Dragon1893
Member
Overall I really like it. It fits the setting and gives the game a very unique vibe.
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FFT War of the Lions translation sacrifices readability for pretentious prose
- Thread starter fvng
- Start date
hydrophilic attack
Member
harry potter book said:
such an obscure word
Hm. With all the vile garbage that gets said in gaming scripts now-a-days, what was put as examples here is absolutely pleasant! People think swears and speaking about "mature" themes makes gaming feel more adult; but I'd argue that having scripts that feel like they've taken more into account than "can a teen understand or laugh at this?" feels much more involved, and written for a well-developed reading audience.
There's such a similarity of narrative voice in much of gaming lately. Similar Narrative snark, similar irreverence, etc. I welcome the experiences that actually attempt to expand of enrich my vocabulary.
There's such a similarity of narrative voice in much of gaming lately. Similar Narrative snark, similar irreverence, etc. I welcome the experiences that actually attempt to expand of enrich my vocabulary.
fvng
Member
Sigh
It's a passive aggressive comment bro, don't play dumb.
Apparently examples from books read by millions of people don't count.
fvng
Member
Top ten game of all time, don't slack
Wolf Akela
Member
Used countless of times in a series of children's books, originally written in English, that has sold half a billion copies, lol. Children's. Books.
I mean if people still missed that, then they should pick up a book. WotL's translation makes it read like a beautifully written book. It's fantastic, and difficult to pick up meaning from context. English isn't even my first language.
I feel that it's less of the translators being pretentious, and more of the readers complaining about words they don't know because they don't hear or read beyond social media. Instead of complaining, why not treat WotL like an alternative to reading a book? Depending the reader it can be more engaging than just reading a book.
harriet the spy
Member
Right, but it feels like such a missed opportunity to not use any of the new classes/characters. Wish I could find a save editor. I'm not even opposed to a bit of grind - say if the game had a steep curve- but grinding level 1 characters is SUPER BORING.
Spiral Insanity
Banned
Doesn't hurt to get kids to use a dictionary.
Look OP absolutely does not deserved to be attacked for this opinion. Calling OP an idiot, or worse, a Trump supporter ain't right.
That said I freaking love WotL's script. It's flowery in the best sense. It doesn't obfuscate it's meaning and manages to evoke the feel of an English-language play. I would argue that calling its prose pretentious is missing the point. It has no pretences of being more than what it is, and arguing that it "sacrifices readability for pretentious prose" is underestimating the reading level of the game's audience, I think.
I personally had no problem with any of the examples shown in the thread or the OP and, unless I'm misremembering (it's been a bit since I actually played the game), I had no problem with parsing the game.
Also, LOL at "mirth" being an obscure word.
Also also,
That said I freaking love WotL's script. It's flowery in the best sense. It doesn't obfuscate it's meaning and manages to evoke the feel of an English-language play. I would argue that calling its prose pretentious is missing the point. It has no pretences of being more than what it is, and arguing that it "sacrifices readability for pretentious prose" is underestimating the reading level of the game's audience, I think.
I personally had no problem with any of the examples shown in the thread or the OP and, unless I'm misremembering (it's been a bit since I actually played the game), I had no problem with parsing the game.
Also, LOL at "mirth" being an obscure word.
Also also,
<3
harriet the spy
Member
Every time I see a game where an nondescript force of evil called 'the darkness' takes over I want to kill myself.
Looking at you destiny .
WOTL's writing is mostly excellent.
Donniewahlberg
Banned
I appreciate you think so man. I really like the localisation personally, but I can see where someone else might feel otherwise is all. Like literally, I've read through the thread and can see posts that say otherwise. I just don't see the point in trying to summarise the thread as OP being objectively wrong when not everyone has said that.
Same. I don't get it. It's not like the characters are rocking Shakespeare
Sumio Mondo
Member
Loved the writing in this game. We only ever got the PSP release in Europe, so us Europeasants never got to experience the original PSX version, therefore since it was my first exposure to Ivalice, I ended up loving it and its dated prose that told me of what the worldview and setting was like right away. The dialogue with the music helped suck me into that atmosphere and storyline and I was engrossed throughout.
It's one of my favourite RPGs ever because of its writing (story, characters and the dialogue), actually, so I am like the complete opposite with regards to this opinion by the OP. But it's okay, since he's/she's a fan of Nier.
It's one of my favourite RPGs ever because of its writing (story, characters and the dialogue), actually, so I am like the complete opposite with regards to this opinion by the OP. But it's okay, since he's/she's a fan of Nier.
AuthenticM
Member
That's quite a thread backfire, haha.
fvng
Member
Not really papi chulo. You clearly didn't read the thread. Not everyone is dickriding the script
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
I mirthfully dickride the script.
fvng
Member
You are come
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
And how!
Um not really since he backed up his points well throughout the thread. I don't think you know what that word means.
It's a sad state of affairs.
deadscreensky
Member
The poster who's allegedly never heard the word "mirth" before is now lecturing us on the definition of a thread backfire. (And yeah, this thread qualifies. Most posters strongly disagree with the OP = backfire.)
To avoid misanthropy I'm going to just assume some of you are being ironic, or at worst deliberately contrary. Funny jokes, guys, now let's get back to understanding extremely basic English!
Also OP should maybe get a doctor to check out all that cringing he's apparently suffering from, that doesn't seem normal or healthy.
Stephen King and J.K. Rowling are two of the most popular writers in the world. This isn't old literature that people are talking about, but books for children and casual reading.You may not have come into contact with that word but it's silly to say because you didn't understand a word in a game that the translation is bad. Look for context clues if you don't get a word. Part of the point of reading is to expand your vocabulary.
"I am come" is three very simple words. I don't think you understand what flowery means. "I mislike this" sounds a bit silly but flowery it is not, either.
I don't understand being so against slightly different style of speech or something that isn't exactly like a language in real life. It's an imaginary fantasy world, they are free to be creative in the usage of language so long as the intent isn't too obfuscated. It doesn't sound exactly like medieval English (or what a slightly poetic modern image of medieval speech is) because it doesn't take place in medieval England.
hydrophilic attack
Member
let's play a game
who? said:
who? said:
who? said:
which video game? said:
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Some somebody say... backfire?
RETRANSLATION:
Your desire has not played out as planned. The backfire is strong in this thread.
(Which isn't exactly true, as OP defended his points and has several people who agree with him)
Not liking purple prose =/= not wanting good writing in games. Let's not jump to extremes.
RETRANSLATION:
Your desire has not played out as planned. The backfire is strong in this thread.
(Which isn't exactly true, as OP defended his points and has several people who agree with him)
Not liking purple prose =/= not wanting good writing in games. Let's not jump to extremes.
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
Now I know that's not true. You post in the game of thrones book reader thread, and the word "mirth" is in those books several times.
None of the examples except maybe the first in the OP are all that purple-y, and even then it has been pointed out in this thread why that particular character's style of dialogue makes sense. Purple prose is the kind that uses 30 words (often hard to pronounce ones) to describe something that could be done in less than 10. "I am come", "You speak false!", "Make your purpose plain", "What news have you?" and "Still your tongue" are about as far from purple prose as possible. Archaic, stylized and/or more poetic than typical speach, but far from purple prose. Even the longest line of dialogue in the OP's pics ("A soldier does not live to become old and grey charging onto the field of battle unawares") is fairly straightforward prose. The "and grey" could be argued to be a bit redundant but otherwise there's really not that many simpler ways of saying "A soldier won't live (a) long (life) by going into battle without a plan" or something.
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Alright, then let's go with "superfluously stylized."
What makes it superfluous?
The point of making the thread was making a case for something that most people disagreed with. That was expected that most would disagree. He made a controversial topic and it created a discussion. He was also capable of defending his opinion. Very successful and interesting thread. He did good.
