post gives a good breakdown of why I think we got the better version.

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It seems a lot of people want the "normal" story, where's my toggle in the game's options to trigger "normal" story which matches the other languages instead of EN-exclusive "cryptic" story?
Well, now the cat is as they say out of the bag, I guess we'll have Reddit to give us the "normal" story like I linked to in my OP.

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Originally Posted by Delily

You know I can't answer those questions. At this point, all I can reiterate is my support for the translators to make our story more cryptic. The top comment on the reddit post gives a good breakdown of why I think we got the better version.

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You should ask the writers to make the plot more cryptic then. The translators shouldn't be making such changes.
Yes, they can make little flavor changes and make it read better for english-speakers (though most of it is horribly overwritten, as an aside, so they're not doing that right). That's one thing. Radically changing the personality of a character or the tone/content of a conversation, is something completely different. That shouldn't be allowed.

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Originally Posted by AlphaSonic

That doesn't change the fact that English Midgardsormr treats you as rubbish and the Japanese/French/German does not.

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Because heavens forfend somebody call out the main character that's been happily dancing on strings for the entire story up til that point.

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Originally Posted by Verlyn

You should ask the writers to make the plot more cryptic then. The translators shouldn't be making such changes.
Yes, they can make little flavor changes and make it read better for english-speakers. That's one thing. Radically changing the personality of a character or the tone/content of a conversation, is something completely different. That shouldn't be allowed.

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The translators are the writers. We've been told this already; there is no "original" script. Each language team writes their own script while working with all the others. It's a collaborative effort where, for example, the EN team may come up with new ideas that the JP team likes and uses and vice versa. And at the end of the day, every script undergoes review by the top lore guy.

There are no wicked little translators working in their own ideas without permission just because they hate you personally and want to see you suffer.

In fact I'll go so far as to turn your own advice back at you: if you do not like the output of the English team, take it up with the big JP guy at the top that gave the green light to their writing.

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Originally Posted by AlphaSonic

That doesn't change the fact that English Midgardsormr treats you as rubbish and the Japanese/French/German does not.

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Indeed, my ego simply cannot withstand the crushing blow of an internet dragon thinking my character isn't all that and a bag of chips.

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Originally Posted by Verlyn

You should ask the writers to make the plot more cryptic then. The translators shouldn't be making such changes.
Yes, they can make little flavor changes and make it read better for english-speakers (though most of it is horribly overwritten, as an aside, so they're not doing that right). That's one thing. Radically changing the personality of a character or the tone/content of a conversation, is something completely different. That shouldn't be allowed.

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A lot of translation work, particularly with languages that are not in the same language family, is writing. That's why it's typically called localization.

From what I understand, the English is actually the more accurate representation only thanks to the Dragon language thing was created by an English speaker.

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Originally Posted by Intaki

Because heavens forfend somebody call out the main character that's been happily dancing on strings for the entire story up til that point.

The translators are the writers. We've been told this already; there is no "original" script. Each language team writes their own script while working with all the others. It's a collaborative effort where, for example, the EN team may come up with new ideas that the JP team likes and uses and vice versa. And at the end of the day, every script undergoes review by the top lore guy.

There are no wicked little translators working in their own ideas without permission just because they hate you personally and want to see you suffer.

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You're just the queen of strawman responses, aren't you?

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Originally Posted by Fiaryn

A lot of translation work, particularly with languages that are not in the same language family, is writing. That's why it's typically called localization.

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Well, they're not doing a very good job on writing certain things and maintaining consistency. I only mention it because it'd be nice if that changed.

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Originally Posted by Fiaryn

Indeed, my ego simply cannot withstand the crushing blow of an internet dragon thinking my character isn't all that and a bag of chips.

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About time to be honest lol, everyone else has bent over backwards - enemies thinking we're nothing is expected but its reassuring (imo) when you have allies that also think you've got a long ways to go. Adds weight, imo.

While yes they translate they also localize and sure the job term "translator" offers little room for movement, the term "localization" has much.

People can absolutely say they're displeased that we received the more cryptic one and wanted the easier straight forward Japanese version - but part of localization allows you to modify much further than just translations. Also, Fern does play a big part in the lore so I'm sure he didn't just commandeer the script and pirate his way into 'Sormor's speech.

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Originally Posted by Havenchild

You can have a dialect AND not leave too much grey area for interpretation.

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The thing is there is no grey area, if you even intended highschool English you should have been taught to interpret text on this level, there's no real complexity or hidden meanings he directly states everything; if you're not a native speaker that's a valid excuse but at the same time why should an english localization be catered towards you?

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Originally Posted by Canadane

From what I understand, the English is actually the more accurate representation only thanks to the Dragon language thing was created by an English speaker.

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Your understanding is faulty unless you think the more accurate representation is the one which leaves out important plot points which are otherwise present and made explicitly understood in 3 other languages. This game is only officially available in 4 languages, so I'll let you contemplate which is more likely: 1 language is "wrong" and 3 are "right", OR 3 languages are "wrong" and only 1 is "right". Note: Occam's Razor probably applies here.

Note that saying "it's a made up language therefore it's okay" is also a bad argument. There are other made up languages which still manage have "translations" that convey the full intent and meaning in English, I've already alluded to one example when I mentioned Riddles in the Dark. A more recent example is the fact that there is a made up language in several of Bioware's games including Jade Empire and the Dragon Age series and somehow those games have perfectly straightforward English scripts even when people are speaking in a fictional language.

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Originally Posted by Verlyn

You're just the queen of strawman responses, aren't you?

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The only strawman there is her last quote. Her other points still stand. There is no lead lore person who writes the scripts and passes it to the translators. They develop it together. Did you read the post in the Lore forums? He created a language for the dragons, got the script from the Japanese team, and decided to improve on it. The only difference between the two translations is the sense of things working out in the end. Our version leaves us hanging.