Tired of "JP ONRY"? Let's bridge the language gap!

[Litre]

I play on a JP server and regularly play with JPs and I don't know Japanese at all, except from what I pick up from anime and the rest I use Google Translate. But I am able to get along with that and a google doc of handy phrases.
Plus I've been doing this since launch so I recognize a lot of important words you need to recognize too. Just google translate what I'm posting to check! But here's some starter tips if you can't attend the OPs thing, great thing you're doing btw!

The most important thing I'll stress is, "usually" don't bother trying to join a JP ONLY, unless you've beat it, if you have, it usually goes like this:

me: よろしく - yoroshiku / best regards

(I then inform them politely I am a foreigner)

me: <-- 外人, 大丈夫です? - gaijin (foreigner) / is that ok? - heck you better know "daijobu"

(immediately follow with)
me: クリア経験者 - clear experience player (last character is player), or you can just look for "クリア" which means clear

Which brings me to another point, a PF usually has the word "クリア" meaning they are only looking for clear experience, or 練習 (practice) - now if it's a practice you might be able to join - if so say: "予習はしてあります" this basically means, you've prepared for the fight by watching youtube videos / studying etc...


It's a good idea to private tell the party leader, and politely ask, and if they say no, just say thanks and continue on.

I've gone beyond this and started forming my own mixed language parties, usually I have a few JP friends with me, so when they join they are greeted by Japanese, and then I tell them 2-3 of us are foreigners, and if that's ok etc... This is about the only way to survive on a JP server, make friends, learn the important words and be polite!!! Cannot stress the last one enough!

-----

After this you need to learn how to talk about loot! You will get booted quick if they feel you don't understand loot - so usually it's either

GREED <-- they understand this, and NEED (ニード) too, they know what it means, use it if you want.

Usually it's greed and job, so know all your jobs - they usually like the 1 char abbreviations:

黒 - black - BLM
盾 - shield - PLD
斧 - axe - WAR
白 - white - WHM
竜 - dragon - DRG
学 - study - SCH
弓 - bow - BRD
モ - hand - MNK
召 - summon - SMN

Sometimes they'll say "部位別" - site-specific, that means one item only, so like tank head etc... Good luck Google Translating your way through that

And lastly you'll see this character a lot: 〆 - this means finished/done, for example if you see in the party finder comments something like 鏡3〆 - well the first one is mirror, 3 finish, that means only 3 ppl can loot on it.
Same goes for 黒〆 - likely 1 player can GREED on BLM and it's gone already - you'll get used to it after a bit and not knowing JP I can pretty much get the point by browsing the PF in Japanese.

Also when they talk, say 了解です - ryokai - I understand or Google Translate gives you 理解, same, use it, talk and translate fast, if you don't talk you'll get booted anyways so just be upfront and POLITE! If they say sorry (gomen) just say thank you with the translator and bow out, even say 抜けときます if you want, (i'll fall out).

If you're polite and play a lot, you may get what I had happen, after a while some of them recognize you, and as long as you've been polite a few times maybe eventually they'll give you a chance It happens, lots of JPs are pretty nice once you get to know them!

[ninthfantasy]

I've been studying Japanese for years now and in order to improve it I started a character on a Japanese server. In the time it took me to get my SCH to 50, I had made friends and made an FC with someone in which I'm now an Officer in. They all know I'm not Japanese, and that I live in the UK, yet they all took me under their wing. A lot of them even said, 'Thank you for talking in Japanese with me', as a lot of them were worried they'd have to use English. If you can speak enough Japanese, be understood and understand them, then you're golden. I even told them I'm still studying Japanese so I may make mistakes, and they were totally fine with that.


So, to the OP, good luck with your Japanese studies. I am certain they'll be very grateful for you for taking the time to study their language so you can communicate with them better. However, I'd stay clear of JP ONLY Ex/Coil fights if your Japanese is very limited, as if you cannot be understood, or you can't understand them, it may cause problems. I'd wait until you have a bit more Japanese under your belt. And look up their tactics, they do some fights a little differently

[BobbinT]

I have a brilliant idea. Why not join an English speaking server instead.

replying the original sarcasm:

I came from Sargatanas. Great english community. Small hitch though: 300+ ms ping. Have fun dodging Titan with per-emptive.

3 months later, moved to Masamune. Oh wow! No pre-emptive! Dodging means literally dodging! lol
There's one catch tho: JP ONRY! JP ONRY! JP ONRY! JP ONRY! JP ONRY! lmao

Any more brilliant ideas, genius? Perhaps asking me to move country? Maybe you would donate some cash for me doing it along with the paperworks and stuff?

Anyways, for OP, even though I doubt I could follow this, I support your idea! ^^

[Ephany]

よろしくです! (Yoroshiku desu!)

I've never seen the "desu" copula used after よろしく before o.O

Anyways, I think this is a good idea for people playing on Japanese servers. Especially those that didn't understand the server selection at launch and don't wanna pay for a transfer now.

Teaching them some basic gaming phrases that they can use would go a long way to begin with.
I don't think anyone would need to flat out learn Hiragana, Katakana and a ton of Kanji to be able to interact in dungeons so I'd leave that as an add on lesson if the goal is specifically to interact in game.

I'll tune in for the lessons and help out if you need it. I have my degree in Japanese and Linguistics and spent my third year studying at a Uni in Kyoto so would be happy to pass on some knowledge where I can

[Spy]

Litre! omg! Thank you! That is all very helpful!

Ephany- hehe it was used in my coil t5 run several times yesterday. I even brought it up with Kat trying to understand the です being there. We believe it changes the formality of the word, but not 100% positive ;p

[Litre]

No problem Spy

[Seoulstar]

I love playing with Japanese players. I am fascinated by them as well. But..I don't think I'll actually go to their servers if I don't know their language. Yes, learning is a good thing. But you can be fascinated by the Japanese and play on an English server. Actually, I've encountered many Japanese people on English servers. Not saying your idea is bad though.

[Darki]

I find it interesting that not one person in this thread has mentioned the auto-translate feature that is built into the game. Works with English Japanese German and French.

レルムリボーンオート機能を翻訳しています：あなたはファイナルファンタジーことを知っていますか？

Wussten Sie, dass Final Fantasy: A Realm Reborn verfügt über eine automatische Funktion zu übersetzen?

Saviez-vous que Final Fantasy: A Realm Reborn a une fonction automatique traduire?


Also, Google Translate is fun

[HumsterMKX]

I ran a full pt df once for the ultima weapon fight a few mths back.

From what I got, some of them don't know the auto translate sucks so much. They just throw it off as en players don't bother to use it.

Well, it end with them calling me a cowboy thinking I'm American (-_-lll in JP

"We are ready cowboy, go pull (^_^."

[Ere]

What you are doing is cool but I don`t think it will help.

I have lived in Tokyo for 12 years and my wife is JP and plays 14 and I can speak pretty decent Japanese. Well we both joined a PF group for Titan EX and I was speaking Japanese with the party but as we were going to enter one a party member pointed out I wasn`t Japanese. Both me and my wife told them that I can speak and understand Japanese, she also told them I was her husband and we were playing next to each other and that she could explain anything I might not know. Well they still tossed up the JP Olny and booted me. Some JP only is because of communication, some because they think non-jp players are inferior, and others are just racist.

To those who say "Why not go to a NA/EU server" JP refers to the location of the data center not the offical language spoken on the servers.
I also remeber Yoshida saying people should play on whatever data center they want and/or the one closest to where they are in the world.