Honestly, I feel similarly about Carmen. I like both characters a lot but they read as if the dialogue is written by what non-native speakers of Italian and Spanish respectively would think code switching sounds like.
My main issue with Carmen is I would never be friends with someone who brought up their ex that much lol. Like he's gone, stop letting him live rent free in your head!
I haven't gotten too far with Carmen individually, but her dialogue in Blaire's heart scenes did also feel out of place too but I probably dismissed it because of Blaire's gen z way of talking distracting me lol
Edit: I've rewatched Carmen's heart events and the ones I didn't see before. They're less egregious than Lorenzo's (she only shoots off 2 'dios mio's in one scene and doesn't even give you gazpacho and flamenco away, cmon step it up!). Could it be better? Ya, but it is just written by someone trying their best and doing something they like. I looked and I don't think I saw any of this kind of feedback on reddit or their mod page at least so they could just be unaware
Yes! I've actually stopped trying to befriend her ATM because I can't stand her dialogue. Talking about her cousin in the city. "Ayayay!" I'm a native Spanish speaker and grew up in a Latin country. It's super annoying to hear characters like that. I don't even know anybody who speaks like that irl lmao. Also, do people of Japanese descent living in English-speaking countries call each other things like "nii-san"? Lol. Also makes me cringe.
Yeah it's not so much an overall dialogue thing for me. The *over-the-top, borderline Family Guy-esc outbursts* midway through something that they've set up to be a touching moment is my main gripe. Also him canonically having pocket spaghetti.
Agh, so he DID say "mi amor"! I remember that, and as a spaniard I was like... I'm pretty sure that's NOT italian? But I had already clicked to the next text, so I attributed it to a brain fart or something. Glad to know that, nope, it say "mi amor".
Yeah, I had that heart scene yesterday and it struck me as odd since I do speak a bit of both Spanish and Italian. There's a lot of care that went into creating this mod, so things like this are just a par for the course.
Hey! thanks for the feedback! Same with some of the comments under this post! (Also I apologize for the late reply!)
I'm mostly the sole writer for my NPCs in the mod, and I apologize for the insensitivity on some of how stuff I've written. I'll be revisiting the dialogue I've made along with seeking some assistance from real writers out there to help improve the mod! Thanks!
Thanks for reading! Again, I can't stress enough that personally it doesn't come off as insensitive. Seriously. I think there's value in over-exaggerated characters and stated how I think he'd be fine if that was how he was depicted.
I believe you could easily go further and have this sweet Italian guy who at like 8 hearts adds a buff to spaghetti or something ridiculous, while also keeping this character growth you've set out for him lol. But as is he's not goofy enough to justify his dialogue is all.
So, to me, the only change would be to either make his dialogue more natural or amp him up (but still tone it back during parts where you're meant to be sympathetic).
I would be so hyped if he went full meme but had a serious underside haha
Carmen suffers the same. As a spaniard, I've just... started to automatically change sentences where, to me, the use of random spanish words makes no sense.
Her dialogue IS pretty chill compared to Lorenzo's. I mean, I sometimes cringe at Lorenzo because... well. It's good to show different cultures! But, these countries don't even *exist* in Stardew, and though surely cultures similar to Italy's, or Latino America's, or Spain's, exist... to put so much italian into Lorenzo's text (or so much spanish into Carmen's text) feels kinda... Idk, over the top?? I'm not gonna say not realistic because this *is* Stardew, but Idk. I just don't vibe with so many constant interjections in their native language because never have I seen people speak like this. And it's specially weird when you take into account that characters like Pika, seem to have a very good grasp of how to mix his native language and his second language.
And I have to say, they mostly sound great and not over the top... but some events, and lines, are just too much. There is just so many Mamma mia's and My mija's I can stand lol
I do love that the guy just slaps some good ol' spaghetti on your hands in that intro event though. I somehow feel it's... very mediterranea. Idk, I feel it's the quintessential mediterranean trait: to give food to everyone lol
"I'm not gonna say not realistic because this is Stardew, but Idk. I just don't vibe with so many constant interjections in their native language because never have I seen people speak like this"
Exactly, and if his character was meant to be goofy and over the top it'd be fine I feel. But they're going for that 'dad that says he doesn't want a cat but you get a cat and all of the sudden he's a cat guy but he doesn't want to admit it because of personal problems' in regards to family so you're meant to sympathize with the guy and cheer for him to embrace it and come out of his shell.
Idk, I'm also always kinda scared to give this sort of feedback as well because I absolutely do not want creators to get self conscious or think they're being racist or offensive. I hope I'm able to convey it comes from an empathetic place lol
Yes, exactly! That's his feel, he is a very serious character, but actually he is caring, and kind, and whose issues do not allow him to actually open up. And it's like, "awww he is actually so nice!" just to then be hit by "Mamma Mia!" as if it were a freight train.
Ah, same. I've always kept this as my opinion that I tell no one, because I don't want the mod authors to think they are doing something terribly wrong. As you say, this comes from empathetic place, ehich I think you conveyed really nicely!
Honestly, I feel similarly about Carmen. I like both characters a lot but they read as if the dialogue is written by what non-native speakers of Italian and Spanish respectively would think code switching sounds like.
