This frequency of English localization issues is unacceptable

[Theodric]

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

We're hardly a hive mind. With that said, there's certainly many posters who have contributed to the thread(s) outlining the issues and inconsistencies with the narrative framing complete with sources directly reinforcing the points raised. It's hardly coming out of nowhere.

I've been comparing the EN version to the FR localisation for some time now and there were some other issues which come to mind as well, where points of information are completely dropped out altogether - the three which come to mind are these:





(Council in this context is the Convocation)





And...

Excellent post!

[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.

[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.

[Midareyukki]

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

Sure. But I don't think you understand what my grievance is with you. Nor do I think you even want to know other than constantly complain.

But in the case you do, I'll keep it simple: Do you understand the situation at all? WHERE that direction is coming from? And from that, I'll also ask. "Is it a change"? Or are they being given creative freedom themselves to do what they did?

Because to me this isn't a localization in and of itself, it just incorporates localization in it. What they're doing is adding their voice and being involved in the development process. Hence why I say "they make 2 games". Not "they change JP", they make two different versions. Probably one after another, but what's added to the 2nd one is likely debated after the japanese team lays the groundwork. And this isn't localization. This is them being devs of their own version. Which, as stated, they can.

[Yshtola_Cat]

OH LORD THE PANDORA'S BOX IS OPEN

[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.

[OhNooo]

Well, one example that comes to mind for me is the Japanese vs English translations of the dialog between WoL and Midgardsormr after the Keeper of the Lake dungeon...



I definitely would've preferred the direct translation because it explained things to me better. Especially the part where in the English localization he says he won't harm us and then shoots that light into our chest lol, it makes more sense that he said he would test us. The phrase "I remember and I consent" was just too vague for me, compared to what he actually said which definitely sheds more light on things. It seems to me that the localization team is trying shorten things and make things sound cooler or more poetic at the cost of leaving important context out. These are things that I would've appreciated knowing.

[Midareyukki]

OH LORD THE PANDORA'S BOX IS OPEN

Oh believe me, this is MILD for the crap I've had to deal with. At least we're not getting into cultural differences and social mention of taboos being erased. I've had a friend of mine whose manuscript got sent back because the original text had profanity, and in her localization she ended up making it worse and insulting. What was just crass language in one text became an outright insult in the other.

Or worse. "But in the original, this character was X social minority"... And I'll keep it at that, because... no.

[anhaato]

Sure. But I don't think you understand what my grievance is with you. Nor do I think you even want to know other than constantly complain.

But in the case you do, I'll keep it simple: Do you understand the situation at all? WHERE that direction is coming from? And from that, I'll also ask. "Is it a change"? Or are they being given creative freedom themselves to do what they did?

Because to me this isn't a localization in and of itself, it just incorporates localization in it. What they're doing is adding their voice and being involved in the development process. Hence why I say "they make 2 games". Not "they change JP", they make two different versions. Probably one after another, but what's added to the 2nd one is likely debated after the japanese team lays the groundwork. And this isn't localization. This is them being devs of their own version. Which, as stated, they can.

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.

[Theodric]

As an aside, maybe we should get an American English localisation and a British English localisation. I want to read favourite rather than favorite in dialogue.