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Language Preference for Cutscenes - Printable Version

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Language Preference for Cutscenes - K'nahli - 03-29-2015

So we all have our own preferences when it comes to the language we use when dealing with the game. Unfortunately I can't have multiple polls per thread so I'll be relying on replies to find out the other details I am curious about; so please do remember to reply!

First off, of course, which language do you use and why?

Also, assuming it's not your native language, then do you have any difficulty understanding it and therefore rely on reading the dialogue?

And finally, given that there are a number of players who use Japanese while not being able to speak the language; I am curious if there are any out there who chose that option while not being a fan of Japanese works, such as anime - as seems to be the case with many peoples' reasoning.





For me, when I was handed over control of my character during the Gridanian tutorial, the very first thing I did was play with the settings and when I stumbled across the different audio options, I immediately changed it to Japanese.

Now, I am part of the group whom are influenced by having watched anime in the past(hardly ever these days) but while that garnered my interest in listening to the language as opposed to dubs in a general sense, I feel that my interest in it is completely irrelevant to the fact. Certain games like FFXIV just seem to work only with Japanese for me. I don't know if it's because english voice actors are so much poorer in quality outside of mainstream titles or anything else but it simply never works and just makes me cringe pretty seriously. Everyone tends to sound old with very unfitting voices and/or just don't come off as remotely believable for the little I have heard from trailers and the like. I haven't heard german or french languages to be fair but I might give them a try today out of curiosity and to see how much, if any, comes down to the fact I can't pick up on poorer quality acting from a language I cannot understand.


(Also, I know that some people simply don't feel comfortable listening to a language that they can't understand so I can comprehend that much to an extent(although not entirely since you're forced to read over the dialogue anyways to know when to click on!))

And as a final note, please mind your replies and remember that everyone posting has their own opinions. Let's not get worked up over something so trivial!


Anyways, thank you for reading and, hopefully, participating ^^

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - MadWater - 03-29-2015

I didn't even realize that was an option. So I watch them in English. The localization for this game is super duper though (at least for English), so I really have no complaints. I really wouldn't even call it a "dub" even though the game was written and designed in Japanese.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Meoix - 03-29-2015

While I do prefer English, its merely because I don't feel like reading the subs.
The dubbing is among the worst dubbing I've ever heard for English, it'll go as far as to compare a good english dubbing of an old 80s martial arts Chinese movie.

The voice acting is flat and emotionless, the best VO's being Hydaelyn and Gaius (likely as they're more renowned Voice actors) but all else, no disrespect is done pretty badly, Thancred being easily the worst.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Kurt S. - 03-29-2015

Yeah I didn't know about this until like waay too late. Like I already finished the post game MSQ up until Chrysalis on Kurt too late. 

Still the English voices grew on me so I don't think I'll be changing it any time soon...plus I do like how Yda sounds....also Y'shtola.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - cuideag - 03-29-2015

I do Japanese because I speak it and I don't really care for the English dubs. Some of the characters I don't mind, like Y'shtola, but for the most part I'm not impressed.

Also because the English texts don't really reflect all that is being spoken. This was especially true with Keeper of the Lake. I find the discrepancies interesting.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Berrod Armstrong - 03-29-2015

I do English in the event that there is a name or term I need to hear pronounced.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Cato - 03-29-2015

I'm English, not Japanese so it makes sense to read and listen to the game in English. I see people complain about the voice acting from time to time but it's really not that as terrible as it's made out to be. Some of the English voices - such as Livia's - are pretty awesome.

Some of it is average but that's the case in most MMO's. I also find the English localisation to be absolutely brilliant and most of that is apparent non-existent in the Japanese version so even if I did understand the language I'd likely be disappointed.

Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII are among my favourite RPG's and they boast a similar English language style to FF14 so it works out very well for me.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Unnamed Mercenary - 03-29-2015

I enjoyed watching most in French (sounded the best to me). Sometimes I'll rewatch them in English if I want to pick up pronunciation. German sounded too flat and unless the scene was actually altered to be different in Japanese, I don't enable it.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Seriphyn - 03-29-2015

Given that the actual dialogue is written out into British regionals according to the localization, using Japanese voiceovers would be erroneous, as I'm pretty sure they're not actually saying the displayed text in Japanese.

