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[lomik]

Is there an easy way to translate Starsector to another language?

[Mondaymonkey]

You can relatively easy translate some text fields, like descriptions, dialogues and some other things, but a lot of content is hardcoded and can not be changed easy or at all.

Also, there was some trouble with cyrillic fonts in a game. Not sure how complicated problem is, tho'.

So, the short answer is NO.

Spoiler

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[lomik]

What files store the text of the game?

[Mondaymonkey]

Numerous, dude. More than a half, probably.

Like ship_names.json contains randomly generated names for ships in game.

Or descriptions.csv contains various descriptions for numerous stuff in a game.

Some files, like .skin contain only few text field to be translated, like afflictor_d_pirates.skin has a

Spoiler

"descriptionPrefix":"After the Second AI War, many corrupted blueprints became available, sourced by salvagers willing to risk the star systems abandoned

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Sorry, dude, if you can not find those files by yourself, you probably lack of potential to do a translation.

[close]

[Mordodrukow]

I have another suggestion: how about russian in the forum?

I mean: to create regional sections for those who cant speak english well, but want to discuss the game.

[Mondaymonkey]

I have another suggestion: how about russian in the forum?

I mean: to create regional sections for those who cant speak english well, but want to discuss the game.

Reasons why not:

1. SS isn't that large community to be divided. Smaller language groups will most probably contain 3,5 members and respective activity.
2. Difficulties. Those subforums should have some structure to function well both inside itself and be properly connected with main structure. That is harder, than most user think.
3. MODERATION. It is luckily if at least one moderator able to read each subforum language. And if not? Example:

 Warning! Abusive content!

*REMOVED*

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Is text itself abusive? No. Is image itself abusive? No. Do they abusive together? Oh, yeah, they do. But how the hell, moderator has to judge if it against the rules or not, if he is not a part of a local culture?

[Thaago]

Moderator ability is a decent point, as I for one have no idea if that image is abusive. If it is, please consider your point made and take it down!

[Grievous69]

This may be a bit of a tangent but English is one of the easiest languages to learn, and you're surrounded by it every day so it's hard not to understand some of it during a larger period. You don't need the knowledge of grammar exceptions and things like that, you're not going to be writting essays. You just need to mostly understand it in written form and be able to respond with a coherent sentence (I think everyone should be at least on this level, no matter what you're gonna end up doing in life, English will help you out one way or another). That said I understand it's a nice thing to have in single player games but in this specific scenario it's not worth the dev time. If someone finds a way to do it all by themselves then that's another thing.

Btw writing this gave me Vietnamese flashbacks of playing any multiplayer game in Europe. If there's a EU west server in a game then it kinda helps but you're still gonna run into French and German premades. Sad reality is that you NEED friends to play with you everytime if you don't want to have a bad day.

EDIT: I'm not xenophobic or anything, it's just annoying to get spammed in chat/voice in a language you don't understand.

[Mondaymonkey]

Moderator ability is a decent point, as I for one have no idea if that image is abusive. If it is, please consider your point made and take it down!

Done.

This may be a bit of a tangent but English is one of the easiest languages to learn, and you're surrounded by it every day so it's hard not to understand some of it during a larger period. You don't need the knowledge of grammar exceptions and things like that, you're not going to be writting essays. You just need to mostly understand it in written form and be able to respond with a coherent sentence (I think everyone should be at least on this level, no matter what you're gonna end up doing in life, English will help you out one way or another).

Sorry, mister, but you are a little bit wrong here. See, it is not a problem to translate english into russian, cos' as you mentioned english is easy. Problem is, russian is not, and it sometimes completely impossible to translate russian into english, and not because of knowledge level, but cos' english simply does not contain any even close structures, russian does. Same thing to some other languages, mostly asian. So, it relatively easy to those user to understand what are you writing or saying, but damn hard to response as english translation requires to brake apart existed linguistic logic.

I am absolutely agree, everyone should learn english, as we live in an international time and english is international language today. But, please do not consider this as an easy task.

[Grievous69]

Yea I should've said things a bit differently. I didn't mean literally everyone should speak English, I'm saying those who can and if they're spending time online (almost everyone is) SHOULD learn it. Obviously it's not imperative.

And I completely get the language barriers, coming from a country where most people speak English poorly. That is specifically why I dislike translations, movie and cartoon dubs. It completely kills jokes, the point it's trying to make doesn't come across the same, and so on. For example reading some philosophy books in their native languages and as translations is a day and night difference. You're never be able to 100% translate something.

[ubuntufreakdragon]

I have seen many implementations of translation systems.
a) different base files, don't do it you have to create any update multiple times.
b) translation binary files that try to compress the content by using as little overhead information as possible, this typically leads to issues it the base files change and angers modders.
c) A simple txt file or a data language like json xml, may be compressed, every text line gets an unique id and is just added as a large list to the file. This is most preferred solution by modders as it's easy to modify and it makes little overhead.

[Mordodrukow]

1. SS isn't that large community to be divided. Smaller language groups will most probably contain 3,5 members and respective activity.
2. Difficulties. Those subforums should have some structure to function well both inside itself and be properly connected with main structure. That is harder, than most user think.
3. MODERATION. It is luckily if at least one moderator able to read each subforum language. And if not?

1. I have Mechwarrior online forum as an example. Its peak number of players in Steam is around 1500 at average (last time i checked it). This forum indicates peak number of forum visitors equal 300-400 at average. Only small part of players visit forums (i think, it isaround 15% of players base), but ok, it will be higher for SS because of some reasons. May be 2x...

MWO forum russian branch some active forum users. I dont say it is hundreds, but a hundred? It seems so... And while i agree that regional section here will have small number of users, i dont think it will have like 20 times less members. Also add here some players who wanna say something, but cant, because, as you said it, translate from russion to english is harder. And imo, 15-20 estimated forum users is OK number for regional section.

2 and 3. Head moderators can choose regional moderator from those, who wants to do that. Then users can organise their section as they want to. MWO forum works just like hat. Regional section doesnt copy the basic structure of forum. It has like 5 sub-sections to categorise some threads (like "for newbies" or "mech loadouts"), one topic for game news updated on regular basis and some topics for trash-talk.

[Mondaymonkey]

i dont think it will have like 20 times less members. Also add here some players who wanna say something, but cant, because, as you said it, translate from russion to english is harder. And imo, 15-20 estimated forum users is OK number for regional section.

Our conversation is completely useless here, because opinion vs opinion. The only way to determine real amount of those users - is census. And I am kind of sure it is not you or me, who have to start it.

Head moderators can choose regional moderator from those

And whom they have to choose in russian? Maybe, you?

Sad true about being a moderator

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[Mordodrukow]

I agree.

And whom they have to choose in russian? Maybe, you?

No, i m completely irresponsible man. I can do it well for few weeks, but then suddenly stop, because i m too tired to continue.

2-3 active moderatorstosupport each other sounds nice.