This frequency of English localization issues is unacceptable

[MikkoAkure]

Thank you two for correcting me.
Do we have any localization issues pre ShB? If so, are they frequent as they're now? Because if ShB-EW localization issues frequency is higher now than how they used to be then I think we understands why.

People seem to complain about the localization in every single part of FFXIV's existence. Midgardsormr's dialogue in ARR was the first big complaint that fired the forums up from what I remember.

Kate who was mentioned before, is credited as "lore/translator" on the Final Fantasy official website. That would suggest that she works directly with the lore team like Koji. She also had this to say:

As mentioned above, FFXIV in particular is a team effort of the sort that’s incredibly rare in Japanese games localization, so it would be hard to really put a number to the people involved in this aspect of the project. We translators are very fortunate to have an ongoing dialogue with the devs regarding the lore, UI, cutscenes, and more. This allows us to spot potential localization pitfalls, but also helps us have a more sound understanding of what we’re translating, and allows the dev team to ask us questions in turn.

The main teams we end up working with directly here in Japan are the event team (responsible for lore and story), and the cutscene team. I work with the former frequently on lore and naming checks. This involves a lot of them sending me large files to comment on, and also more casual back-and-forths via messenger where we ask questions, discuss ideas, or lament the fact that there are so many fire attacks because we’re really running out of synonyms.
When it comes time to translate and record the voiced scenes for main scenario, representatives from each language usually meet with the writer in charge about how long it will take to act out the lines that need to be synchronized to animations, to see if we need to adjust the script or performance in order for all languages to take roughly the same amount of time.

That being said, I still find certain aspects of the English lacking and sometimes it feels like they spend too much time on flavor to where the point of the dialogue is lost. On the flip side of the coin, I've heard that the Japanese/German/French versions are a bit dry. The English version incorporates a wider variety of accents and speech patterns based on where characters are from, for example.

[Midareyukki]

You’re trying so hard to divert attention away from the issue. I don’t care WHOSE fault it is. I don’t. The *localization*, the product of the game being localized to English, is full of incongruencies with other languages and inconsistencies between lines that don’t exist in other languages. The *English localization* has issues. This is how we plebs who aren’t ~pruhfesshunal translaters~ know it to be, regardless of how much you complain about how wrong we are. You can call them whatever you want or say you don’t mind the changes, but a lot of us do. Putting it in terms of “they’re making a different game” doesn’t change my opinion on the creative liberties taken. “They could be given full creative liberty,” don’t care, don’t want them to.

...ah okay, so basically when someone comes to you and tries to explain you the situation for you to get better informed, you react like a petulant child. Gotcha mate.

It does change at least who to blame. And saying "this is the localization's problem" when the reality is that there isnt' really a "problem" so much so as "you just don't like the way the game is designed" really just shows that you really don't know who to pin the fault to.

You didn't know the situation, and as you say, you don't care nor want to.

But there are people who work hard on this, and they deserve their own credit. If you don't like the work, then at least get what the hell is going on before reacting like a three year old.

"This is how we plebs who aren’t ~pruhfesshunal translaters~ know it to be"

Well then, self-proclaimed "pleb", start learning.

If a scientist came over and told you to stop doing something because you don't get what it is you're doing wrong, will you react like that as well? Like a child?

[KizuyaKatogami]

Uhh, he sacrificed half the population? That havoc?


Look, we know you are a zodiark fan boy. Keep it to the other threads lol

Wow gatekeeping a thread because you disagree with the objective fact i’m stating? You realize that’s grounds for a report right?

[Teraq]

I've brought up some more examples of English <-> French differences in a recent post (trigger warning: page 517 of Quite Lackluster thread and the mandatory Ancient simping that goes with it).

Another example that comes to mind is Hermes explicitly mentioning he and Meteion would likely be imminently arrested and locked up. I remember bringing this up in discussion about Ancients, their laws and punishment, and I can only assume people who play the game in English were politely nodding along until one decided to come out and say this isn't really made explicit in their version.



(To Hermes) "And if you would be so kind to follow me [to Amaurot], whether you're interested in the Seat of Fandaniel or not, you will have to answer for your acts."



