Feature requests for future versions

Talk about Kojima's hard sci-fi masterpiece.
Frogacuda
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:23 pm
Favorite Game: Too many to list.

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Frogacuda »

Marc wrote:
Frogacuda wrote:The internet language thing is the only one that bothers me only because it will become dated so quickly.
To give you some quick replies, I used the internet terms because I'm imagining them as having fully migrated into mainstream speech by 2040 (use of "fail" in particular is spreading today). If the game took place in the present day then I wouldn't have used them.
All sci-fi seems to be a projection of the last few years as an infinite trend. Like in 1957, cars had increasingly large fins, so sci-fi movies from that time had cars with HUGE fins as if that would go forever. In the 80s, people in sci-fi movies had even poofier hair and even bigger shoulder pads and their music was super-new wave.

I kind of get it, but I think internet memes sometimes stick around (lol, rofl, wtf), but usually burn out quickly, so I worry if someone plays this in 5 years it might look silly, like saying "woot" or "glomp" or "leet" or any of the other million terms that have come and gone. Just projecting.
Frogacuda wrote:There are no subs for the T-Gear because everything that's said, with one exception, is written on its monitor. The exception is when the monitor says "Please Authenticate"; this was due to a different view I had of the situation. The Japanese dialogue basically spells out exactly what needs to be done, i.e. clicking on the crest that matches the onscreen prompt, but I disagreed with this. I don't think that a top-secret piece of hardware would give its user any help. Anyone authorized to use it would already know what they have to do. I understand that you're sitting there looking at two words while the voice is speaking, and a couple of beta testers did bring this up, but in the end I decided to leave it this way.
Yeah, I picked up on that, it wasn't a big deal, just thought it would be nice. But it's your vision. Carry on.
fahlim003
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2007 1:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by fahlim003 »

Frogacuda wrote:Saturn version might be cool as it's the latest and arguably most complete with light gun support and more scenes, PLUS you'd be able to reuse most of your existing work as far as graphics and script go.

PC98 version would be interesting because it's probably the most different, and hacking-wise I'd imagine it'd be the easiest. But shoot, you guys should do whatever sparks your interest.
Agreed. If and when the Saturn version comes out, it would be a real treat. Suffice to say if it doesn't I won't complain as the current state is more than bearable with 1 translated/playable version.
snatcher1996 wrote:I' love to have more than 4 save slots per memory card.
You must have a memory card stock-pile, either that or I'm in short supply of available card/slots. I was on the fence about getting another memory recently but after Policenauts it's clear to me I should scoop one for a couple bucks off ebay.
Frogacuda wrote:I think the cursing is an appropriate way to translate disrespectful tone from Japanese. The internet language thing is the only one that bothers me only because it will become dated so quickly. Other than that I don't mind any of this. They kind of should have "cop mouth" to an extent and it never felt gratuitous like in Yakuza or something. I'm glad this isn't super-literal.

Oh, I noticed there's no subs for the T-Gear99 terminal in the pharmacy. Obviously isn't hard to follow despite that, but just another thing that might make it that much more polished.

I don't mean any of this to complain though, the translation is really high quality, especially for the size and scope of it. You certainly don't owe us any updates, but if you're doing them, these are the things I noticed.
Yeah at first I was a little at odds with the slight distinction between the speech and translated subtitles but I understand the approach that was taken so that things were not so literal given a certain scenario. The profanity does seem a little extreme but again the matter of disrespect in Japanese doesn't carry the same weight as it would for a western audience. In that sense it delivers a better sense of tone, I think anyway.

The points Marc made about the T-Gear99 make sense too, I had no real issues there. And while this isn't a bug, I noticed in the end credits at the bottom line of a given listing there appears to be cut-off. That is to say letters that fall below the written line "j, g, p, q, etc.." are not fully shown. Otherwise nice job yet again, I look forward to the thread on the dialogue.
Elrich2k3
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:28 pm

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Elrich2k3 »

How about a translation of Policenauts?
Marc wrote:To give you some quick replies, I used the internet terms because I'm imagining them as having fully migrated into mainstream speech by 2040
Then make your own game that takes place in 2040, and put stupid internet dialect in it. I didn't wait fifteen years to play your imagination, I waited fifteen years to play a game written by Hideo Kojima.

