As a Non-Native English Speaker This Game is the Most Hellish Game I Have Ever Played

[Ranaku]

What's crazy is being so condescending over non-English natives struggling with archaic English and . What the hell lol.

inb4 "I learned it just fine years ago so every non-native should be on my level".

Well, jokes on you english isn't my mother tongue. And no, not every non native should be on any level. But you could take it as a opportunity to actually learn instead of complaining. Cause Urianger/Dragons etc. speaking that way adds to the narrative. And peoples first reaction is to ask for it to be removed cause it's too hard to understand? Lol. If you want stuff that is easy to consume read some books that are made for children, especially those with no words and only pictures. I guess that would fit the needs of these players better.

[Sicno]

This is all Koji Fox, whom is known to be a big showoff. He cares more about letting anyone know just HOW MUCH English he knows than offering a smooth and understandable experience for the player. He LOVES to show you that obscure word he learned yesterday. All those references to pop culture and whatnot on the names of fates and quests? Again, he wants you to know just HOW MUCH he knows. He also wants you to know that HE INVENTED THE DRAGON LANGUAGE so that gives him almighty power to alter the script of the game from what the scenario writers intended to accomodate his own vision (hello, Midgardsormr). He's the one who originally put a super spoiler on the English title for clearing the patch 3.5 main story because he wants you to know HOW CLEVER he is for making a connection to Coils of Bahamut.

They have explained in the past that localization isn't a direct translation and certain things are modified to account for cultural differences. I understand that, I truly do. But what they do in this game goes in really weird directions that don't adhere to those principles. Localization should be as "invisible" as possible. It's not the place for expressing your own knowledge or "creativity". It's just so the players can understand and enjoy the game. If things make sense and the intent of the original writers are understood and it all feels natural then you're doing a good job. But here things are often unintelligible and you can tell there's a heavy hand influencing things.

[Neoyoshi]

It took me a while to get used to type of English used in this game. I believe Final Fantasy 12 and Tactics also make a lot of use of this type of English if i am remembering correctly.

But when bridged over to other languages; -i'm wondering, i mean aren't there other languages that players can use in-game? What are the full list of languages supported?

[Packetdancer]

This, all day. Baderon and Jacke are way worse than Urianger.

https://xivnomnom.tumblr.com/image/111061339352

What, a dimber damber like yerself don't care fer jabbering on 'bout yer stabbers??

(I find Jacke rather annoying as well.)

[MistakeNot]

Ironically the odd 'pirate speak' found in Limsa (especially with the members of the ROG's Guild like Jacke) makes perfect sense - it's Thieves' Cant, supposedly a subsitution language used by pickpockets, pirates, criminal gangs and subversives hundreds of years ago, although again like the Mock Shakesperean 'ye olde English', it's more commonly found nowadays in fantasy and historical fiction stories to give a kind of mystery and suspense to characters.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that it makes it so hard to understand just what the characters are saying, especially if you're unfamiliar with the concept and think it's just nonsense (which I suppose was the whole point of it in the real world). Either way, it's use in FFXIV makes perfect sense in the setting, and is meant to be yet another part of worldbuilding, establishing the setting and tone to the player.

Funny thing is, I never had any big problem understanding the "Rogue's Cant" that Jacke&co uses. Sure, half the words were unfamiliar to me, but the majority of it was pretty easy to grok from context, and the general gist of it was clear.
Urianger is harder to understand, no so much because he uses an archaic mode of English, but because he so often expresses himself obscurely.

[Shironeko_Narunyan]

But isn't this odd don't you think. I wanna play a game, if i wanted to study english with looking at the words i don't know the meaning of and try to learn them i would have just do that. Like i said i would have study english. And isn't it odd to say that in order to understand some of the words you need some what basic knowledge of Shakespeare. Last time i checked mmorpg didn't require knowledge of old, or Shakespeare english.

Up until this reply, I was sympathetic with your point. Not understanding nuances can be annoying and lead to misunderstandings, but complete fail of comprehension can ruin it completely (and the Limsa pirates are the best example of that).

However, demanding a game be dumbed down, so a non-native can get perfect comprehension is entitled behaviour. You could just try harder and be grateful you get the chance to learn more while doing something you like (play a game).

[Shironeko_Narunyan]

While I can appreciate not wanting to get all that deep in a language to play a game for fun, limiting the writers to a basic vocabulary hobbles what they can do with the storytelling and how deep they can make the characters.

I won't say that certain characters aren't annoying to read, but that may well be the intention. They're supposed to be frustrating or confusing to listen to. It's really not any different for the Japanese version of Urianger, (according to my Japanese speaking friends) he speaks using a very formal style and a lot of older words that most people don't use anymore, so it's not just the english localization that requires deeper language comprehension to fully get.

Urianger speaks very formally, but his choice of vocab is not difficult at all.

[ValyrianBlood]

Eh I honestly I can relate. I also think my english is quite good but then - not even talking abt Urianger who is an extreme example - alphi or G'rahs speak and I have to google soo many words bc they DO use many that have a far more common synonym. First thing that comes to my mind is 5.3 where G'raha speaks of halcyon days. Dude just say happy?

[Iscah]

First thing that comes to my mind is 5.3 where G'raha speaks of halcyon days. Dude just say happy?

"Halcyon" has a richer meaning to it than just "happy" – a past period of calm; a nostalgic sense to it – and "halcyon days" is a specific known phrase.

It's also not that uncommon a phrase. And now you've seen it once, you'll know it when you see it used again.

I enjoy the variety of the language used here, and there's not much that's too obscure to be found in a good dictionary if you don't know the word already.

Just like books, where some use simple language and others complex prose, videogames can range through any degree of wordiness the author wants to put into them. They're not obliged to stick to the simplest version of things.

[Ranaku]

I start to see a pattern here...people also didn't liked poor construct 7.

Guess i switch sides, i can understand all these players now. Everyone should have the right to stay stupid!

We don't pay SE to teach us math or twelve forbid...words...!