Rising and Shining

Greetings and salutations, everyone!

Okieeomi from the Community team here bringing you the latest on seasonal events in Eorzea. I hope you’re making the most out of the summer this year!

Speaking of which, you have until Friday, 26 August at 14:59 (GMT) / Saturday, 27 August at 0:59 (AEST) to participate in the Moonfire Faire festivities to obtain the Summer Sunset attire and purchase the Summer Bonfire. We’ve already seen a lot of creative use of both rewards so be sure to pick them up before the event’s conclusion.

As per tradition, the Rising event will begin the day after! /cheer

I can hardly believe it has been nine years since the realm was reborn! We welcome all new and veteran Warriors of Light to come enjoy this year’s event!

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Event Period
From Saturday, 27 August 2022 at 7:00 GMT (17:00 AEST)
to Monday, 12 September 2022 at 14:59 GMT (13 September at 0:59 AEST)

How to Participate
Speak with the wandering minstrel located in Ul’dah – Steps of Nald (X:10.1 Y:8.4) to accept the quest. Interesting to see he’s the one offering the quest this time around!

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Quest: Newfound Journey
The wandering minstrel has a request for an experienced adventurer.

Rewards
▼ Clockwork Solus

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This time we have the founding father of the Garlean Empire himself! The facial expression has been perfectly recreated in this miniature clockwork version so that you quite literally remember that he once lived. *wink* *wink*

And since this is a minion…

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You can try and recreate some of your favourite iconic scenes!

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So set aside your favourite glamour and go on a group pose spree with your very own Clockwork Solus! And let’s not forget the highly anticipated Island Sanctuary content is right around the corner and prime for releasing your favourite minions to take beautiful screenshots with! Not that I would be guilty of that or anything…

With the Rising right around the corner be sure to set aside some time to enjoy the celebration!

Okieeomi
– Community team
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Visit the Rising special site.

Hot Eorzean Summer

Greetings everyone! It’s Sicycre from the Community team.

The summer heat has been relentless and I’m hoping you’re all staying hydrated and doing well!

Times like these call for enjoying FINAL FANTASY XIV in a cool, air-conditioned environment, I think.

However, no need to fret because we can still enjoy the thrill of summer from the comfort of home with the upcoming Moonfire Faire seasonal event!

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Event Period
From Wednesday, 10 August 2022 at 8:00 GMT (18:00 AEST) to Friday, 26 August 2022 at 14:59 GMT (27 August at 0:59 AEST)

How to Participate
Speak with Mayaru Moyaru in Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (X:11.5 Y:13.8) to accept the quest. A certain obstacle course is making its return in this year’s event, and you won’t want to miss out on the fun!

If the obstacle course seems daunting–no worries! We’ve got you covered, so feel free to join in on the fun!

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Quest: A Matter of Course
Mayaru Moyaru is perched in his usual spot in the Aftcastle, quivering with excitement to tell you all about this year’s festivities.

Rewards
▼ Equipment: Summer Sunset Attire

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Created with the latest summer fashion trends in mind!

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Of course, each piece can be dyed to your liking, too!

▼ Outdoor Furnishing – Summer Bonfire

\\\ BONFIRE LIT ///

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This burning hot campfire can be placed in your front yard. Don’t miss out on grabbing this new item from the seasonal event vendor!

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It’s a great prop for dancing around with your companions as you watch the fireworks fly!

There’s so much to do and I hope we can make more amazing summer memories again this year!

Sicycre
– Community team

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Visit the Moonfire Faire special site!

Game Update –  Star Wars: The Old Republic

Hello SWTOR Community,

As many of you know, Star Wars™: The Old Republic recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary this past December, which is an incredible milestone for a game. On the heels of that anniversary, we released our seventh expansion, Legacy of the Sith, in February.  Our next content update for that expansion, Game Update 7.1, is slated to be released on August 2nd. This update will incorporate a host of new content and fixes, including:

  • New daily mission arcs for Republic and Imperial players on the planet Manaan
  • A challenging new Operation for 8-player teams 
  • Improvements to our Weapons in Outfitter system
  • Key revelations about Darth Malgus and the Sith lord whose relics he has been pursuing.

We’re excited for you to experience all of this great content next month as our work to ensure Star Wars: The Old Republic remains a best-in-class MMO continues.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is known for its years of storytelling, and capturing players’ hearts for over a decade now. All chapters must close in order for others to begin. We wanted to take the time to wish a fond and wholehearted farewell to Charles Boyd, our Creative Director, and talk about those who are taking the reins for the game after his departure. Charles has been with the company for 16 years and played a significant role in the game’s success. Star Wars: The Old Republic truly is something special and hitting our 10-year landmark together was remarkable. I would like to thank him for playing his part in making that happen; we will miss Charles as a friend and as a colleague and wish him all the best in his next adventure.