Image
User avatar
Artemio
Site Admin
Posts: 2947
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:33 am
Favorite Game: Snatcher! ... no wait, Policenauts...
Kojima games owned: http://junkerhq.net/kojima.html
PSN: Artemio
Wii Friend Code: 6335316353781527
Xbox Live: JunkerHQ
Location: Mexico
Contact:

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Artemio »

One complaint amongst thousands of plays. Yeah, you count... thanks for sharing your opinion and go learn Japanese by yourself. =)

Although, on second hand. I am sorry, I shouldn't respond like that to you. You sound like the kind of person that only knows one language and doesn't understand a bit about cultural translation and the needs of a localization.

You can also continue waiting for an undefined amount of years until you do your own translation. I bet that will happen soon enough.
From the mathematical perspective, consciousness might be regarded as a second derivative of sensation.
-- Terrel Miedaner

[Junker HQ]
Elrich2k3
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:28 pm

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Elrich2k3 »

Artemio wrote:One complaint amongst thousands of plays. Yeah, you count... thanks for sharing your opinion and go learn Japanese by yourself. =)

Although, on second hand. I am sorry, I shouldn't respond like that to you. You sound like the kind of person that only knows one language and doesn't understand a bit about cultural translation and the needs of a localization.

You can also continue waiting for an undefined amount of years until you do your own translation. I bet that will happen soon enough.
No need for apologies, I have seen the error of my ways.

In fact, I'm going to go buy the restored prints of the recently-discovered nearly-full cut of Fritz Lang's Metropolis that people have been wanting to see for years, and write all of the intertitles in 1337. I'm sure it will have become the de-facto standard for writing the English language in the film's future-setting.
User avatar
Artemio
Site Admin
Posts: 2947
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:33 am
Favorite Game: Snatcher! ... no wait, Policenauts...
Kojima games owned: http://junkerhq.net/kojima.html
PSN: Artemio
Wii Friend Code: 6335316353781527
Xbox Live: JunkerHQ
Location: Mexico
Contact:

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Artemio »

Elrich2k3 wrote:
Artemio wrote:One complaint amongst thousands of plays. Yeah, you count... thanks for sharing your opinion and go learn Japanese by yourself. =)

Although, on second hand. I am sorry, I shouldn't respond like that to you. You sound like the kind of person that only knows one language and doesn't understand a bit about cultural translation and the needs of a localization.

You can also continue waiting for an undefined amount of years until you do your own translation. I bet that will happen soon enough.
No need for apologies, I have seen the error of my ways.

In fact, I'm going to go buy the restored prints of the recently-discovered nearly-full cut of Fritz Lang's Metropolis that people have been wanting to see for years, and write all of the intertitles in 1337. I'm sure it will have become the de-facto standard for writing the English language in the film's future-setting.
The only difference is that this is a digital copy of the game, and which can be changed at will. Not an original piece of art. But you can go on with the drama and when you are done, go on with your life. or simply change your iso to remove those words.
From the mathematical perspective, consciousness might be regarded as a second derivative of sensation.
-- Terrel Miedaner

[Junker HQ]
jongoo
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:16 am
Favorite Game: Street Fighter II
Xbox Live: phantomgreyzero

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by jongoo »

Man and I thought I might have been a purist to a fault. It is what it is and you know what? Most people, like over 90%, of the people that play this translation will find it very entertaining, not to mention be simply grateful that they can finally comprehend it. Think about what the hell you're saying asshole.
User avatar
Project_Noah
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 7:14 am
Favorite Game: Snatcher <3
Kojima games owned: -Metal Gear (NES)
-Metal Gear Solid
-Metal Gear Solid (GH)
-Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
-Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
-Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
-Metal Gear Solid 4: The Guns of the Patriots
-The Metal Gear Solid Essential Collection
-Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops PLUS
-Snatcher (Sega-CD)
-Policenauts (PS)
Location: Oakland, California
Contact:

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Project_Noah »

Wow. It's amazing how unappreciative people are these days... I'm just grateful to finally be able to play it in english.

But, yeah, who cares what "OH I'VE BEEN WAITING 15 YEARS!!!1ONE1 TO PLAAAAY EEET" says, I think you did a fantastic job, Marc and I would gladly bare your children for this.
Image
Marc
General
Posts: 3379
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:46 am

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Marc »

Elrich2k3 wrote:How about a translation of Policenauts?
Marc wrote:To give you some quick replies, I used the internet terms because I'm imagining them as having fully migrated into mainstream speech by 2040
Then make your own game that takes place in 2040, and put stupid internet dialect in it. I didn't wait fifteen years to play your imagination, I waited fifteen years to play a game written by Hideo Kojima.

Image
Well, a localized work is a marriage between the original writer and the translator. As I was unable to consult with the original writer, I had to go with how I felt. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it.
User avatar
epitaph
Runner
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:27 pm
Favorite Game: Deus Ex
Kojima games owned: Snatcher (SCD, US)
Policenauts (PC-98)
Policenauts (3DO)
Policenauts (PS1)
Policenauts (Saturn)
Metal Gear Solid (PS1, EU)
Metal Gear Solid: Integral (PC, EU)
Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2, EU)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PC, EU)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2, US)
Location: Northern Europe

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by epitaph »

Elrich2k3 wrote:How about a translation of Policenauts?
Marc wrote:To give you some quick replies, I used the internet terms because I'm imagining them as having fully migrated into mainstream speech by 2040
Then make your own game that takes place in 2040, and put stupid internet dialect in it. I didn't wait fifteen years to play your imagination, I waited fifteen years to play a game written by Hideo Kojima.
Because translation is totally about taking the original author's exact words and putting them in another language, oh yes. This intention thing the author might've had behind using the specific phrasing in question in the original language? Screw that!

You know what? You can have your literal translation, just go input the script into Google translate; there you go, the original wording, but in English. It wouldn't make any sense whatsoever, but that's not the point, right? You'd be getting a translation rather than a filthy localization, which far more important than coherence.
"The west, so afraid of powerful government, now has no government. Only financial power."

Localization, not translation.

It is a title screen.
Something pushes a button.
LordKarnov42
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:43 pm
Favorite Game: Mother 2
Kojima games owned: Metal Gear Solid (U)
Metal Gear Solid Integral (J)
Metal Gear Solid [Box Set Release]
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (U)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (U) [Playstation 2 Release]
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (U) [Box Set Release]
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (U)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (U) [3-Disc]
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (U) [Box Set Release]
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (U)

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by LordKarnov42 »

/un-derail

I second the idea of adding nameplates to the subtitled dialogue, if it is possible. It sounds like it would be horrible to hack that though. It would come in handy at least until you guys get to the ones with the talking heads.

~LordKarnov42, who is eagerly anticipating a PC98 translation.
User avatar
Mr. F
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:29 pm
Favorite Game: MGS2
Kojima games owned: -Metal Gear Solid
-Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty/Substance
-Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater/Subsistence
-Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
-Metal Gear AC!D
-Snatcher
-Zone of the Enders
-Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner
-Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Mr. F »

I've reached the AMM in Act 2 and...
Spoiler:
...When Ed and Jonathan discuss the Mir, Ed mentions that it's still in orbit. Dunno if you wanna change that at all or keep it as is since the story is in an alternate history/universe and whatnot.
User avatar
Newtype
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:04 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Newtype »

Marc wrote: Well, a localized work is a marriage between the original writer and the translator. As I was unable to consult with the original writer, I had to go with how I felt. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it.
That's so true. Anyone who's at least done translation once in his life, no matter the languages involved, would know that.
Frogacuda
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:23 pm
Favorite Game: Too many to list.

