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Ferus · **07-01-2017, 04:47 PM**

Stormblood still managed to have a better story than the last four FF games (XV and the XIII trilogy), so there's that. I appreciate the more political focus of SB compared to HW, and most of the characters are great. Except Lyse.

I get what SE was trying to go for, but good lord, it didn't show. After getting back to Ala Mhigo, we still never get to see any sign of Lyse being a competent leader or even doing any leading in general, unlike Hien. Really hoping that future MSQs manage to fix this.

Also please revert the tank damage changes, 270 slaying accs being meta for us is absurd.

Kieron Lohengrin · **07-01-2017, 09:47 PM**

heavensward = skyrim

stormblood = suikoden

everything's bretty gud but the xaela steal the show. sadu is the best and hien is a bro

Edda · **07-01-2017, 10:47 PM**

(07-01-2017, 09:47 PM)Kieron Lohengrin Wrote: stormblood = suikoden

Real talk, the Suikoden vibes were overflowing. That was probably what I loved most about this expansion. Suikoden reigns supreme in the storytelling department though. Stormblood just fell flat in a lot of areas, the pacing in particular was all over the place. Azim Steppe and Hien were highlights (I can't believe SE managed to warm me to the lizard people). Lyse was a huge low point for me, which sucked since I really wanted to like her.

Hancock should replace her as a Scion. What a guy.

Kieron Lohengrin · **07-02-2017, 04:06 AM**

(07-01-2017, 10:47 PM)Edda Wrote:
(07-01-2017, 09:47 PM)Kieron Lohengrin Wrote: stormblood = suikoden

Real talk, the Suikoden vibes were overflowing. That was probably what I loved most about this expansion. Suikoden reigns supreme in the storytelling department though. Stormblood just fell flat in a lot of areas, the pacing in particular was all over the place. Azim Steppe and Hien were highlights (I can't believe SE managed to warm me to the lizard people). Lyse was a huge low point for me, which sucked since I really wanted to like her.

Hancock should replace her as a Scion. What a guy.

Like how Aymeric and his knights gave off a Chris Lightfellow vibe, the Xaela gave off a Karaya clan vibe, and I'm interested to see what happens next to them in 4.1 onward.

And most people will probably use WoW garrisons as a point of reference, but I'd like to see Squeenix try their hand at Suiko-style castle-building / base-building as an expansion / overhaul of the adventurer squadron system. Recruit an army, train and equip them to defend against primals, etc.

Or I'd like to live in an airship. I just really want sky pirate housing

Y'raya · **07-03-2017, 01:08 PM**

Granted, all lower level stuff so far, but I feel like the slight class restructuring feels nice, and I definitely like that I don't have to run off and level something else to unlock my jobs.

Kieron Lohengrin · **07-15-2017, 04:43 AM**

switching back to this game was the correct decision

[Image: byuaCS2.jpg]

Meena · **07-15-2017, 08:29 AM**

Scholar makes me cry, and rage.

AST makes me hate my life.

Momo · **07-15-2017, 12:07 PM**

(07-15-2017, 04:43 AM)Kieron Lohengrin Wrote: switching back to this game was the correct decision

I am hoping that is part of a larger image because it blatantly has like 5 female characters in the foreground and not more than 90% of a male character in it...I get it, bro-gaming, but we'd like to see those hot male bods too.

I have really enjoyed this story so far, but I get this feeling that they are saving a great deal of the story meat for further patches, and I am hoping that includes fleshing out Lyse more. I hate to harp...but I enjoyed Lyse back when she was Y'da, she had clear character points and a purpose, but now she is trying to be shoved into a role she can't hope to fill at this part of the story. Give me more of her sister's story to make me feel for her, give me more of her warm-hearted and vulnerable moments, and give me some battle charged moments so I can believe she is a damn leader.

Otherwise, the Steppe, my god, it is like a true ray of sunshine and fresh air when you first walk in. It just has that open and welcoming feel, being both free and at home all at once...maybe that is just me, but they are at the heart of this expansion certainly.Â

I won't talk about Hien, this thread should probably stay PG13...

Kieron Lohengrin · **07-15-2017, 04:23 PM**

(07-15-2017, 12:07 PM)Momo Wrote:
(07-15-2017, 04:43 AM)Kieron Lohengrin Wrote: switching back to this game was the correct decision

we'd like to see those hot male bods too

mr face has you covered

Yian Kutku · **07-17-2017, 02:37 AM**

Just started the Stormblood story, and have just decided to go to Doma. Haven't actually gone yet; just made the decision.

Am I misremembering, or is the English translation getting more and more distant from the Japanese? I noticed this in Heavensward, where Matoya randomly called Alphinaud "Louisoix's granddaughter" instead of the Japanese "Louisoix's grandchild", but it's getting more pronounced as the MSQ goes on.

An example during one cutscene (that was shown in the launch trailer) involving Fordola:

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It's kind of correct in the broad strokes, but it gives me the impression that the translators just glanced at the Japanese text, got a general idea of what sort of concept it's trying to convey, and then used their own words to express that, marking it good at "close enough".

Edda · **07-17-2017, 03:33 AM**

(07-17-2017, 02:37 AM)Yian Kutku Wrote: Just started the Stormblood story, and have just decided to go to Doma. Haven't actually gone yet; just made the decision.

Am I misremembering, or is the English translation getting more and more distant from the Japanese? I noticed this in Heavensward, where Matoya randomly called Alphinaud "Louisoix's granddaughter" instead of the Japanese "Louisoix's grandchild", but it's getting more pronounced as the MSQ goes on.