(To Meteion) "I would like to ask you a last question... before you and I... are deprived of our freedom."


Some comparison of Emet's absolutely cursed Ultima Thule lines as well, which might clear up some... misconceptions:


(French) "Venat has always been quite single-minded. Might she have spared me to make me the cornerstone of her bridge throughout the ages? Unless it is a veiled criticism, my punishment for having forgotten the cause of the Final Days in spite of myself."
(English) "So, here I am, Venat. I suppose you needed me to tie it all together, these frayed threads of our history─but knowing you, I suspect there's a joke in it too. Oh yes, I can imagine you gloating over my forgetfulness."


(French) "Although, if I were not so spiteful, I would say she simply sought to pull off this late turn of events..."
(English) "Were I feeling charitable, I might assume you had left room for the possibility of this outcome."


(French) "If she expects gratitude, she will be disappointed. My life was not quite a peaceful and quiet stroll, and this change of heart changes nothing."
(English) "Even so, you'll get no applause from me. A single gesture will not lighten the burden I've had to bear."


(French) "I must admit however she has quite the matchmaking skills. A human being would have never been able to set foot here with our methods."
(English) "Still, you must be commended. Our methods would not have brought mankind this far."


(French) "So be it. As an eulogy to Venat, and last gift to original mankind, I could afford to make a preamble!"
(English) "And so, as a show of respect to the last of us, I make this declaration."

[Lauront]

Another peculiar one is this piece, which doesn't sit too well with what we learnt in EW:





The French version is essentially saying Hydaelyn never wished to destroy Zodiark. There is nothing about her faction being opposed to his creation, which would undermine her entire plan (unless she duped them about it, that is.)

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Another peculiar one is this piece, which doesn't sit too well with what we learnt in EW:





The French version is essentially saying Hydaelyn never wished to destroy Zodiark. There is nothing about her faction being opposed to his creation, which would undermine her entire plan (unless she duped them about it, that is.)

But... Isn't that what the rest of the English screenshot says?

Sundering instead of destroying.

[Lauront]

But... Isn't that what the rest of the English screenshot says?

Has someone drained you of your reading comprehension? I'm talking about the thing that is present in the EN version but not the FR one.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Has someone drained you of your reading comprehension? I'm talking about the thing that is present in the EN version but not the FR one.

I can't read French.


Maybe translate the French version so we can read the differences. Otherwise we are just going off of interpretation of a screenshot.

What is thancred saying in the French version?


Highlighting a single line out of context isn't exactly the best way to do it.

[Lauront]

The rest of it is more or less the same, with no other material differences beyond some phrasing choices. There is no allusion in the rest of the text to what the EN version is referencing, highlighted in the red box.

[anhaato]

...ah okay, so basically when someone comes to you and tries to explain you the situation for you to get better informed, you react like a petulant child. Gotcha mate.

It does change at least who to blame. And saying "this is the localization's problem" when the reality is that there isnt' really a "problem" so much so as "you just don't like the way the game is designed" really just shows that you really don't know who to pin the fault to.

You didn't know the situation, and as you say, you don't care nor want to.

But there are people who work hard on this, and they deserve their own credit. If you don't like the work, then at least get what the hell is going on before reacting like a three year old.

"This is how we plebs who aren’t ~pruhfesshunal translaters~ know it to be"

Well then, self-proclaimed "pleb", start learning.

If a scientist came over and told you to stop doing something because you don't get what it is you're doing wrong, will you react like that as well? Like a child?

You're beyond annoying. I keep saying it doesn't matter who the blame falls upon and I'm not pinning it on any person in particular, not in my original post, nor in any of my posts now. I'm trying to stress that but EVERY post of yours is shifting said nonexistent blame. The localization, in my opinion and in many others', has problems because it has a bunch of differences from the other languages.

Do tell me what I'm doing wrong by saying that I don't want them to be writing their own story and would rather have them sticking as close to the original as localization allows, since you're some genius expert apparently. I'm sure these people work vewy vewy hawd on it but I don't like the product. Knowing or not knowing the situation doesn't change that I don't like the product. Whoever was behind the decision to fundamentally change a bunch of important lines doesn't change that I don't like the product.