As expressed by Gary McKay, BioWare™ General Manager, “It’s always sad to see someone you appreciate go, but I wish Charles all the best in his next adventure. He leaves SWTOR in excellent hands with an incredible team that will carry forward our vision for the game. We are committed to SWTOR’s future as we continue to work on the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect.”

SWTOR’s Design Leadership Team is composed of  talented, experienced developers who have also played pivotal roles in making the experience as special as it is:

  • Eric Musco, Lead Producer: Eric has been a member of the SWTOR team in a variety of roles over his 10+ years at BioWare. Long-time players may know Eric from his many years as The Old Republic Community Manager, but behind the scenes, Eric has been working as a Game Producer for several years. He looks forward to keeping our players’ perspectives front and center as we continue to support and update SWTOR going forward.
  • Ashley Ruhl, Narrative Director: Ashley has made major contributions to SWTOR over the years, from building cinematic scenes for launch to returning to create some of the most pivotal scenes in Knights of the Eternal Throne, and most recently, has acted as the leader of our cinematic team through Legacy of the Sith. In her new role as Narrative Director, Ashley will oversee all of the game’s storytelling efforts as we continue to unfold the mysteries discovered in Legacy of the Sith.
  • Caitlin Sullivan Kelly, Lead Writer: Caitlin has been an indispensable contributor to SWTOR’s narrative team for almost eight years. Caitlin will carry our players’ ten-year-long personal Star Wars sagas forward with all of the new stories, characters, romances, betrayals, and impactful choices SWTOR is known for.
  • Alan Copeland, UX Director: Alan has been on the frontline of modernization in SWTOR, leading the team that is updating our UI/UX experience to make the game more clear, accessible, and fun to play.
  • George Smith, Gameplay Design Director: George has been a part of the SWTOR design team since well before launch, led our Operations team up through Shadow of Revan, and now oversees the full gameplay team.

The world of game development is always evolving and we’re excited to chart out the journey for Star Wars: The Old Republic going forward and share more about those plans with you soon.

– Keith

A Note From Charles Boyd, Creative Director

Even after almost sixteen years, I still can’t fully believe how lucky I’ve been to work on Star Wars: The Old Republic. The Star Wars galaxy has always been a huge part of my life since I was a kid, so getting to play a role in SWTOR’s growth from its initial vision to a colossal release and then an incredible live service for over a decade has been an amazing experience. The team’s passion, creativity, and dedication to this game are incredible; I don’t think I can ever fully express how much I’ve admired and appreciated working with them every single day.

As always, there are some exciting things in the works for the future of SWTOR – storylines and planets and gameplay and characters that I can’t wait to see come to life. I’m really looking forward to experiencing them all right alongside our players. 

So to the team, to our longtime partners at Lucasfilm, and to all of you: thank you so, so much for this amazing journey. I may be moving on from the project, but the Old Republic will never leave my heart.

– Charles

BioWare Developer Story – Pride Edition

Welcome to a very special entry in our Developer Story series! While previous editions have featured a single subject, in the wake of Pride Month in June, we invited some of our LGBTQIA+ colleagues to talk about what the studio and its games mean to them as queer folks. So please allow us to introduce you to Technical Product manager Lina Anderson, Technical Animator Samantha Wald, Programmer Rachel Hammond, and Cinematic Designer Mikayla Stock, who were all kind enough to share their personal histories with us.

How did you end up at BioWare?

RACHEL: Game development was something I’ve wanted to do my entire life, from when I first played with our family’s Atari and NES and on through all my childhood. By the time I got to college, I’d fallen in love with programming as well, so I joined my campus’ Game Developer Association, where I made friends and contacts who helped me land my first job in the industry a bit over 15 years ago. I worked with a few smaller companies before getting my job with BioWare 11 years ago, and I’ve been here ever since.

SAMANTHA: My path into the industry was a lot less direct! I studied broadcasting in college to get into video editing, but I eventually started rendering graphics in 3D. I was instantly hooked, and I started doing rigging for animated shows and films. But I had always been a huge gamer, and about three years ago, I realized my skills would transfer perfectly to technical animation. BioWare has always been one of my favorite studios, and I was so excited when I got the offer to come work here six months ago!

MIKAYLA: I’m relatively new to the games industry, too; I got my start working on 2D educational kids’ games after graduating with a degree in animation. I‘ve been with BioWare for a little over a year now, working on Star Wars™: The Old Republic.

LINA: BioWare is actually my first experience in the games industry, but I’ve been here for over five and a half years. I had dreamed about working in games since I was a kid and was really surprised to get in on my first attempt!

How have BioWare games impacted you as a queer person? 

