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Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:00 am
by frosty-theaussie
I was just wondering: many obscure Japanese games that were never given an official English release often often translated by fans without the technical skill to alter the game itself. So what they do is release the translated script for the game so desperate gamers (ie. people like me) print it off and play through the game with it in hand. The thought crossed my mind that perhaps this would be a neat idea to tide people over during the wait for the translation patch?

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:31 am
by Marc
The more time goes on, the more open I am to this idea... what does everyone think? It'd be good to get as many opinions from the people here as possible. Something in HTML that is easily navigable is more what I had in mind, i.e., we make screenshots and divide the HTML screens up the same way the game screens are, so that when you click on Jonathan's phone, for instance, you see the same text you'd get in the game.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:22 am
by 87th
Marc wrote:The more time goes on, the more open I am to this idea... what does everyone think? It'd be good to get as many opinions from the people here as possible. Something in HTML that is easily navigable is more what I had in mind, i.e., we make screenshots and divide the HTML screens up the same way the game screens are, so that when you click on Jonathan's phone, for instance, you see the same text you'd get in the game.
I'm really quite divided on this, as I think switching between my PlayStation and a browser would be a suitable way for me to play the game, but it wouldn't be the ideal way to experience the game, which is what put off trying to play through it in Japanese (a language which I have an un-noteworthy knowledge of). I'd really love to play the game soon, and an HTML translation could, in theory, work with each version of the game without any reverse engineering.

The thing is, the HTML version sounds like a low-fi remake of Policenauts (without cutscenes, music and some of more dynamic gameplay elements), and I think distributing a game for free would irk Konami a little more than a simple translation patch for dedicated fans. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your proposal, but that's how it sounds to me.

At the moment, I'd rather wait to experience the full, cinematic experience in all it's glory, but I don't want to speak for anyone who's more impatient than myself.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:36 pm
by JimboKudo
I don't quite understand what you mean Marc. Would it basically be a type of interactive translation of some sort online? I wouldn't mind just a plain text translation since I could play part of the game (on my psp so I could have my laptop right there), and then I could just look at what everyone was talking about in the conversation. Still, like 87th, I would kind of like to play the game in it's highest quality. I hope more people reply to this thread, so that everyone can voice their opinion.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:47 pm
by frosty-theaussie
Marc wrote:The more time goes on, the more open I am to this idea... what does everyone think? It'd be good to get as many opinions from the people here as possible. Something in HTML that is easily navigable is more what I had in mind, i.e., we make screenshots and divide the HTML screens up the same way the game screens are, so that when you click on Jonathan's phone, for instance, you see the same text you'd get in the game.
Whatever is easiest, I'd be happy with. Most translation guides are just plain text or a document, that people print out and keep by their side when playing.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:54 pm
by Marc
I've re-thought it, and instead of cutting the screenshots up and having the text pop up in a box like the game, we would put small red dots or something over each of the clickable items in a screenshot, then when you click on them, you jump to the place in a text file (covering that "room") under the screenshot with the corresponding item's translation. This would not be in place of a patched version, just until its release. What do you guys think?

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:00 pm
by 87th
Marc wrote:I've re-thought it, and instead of cutting the screenshots up and having the text pop up in a box like the game, we would put small red dots or something over each of the clickable items in a screenshot, then when you click on them, you jump to the place in a text file (covering that "room") under the screenshot with the corresponding item's translation. This would not be in place of a patched version, just until its release. What do you guys think?
It sounds better, but I still think you'd have to be very careful with how you released it. Distributing a something that could be perceived to be a new version of the game sounds too close to piracy for me to believe Konami would be happy with it. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't run the risk of jeopardising the project, but maybe I'm being a little too cautious?

If you do release the HTML release without any interference from Konami, I will likely be delighted to play it, but I wouldn't want to take any unnecessary risks with this project, considering how much work has gone into it thus far, and how eager people are to see the end result.

Good luck with whatever you decide, Marc.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:32 am
by Spike
87th wrote:the HTML version sounds like a low-fi remake of Policenauts (without cutscenes, music and some of more dynamic gameplay elements), (...)
I'd rather wait to experience the full, cinematic experience in all it's glory
That's exactly what I think.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:34 pm
by The Prince II
I wouldn't be averse to a release of the translated script as a whole (if that's possible). In an ideal universe the translated game would be better, but hey, getting to know the whole story would be good.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:51 pm
by LiquidPolicenaut
I actually like the idea very much Marc. Like you said, it wouldn't REPLACE the translation patch, but kind of be an interactive walkthrough. It's even better for those of us (like me) who have played through the game numerous times and would love to fully undertsand all the little nuances we can't unless they are translated....

