Regarding the Localization of Haurchefant in the EN/FR/DE Versions of FFXIV
Hey guys,
Recently, in a Letter from the Producer LIVE held in Korea and in a Famitsu interview, Yoshi-P discussed changes made to the characterization of Haurchefant, an NPC who first appeared in 2.0 and rose to a prominent role in the main scenario.
The reason this topic came up is because, in the Korean version of FFXIV, the two voiced cutscenes in patch 2.3's main scenario which feature Haurchefant were based on the EN/FR/DE versions of these cutscenes. Yoshi-P goes on to explain that these cutscenes were altered to account for changes made to Haurchefant's characterization by the LOC team in 2.0. In the Famitsu interview, he further clarifies that these changes were made due to LOC team concerns that Haurchefant's behavior might be interpreted as problematic.
However, these changes to Haurchefant's characterization were made without consulting the relevant parties, and as a result, the JP and EN/FR/DE player bases came to perceive Haurchefant differently, culminating with these significantly different cutscenes in patch 2.3.
When videos illustrating the differences between the JP and the EN/FR/DE cutscenes were posted online, some fans spoke out in protest. After internal discussion, it was decided that efforts would be made by the EN, FR, and DE LOC teams to bring Haurchefant's characterization gradually closer to that of the JP Haurchefant over the course of future updates. Moreover, the development team enacted a new policy that all cutscenes would be fundamentally the same, so that users across all regions would have more similar experiences.
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How did this all happen, you ask? Well, it all goes back to one of those 300 hour months in the summer of 2013, when the FFXIV LOC team was hard at work in the Tokyo office with the rest of the devs, working late nights and weekends to make A Realm Reborn a title worthy of the FINAL FANTASY legacy. These long hours were necessary not only because of the massive amount of content we were pushed live with 2.0, but because each language team is passionate about producing a high-quality localization that immerses the player in the world of Eorzea.
To achieve this goal, we decided years ago, during the development of 1.0 (with the blessing of the director), that simple, literal translations would not be sufficient. We would have to look beyond the words and carefully consider the intentions of the JP writers, as well as give thought to how the experience would be received by people with different cultural backgrounds. While this can be an extraordinarily difficult process, it is one which is possible because the Square Enix Localization Department seeks out translators who demonstrate not only a strong grasp of the Japanese language, but sufficient creative writing ability in the target language as well. These individuals are expected to work side by side with the development teams here in Tokyo as they transform the JP source into flowing, natural text in the target language, while taking care to ensure that players in all regions will have comparable emotional experiences.
For that reason, when I was working on the Coerthas questline for 2.0, I had a dilemma. Haurchefant is intended to be received as a good and true ally, but some of his comments directed at the player could, if rendered in EN as it was written in JP, provoke a strong negative reaction for some players (this wasn't so much of a concern for the JP, as his characterization played to a certain arch type which exists in Japanese media of a loveable debauchee). I discussed this concern with the FR and DE translators in charge of the same quest line, and we all concluded that, to ensure that our players regarded Haurchefant as positively as the JP player base was intended to, we should tone down these potentially problematic statements.
However, as Yoshi-P stated, these decisions were made without consulting with the relevant parties, which resulted in a growing discrepancy that would culminate with patch 2.3's cutscenes.
As the individual who pushed for these changes, I would like to sincerely apologize to our fans, as well as Yoshi-P and our scenario team. It was never my intention to deprive our players of a memorable character or elaborate cutscenes, and to this day I deeply regret how I handled this situation.
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Over the months since, we have taken many measures to ensure that similar problems do not arise in the future, and I am proud to say that the LOC team works more closely with the scenario and cutscene teams than ever before.
For our quests, we pore over plot outlines and character profiles as they become available, even if the quest text itself is not to be written for months or more (oh, the things I could tell you about 3.2 and 3.3...). We share our thoughts with our scenario team counterparts, raising concerns and working through problematic issues together. If we strongly believe that a significant deviation is warranted, we consult with the team leads beforehand, and then we do our utmost to minimize the complications.
For our cutscenes, we consult with the cutscene team in the early stages, when the blocking and animations for key scenes are still being worked out. This is especially important for voiced content, since we usually record lines well in advance with only stage directions and story boards (just the other day I was sitting with the cutscene team for several hours as they discussed the elaborate custom animations that would be required for 3.2 main scenario and a certain...well, you'll just have to look forward to it!). We check the cutscenes at various stages of their development to ensure that there are no problematic animations or contradictions with our voice files, and should we discover any, we negotiate with the cutscene and scenario teams to find a solution that satisfies everyone.
Can we do more? Absolutely. FFXIV wouldn't be the game it is today if we were the type to settle for "good enough." Everyone who works on this project knows full well that we must always strive to be better than we were. And so we do, each and every day.
I don't expect everyone to agree with our decisions. Quite frankly, I am glad to see so many fans willing to voice their opinions, because it shows how invested you are in our story─that you care as much as we do. However, I do hope that everyone understands that these decisions are not made lightly─that we carefully consider the consequences of our actions. And when we do make controversial choices─for FFXIV, FFXV, or any of our other games─I hope you will all bear in mind that we do so in service to the Square Enix philosophy: to create incredible, moving, unforgettable stories that can be shared with our fans throughout the world.
Finally, I'd just like to say that, as someone who has had the honor and the privilege to write Haurchefant for the past several years, from his first to his final lines, it has been touching to see how so many fans have grown to love him. And though I know he will always hold a special place in many of your hearts, I hope that you all will grow to love our other characters just as much in the years ahead.
John Crow
FFXIV EN Lead