SAMANTHA: As a trans woman, I spent a large majority of my life being uncomfortable with who I am and how I’m perceived by society. Before I transitioned, games were always an outlet for me to feel comfortable and explore my identity; BioWare games in particular gave me that in a completely supportive, non-judgmental space, and I really don’t think I’d be where I am today without them.

LINA: Agreed. Both Mass Effect and Dragon Age were instrumental in helping me rediscover myself. I’d repressed so much over the years, and building characters that reflected aspects of me that I’d been hiding allowed me to safely explore these thoughts and feelings. I found I was able to talk about things I’d previously kept bottled up, using my characters and companions as proxies—something that I wasn’t yet comfortable enough to do on my own. Nobody batted an eye when I talked about Lady Shepard having a fling with Garrus!

MIKAYLA: I also found BioWare games—specifically the Dragon Age games, for me—at a time when I was still kind of figuring out who I was. I was fortunate enough to be raised in an open-minded household, but it’s always different being told something’s okay versus seeing it on screen in front of you, presented as being completely normal, you know? 

RACHEL: Yes! Watching them start pushing for more inclusion years ago, allowing gay and bi romance options, that was a real help for me at the time. But even outside of my direct personal experience, it was so good to see that inclusion spreading through the industry. 

Why do you think BioWare games resonate so well with queer players?

SAMANTHA: BioWare games have always been about playing your character however you want, so I think it’s exceptionally easy for players to insert themselves into the main character. And since queer folks have had so little representation in the past, BioWare games are likely to be the first place a lot of folks are able to see themselves reflected in media. 

MIKAYLA: Right, they provide a space for players to explore their identities. There are so many well-rounded characters that it’s hard not to find a couple that resonate with you, and watching the story of a character you deeply connect with play out can be incredibly cathartic. And it’s about not being afraid to tell LGBTQIA+ stories! 

RACHEL: Yes—games that try to be more open and attentive towards queer identities definitely help us find ourselves in them. But they help other people see us too; the benefit doesn’t stop simply with our firsthand experience. It also helps normalize queer identities for other players, letting others know we’re real, we’re normal, we’re part of the industry.

LINA: And the thing for me is that the games don’t just have a couple queer characters you can run into, and then you’re off shooting aliens again. These are characters that we grow with through the series, form bonds with, and can choose to be close to. 

Do you think BioWare games have made an impact on the way the industry approaches LGBTQIA+ topics?

MIKAYLA: I think any exposure to LGBTQIA+ topics in games is a step towards normalizing them in the industry, and BioWare’s decision not to shy away from telling those stories, but to embrace them, was a welcome breath of fresh air. 

SAMANTHA: And I think that’s really led the way in de-stigmatizing queer relationships in games. By being this inclusive in games that are both successful and popular, they made it clear that queer representation is not a detriment, but actually a positive and something a lot of players are hungry for. 

LINA: Yeah, I remember seeing the original Mass Effect making waves for having a same-sex romance option. It was absolutely the first major game I was aware of where this was a thing at all, and I think that by showing you could have a gay romance between a human and an alien and not have retailers refuse to stock your games, that may have opened some eyes and made it an easier pitch.

RACHEL: That’s exactly it. The way BioWare handled inclusion rippled through the industry, leading to other studios leaning into that content, which meant that even more games were comfortable with it. It helped move everyone forward.

Do you feel like BioWare sees and supports its queer employees? 

SAMANTHA: To me, the biggest thing I see BioWare doing to support queer employees has been to empower them! I have never seen so many queer people in senior leadership positions as I have in my time here. 

MIKAYLA: Everyone I’ve had the pleasure of working with has been nothing but kind and accepting, and I’ve never felt the need to be anything but myself. That fosters such a great sense of communication and community. I don’t feel like I’m living inside a vacuum while I’m working; the rest of the world still exists and its impact on employees is not taken lightly.

RACHEL: I’ve been with BioWare for more than a decade at this point, and I’ve only seen the support for our LGBTQIA+ staff grow. There have been some missteps along the way, sure, but the most important thing I’ve seen is that people are eager to listen, learn, and do better. I’ve seen a great amount of work put in to ensure that happens in every circumstance. When I started here, I was not out to anyone about being trans. I had transitioned years ago but I was afraid to tell anyone. But in my time here I was given the confidence I needed to come out again, on my terms. So many other workplaces I’ve been at pushed me back into the closet, but BioWare helped me actually feel free to express my whole self.

LINA: Oh, absolutely. If I wasn’t in a place like BioWare, I probably still wouldn’t be out. Coming out as trans was terrifying in general, but knowing my manager and leadership were there for me as I announced who I really was made all the difference.

