Legend of Xanadu II Translation Patch announced!

[Keranu]

it might be used on a future Ys IV patch, that or perhaps I give the user an option to choose between the two during the patching phase.

That would be rad if you could pull that off, I love the Ys I & II font!

[seieienbu]

Can't wait to play this game in English.  Also, the courier font looks pretty sharp, imo.

[esteban]

Weeee!



By the way, I don't know for sure, but I think the plan is to eventually use a variable-width-font.

Thank you SamIAm and EsperKnight! Looks fantastic...

[Arjak]

I just thought I'd let you guys know that my copy of Legend of Xanadu II is in the mail out of anticipation! I can't wait!

[SamIAm]

Cool, Arjak! I hope you enjoy the game as much as I do.

A little status update: I finished manually putting the old dump into the new dump, and with Esperknight's recent inserter, we have all of the text going into the game and displaying. Now the only things to do are to settle on a font/print routine, and to get the menu hacked. There are a few other loose ends, but they're fairly minor.

With a little luck, I'll be doing some play testing before the year is out.

[Arjak]

Bump.

Has anything happened since last we've heard? The closer we get to a finished patch, the more anxious I get!

[EsperKnight]

A bit of this or that   Been slow lately myself due to being busy at work and not much time.  Did get some earlier though so fixed an issue with menu not working.  This'll be a huge step I think as now we can really start testing everything and nailing down all the missing text   I know there's still a bit missing (mainly the place names I believe) but hopefully there won't be too much left   Getting there!

[esteban]

A bit of this or that   Been slow lately myself due to being busy at work and not much time.  Did get some earlier though so fixed an issue with menu not working.  This'll be a huge step I think as now we can really start testing everything and nailing down all the missing text   I know there's still a bit missing (mainly the place names I believe) but hopefully there won't be too much left   Getting there!

[SamIAm]

Update on Spriggan Mark 2.

I had a day off today and I spent all of it...ALL of it...on the dub script. My brain is completely frazzled at the moment.

I've learned a lot from this project, though. You see, originally, I was writing all the lines from the cutscenes with subtitles in mind. I even made a fully formatted test version using a youtube longplay and virtualdub. But then this turned into a dub project and damn, that changes everything. I rewrote a ton of stuff.

Both are hard to do really well, but I think dubs are harder to get to the point that they're even just pretty good. I'm not talking about the acting, either, just the writing. For one thing, you've got to try a lot harder to sound natural, because some things that look perfectly fine as text sound awkward when a real human says them. For example, I got rid of some things just because they sounded funny when spoken quickly.

That brings me to the other thing, though, which is that the lengths you can wind up going through to get the timings just right can be brutal. First you've got to measure each original line accurately - no rounding to the nearest second. Then you've got to go through your script line by line with a stop-watch reading the lines aloud and seeing if they fall in range. There's pauses and pacing and all kids of shit to worry about. With subtitles, all that really matters is that you can read a line before the next one comes.

In the end, the differences between my subtitle draft and my dub draft are really interesting. They each really have their strengths and weaknesses. It goes to show you how translation is such an imperfect science.

Subtitles can be hard to polish in terms of timing if you want to do a really good job (I can't wait for you guys to see Zeroigar, because I got those subs looking pretty good if I do say so myself). Subs give you a lot more leeway in general, though. Everything breaks down into nice chunks that you have total control over. At least with this particular dub, there are lots of places where it's possible for the actors to exceed the time limits.

I'm starting to ramble now. Anyway, Xanadu II is still coming. I ought to bug esperknight again. Oh, and Princess Crown is coming along, too! God I hope these projects get done this year.

[dairugger]

omg! this and princess crown? these are really exciting times my friends. :-0
i wonder if its the saturn version or psp princess crown?

[blueraven]

Well, good luck dude. I'm looking forward to the release of X2.

[Burnt Lasagna]

Update on Spriggan Mark 2.

I had a day off today and I spent all of it...ALL of it...on the dub script. My brain is completely frazzled at the moment.

