The issue with Dawntrail and importance of 8.0

**NamiRocket** · 01-07-2025 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by PorxiesRCute

Did we play the same English localization?

No, you did not.

You played the one that exists in reality. They played the one that they concocted in their own imagination to prop up their preexisting biases.

Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

What they mean is that when they put the Japanese text into Google Translate, it's not the same as the English Localization.

But of course there is a reason for that. The Japanese version makes references to Japanese culture that we would not understand because of not being Japanese. The idea of referencing Japanese culture and history is to "create emotions" for the player to feel. So if you read a reference to Japanese culture and don't know what it refers to, then it doesn't evoke an emotion.

To solve this issue, localization teams try to refer to culture that the relevant language readers understand in order to evoke similar emotions that the writers were intending the player to feel. To make sure this is the case, they consult with the writers directly to make sure they are evoking the intended emotions and conveying it in the intended way and ask them multiple times in different ways to make sure they got it right, particularly for the MSQ.

The people who routinely dog on Japanese to English localizations don't understand the difference between "direct translation" and "localization" and never will. They have an agenda. They don't want to understand it. It would be the rational thing to do and they're often not rational.

Then many of them will eat up the English subtitles provided by the same team, without a hint of irony, and think very little of it. Or they'll regurgitate some shit they heard from some dork on Twitter who has a middle school level understanding of Japanese and fancies themselves an EHM HEM HEM expert on the topic.

**Archeron** · 01-07-2025 08:47 AM

Honestly 8.0 NEEDS to bring something brand new, and fresh to this game. There is going to be a lot of player drop off by the end of Dawntrail.

The Toxic Positivity crowd have nothing to complain about. Dawntrail is exactly what they asked for. You wanted mediocrity, you crucified anyone who spoke out about issues when the game was popular, and now you reap what you sow. Eat your cake and be merry.

**Alice_Rivers** · 01-07-2025 11:33 AM

The English "Translation" does have some really strange choices in it, especially when it's in support of voiced lines. I refuse to listen to an English translation of any Japanese work if I can help it since I know just enough spoken Japanese to get myself in trouble. It was particularly peculiar when listening to the Japanese voice line referring, in English, to a "Main Terminal" and the English subtitle reading "Meso Terminal" and wondering why they even thought to change that. There are plenty of other examples I've encountered where a spoken line differed from, or was outright absent from, the localised text but I can't remember them in sufficient detail now.

**NamiRocket** · 01-07-2025 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Alice_Rivers

It was particularly peculiar when listening to the Japanese voice line referring, in English, to a "Main Terminal" and the English subtitle reading "Meso Terminal" and wondering why they even thought to change that.

**Supersnow845** · 01-07-2025 11:42 AM

Aren’t the Japanese jealous of the English translation because it actually gives a lot of interesting characterisation to characters compared to the more robotic JP original

I was always led to believe that it was a pretty universal belief that the English translation was best because it actually tried something different

**Alice_Rivers** · 01-07-2025 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Supersnow845

Aren’t the Japanese jealous of the English translation because it actually gives a lot of interesting characterisation to characters compared to the more robotic JP original

I was always led to believe that it was a pretty universal belief that the English translation was best because it actually tried something different

I dunno, I can only speak for myself. The nail in the coffin, for me, of English voice overs was a JRPG I played many years ago where the English voice team turned a good character into an insufferable whiner. I decided based on that experience that, in so far as I can achieve with the knowledge I have, I was going to have as close to the original experience as I could get.

**Absurdity** · 01-07-2025 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by Supersnow845

Aren’t the Japanese jealous of the English translation because it actually gives a lot of interesting characterisation to characters compared to the more robotic JP original

I was always led to believe that it was a pretty universal belief that the English translation was best because it actually tried something different

Which would be completely fine...up until the point where those liberties they take actively change the reader's interpretation of what is happening.
Now this isn't some kind of new thing, the thread linked previously has a pretty egregious example from back in Heavensward (that isn't the complete changing of Haurchefant's character)

**Hallarem** · 01-07-2025 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by Absurdity

Which would be completely fine...up until the point where those liberties they take actively change the reader's interpretation of what is happening.
Now this isn't some kind of new thing, the thread linked previously has a pretty egregious example from back in Heavensward (that isn't the complete changing of Haurchefant's character)

The world of localizers / translators is a murky passage, when it comes to japanese games in particular.

While it's not always like this, some localizers have been caught changing characters to fit more their worldview, than what is actually being said in game. I think a person who knows japanese has a lot of videos on that in youtube, especially to do with a game called Valkyria chronicles or something similar.

Some anime localizers were caught doing this too. I get changing japanese references to fit more English ones. (Heh heh, pokemon riceballs into jelly doughnuts) but changing characters and their worldviews, or their lines completely to muddle them from the original is a no no, and changing the creators property / vision.

**Asari5** · 01-07-2025 04:36 PM

im one of the people who somtimes watches streams to follow other peoples msq journey. that can be an english stream too. and pretty much everytime im wonderin why they make certain changes which have nothing to do with the culture.

like when midgardsomr said something like he is about to raise and join the war.... i was like 'wtf? he never had the intention to join nidhoggs war'

or in the scene where vauthrys voice echoes down to the scions after the 79 dungeon?
he yells the line 'I AM INNOCENCE' which is of course not only his name but also his point of view... i was pretty disappointed when i waited for that line in english... but it never came.

or before zenos dies how he talks some nonsense? yeah in other languages thats not just nonsense

**CNitsah** · 01-07-2025 10:46 PM

The fact that you people seem to think 8.0 should be the moment we see differences is already telling a LOT about how much this game has partially mind eaten the community. 7.2 should be the time we begin to see difference, 7.3 has to be where those change are confirmed. Having to wait for 8.0 would only mean it takes years to change anything, and it's just not worth supporting this sinking ship anymore.

Thread: The issue with Dawntrail and importance of 8.0

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