| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Looking forward to it? |
| Yes - Better than Nothing |
|
100% |
[ 18 ] |
| No - Rather Have a Better Translation |
|
0% |
[ 0 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 18 |
|
| Author |
Message |
Tru
Regular
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 170
Location: SomeWhere
|
 Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:58 pm Post subject: Startling Odyssey 2 Project (Its Been Awhile) |
 |
|
**edit** 9-23-2009
Added more screens that show more than just one part of the conversation... not too many more, but I want to wait before posting many more screens until after the font hack.
Not sure how many of you remember me from when I was a bit more active in the scen, but those that do remember me, should also remember that about the same time NightWolve started his project on XakIII, I also started one for Startling Odyssey 2. This project has been on going since I think either 2001, or 2002, something like that, and it has been an on and off project for me. Thanks to NightWolve for showing this was possible!
I kind of dropped off the planet for awhile due mainly to issues in the real world... Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know that the project is still alive and progressing rather well... with all things considered...
First off though, this is not a 100% word for word translation, as throughout the years, my translators have all fell through... so the the translation has gone through 3 machine translators and about 5 web page translators, and with the combined turnout of those translations, we get this fan translation... a rough, not exact to the script... playable version... in English...
Also, some of the translated text had to be summurized because it was longer than the allowed text, and I am not up to trying to figure out how to compress the text or add it to different parts of the disc...
So if you don't mind some changed names/items/spells/text, I hope very soon that you will enjoy this game as well, at least until someone that can translate better than the machine translators can do...
Anyways, the project is about 85-90% completly translated... there are just a few more things I need to get done... afterall, there are over 80 different areas/towns/dungeons/caves/etc to go through...
I have played through the game on a real system, and so far, everything looks very good... all things considered...
I have talked with Dave, and we might be able to make the font look better, but it might be more than I can handle...
Here are a couple of screenshots that are fairly early in the game... once I play ait more with an emulator, I will post screenies from further in the game...
I will hopefully have a patch released soon... it is a lot since the entire project is being done by only me thus far... also depends on what we can do with the font if we really can add a vwf or a different size to limit the space between characters...
Trū
ps: Sorry about the poll, just want to know how much extra effort I should put into releasing this... afterall, a real translator could give a better translation...
More Screenshots added 9-23-2009
Amulets?
 
Church
 
 
Ships
 
 
_________________
There are only 2 races on this planet... the Intelligent and the Stupid...
Last edited by Tru on Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:41 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
David Shadoff
Regular
Joined: 10 May 2002
Posts: 83
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
I say, once it's playable create a patch when you feel comfortable.
I'm not sure if you were stuck using 2-byte SJIS to encode your English text; if that's the case, then there's certainly going to be a good call for a "version 2" of the patch. but I'm sure it would be fun even with an imperfect script - you've obviously put so much effort into it.
We'll get the print function working eventually, but I wouldn't want to put a deadline on it.
-Dave |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Keranu
Elder
Joined: 05 Aug 2002
Posts: 669
Location: Neo Geo Land
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
It's great to see that Tru is still alive! Just as great to see that this project is still alive! I feel like I've gone back in time! Looks like this project has made incredible progress.
_________________
LaZer Dorks |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Peperocket
Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2005
Posts: 30
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Great news !
Happy you don't give up !! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
NightWolve
Elder
Joined: 19 Apr 2002
Posts: 304
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah Tru, variable-width font hacks have been possible for some time now so you don't need to be stuck with that 16x16 font. If not Dave, malducci knows how to do it as well. You should make a post about this over at the PCEngineFX forums if you haven't already.
What would you have to handle assuming the font hack was possible? Mostly just wrapping the strings again and gaining more string space in the process since there'd be less line breaks, less control characters for pausing, etc. It could be automated to an extent with my editor; I did handle automating fixed-width cases, but your old copy probably doesn't have that and updating it for variable-width would be some work. But yeah, over time you could just manually do it; wouldn't have to be done all at once.
Anyhow, congrats! I'm purty surprised you actually continued the project. I wouldn't have ever expected to see this.
EDIT: Oh, I sorta misread your comment, Dave. It's *mostly* not that bad. In SO2's case, single-byte ANSI support is present for character code ranges 0-9, a-z, and A-Z. It takes the ANSI code, looks up the S-JIS code and displays that character. Ask Tru for the CharCodes.txt file that I gave him; I did all the lookup work already when I worked on this. But anyhow, yeah, most of his script is in single-byte ANSI except for special characters like periods, question marks, etc. So if the font hack is done properly to also handle special characters, even more space (slightly) could be created.
