Inappropriate EN Localization Valentione Quest Text

[MikkoAkure]

The localization teams are tied directly to the writing teams and the English team even makes some of the lore that gets translated back into Japanese so it’s not as simple as you think.

Besides the lore, every single sign in the game and words on the maps are written in English (in the Eorzean script) not to mention nearly every single song that has lyrics, no matter which version of the game you’re playing so if you wanted to bring “original intent and information” into this, you could use that to say that the English version is the “ideal”.

I wanted to pop in to clear up some confusion about how a lot of in-game terminology is conceived. It is often (understandably) believed that localization has little to do with the game beyond translating what the development team creates for the Japanese version. While translation is a large part of our job, what is not known by many is that the EN localization team plays a large role in the creation of a lot of in-game terminology and lore which is then localized back into Japanese (with liberties often taken by the Japanese team so that the text might appear more appealing to their target Japanese audience).

He was also interviewed a few weeks ago about his work in FFXI among other things and it shows how important localization is compared to a direct translation.

Even when I thought I did well on a translation, my fellow translators would look at my work and say, “You got the meaning of the sentence right, but is it fun to read? Try reading it again.”

For the most part, non-Japanese players will never see the original story that was written in Japanese; in other words, whether or not the Japanese version of the story is interesting is irrelevant to them. Their evaluation will be based on the translated version, so there’s no point in having a translation if it isn’t entertaining. Most importantly, the scenes that left an impression in the Japanese version have to be translated to impress the players who are playing the English version instead.

When I was first hired, my translations were very faithful to the original, so if someone were to translate my English back into Japanese, they would end up with original Japanese text. But when a translation has phrases that aren’t used in English, the players won’t understand what you’re trying to convey. Translators need to consider the intentions behind the words, or the emotions won’t be conveyed to the players at all.

Western audiences have different expectations than Japanese audiences. You can’t say the game wouldn’t have a completely different feel if every single NPC spoke in the same flat direct translation with no personality just because that’s “more authentic to the Japanese version”. Limsa Lominsa would lose basically all of its character. We expect certain characters to talk a certain way, especially in a fantasy game, and that doesn’t translate well.

There have been a few questionable decisions in the localization like the Midgardsormr incident but for the most part this game’s localization is much better done than some other JRPGs and the EN team doubles as lore team as well so they’re more integrated than any other game I can think of.

[caffe_macchiato]

…

This would be funny if normal players were allowed to make these kinds of jokes too. But we’re not. We can’t even put adult words in our search info. Anyone saying anything close to what “Master Beatin” does is grounds for a swift ban. In other words, the same penalty as cheating and hacking. I wish this were funny, but instead it’s putting a bad taste in my mouth.

[RobynDaBank]

This would be funny if normal players were allowed to make these kinds of jokes too. But we’re not. We can’t even put adult words in our search info. Anyone saying anything close to what “Master Beatin” does is grounds for a swift ban. In other words, the same penalty as cheating and hacking. I wish this were funny, but instead it’s putting a bad taste in my mouth.

I thought this game is ERP heaven?

[SannaR]

This kind of stuff irritates me to no end, but not for reasons of moral panic.

I intensely dislike — outright despise — how much the English "localisation" team just outright-changes the script, and the intention of lines, from the JP original. Other languages tend to remain far more faithful, but of course English thinks its hack translators can write better than the actual paid writers... and the result we get is constantly-mangled stories and scenes, coloured and flavoured to fit the translator's personal biases... or puerile memery and humour.

If the original JP text says something, and English just translates that, I don't care. If the original JP was a stupid masturbation joke that would embarrass most 14 years olds for how simplistic and uncreative it is — "haha wood haha stroke" — then I'd not say anything. Fine, that's the writer's intent.

However, I get really annoyed when the original script is perfectly-straightforward, and it gets "localised" into something completely different. That's not localisation, that's just weird reverse-plagiarism: "Haha I'm not actually qualified to be a real writer, but I can pretend to be by changing someone else's work and leaving their name on it".

So yeah I dislike this, but not because lowbrow sex jokes bother me. Rather, constantly and arrogantly modifying the original script bothers me. I have never liked the justification of "it's LOCALIZED", because it's usually not used for the stated purpose — to make something seem more sensible in a different language. Instead, it's used as carte-blanche for hacks to rewrite scripts to fit their random personal vision for what would be better, rather than actually doing their job as a translator. And XIV is absolutely infested with those kinds of dialogues.

