3rd July 2008, 1:46 AM
I was talking about FFIV with "Edward" actually. Edward IS a main character in that game, and Cecil is the MAIN character.
What's wrong with Lloyd by the way?
Sometimes real names can sound pretty cool. I mean do you really think Richter Belmont is a bad name? I like it anyway. I think if they pulled something like calling him Et'Telmannanadelsiberg Belmont it would have sounded far worse.
Really though, I just find the whole made up name thing to be something that works when done well, but it must be used sparingly. I think it can be overdone sometimes. It gets to the point where a lot of sci-fi shows have cats and dogs but they call them meeps and moops because it's more alien that way. That's fine but at a certain point, it starts sounding ridiculous and cliche to me.
At those times, a line up of main characters with names like Ceci, Rosa, Edward, and so on starts sounding pretty cool in it's own way. Sure they aren't "overflowing with radiating golden name power" but really, even Tolkein stuck in real names here and there.
There's a point there with the reason some names were like that in the Japanese to begin with, but even they use actual Japanese names in some of their purely fantasy settings.
It makes it easier to relate sometimes. It's like how sometimes fantasy characters that talk more realistically, like in some Final Fantasy games, is a nice alternative to the all too common stereotypical "legend talk" you hear in other games, like say Final Fantasy 12 and War of the Lions. Yes, every now and then that method of writing has it's place, but all the time and it gets old really fast.
What I'm saying is I don't get your fixation on doing fantasy the same way every single time. Taste is different, but really to say that it's actually BAD to do these things? I dunno...
For the record, when I actually am forced at blank-point to come up with an original name for a character, I do actually make up a totally original one. I just think that it's far too limiting to say "I actually know people named Ralph so I think that's a stupid name for any character ever".
Seriously, you don't think the name Tina Branford or Edgar Figaro sounds really awesome in it's own way?
Now a name like Mash, THAT'S an example of why sometimes a translation needs to change some things... For the record, that was Sabin of FF6's original Japanese name.
What's wrong with Lloyd by the way?
Sometimes real names can sound pretty cool. I mean do you really think Richter Belmont is a bad name? I like it anyway. I think if they pulled something like calling him Et'Telmannanadelsiberg Belmont it would have sounded far worse.
Really though, I just find the whole made up name thing to be something that works when done well, but it must be used sparingly. I think it can be overdone sometimes. It gets to the point where a lot of sci-fi shows have cats and dogs but they call them meeps and moops because it's more alien that way. That's fine but at a certain point, it starts sounding ridiculous and cliche to me.
At those times, a line up of main characters with names like Ceci, Rosa, Edward, and so on starts sounding pretty cool in it's own way. Sure they aren't "overflowing with radiating golden name power" but really, even Tolkein stuck in real names here and there.
There's a point there with the reason some names were like that in the Japanese to begin with, but even they use actual Japanese names in some of their purely fantasy settings.
It makes it easier to relate sometimes. It's like how sometimes fantasy characters that talk more realistically, like in some Final Fantasy games, is a nice alternative to the all too common stereotypical "legend talk" you hear in other games, like say Final Fantasy 12 and War of the Lions. Yes, every now and then that method of writing has it's place, but all the time and it gets old really fast.
What I'm saying is I don't get your fixation on doing fantasy the same way every single time. Taste is different, but really to say that it's actually BAD to do these things? I dunno...
For the record, when I actually am forced at blank-point to come up with an original name for a character, I do actually make up a totally original one. I just think that it's far too limiting to say "I actually know people named Ralph so I think that's a stupid name for any character ever".
Seriously, you don't think the name Tina Branford or Edgar Figaro sounds really awesome in it's own way?
Now a name like Mash, THAT'S an example of why sometimes a translation needs to change some things... For the record, that was Sabin of FF6's original Japanese name.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)