Saturn Translation Project

[Ben]

Okay, I'm starting this thread because after getting back into playing my old Sega consoles quite a bit, I've been looking into it and am rather dismayed that in the 10 or so years since I was active in gaming forums, very little has been done to translate Saturn games. It really is a bummer, because the Saturn had so many great import games that I've enjoyed over the years, almost none of which are playable. So here is what I'm proposing: I think I would like to try my hand at translating some of the text heavy games, but I don't see any point in doing it for games that very few people want to play.

Here's where I need some help from people:
1. Is there a definitive site that lists translation projects? The best I can find is this list at romhacking.net -

Dragon Force II: Kamisarishi Daichi ni Verve Fanworks Strategy > Turn Based SAT Unfinished 0.5.0 26 Jul 2012 EN
Ninpen Manmaru Ninpen Manmaru Project Action SAT Unfinished 0.85 16 May 2001 EN
Shining Force III The Shining Force III Translation Project Strategy > Turn Based SAT Fully Playable SF3Patch version 14 13 Feb 2013 EN
Shining Force III: Premium Disc Shining Force Central Strategy > Turn Based SAT Fully Playable 1.0 22 Apr 2006 EN
X Japan Virtual Shock 001 Sparxster's Independent Translation Projects Other SAT Unfinished 1.0 10 Feb 2004 EN

http://www.romhacking.net/?page=transla ... ssearch=Go

That's pretty sparse, and the only recent one is Shining Force III (which I'm glad to see got done!).

2. I work for American Electric Power as a lineman, and I have to put in a lot of crazy hours after natural disasters, meaning I'm not very reliable when it comes to meeting deadlines. My idea is to just complete a text translation, post it on GameFAQs (and maybe start a blog when I get something done) so that it stays preserved online for a long time. That way, I'm not under pressure to get it done, and people can feel free to create patches who know how to do that. Where I need help with this is that I don't know what format of a document would work best, in other words should I just type the game out as I play through it, would it be better to translate menus in a section, dialogue in another, etc.? Someone who knows about patches and would help me understand the best way to go about this would be much appreciated.

3. If anyone is really up on the translating scene, what sites should I keep up with to make sure others aren't doing the same game, or start up after I already have, aside from romhacking.net (if any)?

This will probably be the kind of thing where I won't get a game done for at least several months and will just randomly pop up with something done whenever I have the time, of course, but I really love Sega and the Saturn in particular and would love to see this console gain new life for people who didn't play a lot of the imports. Also, PLEASE don't request anything other than Saturn, Sega CD or Dreamcast games here, it's not that I don't appreciate other consoles I just don't have the interest to do them.

EDIT: Also, my first idea was Policenauts, but someone is apparently doing that: http://www.retrocollect.com/News/englis ... nauts.html These guys seem pretty committed to getting it and Snatcher done, so I'm thinking for now it's best to leave it to them.

[Violent By Design]

God Bless you for trying to help man, it's a shame that the Saturn has so many games that are Japanese only!

I'm afraid I can't help you with much, but I can say I would appreciate a Dragon Force II translation if it hasn't been done yet. (I'm not sure what the unfinished part means in your opening post)

[Ben]

God Bless you for trying to help man, it's a shame that the Saturn has so many games that are Japanese only!

I'm afraid I can't help you with much, but I can say I would appreciate a Dragon Force II translation if it hasn't been done yet.

That one is right up my alley, I'll definitely try and do it at some point, but it wouldn't be a bad idea for a first project either. There is also a really nice Japanese guide book for it, I'm thinking a double project of those wouldn't be a bad idea. RPGs and SRPGs are my favorite genre, so I'll hold off on deciding to make that the first thing I work on, but it's on the list of things I'd like to do for sure. I don't think the forum supports polls, so I I'll just let this thread go for awhile and see what feedback I get before I decide.

[Violent By Design]

God Bless you for trying to help man, it's a shame that the Saturn has so many games that are Japanese only!

I'm afraid I can't help you with much, but I can say I would appreciate a Dragon Force II translation if it hasn't been done yet.

