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Author Topic:   Translations and Mindworms

Ogmios posted 12-10-98 12:34 PM ET
I was at the Beyondac site a while ago and saw at the news section that the reason for delaying release of SMAC was the manual translation. If this means what I think I wish it's not true.Though not a native english speaker myself, I don't like translations of manuals. Usually they come up with so stupid words you have to think twice to understand what they want to say.Please
Firaxis and EA tell me it's not true.(it would that much deminish the value of a big game for me.)
Also, do anyone know anything about the native chironian units?I'd like to know how many will there be and which (appart from
mindworms).
CClark posted 12-10-98 12:37 PM ET
There was some info on Chironian units a while back. I think it was in Gamespot's preview. We know of the Mindworms. There is also Xenofungus (although this isn't necessarily a "unit" per se, it may just be a terrain feature). There is also a swarm of Chrion, but I forget what its special ability is.
Autarch posted 12-10-98 12:42 PM ET
There is also a critter called the "isles of the deep" that inhabit the seas and oceans of Chiron.
Titan posted 12-10-98 04:00 PM ET
I think that Firaxis and EA are right to offer the game in more than one language. Although I am a francophone, I will buy the original version, because I hate readind translations. But there are some people that will prefer the translation or that simply dont understand English. It is to be able to attract them that EA and Firaxis will translate the game and the manual. It would be a big error not to do so.
Yo_Yo_Yo_Hey posted 12-10-98 07:18 PM ET
Some more native Chironian units are Gun-cotton trees(that sounds cool!) & Locusts of Chiron, which transport mindworms to attempt & knock your ass out!
Your faithful & hell-bent NIMadier general,
YYYH
Ogmios posted 12-11-98 06:30 AM ET
To Titan :
Well, up to some point, I guess you are right
and possibly in other than greece(my home country) countries, perhaps they do better translations. But since I bought the XCOM:
Apocalypse translated package(I must clarify here that I buy most strategy games I think worthy enough and a few from RPG's mostly)
I lost every sense of humor for these things.
They did a worse job than those done for Windows(you will not believe the name they give for the start button).Anyway sinse it is very difficult to get an English version manual copy once they do a translation, that's my objection.(If they were doing a total conversion I could understand it better).It is a bit akward to have a native language manual explaining an english language version game(But I suppose they do total conversions in French, since it is "in the Map" as we use to say)
To other post repliers:
Thanks for the Info.If you have something new please keep posting.
Titan posted 12-11-98 10:25 AM ET
OGMIOS : I understand now better why you don't like translation. I didn't know that they were tanslating the manual, and not the game. Here in Quebec, often we can buy the original English version, or a completely translated game in French. (It attracts the one that do not speak English.) I agree with that just translating the manual is a bit stupid. hope the original version will be available in your country.
BTW how do they call the Start button, I'm curious.
Ogmios posted 12-11-98 10:43 AM ET
TITAN :
I can't come up with a proper English translation that will give you an idea of it's comic character, but of course you eventually get used to it.Sorry for triggering your curiosity, I don't have it as a principle to be off-topic.
CClark posted 12-12-98 01:00 AM ET
FYI: In my demo docs thread, Jeffrey Morris from Firaxis posted a little blurb basically saying that the game is being held up so that they can do a simaltaneous E/F/G releas in Europe. He did not say if it is a total game translation or just the manual that is being translated.
Even though I don't really care about the translations (as a native English speaker) I can still see where a total conversion would be much preferable over one that was just the manual! For all your sakes, I hope they change everything (and do it well!).
MikeH II posted 12-13-98 07:31 AM ET
Which sounds like they are going to release it in Europe at the same time as the US I hope so.
Hex posted 12-13-98 12:25 PM ET
I think some guy from our (finnish) biggest game selling company said that translations sell much better than non-translated....
And we finns r quiet good with our english (I'm not a very good example, at least with my spelling)
Ogmios posted 12-14-98 12:42 PM ET
I don't know why finnish native versions sell better, but they could be because:
1. Your people are fluent, but not many people speak.(english that is)
2.More native versions available than English speaking ones?
3.Your people are accustomed to translations. Greeks are not.(we don't even translate foreign series and films.There are subtitles for that job.)
Anyway I believe in strategy games Particularly SMAC type, a bad translation can ruin the game(It's more or less the case of words selected, like Football-Soccer.This alienates a European, though just a word.Imagine what they could do with factions or native liveforms.
Xenofungus=Alien Mushroom? thallophytic plant?
Ogmios posted 12-14-98 12:43 PM ET
I don't know why finnish native versions sell better, but they could be because:
1. Your people are fluent, but not many people speak.(english that is)
2.More native versions available than English speaking ones?
3.Your people are accustomed to translations. Greeks are not.(we don't even translate foreign series and films.There are subtitles for that job.)
