Joined: 5/17/2004
Posts: 106
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Far as I can tell, I don't have permission to actually post polls, so I'll just have to do this unfancily and ask you guys to reply.
Preamble:
In the Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy V & Tales of Phantasia discussion threads there has been some talk about what language the runs are to be in. Currently, all of these 4 hour-ish games are being run on their japanese versions. I think this is a bad, bad idea and would like to know what the rest of the boards think about it.
Arguments for using the english version:
The point of this site is to present entertaining videos and a very large part of the entertainment value in an RPG lies in the story. Not being able to understand what is going on would reduce these runs from 'fun' to 'unwatchable' for me. Unless I am mistaken (Bisqwit, got user stats?), the vast majority of downloaders on nesvideos are europeans and americans who presumably can't read japanese - it makes sense to make videos that entertains them instead of the japanese minority.
Arguments made for using the japanese versions, and my counterpoints:
- the texts go so fast that understanding is not the biggest problem
I had absolutely no trouble keeping up with the text in the english-patched ToP test run currently available. If this should be a problem in some other game, I intend to pause so I can read. I can only speak for myself, but for me the story is a large part of these runs. Missing it would be most unfun.
- the Japanese font renderer might be a little faster, because it has less work to do (always 12 pixels wide)
So? Brevity is not the sole virtue of these runs - if that were the case, we'd only have the 2-min Kid Chameleon video, only one Metroid video instead of 3 and so on. Speed is important because it's the only objective measurement of video impressiveness available for a given set of rules and there's no point in using it to compare between two different rulesets. You might as well say that the SMB run is more entertaining than the Megaman run because it's shorter - a ludicrous statement, as the rules for the two runs are entirely different.
- to find and demonstrate which game features were different in USA version
Point, but only applies to those who have already played through the entire game. Most of the times I watch a run, I haven't completed the game and, again, I imagine this is the case for most people. Also, seeing a run with text that you can understand still strikes me as considerably more important.
- site rules don't allow hacks
Arbitrary rule that should be altered when in the way of entertaining videos, which I feel it currently is.
Disclaimer:
It's Bisqy's site and he can use whatever criteria he wants to determine who gets to occupy his webspace and it's [insert name of runner here]'s run and she can use whatever version she's most comfortable with. I'm just trying to lobby them into making runs that I (and, I hope, most people) like :p
Anyhow - discuss! Yea or Nay?
I don't think think you can get the full experience out of a game (especially true with RPGs) if you only watch it being played at uber-speed.
I would vouch for english versions if the games were played to 100% completion and there were longer pauses for the texts. Anyway, I don't feel the point of those videos are the story, but the feat of going through with them incredibly fast using every trick possible.
The audience for 4+ runs is quite small too and most of them are people who have played the game through before. So I don't really care which version the game is run on, I wouldn't watch run of an RPG I have never played.
EDIT: Oh wait, I forgot to vote. I'll go with 'Meh'. ;)
"Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your home."
( Pratchett & Gaiman: Good Omens )
The main reason why I don't allow translation patches is because they are subject to change.
They also contain changes which ... change the game, making it not the official.
I do allow official translations, such as the English version of Chrono Trigger or FF-III USA.
However, these RPG games are stories - I highly recommend people to play them before watching the movie. Watching the movie is dull entertainment compared to playing the game oneself. The target audience of those movies are those who have played the games themselves.
And when you have, the texts are no longer important to be understood, because you can remember what was it all about anyway. However, it's the movie maker's choice, if the versions in question are all official.
I think it would be more fun to watch english runs instead of japanese since I can't make out anything of the japanese text. Even if you have played the game alot before it's still worth to read and understand the text while watching.
I mean.. I can't remember all chats and places where something special is said in FF6 for instance. There for I would like to see english runs instead of japanese.
I agree I can't remember everything what's going on in FF5, and even my basic Japanese understanding doesn't help.
But I don't think I can allow stretching from the restriction.
I"m with bisquick on this one, the only rpg runs i'm gonna watch are games i've played through already. if i want to know the story, i'll play the game myself!
If I'm watching a 4 hour run, I'd probably turbo past the long text areas anyway. The strategies and how the game was beaten so quickly is what matters to me. I don't need to hear Marle tell Crono to help her find the pendant, I'll see him look for it anyway.
I agree that English versions should be used, unless there is no official English version of the game(as is the case with FF5) or unless there is a feature which has been changed that would make the run more exciting(I don't think this has been the case yet). Even though I've played through Chrono Trigger time and time again, I'd still like to be able to follow along with the plot as I watch- yes, I remember what's going on, but you can't virtually have remembered every little thing that's been said.
As for that Japanese text scrolls quicker, I too don't think this is a valid argument, for reasons stated above.
I too prefer English versions, if there is an official English version of the game in question.
The whole idea of these movies is that everything in them can be duplicated on a real console. It is simply impossible (through legal means, anyway) to play FF5 or Tales of Phantasia in English on a SNES, so I don't think one should be allowed to do so for a movie.
Hell, I would've liked to use the translation patch in my Wai Wai World movie, but I didn't for that reason.
-Josh
but then you take my 75 perchance chance of winning, if we was to go one-on-one, and then add 66 and two-thirds ch...percents...i got a 141 and two-thirds chance of winning at sacrifice
The strategies and how the game was beaten so quickly is what matters to me. I don't need to hear Marle tell Crono to help her find the pendant, I'll see him look for it anyway.
I agree with this one. But for example in FF5, I have no clue as to what strategies are being used because I can't understand the commands used in the battles. I can't always remember it just by looking at the animation, either. Therefore I would say YES to fan translations.