I've learned a lot from this project, though. You see, originally, I was writing all the lines from the cutscenes with subtitles in mind. I even made a fully formatted test version using a youtube longplay and virtualdub. But then this turned into a dub project and damn, that changes everything. I rewrote a ton of stuff.

!
Ah, thank you, this is amazing!  
This was never publicly stated, but I'll be directing the dub for Spriggan Mark 2, after Sam's finished with the script.

With Ys IV, I had to work with a rather sloppy translation by Deuce, which he made back in 2004. His translation was made for a GameFAQ walkthrough and was definitely not optimized for dubbing. Having gone through that, your script sounds like a breath of fresh air!

I look forward to reading your script Sam and greatly appreciate the extra mile your putting into it! It will definitely save me from allot of headaches and confused actors

EDIT:

Oh, and Princess Crown is coming along, too! God I hope these projects get done this year.

I hope so too!
I loved Odin's Sphere back when it came out and always wanted to play the original.
God bless you Sam!

[Arjak]

Awesome! Can't wait to have another PCE game in English!

When you're ready to start auditions, let me know.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, I too would like to try.  I've only played Spriggan 2 a lil bit, but I get the feeling the tone of the voice acting in general is more serious, & less colorful then Ys IV.

[esteban]

Update on Spriggan Mark 2.

I had a day off today and I spent all of it...ALL of it...on the dub script. My brain is completely frazzled at the moment.

I've learned a lot from this project, though. You see, originally, I was writing all the lines from the cutscenes with subtitles in mind. I even made a fully formatted test version using a youtube longplay and virtualdub. But then this turned into a dub project and damn, that changes everything. I rewrote a ton of stuff.

Both are hard to do really well, but I think dubs are harder to get to the point that they're even just pretty good. I'm not talking about the acting, either, just the writing. For one thing, you've got to try a lot harder to sound natural, because some things that look perfectly fine as text sound awkward when a real human says them. For example, I got rid of some things just because they sounded funny when spoken quickly.

That brings me to the other thing, though, which is that the lengths you can wind up going through to get the timings just right can be brutal. First you've got to measure each original line accurately - no rounding to the nearest second. Then you've got to go through your script line by line with a stop-watch reading the lines aloud and seeing if they fall in range. There's pauses and pacing and all kids of shit to worry about. With subtitles, all that really matters is that you can read a line before the next one comes.

In the end, the differences between my subtitle draft and my dub draft are really interesting. They each really have their strengths and weaknesses. It goes to show you how translation is such an imperfect science.

Subtitles can be hard to polish in terms of timing if you want to do a really good job (I can't wait for you guys to see Zeroigar, because I got those subs looking pretty good if I do say so myself). Subs give you a lot more leeway in general, though. Everything breaks down into nice chunks that you have total control over. At least with this particular dub, there are lots of places where it's possible for the actors to exceed the time limits.

I'm starting to ramble now. Anyway, Xanadu II is still coming. I ought to bug esperknight again. Oh, and Princess Crown is coming along, too! God I hope these projects get done this year.

I don't mind the rambling.

I hear you, though: subtitles vs. dubbing require a very different approach and have their own, unique requirements.

[dairugger]

i dont consider this rambling either, on the contrary its really insightful. sort of a behind the scenes. 

[NightWolve]

With Ys IV, I had to work with a rather sloppy translation by Deuce, which he made back in 2004. His translation was made for a GameFAQ walkthrough and was definitely not optimized for dubbing. Having gone through that, your script sounds like a breath of fresh air!

I looked up logs to refresh my memory on this as I thought I said something inaccurate elsewhere. Here's how it began, somewhat (trying to be thorough with dates):

I tried to get him to work on the Ys IV translation on around about Sep 20, 2003 because Shimarisu was being problematic (the translator that founded the project originally with Akimaru and Neill Corlett). She had lost her work for a long time and I was waiting on her, so I was giving up... Oddly enough, 10 days later, she finds her script work which was about 94% complete and hands it over.