Anyway I believe in strategy games Particularly SMAC type, a bad translation can ruin the game(It's more or less the case of words selected, like Football-Soccer.This alienates a European, though just a word.Imagine what they could do with factions or native liveforms.
Xenofungus=Alien Mushroom? thallophytic plant?
Antiam posted 12-14-98 03:35 PM ET
Any guesses as to why they want to release them simultaneously? My only thought is that if they released an english version first they may lose a lot of foreign sales to piracy. What other reasons behind the move? Advertising maybe?
Antiam
Ogmios posted 12-15-98 12:35 PM ET
Oooops! Sorry for posting the last message twice!
Antiam, I don't think the reason is piracy(If it is, pirates must have translating software abilities which would cost, a contradiction to the idea).
BTW, I read in a thread that SMAC timeline will be 500 000years.Is that true? If it is how much time passes between turns?
Brother Greg posted 12-15-98 06:50 PM ET
Well, Firaxis have never told us definately on these forums. I tend to doubt the timeline you qouted though.
Marian posted 12-15-98 07:00 PM ET
It is all for the money.
There are people that do not understand English to well to be able to play a game in pure English ( although, how much English can there be, except for the menus ?)
To them they also want to sell it, got it ?
I always buy the original game ( to practice my English and not blame myself when I come back to the States), but a lot of people don't want the English game.
Ciao
Marian
Editor of the Alpha Centauri Zone
http://www.juhu.de/hartel/alpha
Fluke posted 12-15-98 07:49 PM ET
Ogmios: Check the screen-shots of the game. One I saw had the whole planet colonized and it was 23xx but I don't know if that's 2300 years after planetfall or the normal calender.
Also I don't recall how long a year is on Chiron.
They did some manual translations on Starcraft in Denmark - I don't think it added anything to the game since mission brefing wasn't translated anywhere but I think it upped sales. Quite a bit.
Ogmios posted 12-18-98 07:26 AM ET
Fluke:
You probably mean the university2.jpg
It says 2391 mission years(which I guess translates to years after colonization, or departure from Earth, unlikely A.D. years)
Then again we don't know how much time Chironian years would be(or do we?).
Of course translation is about money,I can understand that,I just don't like it.
It encourages you not to learn a different language and in Greece's case(a somewhat small market),the retailers develop a thinking strategy: well, If there are people who will by the Greek version because they are too lazy to learn English,and the english speakers do speak greek,why bother bring the original version, when I can cut the cost by asking for more translated versions?
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Author	Topic: Translations and Mindworms
Ogmios	posted 12-10-98 12:34 PM ET I was at the Beyondac site a while ago and saw at the news section that the reason for delaying release of SMAC was the manual translation. If this means what I think I wish it's not true.Though not a native english speaker myself, I don't like translations of manuals. Usually they come up with so stupid words you have to think twice to understand what they want to say.Please Firaxis and EA tell me it's not true.(it would that much deminish the value of a big game for me.) Also, do anyone know anything about the native chironian units?I'd like to know how many will there be and which (appart from mindworms).
CClark	posted 12-10-98 12:37 PM ET There was some info on Chironian units a while back. I think it was in Gamespot's preview. We know of the Mindworms. There is also Xenofungus (although this isn't necessarily a "unit" per se, it may just be a terrain feature). There is also a swarm of Chrion, but I forget what its special ability is.
Autarch	posted 12-10-98 12:42 PM ET There is also a critter called the "isles of the deep" that inhabit the seas and oceans of Chiron.
Titan	posted 12-10-98 04:00 PM ET I think that Firaxis and EA are right to offer the game in more than one language. Although I am a francophone, I will buy the original version, because I hate readind translations. But there are some people that will prefer the translation or that simply dont understand English. It is to be able to attract them that EA and Firaxis will translate the game and the manual. It would be a big error not to do so.
Yo_Yo_Yo_Hey	posted 12-10-98 07:18 PM ET Some more native Chironian units are Gun-cotton trees(that sounds cool!) & Locusts of Chiron, which transport mindworms to attempt & knock your ass out! Your faithful & hell-bent NIMadier general, YYYH
Ogmios	posted 12-11-98 06:30 AM ET To Titan : Well, up to some point, I guess you are right and possibly in other than greece(my home country) countries, perhaps they do better translations. But since I bought the XCOM: Apocalypse translated package(I must clarify here that I buy most strategy games I think worthy enough and a few from RPG's mostly) I lost every sense of humor for these things. They did a worse job than those done for Windows(you will not believe the name they give for the start button).Anyway sinse it is very difficult to get an English version manual copy once they do a translation, that's my objection.(If they were doing a total conversion I could understand it better).It is a bit akward to have a native language manual explaining an english language version game(But I suppose they do total conversions in French, since it is "in the Map" as we use to say) To other post repliers: Thanks for the Info.If you have something new please keep posting.
Titan	posted 12-11-98 10:25 AM ET OGMIOS : I understand now better why you don't like translation. I didn't know that they were tanslating the manual, and not the game. Here in Quebec, often we can buy the original English version, or a completely translated game in French. (It attracts the one that do not speak English.) I agree with that just translating the manual is a bit stupid. hope the original version will be available in your country. BTW how do they call the Start button, I'm curious.
Ogmios	posted 12-11-98 10:43 AM ET TITAN : I can't come up with a proper English translation that will give you an idea of it's comic character, but of course you eventually get used to it.Sorry for triggering your curiosity, I don't have it as a principle to be off-topic.
CClark	posted 12-12-98 01:00 AM ET FYI: In my demo docs thread, Jeffrey Morris from Firaxis posted a little blurb basically saying that the game is being held up so that they can do a simaltaneous E/F/G releas in Europe. He did not say if it is a total game translation or just the manual that is being translated. Even though I don't really care about the translations (as a native English speaker) I can still see where a total conversion would be much preferable over one that was just the manual! For all your sakes, I hope they change everything (and do it well!).
MikeH II	posted 12-13-98 07:31 AM ET Which sounds like they are going to release it in Europe at the same time as the US I hope so.
Hex	posted 12-13-98 12:25 PM ET I think some guy from our (finnish) biggest game selling company said that translations sell much better than non-translated.... And we finns r quiet good with our english (I'm not a very good example, at least with my spelling)
Ogmios	posted 12-14-98 12:42 PM ET I don't know why finnish native versions sell better, but they could be because: 1. Your people are fluent, but not many people speak.(english that is) 2.More native versions available than English speaking ones? 3.Your people are accustomed to translations. Greeks are not.(we don't even translate foreign series and films.There are subtitles for that job.) Anyway I believe in strategy games Particularly SMAC type, a bad translation can ruin the game(It's more or less the case of words selected, like Football-Soccer.This alienates a European, though just a word.Imagine what they could do with factions or native liveforms. Xenofungus=Alien Mushroom? thallophytic plant?
Ogmios	posted 12-14-98 12:43 PM ET I don't know why finnish native versions sell better, but they could be because: 1. Your people are fluent, but not many people speak.(english that is) 2.More native versions available than English speaking ones? 3.Your people are accustomed to translations. Greeks are not.(we don't even translate foreign series and films.There are subtitles for that job.) Anyway I believe in strategy games Particularly SMAC type, a bad translation can ruin the game(It's more or less the case of words selected, like Football-Soccer.This alienates a European, though just a word.Imagine what they could do with factions or native liveforms. Xenofungus=Alien Mushroom? thallophytic plant?
Antiam	posted 12-14-98 03:35 PM ET Any guesses as to why they want to release them simultaneously? My only thought is that if they released an english version first they may lose a lot of foreign sales to piracy. What other reasons behind the move? Advertising maybe? Antiam
Ogmios	posted 12-15-98 12:35 PM ET Oooops! Sorry for posting the last message twice! Antiam, I don't think the reason is piracy(If it is, pirates must have translating software abilities which would cost, a contradiction to the idea). BTW, I read in a thread that SMAC timeline will be 500 000years.Is that true? If it is how much time passes between turns?
Brother Greg	posted 12-15-98 06:50 PM ET Well, Firaxis have never told us definately on these forums. I tend to doubt the timeline you qouted though.
Marian	posted 12-15-98 07:00 PM ET It is all for the money. There are people that do not understand English to well to be able to play a game in pure English ( although, how much English can there be, except for the menus ?) To them they also want to sell it, got it ? I always buy the original game ( to practice my English and not blame myself when I come back to the States), but a lot of people don't want the English game. Ciao Marian Editor of the Alpha Centauri Zone http://www.juhu.de/hartel/alpha
Fluke	posted 12-15-98 07:49 PM ET Ogmios: Check the screen-shots of the game. One I saw had the whole planet colonized and it was 23xx but I don't know if that's 2300 years after planetfall or the normal calender. Also I don't recall how long a year is on Chiron. They did some manual translations on Starcraft in Denmark - I don't think it added anything to the game since mission brefing wasn't translated anywhere but I think it upped sales. Quite a bit.
Ogmios	posted 12-18-98 07:26 AM ET Fluke: You probably mean the university2.jpg It says 2391 mission years(which I guess translates to years after colonization, or departure from Earth, unlikely A.D. years) Then again we don't know how much time Chironian years would be(or do we?). Of course translation is about money,I can understand that,I just don't like it. It encourages you not to learn a different language and in Greece's case(a somewhat small market),the retailers develop a thinking strategy: well, If there are people who will by the Greek version because they are too lazy to learn English,and the english speakers do speak greek,why bother bring the original version, when I can cut the cost by asking for more translated versions?