FFXVI really needs an 'accurate JP subtitles / translation' mod

[gnome_chomski]

Well, I tried playing with JP voiceover and ENG subtitles like I always do, but I just can't get over the (total lack of) lip-syncing, not to mention that the Japanese dialogue is often wildly different from the english 'dubtitles' shown on screen. Gonna have to do the rest of my first playthrough in English, which is a mild bummer.

It seems like every other subtitle language uses the Japanese script for its translation. Or at least that's how the French subtitles looked to me, which is the only other language I'm fluent in. It sucks that English players don't get that same option.

This got me thinking: Is anyone currently working on moding in an alternative set of subtitles for the JP script? I would happily donate my time and money to help realize a mod like this.

Please note that this is NOT a complaints thread about Koji Fox or "muh localization!!!!" so kindly sashay away before posting any of that off-topic clownery here.

...

UPDATE -- For anyone else interested, we're gonna try to get some momentum going on this via the FFXVI Modding Discord:

https://discord.com/invite/XVX9RAFW

[dannyj147]

To me the lore seems to suit English voice-over better for this game.

[kiteless 凧無し]

This game was actually made with English voices first which should give you a strong indication who the target audience for this fake final fantasy game is

I mean the whole setting is pretty much post medieval England, hence why the game is entirely British actors

Honestly, I'd just skip the Japanese voices with this one, the whole thing was an afterthought and it clearly shows

[redk]

I was so triggered during one of the quest chains.

They kept saying Mythril in the japanese dialog, and nothing in the sub titles even mentionned type of metal or alloys used, ever.

I think the subs had "Mythril" literally once in the entire quest chain, over multiple dialogs. But they kept saying it every like 5 words.

[Takfloyd]

The English version is the correct one. This game was made by the FF14 team, which is English-first.

[Sprocket]

This info is a little off.. The game was written in Japanese (the scriptwriters are Japanese), who worked with Koji Fox and his team to translate/localise it to English immediately (who are very good). This English was used as the canon script for lip syncing etc.

Once this was complete, this was likely re-translated back and adjustments made to Japanese subs and dub. Not sure where other languages fit into this though.

[weiss]

Originally posted by gnome_chomski:

Well, I tried playing with JP voiceover and ENG subtitles like I always do, but I just can't get over the (total lack of) lip-syncing, not to mention that the Japanese dialogue is often wildly different from the english 'dubtitles' shown on screen. Gonna have to do the rest of my first playthrough in English, which is a mild bummer.

It seems like every other subtitle language uses the Japanese script for its translation. Or at least that's how the French subtitles looked to me, which is the only other language I'm fluent in. It sucks that English players don't get that same option.

This got me thinking: Is anyone currently working on moding in an alternative set of subtitles for the JP script? I would happily donate my time and money to help realize a mod like this.

Please note that this is NOT a complaints thread about Koji Fox or "muh localization!!!!" so kindly sashay away before posting any of that off-topic clownery here.

english is the original language for this game incase you didnt know ... and as i wrote this noticed i that takfloyd already wrote the reason for it lol xD.

so, your mod would be not usefull at all.
the english script is aswell written by that koji fox dude. i doubt there are any mistakes lol.

[Zsrai]

Originally posted by Sprocket:

This info is a little off.. The game was written in Japanese (the scriptwriters are Japanese), who worked with Koji Fox and his team to translate/localise it to English immediately (who are very good). This English was used as the canon script for lip syncing etc.

Once this was complete, this was likely re-translated back and adjustments made to Japanese subs and dub. Not sure where other languages fit into this though.

If it's like FF14 (and I'm sure it is, since it's the same team), then the other languages are based off of the JP script. French and German in 14 are pretty much direct JP translations, from what I remember.

And to the OP, yes French and German are mere translations while English has a full localisation.

[FlyingFettucine]

the game was Developed with ENG first hand

[LL Cheese Z]

Originally posted by FlyingFettucine:

the game was Developed with ENG first hand

Is this becoming more and more common? I noticed the same for the new Terminator anime on Netflix (granted, I know Netflix has had a rep with inaccurate subtitles, but that's more like just bad understanding/interpretation of semantics, like "fishing a barrel" vs "fish in a barrel").

Are more and more Japanese forms of entertainment basically getting reversed-localized? Like written for English first, then re-translated/localized back to Japanese?

Edit: and I found kinda odd for Terminator, since it was written by an American. So I wonder if he wrote it as his own basic English script, then gave to the anime studio and they localized it for Japan and then all other languages just followed the JP script.

[REBirthTheEdge]

Japanese game so I am playing with japanese voices but with EN subtitles.

Yeah there are some differences, like Chocobo just called horses in japanese and Benedicta's gang calling her big sis like a gangster/yakuza thing instead of my lady.

[Pnume]

Translation are weird when you ear literally the Japanese voice say Knight with a Japanese accent translated as shield...

[REBirthTheEdge]

Originally posted by Pnume:

Translation are weird when you ear literally the Japanese voice say Knight with a Japanese accent translated as shield...

It's weird because Knight is easier to understand than Shield.

[gnome_chomski]

Yes, I know that the game script was originally co-drafted in English, by Koji Fox. And yes, I understand that the mocap was done with the English VAs, which is why English is widely considered the "default" language by fans. That's not what this thread is about.

As others ITT have noted, there's a substantial difference between the English subtitles and the Japanese voiceover, and you only need an elementary understanding of JP vocabulary to understand this. So it's pretty reasonable to want better / more accurate subtitles if we're playing with JP voices -- isn't this supposed to be one of the great advantages of PC gaming, that we don't have to just settle for the vanilla experience?

Regardless, it seems at the moment that there's no "accurate translation mod" project currently underway for this like there was after FFVII Remake launched. So perhaps I've gotta take matters into my own hands........

[gnome_chomski]

UPDATE -- For anyone else interested, we're gonna try to get some momentum going on this via the FFXVI Modding Discord:

https://discord.com/invite/XVX9RAFW

[Wanda]

"Confirmed by the director Naoki Yoshida that all motion capture work was done with British actors so he recommends everyone to play the game with English original language. Even though people prefer the Japanese dub for these kinds of games, English is the way to go in this game."