Thanks to Mikayla, Rachel, Samantha, and Lina for sharing their stories. At BioWare, we’re dedicated to a diverse, inclusive culture, and try to show that through our people and our games. Of course, we know there will always be more to learn in order to best support our teams. But we look forward to that continued growth—because while it may no longer be Pride Month, BioWare is always proud of all our colleagues.

FFXIV Backstage Investigators (No. 9): Localization Team (Pt. 2)

Hello everyone, this is Hama from the Promotional team!

FFXIV Backstage Investigators is a blog series that shares behind-the-scenes stories from the team members who work on all aspects of FFXIV.

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Continuing on from our previous blog, we’re back to interviewing Paul, Pamela, and Odilon from the Localization team, who work on English, German, and French respectively!

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Hama: Do you have a favourite part of the game that you worked on?

Paul: In the many years I’ve worked on FFXIV, I’ve had the pleasure of trying my hand at a little bit of nearly everything, from momentous dialogue moments in the main scenario to miscellaneous side quests delivering packages in Limsa Lominsa. If I had to pick a favourite─or perhaps most memorable─it would have to be the Great Serpent of Ronka quest line from Shadowbringers. And I’m not simply saying that because I fear the wriggly wrath of our serpentine overlord… A very close second is quests from the FFXI collaboration event, The Maiden’s Rhapsody, as I have a soft spot for all things related to FFXI.

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Pamela: Since I joined Square Enix right when the work on Shadowbringers kicked off, my very first content batch─the fisher quest with sweet Frithrik─will always have a special place in my heart. As a long-time player, it was incredibly exciting to step behind the proverbial curtain and be an active, creative part of the game myself.

** This answer contains Endwalker spoilers.**

Click to expand.

In Endwalker, I happened to be in charge of the beginning of the Final Days in Thavnair. The scene in Purusa is an especially vivid memory for me, when Matsya encourages the terrified crowd to pray. On the one hand, it was a unique challenge to adapt this prayer to a format that us Germans are familiar with, while weaving Thavnair’s own principles of faith into it as well. It also had to be simple enough to be spontaneously recited by an array of different voices without losing any of its emotional impact. On the other hand, I will never forget how much that scene ended up affecting me as I was struggling to find the right words that had to bring hope into a moment of deepest despair.

Odilon:
** This answer contains Shadowbringers spoilers.**

Click to expand.

It’s really hard to choose one specific moment. The latter part of the 5.3 MSQ really resonated with me, saying goodbye to your friends as you’re leaving for a faraway land, not really knowing if or when you’ll see them again, well it was strangely familiar. If I had to choose one quest, it would be “The Journey Continues.” The scene with Seto was quite hard to get just right, to convey all the emotions while not overplaying them. I’m very satisfied with the result and the stellar performance by Michel Raimbault and Mathias Kozlowski. They took the text I translated to a whole other level.

Working on the MSQ is generally very rewarding. As a translator, you usually work with written words only, and having such a talented cast play the lines you’ve translated is always a pleasure to listen to. And when everything is assembled in game, it’s quite magical.

Hama: Players often highlight the playful puns and references found in the localization. Could you tell us about how you come up with those?

Paul: When inserting linguistically specific humor or memes, we do so bearing in mind a number of rules that ensure we’re being respectful to the writers’ text, the FFXIV world, and our players.

For instance, we make a distinction between “in-world” text, as viewed by characters in the world of FFXIV, and “system” text as viewed by the players, as well as the tone and content of any given text in Japanese to make sure that humour is appropriate and won’t cause important information or sentiments to be lost.

If a situation is ripe for humour (or at least a groan-inducing pun), the person translating or crosschecking will typically be inspired by the original text or the content itself, and something humorous will come to mind organically. If we desperately need a clever idea─for instance, when working on a minion with a Japanese name that doesn’t translate well─we’ll toss it out to the rest of the translators for brainstorming. Generally, though, we’re not spending all day workshopping jokes. Alas!

Pamela: As mentioned before, there are many parts in the game where we are allowed to let our creativity run fairly free. When you decide to tackle item text, you approach the translation with a certain mindset─you just know that you’re allowed to write more freely there. As such, we draw on our own humour and pop cultural knowledge, inserting it where it feels natural and funny to us. Not every pun or reference will resonate with everyone, but if you end up smirking at your text, there’s surely a handful of players out there who share that particular brand of humor and will enjoy that particular quip.

Odilon: I don’t believe that puns and humour are specific to the localized version, quite the contrary, the Japanese text also has its fair share of puns. Humour in general is one of the hardest things to translate. Even if the words are similar, what’s funny in one language simply isn’t in another. Most of the times, play on words use a language-specific attributes. For example, in Patch 5.2, you get to meet the Qitari tribe in the Rak’tika Greatwood. In Japanese, those quests all end with “tari”, a grammatical tool that’s used for enumeration. After trying and failing to find rhymes in “tari” in French, I finally named the first quest “Qui qui qui sont les Qitari ?” (“Who who who are the Qitari?”). It fit the theme of the quest, reuses a part of the word Qitari and icing on the cake, bears a strange resemblance to a famous cartoon opening in French.

