Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

What are some good games to play in German?

:Flash:

Arcane
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
6,454
You NEVER translate given names, regardless what language. Cities, descriptions, okay, but not people. Or is you country translating names like Tailor, Fisher, Gates or Banderas in your local language? I don't think so. It's called GIVEN name for a reason, it's not a title or job description anymore.
Of course, if you have read it first in german, Beutelin is his name for you, regardless what other languages say.
Translation in children's books are done because they couldn't pronounce it, or it would confuse them while learning their native tongue. LotR is hardly a children's book though.

But okay, if you say those names are already translations from some fantasy language I give it a pass. But only because the sun is shining today!
Sorry, but that is just nonsense. Of course you do not translate given names in reality - but even then there are exceptions. Half of the people called Smith in the US had ancestors that were called Schmidt.
And you also don't translate names if a novel plays at a specific location in the real world. The first German edition of Brave New World actually changed the location to Berlin to get around this, but that was really a bad move.
But for a Fantasy World, the question is what do you want? Do you want a realistic, self-contained Fantasy World, or do you want to follow some made-up rule?
A Fantasy World where everyone talks German but has English names just doesn't make sense. I prefer untranslated novels, but if I read modern Fantasy novels in German, I always found the English names strange. It's a constant reminder that something is not quite right.
 

JarlFrank

I like Thief THIS much
Patron
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
33,052
Location
KA.DINGIR.RA.KI
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
A Fantasy World where everyone talks German but has English names just doesn't make sense. I prefer untranslated novels, but if I read modern Fantasy novels in German, I always found the English names strange. It's a constant reminder that something is not quite right.

This is one of the reasons I always read English fantasy in English, and German in German.
But I also find it strange when the translation of a name just doesn't fit. Like, the way they translated the cities in Skyrim into German is kinda bad too (played it in English, but a pal told me they translated them all). I guess in English it's just a lot easier to get away with using cheesy names for places, like calling a city Solitude. But having a place being called "Einsamkeit", as an actual place name for a city, just sounds weird. German isn't really a language that does that kind of thing.
 

Bliblablubb

Arcane
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
2,925
Location
Copium Den
Okay, LotR was a bad example. I did not know that Baggins is an actual word, I just assumed they took the "bag part", translated it and added something to make it sond nameish.
So I do a rare thing on the codex: I admit that I was wrong! :obviously:

Btw: Skyrim didn't translate the roadsigns, making the translations of city names especially odd.

Never forget that translations cost a lot of money and they have to cut corners somewhere, mostly by using not-so-great voiceactors. With todays fully voiced games, a character's voice plays a big part in defining his/her personality.
It can also work the other way around. I remember when I got the german SWTOR as a gift back then, but having a crush on FemHawke's english voice. Before downloading the english voice assests, I got curious and played around with a female consular for an hour or so. I liked the german voice and it defined that character for me. When I got home later and started her with the english audio in place, it became a huge disappointment: she suddently sounded like falling asleep any minute. Not the type of character I had in mind for her.
Not a problem if you only know one version, but if know more you start comparing.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom