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Which script is your favorite?

 
Which English script for FF6 do you enjoy the most?
Ted Woolsey (10-1994) [ 4 ]  [50.00%]
The PSX Version (9-1999) [ 1 ]  [12.50%]
RPGONE (aka Sky Render, last updated 3-2005) [ 0 ]  [0.00%]
Tom Slattery (2-2007) [ 3 ]  [37.50%]
Another Script [ 0 ]  [0.00%]
Total Votes: 8
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Posted: 23rd October 2017 03:03

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Black Waltz
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Of note: the PC version, based on the mobile versions, with what I presume are few exceptions, uses the script used in the GBA version, to the best of my knowledge. So it's Tom Slattery's script.

Also, the PSX version (the writer of which is not known to me) is basically just the Woolsey version with a couple of gender-specific pronouns changed and crappier font, seemingly just to make the SNES version look good. But it is technically a different script, referring to Terra as a 'sorceress,' rather than the SNES's 'sorceror.'

If you have reasons for preferring some other English Script, feel free to discuss them.

My personal favorite is the GBA. It can be dry and dull at times, and perhaps the sense of humor of the two writers doesn't quite match up. But really, a lot of humor comes from the writing itself, which is the same in either translation, done by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yoshinori Kitase.

I'm working on porting the GBA script into the SNES version, but you might have already known that.

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Post #213552
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Posted: 24th October 2017 01:52

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Engineer
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I have a nostalgic heart for the Lina Darkstar fan-translation on the IcyBrian forums. I was in middle school at the time it was being finished, and felt like I was too young to make a username for any forums. So I was a hardcore lurker!

I did find a translation that basically comments and improves upon Lina Darkstar's. It's one long word document and doesn't seem to be linked to an actual website, so I'm not going to post it until anyone asks. I like these translations more because they go into the nuances of the Japanese language that the English simply cannot, such as how the characters refer to themselves. For example, Celes uses masculine pronouns and blunt language when she's introduced. As the game progresses she switches to softer language and uses more feminine pronouns. It's wonderful way to imply her finding herself as a woman, without getting sappy. Any English version I've seen doesn't get this transformation across well.

Although I just went on about fan translations, I voted for the GBA translation because I know it's trustworthy and not some hobbyist Japanese learner saying whatever they want (although that was the Woolsey version, in a way, lol). The GBA translation is absolutely superior to the other official version, since it righted a lot of the wrongs of Woolsey's script. Even more amazing was that it kept the line where Edgar voices his feelings for grown up Relm ("Not even a lady yet... Here's hoping you're still around in eight years, kid.") . It's hilarious.

This post has been edited by Harlequin on 24th October 2017 01:54

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Post #213559
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Posted: 22nd December 2017 16:06

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Behemoth
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I prefer the Woolsey script. I would've picked a newer script, if they hadn't taken some of the famous lines out of it. They would've been the superior scripts if they had kept some of the lines like "Son of a submariner!" "Son of a sandworm!" works. It's okay, but it makes more sense. The submariner line is better because it makes less sense. Because it is a nonsensical line, it accentuates Kefka's character better. Kefka needs to be seen as someone who can say things almost stream-of-consciousness.

One line can make or break a scene, or a character, but there are several other great lines taken out. It could be argued that these lines were mistakes in translation, and the new scripts are accurate. But changing them now would be like changing a work of art. Those off-the-wall lines are largely responsible for giving the original US version character.

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Post #214281
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Posted: 22nd December 2017 20:41

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Maniacal Clown
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Quote (BlitzSage @ 22nd December 2017 11:06)
It could be argued that these lines were mistakes in translation, and the new scripts are accurate. But changing them now would be like changing a work of art. Those off-the-wall lines are largely responsible for giving the original US version character.

It's this which is why I feel that people clamoring for "accuracy" and "faithfulness" of translation these days might be a double-edged sword, since we get less of these interesting and distinctive modifications of things. Sure, they may be more "faithful to the creator's vision", but that doesn't necessarily mean more enjoyable, except to some people as an abstract concept.

A similar thing can be said for many creative media that involve some level of "faithfulness" in representing stuff. For example, imagine if the SNES had the storage space that we do as far as music goes. Would we have had the distinctive instrument timbres that we ended up getting for games like Mega Man X, Super Castlevania IV, Super Metroid, Earthbound, and Secret of Mana? No, we'd probably end up with a common set of instruments. Sure, they'd be used in very different ways, like the difference between the lighthearted tracks of Trails in the Sky and the darker orchestral stylings of Dark Souls, but I'd argue they'd still feel less dissimilar.

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 22nd December 2017 20:46

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Post #214288
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Posted: 23rd December 2017 06:41

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Behemoth
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Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey)
It's this which is why I feel that people clamoring for "accuracy" and "faithfulness" of translation these days might be a double-edged sword, since we get less of these interesting and distinctive modifications of things. Sure, they may be more "faithful to the creator's vision", but that doesn't necessarily mean more enjoyable, except to some people as an abstract concept.


I wish that, since the game is text-based rather than audio-based, they could create a version with options for each translation (like the anime sub/dub choice).

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Post #214295
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Posted: 30th December 2018 13:20
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Returner
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While there is only one version available in the West, I know some members have played the original via emulation, so which versions have you played and which one is your favorite if youve played both?
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