This frequency of English localization issues is unacceptable

[KariTheFox]

Line by line comparisons don't work too well when making a comparison between translations because a translator might have decided to shuffle dialogue around or place something a little earlier or later in the scene to make it flow more naturally in the target language. You'd have to at least compare bigger chunks of dialogue to get a fuller picture of what is lost in translation.

Also, the reason the english is an outlier in these comparisons might be pretty simple. One is a localization, the others are attempts by amatuers to make direct translations into english.

[Ransu]

Line by line comparisons don't work too well when making a comparison between translations because a translator might have decided to shuffle dialogue around or place something a little earlier or later in the scene to make it flow more naturally in the target language. You'd have to at least compare bigger chunks of dialogue to get a fuller picture of what is lost in translation.

People also don't understand that sentence structures in Japanese are completely backwards from English. Add to the fact that the game uses a form of Old English and you have a style that is going to have selective verbiage in which differentiates from the JP script. But as I said, the core message/plot is literally identical. I wish people would get over the minor nuances between the JP and EN scripts.

[Rulakir]

Some of us care about more than just the broader picture, which in regards to EW was a mess in any language. I enjoyed ShB my first playthrough, but learning all of the context and information that was left out in EN made going back through it almost an entirely different experience. Maybe that doesn't matter to you, but it does to me.

[Ransu]

Some of us care about more than just the broader picture, which in regards to EW was a mess in any language. I enjoyed ShB my first playthrough, but learning all of the context and information that was left out in EN made going back through it almost an entirely different experience. Maybe that doesn't matter to you, but it does to me.

But context wasn't left out...The phrasing is different, but the context is exactly the same.

[Necrotica]

Pretty sure a lot of this is a result of the oh so fun and wacky old timey English. It was a mistake that haunts this game still.

First they have to translate it. Then they have to let shakespear have his way with the translation behind a shed.

Just talk like normal people ffs.

[Ransu]

Pretty sure a lot of this is a result of the oh so fun and wacky old timey English. It was a mistake that haunts this game still.

First they have to translate it. Then they have to let shakespear have his way with the translation behind a shed.

Just talk like normal people ffs.

I love the old english though.

[moxphlox]

...the game uses a form of Old English and you have a style that is going to have selective verbiage in which differentiates from the JP script...

I want to clarify something. There is huge a difference between Old English and ye olde stuff.

FFXIV dialogue relies heavily on archaisms and obsolete features; but even characters like Urianger are speaking Modern English (albeit with uncommon syntax, some Early Modern words, and "thee, thou" sprinkled in for effect). I think there is a very fair comparison to be made with Shakespeare, but nothing before his time.

Shakespeare's first poem was published in 1593, in Early Modern English (~1500-1750).
It's tempting to consider his works Middle English because it was long ago, but they were not.

Old English (~450-1150) would be like Beowulf and The Exeter Book, or poets like Cædmon, Cynewulf, etc.
It looks so different, it isn't mutually intelligible with the English that we read. The vocabulary/roots were purely Germanic until the Norman Conquest of 1066, which begins the influence from Romance languages. The upper class of England started speaking Anglo-Norman French and OE began developing into Middle English over the next few centuries. OE grammatical features were greatly simplified during this time period.

Compare Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 to The Seafarer, a poem written in OE between 450-940. (or this)

TLDR: If the dialogue was in any form of Old English, we wouldn't understand the story

[Ransu]

I want to clarify something. There is huge a difference between Old English and ye olde stuff.

FFXIV dialogue relies heavily on archaisms and obsolete features; but even characters like Urianger are speaking Modern English (albeit with uncommon syntax, some Early Modern words, and "thee, thou" sprinkled in for effect). I think there is a very fair comparison to be made with Shakespeare, but nothing before his time.

Shakespeare's first poem was published in 1593, in Early Modern English (~1500-1750).
It's tempting to consider his works Middle English because it was long ago, but they were not.

Old English (~450-1150) would be like Beowulf and The Exeter Book, or poets like Cædmon, Cynewulf, etc.
It looks so different, it isn't mutually intelligible with the English that we read. The vocabulary/roots were purely Germanic until the Norman Conquest of 1066, which begins the influence from Romance languages. The upper class of England started speaking Anglo-Norman French and OE began developing into Middle English over the next few centuries. OE grammatical features were greatly simplified during this time period.

Compare Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 to The Seafarer, a poem written in OE between 450-940. (or this)

TLDR: If the dialogue was in any form of Old English, we wouldn't understand the story

You're taking things a little too literal here. Obviously actual old english is not the same.

[moxphlox]

Oh, the Moenbryda joke wasn't present in the other language versions? That's a shame. I wasn't aware! I hope the English localisation can match the Japanese script more closely across the board. Since the precedent has been set to retroactively change things, then perhaps there is hope yet that Endwalker's MSQ's can be tweaked.

I hope for that, too.

"ムーンブリダを模した魔法人形。ウリエンジェが、失って初めて気付かされた気持ちを整理するために、ひとりこっそりと作っていたものらしい。
その顔が優しげな面持ちなのは、彼に見せていた素顔を模しているからなのだろう"
"A magical doll modelled after Moenbryda. It seems Urianger created this doll by himself in secrecy, in order to sort out feelings he didn't realise he had until he lost her.
The doll's gentle expression was most likely a recreation of what he saw on her face when she looked at him."

^ Other versions got something to this effect, as well. English got the creepy, out of character joke.

You're taking things a little too literal here. Obviously actual old english is not the same.

People also don't understand that sentence structures in Japanese are completely backwards from English. Add to the fact that the game uses a form of Old English and you have a style that is going to have selective verbiage in which differentiates from the JP script.

I don't think I am. You said this, while trying to explain what people don't understand. Not interested in clogging up current discussion by arguing with you. It's just exhausting to read this time and time again, that this game has anything to do with Old English, in any form. Cheerz

[Lhanu]

Ultimately I don't think the FFXIV localisation team is responsible for consumer error due to consumer inability to cope with the Ascians not actually being in the right.