There is something great in the distance maintained between the characters.
Even the agony of Atton, in the arms of the Exile, if it failed against Sion, do not bear the feeling of "familiarity" to be introduced by the use of "tu " in French.
Kotor 2 would be disfigured by a behavior of its characters which would be normal among teenagers, but completely forbidden between adults, all of which meets for the first time.
Tu is the familiar you, which demonstrates a certain closeness and informality. Use tu when speaking to one
* friend
* peer / colleague
* relative
* child
* pet
Vous is the formal you. It is used to show respect or maintain a certain distance or formality with someone. Use vous when speaking to
* someone you don't know well
* an older person
* an authority figure
* anyone to whom you wish to show respect
Someone in authority may use tu with you, but that certainly doesn't mean that you can respond in kind. You can try asking "On peut se tutoyer ?", but when in doubt, I tend to use vous. I'd rather show someone too much respect than not enough!
And, in Kotor 2, there is no doubt.
Even the exchanges between the Exile and T3-M4 are made with respect.
Only exchanges between Atton and T3-M4 might be on a familiar tone, or from a superior to a subordinate, because of the impossibility, for a thug, to develop a formal relationship with a machine.
But no. Even in an exchange where Atton gets carried away (the one that ends with Atton saying to T3: "Yeah, well, if I'm mean to you, it's because I care." - it's 003EBO_dlg\att3.dlg), Atton will use the "vous" to address to T3.
And I take the opportunity for correcting the French translation of this phrase, notwithstanding the VO :
- 75724 :
- Original :
Yeah, well, if I'm mean to you, it's because I care.
- Old translation :
Qui aime bien châtie bien.
From latin "Qui bene amat bene castigat." This sentence introduces a concept of friendship which is not at all expressed in the original dialogue created by Obsidian and do not exist at all in the relationship between T3 and Atton (ie pazaak game between them!).
- Translation updated :
Ouais... Et bien... si je vous parais vache, c'est que je m'inquiète.
We are in the Old Republic, just after the time of the Legend of the Jedi, in a world of knighthood and nobility (of heart, spirit and behavior)... with thugs, bounty hunters, assassins, Exchange, the Czerkas, the Genoharadan ... and conflicts everywhere... and Siths.
And do not forget, either, before developing the game, Obsidian (as all others), are required to propose to Lucas (and Leyland ...) character profiles for approval (and Mandalore is 63 (in Mandalore years (? - Mandalore Planet beeing of terrestrial class)).
