Haurchefant's localization confuses players

[Zeno_McDohl]

I realize Haurchefant is localized and quite different from his JP version. But this localization is too different from how he acts physically and cutscene interaction, enough that it confuses players. There have been multiple threads asking "why is my character acting like this" in his cutscenes. Example

[Lukha]

Yeah, this was a really strange localization decision to make, and it's one of the main reasons I want an 'un-localized' version of the script added to the game's language options...Not that the localization isn't great, excessive pop-culture references and all, but there really needs to be an option other than 'switch to Japanese text and muddle through all that kanji' for those of us who prefer a plainer translation.

[Vespar]

Yeah, this was a really strange localization decision to make, and it's one of the main reasons I want an 'un-localized' version of the script added to the game's language options...Not that the localization isn't great, excessive pop-culture references and all, but there really needs to be an option other than 'switch to Japanese text and muddle through all that kanji' for those of us who prefer a plainer translation.

That would be a massive undertaking having two Localized English versions from the same team. With how much Koji and his team do for XIV I highly doubt they have time to go through and make two translations.

[Lukha]

Why would it be two translations? I assume that the first step in any 'translation' process is an unaltered, literal, but grammatically correct translation? Especially since the translator and the editors aren't always (or usually) the same people? Just give us that to switch to, the same way you can switch the game client between English and German on the fly.

If they' are 'translating' the script directly into a 'localized' format, we have much bigger problems...but from what I've seen and heard of the localization team, they're too good at their jobs to do anything so unprofessional.

[NessaWyvern]

I much prefer the Japanese pervy Haurchefant rather than the somewhat blander english one.

[Brannigan]

Yeah, this was a really strange localization decision to make, and it's one of the main reasons I want an 'un-localized' version of the script added to the game's language options...Not that the localization isn't great, excessive pop-culture references and all, but there really needs to be an option other than 'switch to Japanese text and muddle through all that kanji' for those of us who prefer a plainer translation.

I think your best bet is to complain about stuff like this loudly so it doesn't happen so often in the future. I don't as many ability names in Heavensward were changed that dramatically (like War Cry -> Infuriate in 2.0), so they might be easing up on the more liberal translations.

[Lukha]

There have been threads about their 'liberal' translations in the past, but somehow none of them got any mod attention, even the ones that reached huge numbers of posts. Which is silly, considering the insignificant things that get official responses, but SE just likes to ignore things they have no intent to address.

What those threads DO usually get is a ton of vicious response from people who love the localization and are mortally offended that anyone would ever consider criticizing it in any way, and then they get locked for flaming and ignored.

[Mholito]

What those threads DO usually get is a ton of vicious response from people who love the localization and are mortally offended that anyone would ever consider criticizing it in any way, and then they get locked for flaming and ignored.

People tend to speak up in defence of something they like. It's not like the people in defence of the localization were the only "bad guys" in those topics. In the end, those discussions always end up with two sides that present their opinions as fact, and refuse to acknowledge anything the other side says.

[Velox]

Wait, people were confused about Haruchefant?

[Viridiana]

Wait, people were confused about Haruchefant?

Eh, Haurchefant's localization is pretty much the only area that I agree was originally localized too differently from the JP material. I don't think that 2.0 portrayed him clearly as crazy for the WoL, and that this was rectified a few patches in to ARR. You'll note, though, that this topic is nearly a year old.