FFXIV is filled with running gags, references to other games in the series and even other works of pop culture. While we try to stay faithful to the original version, when comedy is involved, our goal is more to convey the intent of the writer, to make people smile or smirk, and that often means some degree of adaptation.

Hama: What makes the job worthwhile for you?

Paul: The obvious answer would be when seeing player reactions to announcements for new game content or playing through it themselves, but there’s a lot of fun to be had throughout the entire localization process. Collaborating with the other languages and the developers to breathe life into the game’s world and characters is an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. Make no mistake─the job can be quite demanding, and even after all these years, I sometimes worry my work doesn’t live up to the high standards we set for ourselves. But I have the good fortune of working with an incredibly talented team of people who all push each other to be better. I doubt I would be half the translator that I am had I worked elsewhere.

If anyone is interested in joining us in our localization endeavours, don’t hesitate to send us an application!

Pamela: Personally, FINAL FANTASY XIV has been a part of my life for many years now─ever since beta phase two! It has been a motivator when my Japanese Studies classes seemed particularly taxing, and acts as one of my favourite havens on stressful days to this day. It is also where I forged bonds of long-lasting friendships. As such, I am aware that this game is more than just an MMORPG for a lot of people, me included. Being able to intertwine my love for creative writing with my passion for FFXIV still seems surreal sometimes, even after three and a half years.

Then there are the players, of course, our most prominent source of motivation. When I see everyone engaging with the story and its characters, sharing their thoughts, and excitedly expressing their anticipation for upcoming patches and expansions firsthand. Nothing warms the heart quite as much as knowing that your work contributes to that kind of joy and passion.

By the way: we are looking for reinforcements for our translation team. If you feel like you may be interested, do feel free to send us your application!

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Odilon: Before working on FFXIV, I did a lot of technical and legal translation, where there is little to no feedback concerning your work. But when working on games, thanks to the popularity of streaming, we can get live feedback from our players. It’s always incredibly gratifying to see people laugh or just react while playing the game. You get the satisfaction of having chosen the right words to deliver what the writer wanted to convey in the first place, erasing the boundary of a foreign language.

One more thing that is very specific to FFXIV is teamwork, and the feeling of camaraderie it conveys. People usually imagine translations being done by a lone worker tackling mountains of text, but given the scope of FFXIV, communication is paramount. As I explained before, within our own team, as we spend a good amount of time checking each other’s work, but also with our colleagues from the English and German teams. We also exchange a lot with our QA team, the project management team and of course the developers. All in all, working on FFXIV involves a lot more discussion than people may think.

Which by the way, if you’ve read this article all the way up to this point, and feel like you’d like to join us, we are still recruiting Japanese to French translators. As the world of FFXIV is expanding so does our team need reinforcements! If you’d like to apply, please follow this link.

Hama: Last but not least, please tell us what you’re looking forward to in the future or would like to convey to our Warriors of Light!

Paul: To both our green-leafed sprouts and veteran players, thank you so much for joining us on this FINAL FANTASY journey. The love and support the FFXIV community has shown us is more than we could have ever hoped for. I’ve had the honour and privilege of working with this team for nearly ten years now, and I very much look forward to another ten!

Pamela: What would FINAL FANTASY XIV be without the passion and creativity of the players? They inspire and motivate us every single day and are, after all, what makes this game really special. For this, a big thank you to all of you, both professionally and personally speaking. Those of you who play the game in other languages, I’d like to encourage you to give the German version a try as well. Maybe we’ll manage to positively surprise you after all!

Odilon: Thanks for reading all the way here. I hope that your travels through Eorzea and beyond have been as pleasant as they were for us writing them. The passion that radiates from the FFXIV community is a big source of motivation for us, and pushes us to give our all and offer you the best experience possible. I’d like to encourage you to try the French dub as well, and its formidable cast of talented actors. Try it, you’ll love it!

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This interview has been a look into the Localization team’s immense passion and zeal to convey the world of FFXIV in all of its vigour! It was also an uplifting reminder of how their efforts allow us to experience FFXIV alongside countless Warriors of Light around the globe!

A big thank you to our friends from the Localization team for joining us for this interview!