Here's the thing though the joke and the point about Beatin is that he's way too much into wood. I saw someone post the German which tends to do a 1:1 translation of the JP and said that he still talks about how he really likes the smell and feel of planks of wood. So, sure it's probably less innuendo than the English. Yet, the dev team has on more then one occasion said they all work together when it comes to the localization and translation of the game where some things do originate from the English side. They know and ok it when the English side gets more flowery. As long as the main idea gets across. There are plenty of times when a word or a phrase doesn't exist in whatever language you're translating to. Or some jokes don't work well if it was a 1:1 due to how just the words themselves are funny or they sound like something else that only those who speak the language will understand. Not that I think anyone is going to be able to convince you about any of this.

[IkaraGreydancer]

This kind of stuff irritates me to no end, but not for reasons of moral panic.

I intensely dislike — outright despise — how much the English "localisation" team just outright-changes the script, and the intention of lines, from the JP original. Other languages tend to remain far more faithful, but of course English thinks its hack translators can write better than the actual paid writers... and the result we get is constantly-mangled stories and scenes, coloured and flavoured to fit the translator's personal biases... or puerile memery and humour.

If the original JP text says something, and English just translates that, I don't care. If the original JP was a stupid masturbation joke that would embarrass most 14 years olds for how simplistic and uncreative it is — "haha wood haha stroke" — then I'd not say anything. Fine, that's the writer's intent.

However, I get really annoyed when the original script is perfectly-straightforward, and it gets "localised" into something completely different. That's not localisation, that's just weird reverse-plagiarism: "Haha I'm not actually qualified to be a real writer, but I can pretend to be by changing someone else's work and leaving their name on it".

So yeah I dislike this, but not because lowbrow sex jokes bother me. Rather, constantly and arrogantly modifying the original script bothers me. I have never liked the justification of "it's LOCALIZED", because it's usually not used for the stated purpose — to make something seem more sensible in a different language. Instead, it's used as carte-blanche for hacks to rewrite scripts to fit their random personal vision for what would be better, rather than actually doing their job as a translator. And XIV is absolutely infested with those kinds of dialogues.

I'm sorry but alot of this seems like some petty hate here. How can you just assume the localization feels it can write better than the OG writers? How exactly are they hacks? Do you know what a hack is? You're more upset than the writers themselves probably are and that's not exactly a good thing.

Reverse plagarism...let's think about this. You claim they aren't skilled enough to write so they do this yet evidence would show they CAN write. Things being changed doesn't automatically make it bad. I've yet to see any localizer be arrogant about anything. You're projecting hard and it shows

[Elkanah]

Bug report: Working as intended

[Deveryn]

Really? It's age appropriate stop being a stick in the mud. The Simpsons has more innuendos than this bloody game lol

Disney / Pixar features come to mind as well. A lot of kid friendly shows have stuff that goes over their heads for the adults to enjoy.

[Raoabolic]

..What do you mean the actual name of the clan was Blue Bloods?! Does anyone know about this!?

[Anura]

I'm sorry but alot of this seems like some petty hate here. How can you just assume the localization feels it can write better than the OG writers? How exactly are they hacks? Do you know what a hack is? You're more upset than the writers themselves probably are and that's not exactly a good thing.

Reverse plagarism...let's think about this. You claim they aren't skilled enough to write so they do this yet evidence would show they CAN write. Things being changed doesn't automatically make it bad. I've yet to see any localizer be arrogant about anything. You're projecting hard and it shows

Stop using freudian garbage if you want to be taken seriously by anyone with half a working brain. The only people "projecting hard" are the ones parroting this idiocy created by that lunatic. If seeing someone bad-mouth your video game is too much for you, close the forums.

[Atelier-Bagur]

This would be funny if normal players were allowed to make these kinds of jokes too. But we’re not. We can’t even put adult words in our search info. Anyone saying anything close to what “Master Beatin” does is grounds for a swift ban. In other words, the same penalty as cheating and hacking. I wish this were funny, but instead it’s putting a bad taste in my mouth.

Its mostly because if you give us an inch, we'll take a mile if they allow us to use innuendos and dirty language. Better for the writing team to do it where they know its just a joke rather than risk random strangers here potentially using dirty talk for harrasment