Translation Team: Please stop doing this...

[Elgeron]

But at this point wouldn't it be jarring to change the style of the writting? It would be too inconsistent.

The thing with the detachetment of the characters is kind of subjective. I found myself caring for the characters of this MMORPG much more, than say, Guild Wars 2, game that I like but just didn't reached me in the same emotional level. I would also like to mention games like Shadow of the Colossus and ICO, both in wich character use a totally made up language, yet are most known as being very emotional. Of course the way they tell their stories is not the same as FF XIV, but what they coincide is that the main character remains an effective tool for immersion.

The language isn't that hard anyways. For the most part it sin't really anytrhing too hard to understand, I would say though that it is pretty noticeable in the first part of the storyline, which had to be rushed to hell to release as soon as possible, so the weird and strange wording there is understandable.

[Viridiana]

Stop using "Thy" and "Thou" ...

Speaks excellent English.

Doesn't understand the word "portend."

Thinks that Shakespearean English is "ye olde English."

^ I don't think all of these can be true at the same time.

[Kuwagami]

this somehow felt like it was appropriated >_>

[Haibel]

Maybe this can help some of those struggling with English http://webm.land/media/gfdW.webm

[dice137]

I'm pretty sure the head of translating team is Japanese, so it's not like the original intent is getting greatly lost or anything... Get mad at the Japanese writers, not the translators. That's likely how the lore team WANTS those characters to sound.

[Gralna]

I'm pretty sure the head of translating team is Japanese, so it's not like the original intent is getting greatly lost or anything... Get mad at the Japanese writers, not the translators. That's likely how the lore team WANTS those characters to sound.

Michael Koji Fox, Head of Localization Department



Doesn't look japanese to me :P

[dice137]

Michael Koji Fox, Head of Localization Department

I got him confused with someone who did a segment at the Tokyo Fan Fest about translating the Manderville song, or something like that. So that's my mistake.

Regardless, the translation team DOES have native Japanese people on it. The whole team isn't just a bunch of Americans who just know some Japanese. No one there is entirely ignorant to the desires of the original writers. If a character speaks in an extremely overwrought nature, it's not because they're being LOLXDSORANDOM, and it's not simple pandering to heavy high fantasy heads. Every character speaks a certain way for a reason.

[Gramul]

I quite like it.
wot wot.

[myahele]

We all must needs to get used to the fact that is how some Eorzean speak

[kyuven]

We all must needs to get used to the fact that is how some Eorzean speak

It'd be fine if it weren't so inconsistent.
During the final 2.55 cutscenes, the phrase akin to "Should be here soon" is used, when at other times in the same situation the phrase "should be here anon" is used.
I could go into great detail on how they keep making little flubs like that.
Especially when you consider that the Japanese script is in more or less plain Japanese (except characters that we kinda all agree get a free linguistic pass) that, aside from some more complex terms like the three or four variations of "hero" and "knight" they throw around, is perfectly in line with modern Japanese speakers.
To reiterate, Midgardsormr is more comprehensible to me in Japanese than he is in English.
I'm not asking to have the script completely "dudebro!" only to make it something that people actually say. You can't write towards the same level of shakespeare and expect your actors who voice cartoon animals to give an excellent performance.
There are some fun decisions in the script, like "anyroad" instead of "anyway." That works, the meaning can be grasped easily based on context and it gives some flavor. The overuse of "mayhap" and "anon" and the like, though, is awkward.
The weird thing is they seem to be slowly toning it down, as the 2.55 cutscenes seem to use less of the "squeenixisms" than any other chain of cutscenes to this point. Maybe we're seeing them phased out because they're realizing that it's taking too many takes to get the voice acting content done.
And since they're going to be using a whole host of new voice actors in the coming expansion, it's the perfect opportunity to slowly tone it down as we enter a new area.