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Frogacuda »

Elrich2k3 wrote:Then make your own game that takes place in 2040, and put stupid internet dialect in it.
Spend your own 8 years translating and hacking the game and do it your way.

These guys did it their way because they wanted to and they happened to be the ones with the skills and motivation to do so. If they didn't, you'd have no English version at all. They didn't get paid and they don't owe you shit. If they wanted to make the people all talk like surfers, that would be up to them, wouldn't it?

Also, Kojima's original vision was a game in Japanese. Any translation is going to have differences in how the player reads it, because it's a very different language. If you really consider the original a precious masterpiece that should never be tampered with, learn Japanese.
Last edited by Frogacuda on Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
slowbeef
Policenaut Hacker
Posts: 1630
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:55 am
Favorite Game: Snatcher

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by slowbeef »

"I AM SO MAD THAT THERE ARE NOT 100 REFERENCES TO URASHIMA TARO AND OTHER SHIT. I ONLY PLAY DIRECT TRANSLATIONS WITH MY KANJI DICTIONARY TO DOUBLECHECK EVERYTHING AND WIKIPEDIA OPEN IN ANOTHER BROWSER SO THAT GLORIOUS NIPPON'S OUTPUT WILL NEVER BE TAINTED BY GAIJIN LIKE YOU NOW WHERE IS THE FIRST INTERNET T-SHIRT GRAPHIC I CAN FIND ALSO I AM ELEVEN."
User avatar
Snatcher42
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:11 pm
Favorite Game: Snatcher!
Kojima games owned: Snatcher (Sega CD & PC Engine), Policenauts (PSX & Saturn), MGS 1 & 2 (PC)
Location: NYC

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Snatcher42 »

Elrich2k3 wrote:In fact, I'm going to go buy the restored prints of the recently-discovered nearly-full cut of Fritz Lang's Metropolis that people have been wanting to see for years, and write all of the intertitles in 1337. I'm sure it will have become the de-facto standard for writing the English language in the film's future-setting.
Have you, you know, actually played the patch? It's not all written in 1337, and what little is used helps characterization. The best praise would be that it isn't a dry, technical translation, but one that preserves the game's personality.
fahlim003
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2007 1:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by fahlim003 »

Mr. F wrote:I've reached the AMM in Act 2 and...
Spoiler:
...When Ed and Jonathan discuss the Mir, Ed mentions that it's still in orbit. Dunno if you wanna change that at all or keep it as is since the story is in an alternate history/universe and whatnot.
Actually, I thought this was a nice touch, it shouldn't be modified either:
Spoiler:
The reason being simply put that when Policenauts was first drafted and even lastly revised in the Saturn iteration the Russian MIR space station was still in orbit and would remain so for another 5 years after it's release. Given how Kojima and co did not have crystal ball to look into the future they wrote their own version and that future includes MIR being bought by the Japanese and having operations continue beyond the March 2001 planned de-orbit which actually happened.
akakak4747
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:35 pm
Favorite Game: Snatcher and soon to be translated Policenauts

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by akakak4747 »

Well there were a very few spelling or grammatical errors. But they can pass.

The only big grudge I had was
Spoiler:
The bomb difusal part. Okay so you cut those 2 wires then remove the magnetic sensor then you remove the 4 screws to open the plate. Then you cut the 3 real wires. The next part where it talks about the paggethjkljalgjlgjd theory or something and how the wires criss-cross diagonally to trick you. I thought they were talking about the 2 wires left uncut on the left side that goes into that maze. For hours I would try to guess why I kept getting it wrong. Until I got the savedstates to work on epsxe and just click on everyone and got it done with.
User avatar
DarkTetsuya
Runner
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:26 pm

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by DarkTetsuya »

I'll admit the internet stuff bugged me a little bit (like it did in the GBA FFs) but like everyone else has said, You're playing Policenauts in english. So I just briefly *facepalm* and get over it just as quickly...

I'm definetly liking the game so far, I'm still midway through the first disc.
Frogacuda
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:23 pm
Favorite Game: Too many to list.

