Readability and the log text

[Laraul]

I've been wondering this for a while...

The English client... every line intended to convey information to the player about event ongoing within the game environment (battles, actions, etc) is constructed as if the game were a traditional MUD or interactive fiction game.

For synths example...

Player Bob creates a pair of iron poleyns.
Player Jane creates 12 pots of jellyfish humours.
Player Jane botches the synthesis!

It get's real messy quite fast as English is not very constant with structure. If the amounts synthed are swapped you'd get

Player Bob creates 12 pairs of iron poleyns.
Player Jane creates a pot of jellyfish humours.

So "a pair" -> "12 pairs".
And "12 pots." -> "a pot."

This turns into a headache for the devs, players, everyone. I mean the actual items are just "iron poleyn" and "jellyfish humour".

Why not use the same abridged version that the Japanese client uses in all the clients?

<Origin Name>は「<item>」×<N>を完成させた！

or in English would be something like...

<Origin Name> creates "<item>" x<N>!

This formats applies to all four languages.

<Origin Name>, <item>, and x<N> are always visible.

[Urthdigger]

How is the current method confusing? You get to see the number and who made it just fine, the only possible confusing part is that it uses the plural form of the name. It gives you the name of the item when you choose to make it in the first place (And I'd hope you're not just putting in random recipes anyway with them making all recipes plainly visible on the lodestone). The only possible source of confusion is if you're passing by someone making an item that has a funny plural name, but does this really need a change for that? It's not like it's any of your business in the first place.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see how it's a headache to anyone... except you I guess.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

This is just me, but I like the flavor text of what the items are.

A pinch of bomb ash.
A tuft of phoenix down.
A block of animal glue.
etc.

I see where you're coming from in creating a level of consistency, but I really do appreciate the effort that the localization team has gone through to incorporate the units of measure for these items.

[Conradus]

I've been wondering this for a while...

The English client... every line intended to convey information to the player about event ongoing within the game environment (battles, actions, etc) is constructed as if the game were a traditional MUD or interactive fiction game.

For synths example...

Player Bob creates a pair of iron poleyns.
Player Jane creates 12 pots of jellyfish humours.
Player Jane botches the synthesis!

It get's real messy quite fast as English is not very constant with structure. If the amounts synthed are swapped you'd get

Player Bob creates 12 pairs of iron poleyns.
Player Jane creates a pot of jellyfish humours.

So "a pair" -> "12 pairs".
And "12 pots." -> "a pot."

This turns into a headache for the devs, players, everyone. I mean the actual items are just "iron poleyn" and "jellyfish humour".

Why not use the same abridged version that the Japanese client uses in all the clients?

<Origin Name>は「<item>」×<N>を完成させた！

or in English would be something like...

<Origin Name> creates "<item>" x<N>!

This formats applies to all four languages.

<Origin Name>, <item>, and x<N> are always visible.

Personally, I love it the way it is. I particularly like how it knows the plural of "lapis lazuli" is "lapides lazuli." Latin 101 for the win!

[Urthdigger]

Don't forget things like Subligaria.

[Laraul]

Don't forget things like Subligaria.

So you are saying everyone needs to understand Latin to play the English version, a language whose origins are Germanic, being developed by a team that doesn't understand a *WORD* of any of this?

I will tell you who hates this! EVERYONE WORKING ON THE GAME! None of these words show up in the game's DICTIONARY. That should tell you SOMETHING.

Seriously have you even ENABLED the Japanese language mode for the game and tried it? They keep the log display SIMPLE, even though there is no reason why they couldn't make it much more formal.

BTW... none of your "complaints" apply to the battle log. Which is the bigger issue. Take a look at a brief sample. I enlarge the font at the end to "middle sized" which makes it more readable... much better compared to this.

[Conradus]

BTW... none of your "complaints" apply to the battle log. Which is the bigger issue. Take a look at a brief sample. I enlarge the font at the end to "middle sized" which makes it more readable... much better compared to this.

I don't know. I found the second quite readable; I couldn't read the first one at all.

[Urthdigger]

So you are saying everyone needs to understand Latin to play the English version, a language whose origins are Germanic, being developed by a team that doesn't understand a *WORD* of any of this?

I will tell you who hates this! EVERYONE WORKING ON THE GAME! None of these words show up in the game's DICTIONARY. That should tell you SOMETHING.

What the hell are you smoking? You don't need to understand those words to play the game, because the only times they come up are in cases where you should know damn well what the item is in the first place. Also, the team DOES know what these words are. The localization team (Who are the only ones who need to know these words) have shown themselves in the past to be quite well versed when it comes to language, and have answered questions in the past concerning the odd cases.

As for them not showing up in the game's dictionary, that is because the dictionary does not have plurals of any kind. Nor does it have a lot of other elements of grammar. The auto-translator only has the most basic forms of words.

[Catapult]

So you are saying everyone needs to understand Latin to play the English version, a language whose origins are Germanic, being developed by a team that doesn't understand a *WORD* of any of this?

I will tell you who hates this! EVERYONE WORKING ON THE GAME! None of these words show up in the game's DICTIONARY. That should tell you SOMETHING.

Now that just flies in the face of logic. The localizers in this game are highly competent and the English version is developed alongside the Japanese version, not as an afterthought.

Ferne, Eeemeefu and team have also demonstrated an attitude that shows they enjoy their work. The presence of these complexities and archasims in language adds a certain charm to the game too.

[Raldo]

My favorite plural word is Macuahuitl -> Macuahuimeh. I have no idea where the localization team found that plural word. I tried looking around on the internet for it, and I just had to laugh when the first google search entry points to FFXIV.

I, too, disagree with the OP. I also don't understand what the two videos were supposed to show.