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

[Hyrist]

Hardly the first time character personalities are changed in this game... Seriously anyone who thinks we get the same experience just needs to talk to someone who plays the Japanese Version.

I'm not sure why people are making a big deal out of this one. I guess maybe because some had a hard time understanding midsgarsomer?

To be fair, Midgardsormr is pretty much confirmed as the linchpin character of the entirety of the Heavensward expansion at this point. So while the other, more minor characters do not really have a grand influence on the overall tone of a story, this one will, and it will grade the nerves of many of us.

As it's too late at this point to expect any changes for Heavensward's localization (this late in the voice acting and writing period, what's done is done.) This is more, in my view, a feedback for future stories.

[Kazumac]

To be fair, Midgardsormr is pretty much confirmed as the linchpin character of the entirety of the Heavensward expansion at this point. So while the other, more minor characters do not really have a grand influence on the overall tone of a story, this one will, and it will grade the nerves of many of us.

As it's too late at this point to expect any changes for Heavensward's localization (this late in the voice acting and writing period, what's done is done.) This is more, in my view, a feedback for future stories.

Point taken with the importance of this character. Though many of the past discrepancies in personality we've (my wife plays the Japanese version as that is her native culture) noted have been with the scions... So it's not like those are minor characters either. Y'shtola's personality comes to mind for me here.

[Hyrist]

Point taken with the importance of this character. Though many of the past discrepancies in personality we've (my wife plays the Japanese version as that is her native culture) noted have been with the scions... So it's not like those are minor characters either. Y'shtola's personality comes to mind for me here.

And that remains a criticism of mine as well.

With the Scions, however, their roles were quite divided and split as a larger role. Writing wise, it seems that the bulk importance of a representation is going to be put on Midgardormr's wings, so I feel as if the importance is greater here.

That and the depiction here is very different, as different as a neutral and a highly negative tone can get. If they maintain it, it will change the tone of the expansion itself for the English language. I'm not fond of that concept, speaking as an individual.

[Krr]

My biggest problem with the Midgarsormr re-write is the matter of intent.

It is one thing to embellish text or localize cultural references or wordplay puns that don't properly translate to English, but I would appreciate if the intent of all original text is present. Without that, the translation feels less like a translation and more like Fernewhales' and the rest of the team's own imagination as to how they think the characters should act rather than how the text in the original game treats them.

That's not only disrespectful to the playerbase's sensibilities (to contend that what we're getting is the actual story,) but it's disrespectful to the authors of the original work. I don't care about S-E's testimonials of JP players who speak English think it's "better" or "more interesting", you can make the text better and more interesting while maintaining its original intent and character.

If you look at the Midgarsormr literal translation and English localization, there are many cases where the 'character' of the text could have been merged with the literal translation without removing the intent of what the original author expressed. There's definitely a lot of room for culling excess fluff text or re-re-re-iterated facts or just making the 'voice' of the character flow better but that's not what happened here.

[Intaki]

but I would appreciate if the intent of all original text is present.

And that would be fine if an original text actually existed.

[Krr]

And that would be fine if an original text actually existed.

The original text is the words written in Japanese literally translated to English. Many people have done this; it has been posted several times in the thread, and I will post it again here.

There is no magical ritual of localization that makes foreign writers or their work cease to exist. Contrary to what most weebs think, the Japanese language is not magical untranslatable moon-jargon that communicates via the beauty of nature and mankind's inner spirit. It's words on paper that sometimes express concepts too complex to fit into a single word in another language.

[Intaki]

The original text is the words written in Japanese literally translated to English. Many people have done this; it has been posted several times in the thread, and I will post it again here.

I can't even remember how many times it's already been said in this thread alone, but allow me to say it once more: there is no master script that is delivered down from on high to the lowly non-JP localization teams. Every language team works together under the supervision of the lore heads in order to create their own scripts, often borrowing ideas from one another. It is a collaborative effort with no original, and with every final product being approved by the highest authorities within the writing division.

[Kayokane]

And that would be fine if an original text actually existed.

There would have to be an original text, after all the collaboration is done the lore masters still have to say done is done and the story is finalized. A master version is made and sent to the localization teams.


I frankly don't care which version is right, based on what I've read of the EN and JP->EN there is little difference beside characterization. Even then Midgardsormr said so little in the EN version that I am possibly just misreading him as a jerk because of his short and concise speech

[EDIT:]

Does anyone have the journal log for that quest in a literal (JP/FR/DE)->EN translation I want to see how the EN Ver. may differ from the other localizations

[Renik]

And that would be fine if an original text actually existed.

I said i would not reply to you again but i see so awfully mistaken that i just had to...

Kazutoyo Maehiro: main scenario writer, this person is in charge of creating the main scenario, or in more colloquial words, he is the writer who writes the script of the game. His text is the original one, and it's mostly directly placed in the videogame.

Oda, who is the lore head works with Koji (ferne), who is a member of the lore and EN localization teams, and other members of different localization teams, in some cases the lore team changes part of the script to make it match with the lore they are creating, in some the localization teams have one or two ideas of how to improve the original text, and it get changed in the Japanese script and then gets delivered with the modifications to the localization teams, this was explained by them, and even if it wasn't it's pretty obvious.

What you are trying to prove, is that most part of the story is an amalgam of ideas from different localization teams, when it's just the original script created by Maehiro, and slightly modified to match the lore created by Oda, the rest of the lore team and the localization teams.

Again, minor changes applied to an ORIGINAL script to match the lore, they are not writing the main scenario Maehiro is.

In any case, what is being discussed here, in case you haven't noticed, is how a single localization team is taking too much liberty to the point, they affect the characters' personalities and the information they give, as much as i admire Ferne for all the lore information he releases to the public, he and his team have crossed the line this time, and by this i mean since 2.4, where the changes started to be more noticeable and annoying.

[Intaki]

In any case, what is being discussed here, in case you haven't noticed, is how a single localization team is taking too much liberty to the point, they affect the characters' personalities and the information they give, as much as i admire Ferne for all the lore information he releases to the public, he and his team have crossed the line this time

And the reigning authorities at SE disagree, as do many players.

You're welcome to have your opinion, but not all opinions are created equal.