_________________
Translation Projects: Xak 3, Ys 4, Ys 1&2 Complete
Boycott XSEED Games!
Last edited by NightWolve on Fri Sep 11, 2009 2:23 am; edited 3 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
EsperKnight
Member
Joined: 11 Jun 2009
Posts: 21
Location: VA, USA
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 11:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hey Tru,
I can help out with the VWF. Dave gave me his notes to look at which I'll be doing this weekend. I may be able to help you out with your space restrictions as well. Email me at esperknight@yahoo.com. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tru
Regular
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 170
Location: SomeWhere
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for the encouragement everyone...
Again, since I posted this, I have made quite a bit more progress... putting in close to 3 hours of time on work days and 5-6 on my days off... It is getting much closer to being fully translated...
And to think, when I first took this project, I thought maybe a year or 2 of work at the max... it has been on and off for 7-8 years... lol
I have also noticed some odd control codes by purposely making errors...
one way gives me a blurry red font (Almost like it is glowing, same ugly font just a different color) and another takes me to the opening credits when I talk to someone... then after the opening cinema, press b to continue playing the game at the current position...
Esper, I will email you tonight... At the current rate I am going, I should at least be able to provide a 100% english alpha patch by the end of the month... and then at some point further down the road (after the font hack) release a better version...
Thanks again for all the encouragement and help.
/waves @ NightWolve - glad I can still surprise you!
_________________
There are only 2 races on this planet... the Intelligent and the Stupid... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Paranoia Dragon
Elder
Joined: 09 Apr 2005
Posts: 366
Location: New Iacon
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
Deffinitly looking forward to it!
_________________
Sentience is the right of all freedom beings? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tru
Regular
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 170
Location: SomeWhere
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
Quick update:
Well, I just sent a patch to EsperKnight so he can add in the font hack, which he plans on doing this weekend provided everything goes well.
After that, I will have some extra things to take care of as well as finishing up the translation and doing a little touching up after seeing how the font fits on the line and what control codes/line breaks I can get rid of or use in different spots... etc...
Since the font hack is taking place so soon, I doubt I will be making a release by the end of this month... possible, but I am not going to hold myself to it... nor should you hold your breath...
Hopefully the font hack goes well and work can resume quickly...
******
Romhacking.net will not post my translation project because they do not post machine translated roms. So this thread will be my main update thread...
_________________
There are only 2 races on this planet... the Intelligent and the Stupid... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
NightWolve
Elder
Joined: 19 Apr 2002
Posts: 304
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 2:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
Wait, you never managed to get *any* human translator to work on this ? Heh-heh. They have a point, I'm afraid... (I saw the 3 machine translations bit, but I guess I assumed you got someone to review it afterwards.)
I sorta took a similar path with Xak III, but that was just to show it was possible to one day have a translated PC Engine game, that is, making an incomplete patch for the early parts of the game using translation software. It was always with the intent/hope that I could get a human translator down the road (Paul England in this case). I would never have completed the whole script that way. Aside from item names, stuff like that, it was utterly horrible, hardly any of it made any sense... Heh-heh.
This sort of thing BTW got made fun of with the Lanfangdood page here. Lower/mute your speakers if you click it, though. ;)
Anyway, define "playable." Can you actually follow the story ?
_________________
Translation Projects: Xak 3, Ys 4, Ys 1&2 Complete
Boycott XSEED Games! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tru
Regular
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 170
Location: SomeWhere
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| NightWolve wrote: | | Wait, you never managed to get *any* human translator to work on this ? Heh-heh. They have a point, I'm afraid... (I saw the 3 machine translations bit, but I guess I assumed you got someone to review it afterwards.) |
That is correct. I sent the script to 4 people over the years who claimed to have an intrest in translating the game, but none ever sent anything back. Some of the items and names within the game have been changed due to space issues as well as some things just not translating. I have studied Japanese myself for the past 3 years, but it has been by books and Rosetta Stone... needless to say, I understand some, but not a whole heck of a lot.
| Quote: |
I sorta took a similar path with Xak III, but that was just to show it was possible to one day have a translated PC Engine game, that is, making an incomplete patch for the early parts of the game using translation software. It was always with the intent/hope that I could get a human translator down the road (Paul England in this case). |
Yeah, I remember that. The translator software that I use most often is Atlas. I have picked up a few dictionaries for it, and overall, it is relatively close. I understand the sentence structures so that helps me a little extra. And when I say it is relatively accurate, it is because I have done a few tests with other translated games, taken the original Japanese dialog, translated it through the software, and compared it to the translation. Now it is not exact, but with a little thinking about it and a few changes of words, it does follow fairly close. Afterall, nothing beats a Human translator.