Hama
– Promotional team

Previous Editions of FFXIV Backstage Investigators
(No. 1): Main Scenario Writer Banri Oda
(No. 2): Lead Level Designer Arata Takahashi
(No. 3): Web Director Hiroyuki Takachi
(No. 4): Lead UI Artist Yoichi Seki
(No. 5): Character Concept Artist Hiroyuki Nagamine
(No. 6): Community Planner Takeshi Kato
(No. 7): Lead Technical Artist Tatsuya Okahisa
(No. 8): VFX Artist Takayasu Ishii
(No. 9): Localization Team (Pt. 1)

FFXIV Backstage Investigators (No. 9): Localization Team (Pt. 1)

Hello everyone, this is Hama from the Promotional team!

FFXIV Backstage Investigators is a blog series that shares behind-the-scenes stories from the team members who work on all aspects of FFXIV.

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The subjects of our ninth interview are…

Paul, Pamela, and Odilon from the Localization team!
The Localization team is responsible for translating FFXIV, which is developed in Japanese, into our supported languages. But did you know they also handle a variety of other tasks in addition to translating in-game text? Since this interview with three of their members is brimming with detail, we’ll be delivering it in two parts!

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Hama: To start us off, could you tell us about yourselves?

Paul: My name is Paul Chandler, and I’m one of the English translation leads for FFXIV. As one might expect, I’ve always had an interest in Japan from games and anime, but my reason for making a more concerted effort in learning the language and eventually moving to Japan stems from FINAL FANTASY XI, believe it or not. I played it for about six years, and in that time, I made a number of good Japanese friends. The game has a built-in translation function that tries to help bridge the language gap, but it wasn’t enough for me. I seized what few opportunities I had to learn Japanese, and eventually stumbled upon a program that allowed me to travel abroad. I’d always dreamed of working in the gaming industry, but I never thought I’d get to pay forward the myriad adventures I had in FFXI by working on FFXIV.

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▲ A screenshot of Paul’s character.

Pamela: My name is Pamela and I have been working for Square Enix and on FINAL FANTASY XIV for three and a half years as the lead of the German team. As a child, I was the biggest fan of Sailor Moon. This love led me to Japanese pop culture as a whole, and later on to Japan’s history, politics, and language. After graduating from high school, I thus decided to try my hand at turning this hobby into a proper career and picked up Japanese Studies at college. Since my second biggest passion in life has always been creative writing, becoming a translator seemed rather natural to me.

So, why Square Enix? Well, FINAL FANTASY belongs to Japanese pop culture as a beer belongs with a pretzel, doesn’t it? (I think in the States you’d say “soft pretzel” … Not the sweet abominations, I don’t think those do well with beer.) As such, after graduating from college, I promptly moved to Japan, tried my luck and the rest is history, as they say.

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▲ A screenshot of Pamela’s character.

Odilon: My name is Odilon, I’m the lead translator for the French version of FINAL FANTASY XIV. Growing up in France in the late 80’s/early 90’s, you got to see a whole lot of Japanese anime on TV, and of course video games were booming as well. I also trained in martial arts, which gave me my first experience with the Japanese language. I wanted to learn more, so I started taking Japanese classes in high school and decided to major in Japanese studies in college. I went on my first trip to Japan during my second year and by the time I completed university, I wasn’t very satisfied with my abilities and decided I should spend at least a year in Japan. Sixteen years later, I still haven’t left!

At first, I trained in FFL (the French equivalent of EFL (English as a Foreign Language)) and taught French for a few years. I had the opportunity to work as an interpreter on a game show in Paris, and within a year I quit my teaching career and secured enough work translating and interpreting. Fast forward to 2019, I’ve been told there was an opening for Japanese to French translators at Square Enix, and I knew I couldn’t miss out on that opportunity.

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▲ A screenshot of Odilon’s character.

Hama: Each of you come from such fascinating backgrounds, but it seems all three of you began from a common interest in Japanese games and anime!

Next, could you explain the localization workflow for FFXIV? For example, what sort of tasks do you work on during a particular patch update?

Paul: The first things that usually cross our desks are lists of items, actions, place names, and so on that will be appearing in the update. Our other English lead, Kate, oversees these, and when reviewing said lists, offers feedback and suggestions to ensure everything is consistent and cohesive within the world of FFXIV.

Odilon: We also have meetings with the development teams, and sometimes are asked to pitch in some character/location/item names.

Paul: Next usually comes the script for voice recordings. Work on the script usually entails peppering the writers with questions, and meetings with both the Scenario team and Cutscene team to make sure everything will match up with all languages once recordings are done. When the script is written and it’s time to begin recording, one or two translators will oversee recordings (via Zoom for now), working with the voice director to ensure the actors fully understand the context of the story, and get the best performance we can.

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▲ Cutscenes with voice acting are often prioritised over other parts.

Hama: I see, so you have to work on the script first, since the voice recordings take place before all of the in-game text is finished.