Also with subsequent patches, I have felt that the English voice acting has improved considerably. Nanamo Ul Nanamo for example (she is terrible in 2.0, but 2.2 onwards is neat). New characters too, like Moenbryda and Aymeric, the latter especially being incredible.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Yssen - 03-29-2015

I prefer the english dub. It has been really fun to see how people have improved since 1.0. There are some terrible voice choices to be sure. Raubahn comes to mind as the weakest performance, but they have gotten better over time/familiarity with the character. Thancred, Merlwyb, and Aymeric are my favorite performances so far. All of the imperials are done well to, particularly Gaius and Livia. Lucia is pretty neat.
Given the nature of VA work, particularly in MMOs, it has been super neat to see some of the VA work improve as the actors understand and get more familiar with their characters. You usually do not see that too often with roles like these.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Ludivine Goultard - 03-29-2015

I came to this thread expecting a lot of people to be talking about Japanese dub superiority, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

The dub itself is...ultimately flat. What I've been picking up on as playing and listening is mostly the lack of incidental noises (ie. when a character is hit, or looks hurt, or gasps, there is no sound, just silence) and background NPCs in crowds don't sound as if they're talking over each other, just one person saying a line, then silence as another NPC says a line.

Still, there are a few hidden gems in there. I like all of the Garlean voices, Midgardsormr sends shivers down my spine, and the temple knights have been well done too.

There's not much more I can do but echo the sentiments of those above me. Everyone seems to raise some good points. What I'm wondering though, is whether the dry and unfitting moments in the English version are the faults of the voice actors, or the voice directors...

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - allgivenover - 03-29-2015

(03-29-2015, 11:34 AM)Seriphyn Wrote: Given that the actual dialogue is written out into British regionals according to the localization, using Japanese voiceovers would be erroneous, as I'm pretty sure they're not actually saying the displayed text in Japanese.

I switch frequently to listen to the differences, and boy is it different.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Marisa - 03-29-2015

(03-29-2015, 11:00 AM)MadWater Wrote: I didn't even realize that was an option. So I watch them in English. The localization for this game is super duper though (at least for English), so I really have no complaints. I really wouldn't even call it a "dub" even though the game was written and designed in Japanese.

I could be wrong, but I believe Koji's team actually writes most the the actual dialogue, with the Japanese side merely outlining the story progression for him.

RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - Edda - 03-29-2015

I listen to it in Japanese just to see how different the text dialogue is from the actual spoken dialogue, and holy fuck is there an intense difference most of the time.

THAT KEEPER OF THE LAKE DIALOGUE THOUGH.


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RE: Language Preference for Cutscenes - K'nahli - 03-29-2015

(03-29-2015, 11:00 AM)MadWater Wrote: I didn't even realize that was an option. So I watch them in English. The localization for this game is super duper though (at least for English), so I really have no complaints. I really wouldn't even call it a "dub" even though the game was written and designed in Japanese.

Oh I certainly wouldn't call it a dub either. When I mentioned that I didn't mean to refer to FF's other languages as such, haha. I was worried it might sound like that actually, sorry!

(03-29-2015, 11:18 AM)cuideag Wrote: I do Japanese because I speak it and I don't really care for the English dubs. Some of the characters I don't mind, like Y'shtola, but for the most part I'm not impressed.

Also because the English texts don't really reflect all that is being spoken. This was especially true with Keeper of the Lake. I find the discrepancies interesting.

(03-29-2015, 01:28 PM)Edda Wrote: I listen to it in Japanese just to see how different the text dialogue is from the actual spoken dialogue, and holy fuck is there an intense difference most of the time.

THAT KEEPER OF THE LAKE DIALOGUE THOUGH.

Grrrr....! This annoys me so much! There's not much I can recognise but reading about the Keeper of the lake thing annoyed me immensely. As someone mentioned, localization is expertly done but I don't understand why they change things around unnecessarily.

Like, I just got out of a cutscene with my new character and it goes like this:

Show Content

Show Content


Tiny example of course but this happens all of the time. I mean.... why?

(oh, and there is a moment where Teledji makes a noise as though he is lost for words but spouts out a whole sentence in english)