Nah, just stylized. I mean, "superfluously stylized" would essentially just be purple prose, which it clearly isn't.
LurkerPrime
Member
100% agreed. That kind of writing is painful and, at this point, generic.
This is the Enemy that killed Storytelling.
SpiceMelange
Member
In the "so annoying to read it breaks the flow" category, nothing beats the DS remakes of Dragon Quest. FFT's new localization is great. As a non native speaker I almost had to speak aloud some words because those games are so heavy in the usage of contractions and words that are spelled as they are spoken with the local accent that I wouldn't recognize those words otherwise.
Team Filler
Member
No lie, one of the more trying things I've ever attempted is reading all of the Middle English version of Canterbury Tales. When it comes to difficult to read, RPG's taking "thous" and "eths" too far have got nothing on the real thing.
encephalon
Member
This is the opposite of being true? Japanese is not generally very direct, requiring translators to fill in the blanks.
DiipuSurotu
Banned
That was one of the worst mistakes in the PS1 translation considering the Glabados Church is polytheistic, not monotheistic.
In the "so annoying to read it breaks the flow" category, nothing beats the DS remakes of Dragon Quest. FFT's new localization is great. As a non native speaker I almost had to speak aloud some words because those games are so heavy in the usage of contractions and words spelled as they are spoken with the local accent that I wouldn't recognize those words otherwise.
To each their own.
Personally I loved the DQ 4 accents.
Made for amusing, entertaining reading.
In the "so annoying to read it breaks the flow" category, nothing beats the DS remakes of Dragon Quest. FFT's new localization is great. As a non native speaker I almost had to speak aloud some words because those games are so heavy in the usage of contractions and words that are spelled as they are spoken with the local accent that I wouldn't recognize those words otherwise.
DQIV was not voiced, so the text imitates the accent. If it was voiced, the subtitles would not have been like this.
edit: I read this in my former line managers voice (he is from Yorkshire) which is awesome
SpiceMelange
Member
Today I learned the video game Path of Exile is the same word as the continent in that game (Wraeclast)
Yeah, I feel like I am missing the plot at this point.
What makes WotL more superfluous than something like XII or Vagrant Story? If even those are "superfluous" in some kind of negative connotation...
And I don't think there is a video game that comes close to purple prose. And there damn sure isn't one that is "Old English." There are year long graduate courses dedicated to getting through something like Beowulf (which is not even that long) in Old English.
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
I find the stylized translation unnecessary, and thus superfluous. "You speak false" could simply be "You're lying", "Make your purpose plain" could be "Speak clearly", "I mislike this" could be "I have a bad feeling about this".
I just much prefer something in line with the more straightforward Japanese script. I do acknowledge that it is a matter of taste.
I didn't like it in those games either. In fact, it's the first thing I noticed. It's not as egregious in XII, though.
This, though. This is one that is far worse. WotL's translation annoys me, but not on this level.In the "so annoying to read it breaks the flow" category, nothing beats the DS remakes of Dragon Quest. FFT's new localization is great. As a non native speaker I almost had to speak aloud some words because those games are so heavy in the usage of contractions and words that are spelled as they are spoken with the local accent that I wouldn't recognize those words otherwise.
Glitter and Gold
Banned
I cannot stand them. Completely pulls me out of the game when I have to piece together what's trying to be conveyed like a puzzle
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Don't you read ASoIaF?
Can't help but notice books are notably absent from your little list.
Read more books, lol. I'm a non-native English speaker and I've known what mirth means since I started reading English novels (when I was 12-13)...
Stephen King and JK Rowling are obscure writers with highly advanced literary skills? LOL
This is honestly embarrassing. Seriously, read some goddamn books
Yes, that totally-not-cliched phrase would truly be superior writing /s
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
You know Star Wars didn't invent that commonly-used-in-everyday-life phrase.