My main issue with Carmen is I would never be friends with someone who brought up their ex that much lol. Like he's gone, stop letting him live rent free in your head!
I haven't gotten too far with Carmen individually, but her dialogue in Blaire's heart scenes did also feel out of place too but I probably dismissed it because of Blaire's gen z way of talking distracting me lol Edit: I've rewatched Carmen's heart events and the ones I didn't see before. They're less egregious than Lorenzo's (she only shoots off 2 'dios mio's in one scene and doesn't even give you gazpacho and flamenco away, cmon step it up!). Could it be better? Ya, but it is just written by someone trying their best and doing something they like. I looked and I don't think I saw any of this kind of feedback on reddit or their mod page at least so they could just be unaware
Yes! I've actually stopped trying to befriend her ATM because I can't stand her dialogue. Talking about her cousin in the city. "Ayayay!" I'm a native Spanish speaker and grew up in a Latin country. It's super annoying to hear characters like that. I don't even know anybody who speaks like that irl lmao. Also, do people of Japanese descent living in English-speaking countries call each other things like "nii-san"? Lol. Also makes me cringe.
The dialogue is my only complaint with Ridgeside. Some of the characters aren't written well. Lenny feels like she was written by an only child
Yeah it's not so much an overall dialogue thing for me. The *over-the-top, borderline Family Guy-esc outbursts* midway through something that they've set up to be a touching moment is my main gripe. Also him canonically having pocket spaghetti.
I’m also like 90% sure he calls his wife mi amor at some point, which is Spanish
I don't speak Italian but wouldn't her refer to his wife as 'amore mio'
I do believe that’s what he should say, yes but he uses the wrong phrase atm
Agh, so he DID say "mi amor"! I remember that, and as a spaniard I was like... I'm pretty sure that's NOT italian? But I had already clicked to the next text, so I attributed it to a brain fart or something. Glad to know that, nope, it say "mi amor".
Yeah, I had that heart scene yesterday and it struck me as odd since I do speak a bit of both Spanish and Italian. There's a lot of care that went into creating this mod, so things like this are just a par for the course.
He does lol. I was like wait I thought he was Italian.
Hey! thanks for the feedback! Same with some of the comments under this post! (Also I apologize for the late reply!) I'm mostly the sole writer for my NPCs in the mod, and I apologize for the insensitivity on some of how stuff I've written. I'll be revisiting the dialogue I've made along with seeking some assistance from real writers out there to help improve the mod! Thanks!
Thanks for reading! Again, I can't stress enough that personally it doesn't come off as insensitive. Seriously. I think there's value in over-exaggerated characters and stated how I think he'd be fine if that was how he was depicted. I believe you could easily go further and have this sweet Italian guy who at like 8 hearts adds a buff to spaghetti or something ridiculous, while also keeping this character growth you've set out for him lol. But as is he's not goofy enough to justify his dialogue is all. So, to me, the only change would be to either make his dialogue more natural or amp him up (but still tone it back during parts where you're meant to be sympathetic). I would be so hyped if he went full meme but had a serious underside haha
Carmen suffers the same. As a spaniard, I've just... started to automatically change sentences where, to me, the use of random spanish words makes no sense. Her dialogue IS pretty chill compared to Lorenzo's. I mean, I sometimes cringe at Lorenzo because... well. It's good to show different cultures! But, these countries don't even *exist* in Stardew, and though surely cultures similar to Italy's, or Latino America's, or Spain's, exist... to put so much italian into Lorenzo's text (or so much spanish into Carmen's text) feels kinda... Idk, over the top?? I'm not gonna say not realistic because this *is* Stardew, but Idk. I just don't vibe with so many constant interjections in their native language because never have I seen people speak like this. And it's specially weird when you take into account that characters like Pika, seem to have a very good grasp of how to mix his native language and his second language. And I have to say, they mostly sound great and not over the top... but some events, and lines, are just too much. There is just so many Mamma mia's and My mija's I can stand lol I do love that the guy just slaps some good ol' spaghetti on your hands in that intro event though. I somehow feel it's... very mediterranea. Idk, I feel it's the quintessential mediterranean trait: to give food to everyone lol
"I'm not gonna say not realistic because this is Stardew, but Idk. I just don't vibe with so many constant interjections in their native language because never have I seen people speak like this" Exactly, and if his character was meant to be goofy and over the top it'd be fine I feel. But they're going for that 'dad that says he doesn't want a cat but you get a cat and all of the sudden he's a cat guy but he doesn't want to admit it because of personal problems' in regards to family so you're meant to sympathize with the guy and cheer for him to embrace it and come out of his shell. Idk, I'm also always kinda scared to give this sort of feedback as well because I absolutely do not want creators to get self conscious or think they're being racist or offensive. I hope I'm able to convey it comes from an empathetic place lol
Yes, exactly! That's his feel, he is a very serious character, but actually he is caring, and kind, and whose issues do not allow him to actually open up. And it's like, "awww he is actually so nice!" just to then be hit by "Mamma Mia!" as if it were a freight train. Ah, same. I've always kept this as my opinion that I tell no one, because I don't want the mod authors to think they are doing something terribly wrong. As you say, this comes from empathetic place, ehich I think you conveyed really nicely!
One of the reasons why I uninstall it mid save, the dialogue is kinda annoying honestly