[Feedback] Wuk Lamat's English Voice

[LilimoLimomo]

Considering how I'd never heard about any sizeable backlash for any other voice performers in FF14, I had assumed that it wasn't a coincidence that the only such backlash was towards a trans performer. But I play with Japanese voices so I never heard her English voice.

Until I did. My spouse finally played through the Wuk Lamat stuff and I had the opportunity to hear Wuk Lamat's English voice, and I was honestly startled...because Wuk Lamat's voice acting is easily in the top 20% of the English game's voice acting. Is it great compared to the acting in Baldur's Gate 3? Nope. But compared to the majority of the English voice-acting in FF14, it's hands-down a homerun.

The idea that any person who can tolerate the Scions' flat droning delivery would find Wuk Lamat's acting so bad as to be worth campaigning against is so backwards that there's really no way to make sense of it without asking the question, "Okay, but what is this really about?" And once that question is asked, the answer is transparent.

[LilithRose]

And in case you really think "I'm" the one spreading hate bait propaganda. You can read the messages from one of their main writers Chris Kindred for yourself, who's part of the Sweet Baby Inc team.

https://archive.ph/LL9jd
https://archive.ph/bQGAy
https://archive.ph/FEE2G
https://archive.ph/y5XUa
https://archive.ph/NZW8e
https://archive.is/PppNj
https://archive.ph/zGTjk#selection-505.0-505.112

This is still omitting everytime they've been throwing around the N word. We're on the same team here. I am absolutely against intolerance. Everyone should be welcome to gaming. But don't make it forced.

Considering how I'd never heard about any sizeable backlash for any other voice performers in FF14, I had assumed that it wasn't a coincidence that the only such backlash was towards a trans performer. But I play with Japanese voices so I never heard her English voice.

Until I did. My spouse finally played through the Wuk Lamat stuff and I had the opportunity to hear Wuk Lamat's English voice, and I was honestly startled...because Wuk Lamat's voice acting is easily in the top 20% of the English game's voice acting. Is it great compared to the acting in Baldur's Gate 3? Nope. But compared to the majority of the English voice-acting in FF14, it's hands-down a homerun.

The idea that any person who can tolerate the Scions' flat droning delivery would find Wuk Lamat's acting so bad as to be worth campaigning against is so backwards that there's really no way to make sense of it without asking the question, "Okay, but what is this really about?" And once that question is asked, the answer is transparent.

Then you missed out on the people complaining about the Scions voice acting at the start of 2.0. And how a lot of people agreed the voice acting got better afterwards when they got replaced. Stop trying so hard to make it about transphobia. Nobody cares. If you think it was a stellar performance, that's great. It's good to enjoy something.

A lot of people in this thread seem to disagree, but that shouldn't take away from your experience of the game. Nor does it invalidate our opinion.

[Nestama]

Considering the hate toward Sweet Baby first started on a certain "farm" forum (intentionally vague here. It's where the worst kind of people go), that's why I say propaganda.

And this is also why I say it has nothing to do with Sena's voice acting work in FFXIV.

[DrForester]

And this is also why I say it has nothing to do with Sena's voice acting work in FFXIV.

It never did.

[LilithRose]

Considering the hate toward Sweet Baby first started on a certain "farm" forum (intentionally vague here. It's where the worst kind of people go), that's why I say propaganda.

And this is also why I say it has nothing to do with Sena's voice acting work in FFXIV.

This is actually untrue. I did check it out because I was curious myself, too. But that thread was slow since October, and barely made it to page 7 before this all started. Mostly just talking about Alan Wake 2 at that point before this all started off. By all means, this is just one website that happened to talk about it in 1 small thread. Unless simply talking about it is a crime, this site has nothing to do with where the 'hate' started. Though I've certainly seen Chris trying to blame that site to make it seem they didn't start it.

Heck, it didn't even start with the curator group either. Cause they started in January, and JUST listed the games for the people who cared. Much like some do for the DRM Denuvo, or how your food has an ingredient list in case you're allergic. It barely had 10k subscribers before it hit off.

It was when Chris Kindred, the guy that I just showed the twitter posts off. Writer of the Sweet Baby Inc group, started their own harassment campaign towards the curator group, and trying to get the curator banned. This started End february, starting March

This is why a timeline is important.

[DiaDeem]

Have I ever told you I love your tinkerbell gif?

Thank you! Gotta always have the fae/pixie vibes.

[Mosha]

Heck, it didn't even start with the curator group either. Cause they started in January, and JUST listed the games for the people who cared. Much like some do for the DRM Denuvo, or how your food has an ingredient list in case you're allergic. It barely had 10k subscribers before it hit off.

SBI's reaction to that group was what lit the flames tbh. It was the classic cry bullying tactics and what outed them to the wider gaming public. People who behave like that should absolutely be gatekeeped from the gaming community.

[Vyrerus]

Small update here, since Square Enix made a deal with Microsoft.

This is interesting to know and reveals a lot. Thanks for doing the leg work.

[nukemind]

Having recently come back... the voice acting is jarring for this character in the trailers. On the other hand I watch most shows in their native languages so not sure why I did the dub versus the sub on FFXIV (probably because when I started a decade or so ago I generally watched dubs- whenever the .3 of ARR was).

That being said I know nothing about the VA, and have nothing against her. Just because a voice doesn't work *for me* doesn't mean she did a bad job, just I really didn't jive with the trailer or anything else (though to be far some other voices have become slightly annoying to me too in game).

Edit: Oh nice the Japanese VA was Carla in the latest Armored Core. Love that game and love me some Carla. But I can not emphasize enough- nothing against the English VA. From her twitter (hadn't checked it before today) it seems like she does a lot of work to help out others who are trans/non binary and she has an impressive resume of works before this. Wishing her nothing but success as well!

[Burmecia]

SBI's reaction to that group was what lit the flames tbh. It was the classic cry bullying tactics and what outed them to the wider gaming public. People who behave like that should absolutely be gatekeeped from the gaming community.

This was my understanding as well: SBI got their collective panties in a twist because of group on Steam making list of their projects with less than positive motive, aka helping people to avoid games they had been involved with. I think this is entirely within the rights of consumer. And then they tried to have the group's founder banned; I am console rat, so the heck I know, but isn't there side implication that if the guy would have been banned he would have lost all the games he bought by Steam?

Now, I haven't followed this situation too closely, but neither have I ignored it. I feel like seeing and listening people to talk their mind gives most of the time pretty good window into their thoughts, so at least I tried to find some videos of Belair talking about her work. I just wanted to find the whole context to her "go to marketing and twist their wrist a little" and "babypigs" comments. Didn't find everything I was looking for, but heard and saw enough to help me form my own first impression of her and her company. It's less than positive opinion now.

Summa summarum, in context of this thread's topic; I haven't seen anything what would point towards Bryer being hired having anything to do with DEI stuff directly. I also think it would be naive to hard dismiss the possibility with Microsoft link and SBI link, to SE, provably there. Even if it's by other projects than FFXIV. I think these things absolutely can be so squiggly that SE could get some benefit they see worthwhile by doing some diversity hiring for any of their projects. It's just business, come on...
And even then, then what? Well, if the proof of nepotism will be found and proven, I won't be surprised. All I can do is speak with my words and vote with my wallet.
I am not fan of Bryer's work in and with FFXIV, or some pretty lame opinions she has seen important enough to broadcast in X. But I want her and her fans to continue living their best lives. I don't play with audio on most of the time anyway.

Just because a voice doesn't work *for me* doesn't mean she did a bad job, just I really didn't jive with the trailer or anything else (though to be far some other voices have become slightly annoying to me too in game).

I wish I could upvote your post more than once.