Live Letters Really Need To Start Being Translated

[van_arn]

I'm frequently on the same page as you in other threads, but on this one I disagree. Yes, people will always misinterpret things or expect different than what's actually delivered, but this case was unusually egregious.

People were of the belief that the relic would require no interaction with the Southern Front, some so loudly vehemently that I started second guessing my own interpretation that Castrum et al were required; people were so absolutely convinced that Square-Enix had promised this one thing that I started to half-suspect I must've overlooked where they did so (even though it didn't make sense to me how the Bozjan storyline could continue without what happened in Castrum being addressed).

They held these opinions loudly, vehemently, and publicly on Twitter, on Reddit, on these very forums, and even in some cases in gaming publications.

Even without a translation in that live letter, Square could've communicated a specific clarification much earlier when the confusion became obvious (and widespread); some people would still have misinterpreted it or chosen not to believe it, no doubt, but I think a lot of people would've been less blindsided. But when they did offer a clarification (in November's live letter) it was done in Japanese, and left to the fan-translators to disseminate. Which did not really help stem the tide of people absolutely convinced the earlier interpretation was correct.

I think in most cases the information has gotten out more-or-less accurately, even if it sometimes took a while. But this was a particularly dramatic and widespread misinterpretation, and it's one that could've been avoided. And because it was avoidable, I do feel the process by which they communicate stuff like this could maybe stand to have some refinement.

Perhaps things could have unfolded differently, perhaps they wouldn’t have.

I can’t help but suspect we get the information in the format and volume we do because Square has seen how the community reacts to just about everything over the last decade.

I’d suspect there was a consideration to emphasize the storyline requirement more than they already had.

If I were in their shoes, I would have avoided saying anything more than I already had. Saying more would have only led to arguments and demands for things to change, but the decision had already been made and announced. In a very real way, additional “clarification” would not really land us in a place different than we are already.

All of that aside, there’s no more room for interpretation or misinterpretation. If you want the relic, no matter what your plans were, you know what you need to do now.

Do it or don’t. You might manage to get a “sry well do better nekst tiem lol!” from Square, but don’t expect any sort of recognition beyond lip service for this.