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Why does Qyzen talk like Tarzan?


Lodril

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I just started playing Consular, and one thing struck me right away. Qyzen speaks his own lizard language, which is subtitled. The subtitles,however, read like he's speaking a language he doesn't know very well. Why do Qyzen's subtitles read like Tarzan? Does it come out later that he's not really a lizard guy, but is instead just a couple of Ewoks in a lizard suit?
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In some languages there not certain parts of speech. For example, by Russian language no articles nor present-tense linking verbs.

 

Sure, and Chinese doesn't have tenses at all... but when you translate those languages, you don't make the Russians or Chinese sound like morons and then blame it on their language if anyone asks. Translating speech includes translating the grammar.

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It (apparently not) obviously designed to give some flavor to some of the non-basic language speakers.

 

This.

He's an alien species.

He doesn't speak basic

He hasn't a different set of vocal chords (like wookies)

Your toon is a bloody awful translator.

 

For all we know The ole green punching bag may be a shakespeare of trandoshan society.

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This.

Your toon is a bloody awful translator.

 

That's part of what I'm wondering. Does my character just not understand his language very well? Or does Qyzen actually not speak that language very well himself, but it's the only one we have a common understanding of, so he's compelled to use it?

 

I once had a conversation with a little old lady who spoke only Spanish and a little bit of German. I didn't know enough Spanish to understand her, so we had a really awkward halting conversation in pigeon-German.

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Sure, and Chinese doesn't have tenses at all... but when you translate those languages, you don't make the Russians or Chinese sound like morons and then blame it on their language if anyone asks. Translating speech includes translating the grammar.

 

^Bingo.

 

Any other explanation or attempt to "qualify" his poor speech is just a transparent attempt to explain away creative laziness on the parts of the devs in this regard. I'd much rather see a cultured, well spoken Qyzen than the stereotype we have now. At least it would go against type and be memorable and different....other than what we have now which is just basically a grunting big guy.

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It makes sense to me. It's like Welsh not having words for yes and no. You say I do or I don't, or whatever the appropriate verb construction would be, not yes or no. In Wales, you'll often find that even non Welsh speakers use Welsh language style constructions in English. "Did you see your auntie last week then?" "I did." "Can you pick up some milk on the way home?" "I can."
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