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FE6 Translation Patch Name Change Thread


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Seeing as neither side is really budging, would it be too much to just have an updated script translation patch and an optional name-change patch for the five or so people that want the names to be changed?

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Oh boy.

Celice: I don't think I need to tell you that philosophy translation is very different from entertainment media translation. For translations that influenced me, look at the Lunar games on Sega CD and PS1. Also, French is already very closely related to English so translating directly is more practical in that case; techniques that may be relevant to you are not relevant to translations of Japanese to English. In a game where at least half of the dialogue is purely exposition, author intent isn't even an issue. We're talking about Fire Emblem, not Marquis de Sade.

It only seems that your goals for this project aren't to render a more valid or enjoyable translation, but to rewrite the text in a manner that you subjectively deem better, more accessible; but this seems to buckle when you start to explain how you use outside evidence as reasoning for one decision or another, such as staying in line with official localized name conventions, using "real world" references, and other sorts of things. My concern is that, if you somehow even finish this project and it somehow becomes more popular than the previous patch, then you are altering newer player's understanding of the text, creating a platform for misinformation and misunderstanding of the game's actual story and characters. Players will not be reading a Fire Emblem script, necessarily: they are reading your fiction.

Again, wow, this isn't literature. It's Fire Emblem. I'm not rewriting as I see fit. Enjoyability and accessibility are always the primary goals of entertainment translation. I'm only rewriting to make it easier to read and to fill in holes created by inconsistencies between FE7 and the original fan translation of FE6. I thought that's what everybody wanted. Regardless, it's what I want, so that's what I'll continue to work for.

The names decided by FireLizard (or whoever) often contradict the official spellings which reference mythology or are real names. My goal with the name changes is to repair the damage done by the original translation. Again, Milady's the only one who's really an issue anyway. Nobody seems to have any serious problems with the others, aside from the fact that they're not what they're used to. My real problem with what you're saying is this: How is what I'M doing any more damaging to the characters or script than what FireLizard already did? The first translation isn't necessarily infallible. There exist multiple translations of the bible for a reason. (lulz@comparing Fire Emblem to the bible)

Also, if that's the case, I suppose that English-speaking players got only the author's fiction of FE7 by Ruthea being changed to Lucius and Ruth being changed to Rath.

and one that you've actually, yourself, agreed with, in regards to Miredy, in conveying her servitude.

Actually I didn't particularly agree with that point. I agreed her name could be exploited in script. Were SHE the one being served I think it would be valid, but that's not the case. Additionally, the reference to the character loses all meaning when you consider that Milady de Winter is the primary antagonist of her story, using seduction and deception to get her way. Not at all like Milady from this game, who's honorable and true to her duties.

WERE Alucard clearly the intent, I'd be all for it. As it is though, it's nothing more than a silly pop culture reference that I'd rather avoid inserting.

For people defending the Alucard spelling, consider these three points:

1. There is no official spelling of his name (that I'm aware of)

2. The katakana is rendered differently than Alucard in Castlevania and Hellsing (アルカルド in Fire Emblem vs. アルカード in Castlevania... and アーカード in Hellsing)

3. This is the big one, but the Fire Emblem Wiki was wrong. In-game as is, it's rendered as Arcard, making this entire debate about his name meaningless.

Edited by gringe
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i suppose you could go for the "dealwithit" method and call him arukalud

because that sounds like arugula, which i deem unpleasant just like arcard

(i'm honestly surprised that アーカード gets romanized into alucard)

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i suppose you could go for the "dealwithit" method and call him arukalud

because that sounds like arugula, which i deem unpleasant just like arcard

(i'm honestly surprised that アーカード gets romanized into alucard)

I LIKE IT!

The Japanese "official" spelling in Hellsing is "Arucard" but since he's Dracula they "changed" it for English versions. That series is full of bizarre renderings. "リゼネーター" (I think?) is "regenerator" for example, even though it's missing a syllable.

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I don't think you're fully influenced by the Lunar games. The translators, Working Designs, were extremely pragmatic, eschewing faithfulness in order to create a natural translation, and were partial to filling the flavour with pop-culture references. You have a mishmash of translation styles, but your zeroth laws are using references and "real names" while remaining faithful to the original. For the former, you only use those least likely to be in a Lunar game, and assuming the latter is to make names more normal, it's often ineffective, sometimes counterproductive.

The most bizarre translations are Klein -> Klain. Despite your admittance that ei- is cooler than ai-, you choose the blander name in order to have the most literal translation possible, which is the exact opposite of what your influence would have done. Not to mention your arrogant claim that you will "repair the damage done by the original translation" meshes horribly with your assertion that we're not dealing with a philosophical work.

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The Lunar games had a reason to use pop culture references. The Japanese game is full of puns and little jokes, but puns aren't used in English as they are in Japanese. References like that would be very out of place in Fire Emblem. I'm only trying to stay accurate to the GBA games, and how well that's done can only be judged by the script itself, not the names.

There are only a few names I've changed, and it's only the spelling, so gosh, what's the big deal? I haven't made any crazy changes out of nowhere and all are accurate to the way they're written in Japanese. Most are for consistency or because we realized that a lot of those "crazy official Japanese spellings" weren't so crazy after all.

and lol wut? When did I "admit" that "Klein" is "cooler than" "Klain"? Both are real names, but the latter is more accurate to the name as portrayed in the original. The former is pronounced with a completely different vowel.

Christicles, names are a very small part of what I'm doing. Look at the script itself before you criticize me like that.

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All right. After thinking about it. Just this once, I'll cave. The only reason I didn't want to use Milady is because I thought it would be confusing in-script. After thinking on it though, I don't think it'll be that bad because she's first introduced with a title, and by the time characters start calling her by her first name frequently the player will know it's her name.

In other words, I'll use Milady, the intended name.

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I was annoyed about something else before, and I think I was reading your tone as more pretentious than it was. Anyway, my last post came out very harsh, sorry about that.

I'll just say imho, I think you don't need to worry making the names match the official spelling or the literal katakana, especially if you're going to interpret the script. And thought it might seem strange coming from me, the names aren't worth losing any sleep over. Just name them whatever and move on, don't give these threads any fuel.

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This thread was supposed to be for "discussion" but now that Milady's settled and everything else has been explained, I don't think there's much else to discuss really. Most people seem accepting of the other changes.

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  • 1 year later...

Dieck > Deke (if we use Smash Bros. names, we're stuck also changing Rutger to Rutoga)

Slippery slope, amirite? It's not like 'Deke' is a much more common name.

Idoun > Idun (I personally think we don't need a mythological reference here)

What game do you think you're playing?

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