Which do you recommend?

[Celice]

FE3's patch wasn't actually all that bad. It has become trendy lately at this board to bash older translation patches. My only gripe would be that the game itself is clunky, and that the later DS remakes are more aesthetically pleasing.

If you want to see the quality of the translation, you can take a look here.

[RJWalker]

FE3's translation is... awkward and overly literal mostly. You can definitely understand the plot and dialogue though. FE11's localisation is simply amazing. It's so good that it can take a very basic plot and limited dialogue and give it depth. You have to see it to understand.

[Cymbalina's Revenge]

FE3's translation is... awkward and overly literal mostly. You can definitely understand the plot and dialogue though. FE11's localisation is simply amazing. It's so good that it can take a very basic plot and limited dialogue and give it depth. You have to see it to understand.

FE3's translation is stilted and a few little bits aren't quite right (like Catria's ending about missing her sister), but overall it's at least faithful to the original. Whereas some of the FE4 fan-translations out there are more like unofficial adaptations.

Gotta second the praise for FE11's localization because IMO that is one heck of a great adaptation.

[Refa]

^ Really?

Yeah, units move slower, animations (both on and off) take longer, enemy phase has an annoying start up, it takes like 10 seconds to start each map because it does that annoying pan around thing, etc.

[JSND Alter Dragon Boner]

Yeah, units move slower, animations (both on and off) take longer, enemy phase has an annoying start up, it takes like 10 seconds to start each map because it does that annoying pan around thing, etc.

Refa forgot the MOST IMPORTANT thing

NO DIALOGUE SKIP(or at least, before restarting a chapter where you can skip dialogue)

EVEN FE1 HAVE DIALOGUE SKIP RAAAGGGEEEE

[BrightBow]

Refa forgot the MOST IMPORTANT thing

NO DIALOGUE SKIP(or at least, before restarting a chapter where you can skip dialogue)

EVEN FE1 HAVE DIALOGUE SKIP RAAAGGGEEEE

I'm confused. Before starting a chapter, you are always asked if you want to skip dialogue. The text isn't translated, though.

Anyway, the only thing that drove me insane, was the cursor's inability to move diagonal and to move outside of a unit's movement range. I can't describe how much more comfortable to play FE4 was, just because it fixed those two things.

Edited October 23, 2013 by BrightBow

[Refa]

@BrightBow- I think it only lets you skip the dialogue upon a reset.

HOW COULD I FORGET

I BRING SHAME TO THE FAMIRY

[Dayni]

I think that was enough time, right?

So I did read some of the script, and it's not bad...

Then you voted in 11 and 12 by a landslide. Dammit.

Also, I was kinda playing Gaiden already (first chapter), so I might have ignored that but it's still more yes as I check it. Anything else that could be said, just do ahead. I don't think I'll make a big deal of it.

[Byte2222]

I don't have a strong opinion on FE3 or FE1, I haven't played them. I do, however, have a strong opinion on Gaiden and thoroughly encourage you to play it. It informs a lot of design changes that made the series what it is and it challenges you in unusual (but not normally cheap) ways.

[Roy: Marquess of Pherae]

11 isn't so bad once you are familiar with FE in general.

[buttmuncher.ops]

fe3 => fe11 & 12.

the first remake (fe3) includes a watered down fe1 in its book 1 and omits certain things which you will rediscover in fe11 anyway, so unless you decide to try gaiden as well, there's really no reason to pick up fe1 beyond noting the difference between the two. this isn't the recommended path for new gen fans who are overly enamored with graphics and mechanics which are commonplace in FE these days, but i get the distinct feeling you made this topic because you are interested in the roots of awakening, and the series in general.

fe1-fe5 were done by a different dev, and that's the singular most reason why they play the way they do. not because of unwarranted bashing or popular opinion, but a simple fact. to truly know where something is headed, you have to know where it begins and that's why i recommend playing them this way.

i don't recommend missing out on gaiden either, as unpopular as it is. if you're a completionist gamer then you'll enjoy how the latest installment is the series paying homage to it's roots, and will like having ALL the dots connect once you play the origin of a game you just finished.

p.s. just my opinion: it's fun to kill off units you don't plan on using, either for more exp or just an extra meatshield when playing casual (make sure you grab the free weapons doe) i do this in every FE i play, i like to call it "efficiently downsizing the (13th black op) company"

good luck

[bookofholsety]

FE3's translation is stilted and a few little bits aren't quite right (like Catria's ending about missing her sister), but overall it's at least faithful to the original. Whereas some of the FE4 fan-translations out there are more like unofficial adaptations.

faithfulness is all well and good, but when the translation reads like this...

Midia:

Boa, the people in the castle are panicking.

What exactly is going on?

Boa:

Hmm, perhaps Nina has brought the liberation army here.

Midia:

Huh, really?

Then perhaps we can be saved.

Boa:

But, Midia, we cant get complacent right now.

If this continues, the enemy will decide to finish us off.

Without weapons, were sitting ducks.

Midia:

But, Boa.

Weve finally chased the enemy away from Akaneia.

Even if we die here, we should have no regrets.

Boa:

Haha... Youre still so strong.

Still, if you die, Astria will be very sad.

Midia:

.....Yes...

I just want to see him one last time.

That is my final wish.

Boa:

Well, Midia, for that wish you must endure to the end.

You mustnt give up.

...it's really not enough to solely justify it as being particularly good

that's translation 101: creativity in one's interpretations, within reasonable bounds, is not the enemy. some things simply don't sound good translated straight-up and literally, and minor reinterpretation to convey the same meaning while sounding reasonable to the English-speaking ear is typically necessary. anyone who uses 100% literal faithfulness as the sole barometer of a translation's quality is misguided

on one hand maybe i'm a bit too harsh on it after all it's a fan translation but i grow tired of rambling more about this i'll just dump the last time i rambled about this sorry

about the claim that that's how it's written in Japanese: i'd have to call that into question. the actual process of straight-up translation is only half of any fiction translation endeavour, and adaptation and localisation is typically necessary to polish the script, make it sound more natural for an English speaker and get across required nuances which come across somewhat differently depending on the language, such as someone like Maribelle, Raquesis or Clarine doing their upper class brat thing. the problem with the current FE6 translation's blandness is that it's only really done the straight-up translation part: it sounds so stiff, awkward and literal because that's exactly what it is. do a straight-up translation of ANY FE game's script and that's exactly what you'll get, and the games as we know them, for better or worse, are always adapted and polished for their English releases to better suit the English-speaking eye. gringe talks about the process in a pretty good example with Zephiel taunting the defeated Hector here

that's not to say, of course, that adaptations, localisations and liberties taken always end up perfect, no matter how necessary the process is. there are plenty of examples of adjustments that kind of fuck up intended conveyances or just fall flat on their face (my personal favourite is Lewyn's "well let's just say my shrink has had steady work for a while" in the FE4 patch)

of course, the entire thing with fan translations is that people do them in their spare time with no real reward. it's grueling without compensation, unless you feed off people getting angry at your translation choices to gain energy or something. understandably, going out of your way to pull a FE11 is considerably less of a priority when your goal is to just get a patch out to let people play the damn thing. i admit claiming this is a tad hypocritical of me given how much time i spend griping about the shittier fan translation scripts, but w/e it's late and i'm rambling again