Paul: Around the time we’re wrapping up voice recordings, we’ve also likely begun work on the various quests and content to be seen in a given patch.

Odilon: Before we can tackle the translation of the game, we spend some time reading development documents that allow us to get a better understanding of what’s to come for the next patch or expansion─the familiarization phase. As the lead translator, I’m also in charge of dispatching the tasks between the members of the team. FFXIV is a massive game, so we try to keep things new for everyone by rotating who’s in charge of which content with every patch/expansion. Once the planning is set and the text ready to translate, usually each translator is in charge of a specific content (i.e. the MSQ, raid, etc.).

Pamela: Many people are under the impression that the German team translates from the English localized text, but the truth is that we indeed translate directly from the source Japanese. Thus, the lion’s share of our work begins as soon as we receive the first batch of text from the development teams.

Hama: I play the game in Japanese, but even then, I feel like there’s an overwhelming amount of text in FFXIV. It’s incredible that the Localization team translates all of that into each language simultaneously!

Odilon: As FFXIV is being made while we’re translating, there are often changes in the original text, so we need to adjust our version to the latest revision by the end of the development cycle.

Pamela: Implementing changes and additions from the Japanese side often takes up just as much time as the initial translation itself, as well as crosschecks and edits done on the German side. Once we’re happy with the content, we hand it over to QA, who then sift out any remaining mistakes and inconsistencies.

Hama: That’s a staggering amount of work… And not only that, but you also work on translating text outside of the game as well, right?

Paul: There’s usually plenty of other work that begs for our attention as well, such as lore books, merchandise naming, album liner notes, and the like, so there’s always something to fill our time.

Pamela: We take care of different web topics (hello, Lodestone!), read the localization forums and address reported bugs and community feedback, or offer support with lore questions or naming, should the need arise.

JP20220711_he_05.pngJP20220711_he_06re.png▲ The Localization team also provides translations for lore books, as well as some of those important announcements we see on the Lodestone!

Hama: Does your approach to localization change depending on the type of content you’re working on?

Paul: The text in FFXIV is presented to players in a number of different ways, and so naturally, there are different considerations to be taken for each situation. With voiced dialogue, for example, we have to think about not just the text on the page, but also the actors. A person’s tone alone can convey just as much─if not more─than what is written, which can sometimes give us a little wiggle room in how lines are written while still staying true to the intent of the writers. By the same token, we also have to be wary of scenes where voices must match specific timing and character movements.

Pamela: We make sure to faithfully transport dialogue and mood in quests, especially the main scenario, whereas item descriptions allow for more freedom. Character dialogue is all about creative writing, while action tooltips have to follow a specific format and need to be clear as well as easy to understand.

The approach stays the same either way: our goal is to immerse players thoroughly in the world of FINAL FANTASY XIV and to create a relationship to every facet of the game. The main scenario is supposed to make you root for certain characters, while Triple Triad needs to offer a relaxing respite from an adventurer’s life. As such, our approach is mainly to adapt our style from content to content, to create a multifaceted experience.

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▲ Character dialogue and action descriptions each require different styles of writing.

Odilon: It sounds obvious but we don’t approach dubbed dialogue the same way as tutorials or job actions. Some elements in the game have very specific syntax rules, where some are more open to creativity. FFXIV will soon reach its 9-year anniversary since the release of A Realm Reborn, and with its cast of colourful characters─all of which have different speech patterns─a lot of our time is spent studying past occurrences and trying to maintain coherent writing between the dozen or so translators who have contributed to the game since its inception.

Hama: I can see why it’d be important to inspect for consistency, since you’re not translating on your own but as a team.

******

That concludes the first part of our interview with the Localization team. In the second half, we’ll be talking about their favourite moments in the game and what motivates them to work in localization!

Hama
– Promotional team

Previous Editions of FFXIV Backstage Investigators
(No. 1): Main Scenario Writer Banri Oda
(No. 2): Lead Level Designer Arata Takahashi
(No. 3): Web Director Hiroyuki Takachi
(No. 4): Lead UI Artist Yoichi Seki
(No. 5): Character Concept Artist Hiroyuki Nagamine
(No. 6): Community Planner Takeshi Kato
(No. 7): Lead Technical Artist Tatsuya Okahisa
(No. 8): VFX Artist Takayasu Ishii

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This Week at Bungie – 6/23/2022

Perfectly in the Balance

Hello! This is Okieeomi from the Community team.

Can you believe two months have passed since the release of Patch 6.1? And 6.15 launched recently too. I guess it’s true that time flies when you’re having fun! Whether you’re working on the main scenario, tackling the new Extreme or Unreal trial, or challenging the new Ultimate encounter I hope your time in FFXIV has been eventful!

