This frequency of English localization issues is unacceptable

[Silverbane]

You're getting exactly what the others are getting, but with minor tone differences and different mentions. The text may be altered in a scene to better fit this tone shift or to just make the situation clearer or consistent with the rest of the game. For better or for worse. So in all fairness, you don't lose out on much, and it's still Final Fantasy XIV.

And frankly I wouldn't even notice the changes if I didn't vastly prefer the Japanese VAs to the English ones. Just personal preference I'm sure, but that's the reason I listen to the Nihongo and read the English.

I know just enough Japanese to notice the changes, but ...
I also know just enough about Japan to accept them as probably appropriate.

[Xirean]

Thank you for breaking a lot of this down.

1 - Nael van Darnus's gender was unknown in Japanese. They never referred to Nael with a gendered part of grammar, since Japan can keep gender vague. English cannot, and they assumed Nael to be male. Come Coils and she's a woman. So the English team had to rush to Koji Fox about this, and he had to make up on the spot a bit of canon to justify the change. That the Nael we see is Eula van Darnus, his sister who took over his position when the real, male Nael died.

This is honestly really stupid imo. English already has a way to make gender vague and that's with neutral pronouns. If they messed that up then I would ask "Why didn't they clarify the gender of the character instead of assuming?" But to realize they made a mistake and create new lore to avoid admitting the mistake is really bizarre to me. I would have apprecated more if they just said "Yeah we messed that up when we first translated/localized it so we'll try to fix it."

[anhaato]

Well it’s bad and I don’t want it. They can make it “work” in our “cultures” without making shit up and changing the tone.

[Midareyukki]

Well it’s bad and I don’t want it. They can make it “work” in our “cultures” without making shit up and changing the tone.

You're being petulant. Please read what I wrote. I understand it's long, but keep in mind: sometimes, it's not up to us translators. Sometimes, it comes from directly above us.

And if the guy directly above us is also the guy in charge of writing stuff for the game, then yeah. Expect a silly situation altogether.

Don't blame the localization team. Understand the situation first.

[anhaato]

You're being petulant. Please read what I wrote. I understand it's long, but keep in mind: sometimes, it's not up to us translators. Sometimes, it comes from directly above us.

And if the guy directly above us is also the guy in charge of writing stuff for the game, then yeah. Expect a silly situation altogether.

What’s your point? I didn’t say anything about the translators I said the *localization* is making unnecessary changes, regardless of if it falls upon a single person’s shoulders or not. I’m really failing to see what this has to do with the quality of the localization.

[Midareyukki]

What’s your point? I didn’t say anything about the translators I said the *localization* is making unnecessary changes. I’m really failing to see what this has to do with the quality of the localization.

Yeah. But without understanding the situation, just saying "the localization" doesn't really cut it. Stuff that you find "unnecessary" truly isn't when you understand what's going on.

TLDR: stop saying they're "unnecessary changes", when it's not even their job to change things. Their job is to do what the scope established for them is. What was "unnecessary" to you really depends on what the team works with. And that's what I explained.

[anhaato]

Yeah. But without understanding the situation, just saying "the localization" doesn't really cut it. Stuff that you find "unnecessary" truly isn't when you understand what's going on.

TLDR: stop saying they're "unnecessary changes", when it's not even their job to change things. Their job is to do what the scope established for them is. What was "unnecessary" to you really depends on what the team works with. And that's what I explained.

The localization team is being directed to make bad changes. Is that good enough for you?

[Kozh]

You guys have made up your mind, that 130 page threads is proof enough of that. Nothing anyone says will change your mind.

And the fact that you always go into arguments with them (or anyone who have criticism to this game) means you also already made up your mind. Nothing people explain here will be good enough for you, even though EN localisation "problem" has been a discussion in this community for quite some time.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

And the fact that you always go into arguments with them (or anyone who have criticism to this game) means you also already made up your mind. Nothing people explain here will be good enough for you, even though EN localisation "problem" has been a discussion in this community for quite some time.

Koji said any and all changes were approved by the head of the lore and writing team for XIV.

That's good enough for me. I don't need to make a fuss about it. It still conveys the same story.

And no, I don't argue with every criticism. I argue with the ones I disagree with. I don't disagree with all criticism.