That one is right up my alley, I'll definitely try and do it at some point, but it wouldn't be a bad idea for a first project either. There is also a really nice Japanese guide book for it, I'm thinking a double project of those wouldn't be a bad idea. RPGs and SRPGs are my favorite genre, so I'll hold off on deciding to make that the first thing I work on, but it's on the list of things I'd like to do for sure. I don't think the forum supports polls, so I I'll just let this thread go for awhile and see what feedback I get before I decide.

I'm curious to what are your favorite Japanese only games.

[o.pwuaioc]

I may be in the minority, but I would love a Grandia translation.

[Ben]

God Bless you for trying to help man, it's a shame that the Saturn has so many games that are Japanese only!

I'm afraid I can't help you with much, but I can say I would appreciate a Dragon Force II translation if it hasn't been done yet.

That one is right up my alley, I'll definitely try and do it at some point, but it wouldn't be a bad idea for a first project either. There is also a really nice Japanese guide book for it, I'm thinking a double project of those wouldn't be a bad idea. RPGs and SRPGs are my favorite genre, so I'll hold off on deciding to make that the first thing I work on, but it's on the list of things I'd like to do for sure. I don't think the forum supports polls, so I I'll just let this thread go for awhile and see what feedback I get before I decide.

I'm curious to what are your favorite Japanese only games.

Let me say this is in no particular order:

1. Lunar
2. Lunar 2
3. Policenauts
4. Snatcher
5. Burning Rangers
6. Shining Force III
7. Deep Fear (I know that was technically U.K. also)
8. Grandia (PSX port in the U.S., I realize)
9. Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
10. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner

[Ben]

I may be in the minority, but I would love a Grandia translation.

See, I'm torn on that, if I go by my inclination I'd love to do that, but if no one uses the translation to make a patch I don't know that it's a really good use of my time if the goal here is to keep the Saturn alive and provide a way for people to play new games (where just a GameFAQs .txt translation at least would let someone play a game like Snatcher). I'll keep it in mind though, since both of those Lunar games are two of my all time favorites and I HATE the Working Designs translation with all of their inserted pop culture references.

[o.pwuaioc]

I may be in the minority, but I would love a Grandia translation.

See, I'm torn on that, if I go by my inclination I'd love to do that, but if no one uses the translation to make a patch I don't know that it's a really good use of my time if the goal here is to keep the Saturn alive and provide a way for people to play new games (where just a GameFAQs .txt translation at least would let someone play a game like Snatcher). I'll keep it in mind though, since both of those Lunar games are two of my all time favorites and I HATE the Working Designs translation with all of their inserted pop culture references.

I would play a patched Grandia. And Lunar, as well. I detest bad or stilted translations, and much rather play a patched version of the superior Saturn version than the official PS1 version. Since those exist, though, it might mean that it's lower on the pile, but hey, FFIV got a retranslation.

[brunoafh]

There is already a Dragon Force II translation in the works, but I have no idea what the status is. If you are seriously interested, I would lurk/post over here and see what's up. If the project is on hold, it is more than likely that a translator is what is needed.

http://www.verve-fanworks.com/SMF/

Is there a definitive site that lists translation projects?

I don't think so. This kind of thing is mostly just a hearsay and fan site type of deal. Most groups that are serious about it have their own site or blog. Other than that, I think romhacking is probably the best place to go for some kind of list of projects.

Where I need help with this is that I don't know what format of a document would work best, in other words should I just type the game out as I play through it, would it be better to translate menus in a section, dialogue in another, etc.?

The best answer really is just format a text document in a way that would be easy for the person inputting the text/modifying the files to read. There's really no definitive answer and it would probably just come down to how the hacker prefers to work it. As a general rule with menus and stuff, the less words/text, the better, but you probably already know that.

My personal advice would be to find a project that is already in the works and see if they need help, like I was hinting at with the DF II part of my post. Being a one man team with this stuff almost never works out. Most active fansubbers tend to take a year plus at very least to complete a project, and that's with a full team of people.

Also props on the avatar.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Big props for taking on such a big project and keeping the Saturn alive. Do whatever you want, of course, but my suggestion is to avoid games that are already translated (officially or unofficially). I think a lot more people would use your guides that way.