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:40 pm
by Marc
Thanks for all the input. I think we may do it for part of the game's prologue, just to see what reaction is like.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:58 pm
by 87th
Sounds like the best route forward for now. Good luck with it.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:40 am
by JimboKudo
Good idea. If you start off with only the prologue, then everyone could see whether or not it would be "dangerous" to make.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:43 pm
by ShinjiPG
What? Waste time with a text-translation instead of trying to release the patch as fast as you can?
I don't want that :x
But well, even if you decide to release it, I won't play it. I'll just wait for the patch. It would be good to be able to play the game during these summer vacations, but I don't want to rush anything.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 2:21 pm
by 87th
ShinjiPG wrote:What? Waste time with a text-translation instead of trying to release the patch as fast as you can?
I don't want that :x
I think the only person who has any intensive work to do on the patch is the programmer. I don't think he'll be involved in the browser version (which won't just be a translated script, unlike your suggestion). It shouldn't delay anything.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 2:46 pm
by Marc
87th wrote:
ShinjiPG wrote:What? Waste time with a text-translation instead of trying to release the patch as fast as you can?
I don't want that :x
I think the only person who has any intensive work to do on the patch is the programmer. I don't think he'll be involved in the browser version (which won't just be a translated script, unlike your suggestion). It shouldn't delay anything.
87th is right. It'll be Artemio, gatse_becker and myself working on this. It won't affect the other work.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:06 pm
by JimboKudo
Hopefully this doesn't tear down the enthusiasm about the patch for some people here. I'd probably play the prologue, but not anything else really, since that would slightly spoil the actual patch for me.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:31 pm
by Omega579
So which screenshots will be used for the project, the PC-98 version or the other versions? I'd much rather see the PC-98 version because the artwork is much nicer. It wouldn't take too much effort to clean up the images from PC-98 version because those are the ones I used for my wallpapers and the images look like they were cels after I put them through Photoshop.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:39 pm
by Marc
Omega579 wrote:So which screenshots will be used for the project, the PC-98 version or the other versions? I'd much rather see the PC-98 version because the artwork is much nicer. It wouldn't take too much effort to clean up the images from PC-98 version because those are the ones I used for my wallpapers and the images look like they were cels after I put them through Photoshop.
It'll just be PlayStation screens, since that's the version we're working with right now. I wouldn't call it its own project; it's more like a teaser for the original one.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:48 pm
by 87th
Personally, I'm planning to play the PlayStation version while using the HTML version on my nearby laptop to get the text.
How are you planning to incorporate the dialogue from the cutscenes in this version? Are you going to include embedded video?

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:56 pm
by Andrigaar
JimboKudo wrote:Hopefully this doesn't tear down the enthusiasm about the patch for some people here. I'd probably play the prologue, but not anything else really, since that would slightly spoil the actual patch for me.
I've played through it twice in Japanese with a less than rudimentary knowledge of the language--just knowing some verbs and inside/outside made all but the purse possible. The only way it'll spoil anything is if reading it in-game instead of elsewhere creates a schism between the two in their mind.

Oh, or if the font they use in the patch is just so clean and sexy that they feel like they found their X-Mas gifts early. Story won't change, just how fast they can read it.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:59 pm
by Modnar
Hell no to that! I want to play it like a real game, not switch from screen to screen to see whats going on, it just takes the life out of it. I want my first experience of the game in english to be special, to actually see the words as if they had always been there. In my opinion you'll just kill the hype by doing something like that...but then again that might be a good thing considering the state of the forums and its antsy members. Thanks, but i'll wait for the patch.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:14 am
by ShinjiPG
Modnar wrote:Hell no to that! I want to play it like a real game, not switch from screen to screen to see whats going on, it just takes the life out of it. I want my first experience of the game in english to be special, to actually see the words as if they had always been there. In my opinion you'll just kill the hype by doing something like that...but then again that might be a good thing considering the state of the forums and its antsy members. Thanks, but i'll wait for the patch.
Exactly what I meant.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:25 am
by JimboKudo
Modnar wrote:In my opinion you'll just kill the hype by doing something like that.
And that's what I meant.

Re: Release of the translated script?

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:10 pm
by Anubis
Hell no to that! I want to play it like a real game, not switch from screen to screen to see whats going on, it just takes the life out of it. I want my first experience of the game in english to be special, to actually see the words as if they had always been there. In my opinion you'll just kill the hype by doing something like that...but then again that might be a good thing considering the state of the forums and its antsy members. Thanks, but i'll wait for the patch.

I'm going to agree with this. I want to play this game as much as anything else, but I'd prefer to wait for the patch. It almost feels like a co-out for the release of the patch.