Today we’re excited to share the lyrics for In the Balance, a song featured in Aglaia, the first part of the Myths of the Realm alliance raid dungeon series!

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The song plays when you encounter the final boss of the raid, but if you listen closely, leitmotifs from this track can be heard throughout the other melodies as well.

So, without further ado, enjoy the lyrics!

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In the Balance


O twin gods bless this land, to us treasure bestow
City of desert sands, water and gold below

Lifeblood and rubies red, precious coins cast aglow
Four hands our fortunes mend, that want we may not know

And when we reach our ends, to scales we gladly go
Our fates are yours to bend, to hells and heavens flow

Under arid sky, with silk veils we weave a rainbow
Voices lifted high, dreams upon our backs we carry

When day beckons night (day and night dancing),
As does restless time we never slow

Trusting hand in hand, life death will follow
Stoke now nascent flame, brighter burn, dance with souls afire
May ember catch and red-gold spark rise to new heights
May we want for naught coin can buy
Never see wealth’s river run dry
May we find fortune after life
For this we pray, we pray, we pray, we pray twinfold

Stoke now kindled flame, hotter burn, sing till breath expires
May those who wander paths in the dark find firelight
May we all as true equals die
Never fear unjust favor’s bite
May we be judged by what is right
For this we pray, we pray, we pray, we pray twinfold



******

We hope the lyrics provide better insight into song’s theme and allow you to grasp the feelings of those who call Ul’dah home!

Speaking of In the Balance, we’re pleased to announce that the downloadable EP featuring this song is now on sale! Listen, dance, and sing along to this track to your heart’s content!

Please check out the Lodestone announcement to learn about the downloadable EP.

Until our paths cross once more!

Okieeomi
– Community team

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The one where it’s ok to monkey around. This time.

A Look at THE PRIMALS Live in Japan – Beyond the Shadow Concert

Greetings, everyone! The Square Enix Music team here.

THE PRIMALS recently performed their first dedicated live concert in four years and were joined by many Warriors of Light in the largest venue in the band’s history!

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There were also many viewers watching the paid streaming performance and both the live and online audiences were going wild by the end of the show! Perhaps some of you are still reeling from the excitement that the concert elicited even so many days later.

If you missed the show, an archived recording of the concert is still available for purchase, and can be watched until Monday, 13 June 2022 at 14:59 (GMT) / 15:59 (BST) / Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at 0:59 (AEST)! But today we’d like to reminisce about the show via photos captured during each day of the performances.

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Here’s a shot from May, when the rehearsals began.

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They did rehearsal…

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…after rehearsal…

The sound system’s all good!

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Standing positions are good!

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Stage gimmicks are good!

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Now all that’s left to do is get the show on the road!

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Peeking backstage on the day of the performance…

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Hm? What’s with all the commotion?

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This outfit seems familiar…

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Yoshi-P also joined everyone backstage to chat for a bit.

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At the main entrance, attendees were greeted by an enormous illustration from the ENDWALKER 7-inch Vinyl Single.

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Meanwhile, posters of THE PRIMALS were plastered throughout the venue.

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As the announcements echoed into the sea of stars, THE PRIMALS waited offstage five minutes before the show started in earnest.

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Treasure every moment,
our ephemeral time upon this stage.
May your heart kindle with such joy as to outshine stars.

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It was an energetic and eventful concert, and we even had a surprise appearance from a certain special guest! The pillars of flame during Titan’s theme, the explosive stage effects during Brute Justice’s theme, and many other memorable sights and sounds!

Insatiable and To the Edge were accompanied by awesome gameplay footage submitted by our very own Warriors of Light, resulting in a joint performance between the community and the band! A huge thank you to those who submitted their footage!

The music, footage, and performance effects brought together the in-game experiences of every individual in the concert, making for an electrifying and awe-inspiring two and a half hours.

If you missed out on the concert or want to watch it again, we’ve got you covered! The archive is still on sale for a few more days, and the ability to watch it will end soon too. So, if you’re interested, be sure to check it out.

THE PRIMALS Live in Japan ‒ Beyond the Shadow
Day 1 Performance

Price
3,500 yen (A 220 yen system usage fee will be added separately.)

Sale Period
Until Sunday, 12 June 2022 at 14:59 (GMT) / 15:59 (BST) / Monday, 13 June 2022 at 0:59 (AEST)

Archive Viewing Period
Until Monday, 13 June 2022 at 14:59 (GMT) / 15:59 (BST) / Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at 0:59 (AEST)

Visit the website to purchase the access to the archive.

Furthermore, the tracks that were performed live for the first time can be found in “THE PRIMALS — Beyond the Shadow” which went on sale Wednesday, 25 May, so be sure to check that out as well!

See you next time, PRIMALS!

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