Questions for JP players

[Oulanbator]

Question: Would Japanese players would be interested in an international translation of FFXI?
By international I mean having the User Interface, names of spells, items, abilities, zones, menus etc in English and Npc dialogs in Japanese.

I'm asking this question because I'm a EU player and I'm speaking French.
I've been playing for 4 years on the EU version, in English. Two years ago, SE fully translated FFXI in French ( and German).
With this translation, I had a chance to experience a game play close to what JP players can experience in an English environment. Basically, the translation was excluding me from the global community because the names of everything were different, so it was really hard to understand others and to be understood.
Talking in English was also a problem because of the auto-translate. Seeing auto-translated words in French in the middle of English sentences was really disturbing.

In the end, that French version was only working when only playing with French players, so I went back to the English version. The Npc dialogs in my own language were really nice, but the UI not in english was preventing me to be able to play with everyone.

I think the full translation exclude communities, and I'd like to know if JP players feel their 100% Japanese version excludes them from the world community and if they would like to have access to a 50% Japanese 50% English version of the game.

[Isiolia]

Does anyone rememeber the effort some JP players put in at the NA release? I remember some would make a post on NA forums about JP manners and the way the JP people party. Instead of saying "thanks for the help and hints" the reactions on the NA boards ended up more like "The JP are trying to force us into their ways!" "We pay for this game - we do what WE want - fuck them"

I remember Aenos on VN boards and Applepie on FFXIOnline doing a lot for the early RDM players. I know Applepie did stop posting, at least for a while, due to a rude NA or two, but the majority were thankful for both of their efforts on the respective boards.

[Sonomaa]

in response to the whole "NA players dont pt for a long time or leave early and we dont want to replace". Ive had more than my share of JP players who dont even give me notice on a good party, they just up and fucking leave. "Have to go, goodbye" and warp. If you are going to fuck me, at least tell me its going to happen, I know you arent having a bad party because if it was my ass would have left a long time ago. Ive had plenty of JPs stay for a long time and plenty MORE of them start a party late then have to ditch an hour or two in because they were tired.

Im not buying the "we are jp and thus have better manners than you silly NAs" load since Ive dealt with many a JP jackass myself, and this is why I LS pt and static everything.

[Cutriss]

Edit - baleeted

[Isiolia]

There's that. There's also the fact that I'd say most of the people I know in-game prefer the "JP style" (as described here) parties where you form up, get some solid hours of XP in, and then break. I mean, if it's like 30 minutes in and someone DC's and doesn't come back or all of a sudden has to go pick up their mom at the police station or something, fine, replace 'em. Otherwise, few people, NA or otherwise, seem to enjoy the constant string of replacement style parties.

[Kyreth]

I remember Aenos on VN boards and Applepie on FFXIOnline doing a lot for the early RDM players. I know Applepie did stop posting, at least for a while, due to a rude NA or two, but the majority were thankful for both of their efforts on the respective boards.

*nods* Aenos (sp) was in many ways part of the core community on VN- a lot of what I learned in being a good RDM at lower levels, we learned from him. And I'm still thankful for it.

[Eruantalon]

Otherwise, few people, NA or otherwise, seem to enjoy the constant string of replacement style parties.

Depends who's being replaced.

I've never had much of a problem being invited into JP parties as long as I include J into my party language. I try my best to include as much JP as I know, plus use the auto translate function to communicate.

I wouldn't say the whole "join together, disband together" is why I love lvling with JP so much more than NA. The party seems to flow a lot smoother. There's no mundane talking amongst JP and they just do their job and get xp. I've yet to pin point exactly why JP parties are better than NA, but I do notice a significant difference between 3-4 merit parties who can barely break chain 13 on birds, and a JP pt on birds breaking chain 50+.

From what I can tell, JP appreciate you trying to speak their language and are friendlier. Generally it makes it easier on them to read their own language no matter who's speaking it.

And my character name isn't even JP, it's Elvish. Doubt there's many JP out there who can recognize the Elvish language. My other character Ekibyougami is JP, but I don't remember getting any JP tells, or leveling much with JP on that character

[Cutriss]

Otherwise, few people, NA or otherwise, seem to enjoy the constant string of replacement style parties.

It's like a zombie PT. I once got asked to join one in progress and based on what the leader had said, the party had gone through about nine people already and had technically been in existence for five hours, with none of the original people remaining.

It's funny how nobody enjoys it, and yet there seems to be an innate expectation on the part of many players to find replacements for people that leave.

I enjoy XPing with my lady a lot more, as it tends to be a more controlled envrionment. Two people seeking together tend to only get picked up for new parties, and when two people leave at the same time, it usually shuts things down.

[Naash]

Why do JP shout for a missions/party/BCNM up to a week before they actually do it? and why do they shout such events with a specific starting time

I think you already know the answer and aren't actually asking, but a point besides preparation/organization is also to prevent other groups from doing the same NM/BCNM at the same time (eg: Hakutaku, etc).

Why is anyone who speaks english pigeon-holed into 'NA'. JP seem to think all english speakers are NA. I'm more curious about French/German and Spanish interactions with Japanese players, I think that's more interesting because it's less common.

That's true :/ usually foreign = NA for Japanese players. I often group with JP and EU players together (whether for events or XP), and I often see Japanese players showing some interest in meeting people from foreign countries that are not US (because it's uncommon, not because they dislike the NA).

Question: Would Japanese players would be interested in an international translation of FFXI?
By international I mean having the User Interface, names of spells, items, abilities, zones, menus etc in English and Npc dialogs in Japanese.