An example during one cutscene (that was shown in the launch trailer) involving Fordola:

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FordolaMeffrid (English): Traitor! Kinslayer!
Meffrid (Japanese): But you're Ala Mhigan!

Fordola (English): I am no kin of yours.
Fordola (Japanese): I am of the Garlemald Empire.

It's kind of correct in the broad strokes, but it gives me the impression that the translators just glanced at the Japanese text, got a general idea of what sort of concept it's trying to convey, and then used their own words to express that, marking it good at "close enough".

Yeah the English localization team definitely doesn't go for a very literal translation of the text. They sometimes take a lot of liberties, and we generally get much more flavorful and uh... interesting text as a result. Sometimes it works really well for them, other times not so much - but such instances are all a matter of opinion. See: Keeper of the Lake Shenanigans, Haurchefant 2.0, The Cuckold Weed Puller, and many others that I'm forgetting because I'm useless.

I typically don't prefer super-literal translations though so I'm not complaining. They have their place but more often than not too much literal comes with a lot of boring. Sometimes English localization teams just know how to spice things up yeah? I mean why would you play Final Fantasy XII with Japanese audio when the superior English dub exists? So long as they're telling the same story I'll take the SPICIER version any day of the week.

Yian Kutku · **07-17-2017, 07:48 AM**

(07-17-2017, 03:33 AM)Edda Wrote: Yeah the English localization team definitely doesn't go for a very literal translation of the text. They sometimes take a lot of liberties, and we generally get much more flavorful and uh... interesting text as a result. Sometimes it works really well for them, other times not so much - but such instances are all a matter of opinion. See: Keeper of the Lake Shenanigans, Haurchefant 2.0, The Cuckold Weed Puller, and many others that I'm forgetting because I'm useless.

I typically don't prefer super-literal translations though so I'm not complaining. They have their place but more often than not too much literal comes with a lot of boring. Sometimes English localization teams just know how to spice things up yeah? I mean why would you play Final Fantasy XII with Japanese audio when the superior English dub exists? So long as they're telling the same story I'll take the SPICIER version any day of the week.

Personally I'm mixed. I don't mind more flowery language (although sometimes I have no idea what Baderon is saying, much less Jacke), but when the English translation takes certain liberties, I am hesitant to call it acceptable.

(Weirdly, based on the Japanese dialogue, I think the character who is the most closely translated into English is Urianger.)

The problem comes when the localization inserts nuances and implications that are simply not there in the original, and to no apparent purpose. Going back to the Matoya example, there's no reason for her to either be unobservant enough to mistake Alphinaud for his sister, nor immediately snarky enough to pretend to do so. If there really is a need to emphasize how Alphinaud looks like his sister, the Warriors of Darkness do precisely that later on, so inserting this particular instance just feels redundant.

And then there's the creepy and insensitive text of the Wind-Up Moenbryda minion, that is far more tasteful in the original.

When the translation is not exact, but still remains in the general vicinity of the original, I don't mind. When it does its own thing completely unrelated, though, then I have to judge it on how the changes contribute to the story. And in many cases, the judgment is lacking. It's not offensive, but merely pointless; changing the text just for the sake of changing it.

EDIT: A minor example, from early in Stormblood, involving Zenos:

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So that's an example of how the English translation causes misunderstandings to happen about a character's intent and motivations.

EDIT TO PREVENT DOUBLE-POSTING: Just arrived in Kugane.

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Please tell me this man has the Echo.

Jeanne IX · **07-20-2017, 07:07 PM**

The Far East stuff honestly killed my desire to go through the MSQ and I only just today finished slogging through to 70 because of it.

I just had absolutely no interest in Doma, Hien, Yotsuyu, the Steppe, or anything. The only part I enjoyed was Gosetsu, and even then his

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made me upset. And in the end it's like everything we did over there didn't even matter considering the Doman army had no presence in the climax. They only showed up for Hien to kill some Garlean robots, something anyone could have done.Â

Maybe it's just because I'm still new to the game and so Heavensward's story completely blowing me away is still fresh in my mind, but I really think the story suffered by splitting the focus between Doma and Ala Mhigo. For an expansion whose announcement trailer focused on Lyse and was set in Rhalgr's Reach, it feels like the actual focus on Ala Mhigo was lacking. We didn't get a real look at the way Ala Mhigo works like we did the au ra or Domans (now if only I had been interested in what we saw of those).

I love RDM though, glad I subbed for it! I'm curious to see where this Omega stuff goes too, and mechanically the quests feel good with things like that new action button. I liked the QTE in Shinryu too, just to shake fights up a bit. Preferably without killing me for failing it next time though.

V'aleera · **07-20-2017, 09:46 PM**

(07-20-2017, 07:07 PM)Jeanne IX Wrote: We didn't get a real look at the way Ala Mhigo works

What do you mean by "works"?

Jeanne IX · **07-20-2017, 11:20 PM**

(07-20-2017, 09:46 PM)V Wrote:
(07-20-2017, 07:07 PM)Jeanne IX Wrote: We didn't get a real look at the way Ala Mhigo works

What do you mean by "works"?

The lives of its citizens and how they're handling living under the empire for 20 years. Doma had that subplot about its civilians in Yanxia, with that boy and his little sister and the villagers getting forcibly recruited to work at the nearby castrum. How we got a good long look at Au Ra society in the Steppe. What Ala Mhigo needed was to slow down and look at its society and civilians. The closest that comes to mind is the village with Lyse in the Peaks in the beginning, but it was over much quicker than the Yanxia village.

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