Translation Team: Please stop doing this...

[Fornix]

please phase this out and start using normal words... Portendeth? I speak excellent English but I still had to google this word (even google failed to understand)

So merely because the word was written in a rather archaic style, portendeth, you failed to understand its meaning as portends? Or is your English knowledge merely not as excellent as you believe it is?

Portends may not be a frequent day-to-day word after all, however it's not that uncommon of a word. Just search through newspaper entries for one and you'll encounter the word occasionally.

[kyuven]

I actually agree with the OP on a lot of dialog in this game, such as the rampant use of "mayhap," "mummery" and other words that have fallen out of usage in the English language for a good 200 years...
Ramuh and Urianger are the exception.
They both consistently use antiquated language in Japanese AND English, so their translation is pretty spot-on.
I've ranted before about how the language used in this game's english localization is both linguistically impenetrable for people with smaller vocabularies and second language learners (hell I'm about to graduate with a minor in Linguistics and even *I* have to look up a lot of these words since they're less commonly used than 20s slang)
Plus it builds too much "distance" between the audience and the characters, and between the voice actors and the characters. It's hard to build a connection with a character who reads like a novel from 200 years ago.
But Urianger and Ramuh, and also a certain rather large and in charge character from 2.5, are SUPPOSED to use antiquated linguistics in both languages. It's just that because EVERYONE already uses them, to make it stand out they have to use even MORE antiquated linguistics.

[Natashio]

So in other words.. SE has to dumb down the game for the casual gamer, and your suggesting/requesting that they now dumb down the language used by the NPCs for the casual English speakers. I shake my head.

[kyuven]

So in other words.. SE has to dumb down the game for the casual gamer, and your suggesting/requesting that they now dumb down the language used by the NPCs for the casual English speakers. I shake my head.

I argue not for the "casuals." I argue for those who don't speak English as their first language. These people are NOT necessarily casuals and make up a larger percentage of the world population than native English speakers. And if even some native speakers are having trouble with the vocabulary, you can bet your life some non-native speakers are probably having just as much if not more difficulty.

[IfritReborn]

"English, motherf***er! Do you speak it?!"

That's all you have to say and they'll smarten up and talk properly

[Sadana]

So in other words.. SE has to dumb down the game for the casual gamer, and your suggesting/requesting that they now dumb down the language used by the NPCs for the casual English speakers. I shake my head.

Not necessarily.

Let's use

portendeth

as an example. Portends, itself, is an infrequently used word anymore. You don't need to add on the awkwardly archaic -eth to the end to make it sound MORE 'old' or 'stuffy' or 'pretentious' or whatever effect they're going for. I'm all for expanding folks' vocabularies! Don't make it unnecessarily frustrating to readers. :/

And cutting back on the "Limsan accent" will help everyone. It's not dumbing down anything. The dialog is terrible, nearly unreadable English. >< I like the idea of it, not the implementation. :/

[kyuven]

And cutting back on the "Limsan accent" will help everyone. It's not dumbing down anything. The dialog is terrible, nearly unreadable English. >< I like the idea of it, not the implementation. :/

What's weird is, given one of the only examples of dialogue choices with more than "Yes/No" in the game is a Rogue/Ninja quest, apparently our characters speak with a Limsa accent.

[Delta041]

I like the flair of the localization. Even if you can't make heads or tails of it (mainly lominsa talk) you can always check your journal and it gives you a nice summary.

[Felis]

About pirate speech in Limsa.
This dialogue is from the "Into the Dark (Limsa)" 1.18 Grand Company quest

(Astalicia)

Hasthwab: Ye say 'tis passage into the reekin' depths of Dzemael Dark'old that ye seek? An' 'ow do I know ye aint' one o' them 'Cuda lapdogs, come t' lick me poxy arse an' call it cherries? There be those what think they can waltz umolested 'tixt our guild and that of the 'Cudas. Mark me: right gay be the babe what suckles at both 'is mother's paps at once - but where will 'e be when the fountains run dry, eh?

(Tell me, was that convincing? I'm always afraid that one of these days I'm going to forget to drop an aitch and find msyelf dangling from the crow's nest with a noose around my neck!)

(Oh, but where are my manners!? I am Private Hasthwab of the Knights of the Barracuda - or Hasthwab Twinfists of the Bloody Executioners, to our nemesis. Pleased to make your acquaintance!)

(Ah, but we must be brief! You came for information on the Faces of Mercy, yes? The infamous company of thieves, brigands, mercenaries, and outlaws who will do almost anything provided the fee is paid up front?)

(Well, it is said that they have connections within all the houses of Ishgard, and that those connections can grant them passage into the region's many restricted areas, including the Darkhold.)

(The crystal hoard rumored to be located deep within the caves has piqued the Faces' interest, and they are actively looking for new recruits to go on retrieval runs. If you don't mind the danger that accompanies such missions, this should prove the easiest path into the Darkhold.)

(The Faces of Mercy do not maintain a permanent headquarters, and they only communicate through a complex network of contacts. Each member will only know the names of three others, and no two members will know the same three. That way, if one is caught and tortured, he cannot divulge more than the bare minimum to his captors. Of my three contacts, the one most likely to assist you is a Woodwight named Quiliane. Look for her in the hamlet of Owl's Nest.)

Now sod off, ye scurvy rat, afore I slit yer gut an' use yer innards t' tie the sails! <wink>

[Sadana]

What's weird is, given one of the only examples of dialogue choices with more than "Yes/No" in the game is a Rogue/Ninja quest, apparently our characters speak with a Limsa accent.

As well as being fluent in beast-tribe speak? >.>; Nah, the "local accent" responses we give are just there for amusement. (Example: "I go whither the wild rose blooms." Did we come from the same uni as Urianger? O.o Wait... then we would've said goeth and bloometh... =_= )