Hm, why on earth would they want that? Nobody would understand what's what anymore.
And a big part of FFXI is already partly in English in the Japanese version, all the monster names are in English, and like most RPGs a lot of the armor/abilities/spells are English words translated in Japanese.
But if you can have the game in your own language, what would be the merit in having it partly in a foreign language?

in response to the whole "NA players dont pt for a long time or leave early and we dont want to replace". Ive had more than my share of JP players who dont even give me notice on a good party, they just up and fucking leave. "Have to go, goodbye" and warp. If you are going to fuck me, at least tell me its going to happen, I know you arent having a bad party because if it was my ass would have left a long time ago. Ive had plenty of JPs stay for a long time and plenty MORE of them start a party late then have to ditch an hour or two in because they were tired.

If this was directed at me, I just stated my experience and what I hear, which is different from your experience. Although, it's true I often hear some JP players tend to be much more rude and not use the usual "manners" when they don't play with other Japanese
Maybe some don't care, maybe some just think "Since foreign players play that way, they won't mind". ><


EDIT: I'm not trying to state someone is right or wrong here. We all have different experiences and I'm just giving what I feel is the reason based on my experience and that of my friends. Feel free to disagree if you saw things differently .

[zoobernut]

I have to say in my experience I have partied with a large variety of different people from different areas and I cannot even see strong enough trends in one group or another to say "NA's" are rude and "JP's" are much more polite. There is a very even mix of assholes all around in every group of people and a just as even mix of very polite nice players.

I have had a lot of experiences of people being rude and leaving a pt without notice or fake DCing and stuff like that. It never seemed like JP players were opposed to leaving a party without notice and this was even in parties that were all JP except me. Sometimes I feel like that explanation is just a lame excuse to be exclusive of certain groups of people.

[Gulkeeva]

in response to the whole "NA players dont pt for a long time or leave early and we dont want to replace". Ive had more than my share of JP players who dont even give me notice on a good party, they just up and fucking leave. "Have to go, goodbye" and warp. If you are going to fuck me, at least tell me its going to happen, I know you arent having a bad party because if it was my ass would have left a long time ago. Ive had plenty of JPs stay for a long time and plenty MORE of them start a party late then have to ditch an hour or two in because they were tired.

Im not buying the "we are jp and thus have better manners than you silly NAs" load since Ive dealt with many a JP jackass myself, and this is why I LS pt and static everything.

haha those JP always crack me up...
We'd make a group... if we pull to slow, one person dies... or anyone goes afk, the JP sometimes is like "Thanks party, bye" *warp* or right in middle of a pull... oh god that sucked.

I've had some nice JP groups though, they'd drag me around place to place to exp. Maybe exchange some random emote spam with the mithra in the group... O_o

[Seraph]

There is a very even mix of assholes all around in every group of people and a just as even mix of very polite nice players.

The man speaks the truth.

[Oulanbator]

Hm, why on earth would they want that? Nobody would understand what's what anymore.
And a big part of FFXI is already partly in English in the Japanese version, all the monster names are in English, and like most RPGs a lot of the armor/abilities/spells are English words translated in Japanese.
But if you can have the game in your own language, what would be the merit in having it partly in a foreign language?

Well, I think that's the opposite ( and many other players I talked with seems to agree).
Communication is all about codes, and having the same codes helps communication. Right now, there is one JP word to write Reraise, plus an English word, plus a French Word, plus a German word.
When we auto translate {Reraise} people understand. But when we write RR, people with different UI won't understand unless they learnt other's codes.

So on a multinational and multilingual platform, it would be logic to propose a single international UI identical for everyone.

I don't see how anyone would have troubles with JA or items names in English. It's not like there is a real meaning, it's all about associating push button => in game consequences.

However, you're right, changing it now would probably cause adaptation difficulties for the actual players.

[Hanyoko]

I'd be happier with an auto-translate/commands that grew with time to incorporate things the players actually commonly do.

{My party is located at}
{Something came up in real life and i need to go}
{Looking for places to camp}
{That name of the actual location the bird camp is at}
and the list could continue

[Arcana]

{That name of the actual location the bird camp is at}

Everyone EU/NA/JP and their third cousin twice removed knows where Nyzul Isle > Bhaflau thickets likely means.

[el_tio]

I'd be happier with an auto-translate/commands that grew with time to incorporate things the players actually commonly do.

1. {My party is located at}
2. {Something came up in real life and i need to go}
3. {Looking for places to camp}
4. {That name of the actual location the bird camp is at}
and the list could continue

1. {Camp} pos zone
2. {Have stuff to do, gotta go!} {work} {friend} etc
3. {/think} {camp} {place} {Short time}
4. {Nyzul Isle} > {Bhaflau Thickets} {bird} {camp}

[Seraph]

1. {Camp} pos zone
2. {Have stuff to do, gotta go!} {work} {friend} etc
3. {/think} {camp} {place} {Short time}
4. {Nyzul Isle} > {Bhaflau Thickets} {bird} {camp}

We only need one new one:

{Hang on, Square Enix doesn't have enough Autotranslate phrases, I'm piecing a new one together.}

[Loziel]

When are the questions and responses going to be posted?

[Silenka]

Everyone EU/NA/JP and their third cousin twice removed knows where Nyzul Isle > Bhaflau thickets likely means.

Think he meant leypoint? That's not in auto-translate for some mysterious reason, and it needs to be.

[Stromgarde]

Wajaom Woodlands only has one map, and coordinates work fine across languages last I checked...