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Frogacuda »

akakak4747 wrote:Until I got the savedstates to work on epsxe and just click on everyone and got it done with.
How did you get savestates working? I couldn't figure out why they weren't working.
User avatar
midori_fox
Runner
Posts: 105
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 7:26 am
Favorite Game: Damn these kind of questions....
Kojima games owned: Metal Gear, 2
Metal Gear Solid, 2, 3, 4
MGPO
Metal Gear Ac!d, 2
Z.O.E, 2
Snatcher (rom)
Policenauts
Location: Washington State USA

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by midori_fox »

Jumping jesus on a pogo stick, what a ungrateful bastard.
You trolling or are you seriously a douche bag?

Btw I don't think names plates are necessary. There are clear
distinctions in the voices and they are usually shown when speeking.
NANTO KAWAI!
johnnythewolf
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 10:35 am
Favorite Game: Policenauts

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by johnnythewolf »

Just a quick question, BTW: what does "URASHIMA TARO" mean? Ed keeps mentioning it for some reason. I heard it's a japanese legend, but I don't get its relevance to the events and why you decided to not translate it.
User avatar
Artemio
Site Admin
Posts: 2947
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:33 am
Favorite Game: Snatcher! ... no wait, Policenauts...
Kojima games owned: http://junkerhq.net/kojima.html
PSN: Artemio
Wii Friend Code: 6335316353781527
Xbox Live: JunkerHQ
Location: Mexico
Contact:

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Artemio »

From Wikipedia:
One fine day a young fisherman named Urashima Tarō was fishing when he noticed a small turtle being tormented by some children. Tarō saved it and let it go back to the sea. The day after a huge turtle approached him and told him that the small turtle he had saved was the daughter of the Emperor of the Sea, who wanted to see him to thank him. The turtle magically gave Tarō gills and brought him to the bottom of the sea, to the Palace of the Dragon God (Ryūgū-jō). There he met the Emperor and the small turtle, who was now a lovely princess, Otohime.
Urashima Tarō illustration by Edmund Dulac

Tarō stayed there with her for a few days, then he was caught by the desire to go back to his village and see his aging mother, so he asked her permission to leave. The princess said she was sorry to see him go, but wished him well and gave him a mysterious box which she told him never to open, for whatever reason. Tarō grabbed the box, jumped on the back of the same turtle that had brought him to the Palace, and soon was home.

But everything had changed. His home was gone, his mother had vanished, the people he knew were nowhere to be seen. He asked if anybody knew a man called Urashima Tarō. They answered that they had heard someone of that name had vanished at sea long ago. He discovered that 300 years had passed since the day he had left for the bottom of the sea. Struck by grief, he absent-mindedly opened the box the princess had given him. Out of it came a cloud of white smoke. He suddenly aged, his beard grew long and white, and his back bent. He was now a very old man. And from the sea came the sad, sweet voice of the princess: "I told you not to open that box. In it was your old age ..."

As always with folklore, there are many different versions of this extremely famous story. In one, for example, after he turned into an old man he took the body of a crane, in another he ate a magic pill that gave him the ability to breathe underwater. In another version, he is swept away by a storm before he can rescue the turtle. Also, there is a version in which he dies in the process of aging (his body turns into dust), as no one can live 300 years.
From the mathematical perspective, consciousness might be regarded as a second derivative of sensation.
-- Terrel Miedaner

[Junker HQ]
User avatar
Newtype
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:04 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by Newtype »

Frogacuda wrote:
akakak4747 wrote:Until I got the savedstates to work on epsxe and just click on everyone and got it done with.
How did you get savestates working? I couldn't figure out why they weren't working.
Create a folder called "S" in the sstates folder.
johnnythewolf
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 10:35 am
Favorite Game: Policenauts

Re: Feature requests for future versions

Post by johnnythewolf »

Artemio wrote:From Wikipedia:
... Urashima Tarō...
Thanks. So it's basically the japanese equivalent of Pandora's box. Considering Ed's nationality, maybe a reference to Pandora would have been a bit more appropriate. But anyway...
Post Reply