| Quote: |
I would never have completed the whole script that way. Aside from item names, stuff like that, it was utterly horrible, hardly any of it made any sense... Heh-heh. |
That was my intention and that is also how I felt about SO2. After basically giving up since no translator ever replied back after getting the script, I started studying in my free time. I figure it was close to 3 years of total of reading, listening, etc overall over what, the past 8 years or so...
| Quote: |
This sort of thing BTW got made fun of with the Lanfangdood page here. Lower/mute your speakers if you click it, though.  |
Funny site... I wasn't sure if anything like this would be wanted by anyone, thus one of the reasons as to why I wanted to know if there was any desire for others to have this as well. What started out as a hopeful translation, turned out to be a lost thought... then I started working on it and decided it was going to be a translation for me... since I did like the game overall. After seeing all the translations, I figured I would ask if anyone would be interested in what I will call a "Fanslation." Cant really go with translation since it was done by a fan through a machine translator...
| Quote: |
Anyway, define "playable." Can you actually follow the story ? |
I believe you can. There is definately some touching up to be done, some grammar errors, some fixing of sentence structure, etc etc... By reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startling_Odyssey I got a small background on the characters, which helped me understand the game a little more as well.
I did my best so far, to keep things going in a fluid motion as far as the story line is concerned. There are still quite a few errors that need to be fixed before a final patch could be made... And depending on how the font hack works out, there may be a lot more changes as well given more\proper space.
Is it good enough to be considered 100% fully translated? Nope... but it is an English Fanslation of a Japanese game... 
_________________
There are only 2 races on this planet... the Intelligent and the Stupid... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Validus
Member
Joined: 16 Oct 2009
Posts: 43
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
I think you should most definately release it when you have it 100 percent playable. Grammer errors and little things like that do not bother me, i am happy i can play the game.
Thank you so much and i find it incredible that you were able to translate it using a machine and not a person. I am sure it should not be too tough to find people willing to translate on RomHacking but to each his own.
_________________
soon2 be famous rapper - myspace.com/vallabillz |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stevek666
Elder
Joined: 10 Dec 2002
Posts: 381
Location: New Jersey, baby!
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Tru wrote: |
And to think, when I first took this project, I thought maybe a year or 2 of work at the max... it has been on and off for 7-8 years... lol
|
Ha! As Groucho Marx used to say:
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
Anyway, I just wanted to throw in some words of encouragement, too.
Keep up the good work. It's a shame that real, live human translators are such a rare resource.
_________________
"GunHed has just gone over the speed limit!"
TG-16 Magazines | Nectaris / Military Madness FAQ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tru
Regular
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 170
Location: SomeWhere
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:15 am Post subject: Text Hack Screenies... Looking better... |
|
|
Just wanted to let everyone know that Esperknight has been working hard on getting the font hack in place, and so far I have to say I am happy with the outcome. There are still some bugs and glitches that he is working out but, overall, it is looking rather well...
So far, not only has he been able to provide a new font to the game, but he has also given support from 1byte punctuation...
Feel free to throw out any comments/suggestions/criticism as to how it looks so far...
Here are some screen shots of some the screenshots from early in the game where I have already been able to add more text and reword some things...
Please note that all screenshot are not final and may be subject to change...
With the text hack coming along so nicely, I am not going to release the old patch that I had thought about releasing... I will release a patch when this version gets edited, poiters, and the text bugs/glitches get fixed...
Some names have been changed/altered to fit... such as Balmor became Jack... couldn't see the point in calling him Balm... the status screen only allows for 4 character names...
_________________
There are only 2 races on this planet... the Intelligent and the Stupid... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stevek666
Elder
Joined: 10 Dec 2002
Posts: 381
Location: New Jersey, baby!
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
Tru, the screenshots look fantastic.
1. The font is classic. Really nice. Elegant, except for the "G" and "Y", but there's not much you can do about those lower case letters.
2. Instead of Balmor --> Jack, go for an edgier moniker, like: Jacques, Jok, or Jaquio*. Or, "Balmy". Or, even better: "Barmy".
* for NES Ninja Gaiden fans 
_________________
"GunHed has just gone over the speed limit!"
TG-16 Magazines | Nectaris / Military Madness FAQ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