On Oct. 19, I gave him these 94% translated-results fully prepared in my CAT translation software (Translation Station) and tried to get him to finish the 6% or so strings that weren't finished, review what was there instead of having to translate from scratch. Well, he didn't finish that till next year, July 25, 2004, cause of work, distractions, life, plus he didn't like her work to boot, etc. There was lots of pestering in between that time, instant messaging of, "Did you finish yet? Is it done yet? Purty please?" etc.

So as the script translation was finally nearing completion, on July 22, 2004, he asks me this: "BTW, is there any chance of perhaps (I know, I know) dubbing the voices in Ys IV rather than subtitling?". I said no because I didn't know much about that myself at the time and David Shadoff hadn't yet produced the ADPCM utilities.

3 days later, the 25th, same day he finally finished the whole script, he remembers about a transcript that he ran into by a Japanese guy called Sugimo back in '03. Sugimo essentially listened to every bit of spoken dialogue, wrote it down in Japanese and made it public on his website. Anyhow, having found this, using WWWJDIC, his online Kanji dictionary dependency (he can't do anything to Japanese without this), he translated it in about 5 days... This log is right before he finished:

DeuceBag: I still feel compelled to try to find a way to dub the ADPCM.
DeuceBag: What kind of work will be required to apply the patch?  Will it work on a full ISO, or just ISO+MP3?
Sef1roth: Both.
DeuceBag:
Sef1roth: I make it for both.
DeuceBag: Bitchin'.
DeuceBag: Is there any chance I could get you to sniff around to see if you can find a ADPCM conversion tool?
Sef1roth: I'll ask when it's all over.
DeuceBag: Aight.
Sef1roth: Dave would know.
DeuceBag: For now, at least the speech will be translated.

So yeah, it was made with the intent for a dubbing project and he pushed the idea. It was submitted to GameFAQs the day after, though. Seems on August 7, David Shadoff had succeeded in the ADPCM tools after I asked him about accomplishing dubbing and on Sept 27 is when Justus Johnston showed up and the first dubbing attempt became serious and fully possible, etc. But yeah, this was occurring during the wrap up of the textual translation and I got it done in time for Christmas. TurboRip was created about a year and a half later with this in mind so that redbook tracks could easily be replaced as Justus would come back from the dead, telling me not to declare that aspect of the project over and what not, but you know how that went. ;)

Anyway, I'd say the problem is that speech translation had only 5 days spent on it. I thought I remembered a conversation where I was told that Justus had been given a slightly improved/edited version though. Not sure if it was for a couple of lines or what, but eh, don't matter now...

EDIT: OK, yeah, I found it.

DeuceBag: Justus and I are finding, btw, that the script is going to require some expansion to make everything sound good.
Sef1roth: Oh?
DeuceBag: Just because it takes a lot less time to say the English lines as-is than the original Japanese.
DeuceBag: So, I'm going to have to bulk up most of the lines a bit... which isn't really such a bad thing.  It'll make them sound more natural in the end, I expect.

I distinctly remember trying to get this from Justus, but he couldn't find it or something... Part of the stuff he lost in his HDD crash maybe. =\

This was never publicly stated, but I'll be directing the dub for Spriggan Mark 2, after Sam's finished with the script.

Ah, so this is the next project. But eh, for a shooter, not worth it to me... I doubt I'd ever bother with this.

[esteban]

ASIDE: Ha! I love the "behind the scenes" (as dairugger put it) quality to this thread.

It reveals the messy side to real projects...

Carry on.

[/ASIDE]

[Burnt Lasagna]

So yeah, it was made with the intent for a dubbing project and he pushed the idea. It was submitted to GameFAQs the day after, though.

Ah, didn't know that.
Though it definitely wasn't optimized for a dubbing project. This pretty much explains it,

Anyway, I'd say the problem is that speech translation had only 5 days spent on it.

[Arjak]

I see you now have a website, Burnt Lasagna. Nice![/stealthy bump]

So, how are things going with Xanadu 2 and Spriggan 2, Sam?[/obvious bump]

[LentFilms]

I have a rather random question about the Legend of Xanadu games. I was researching the series recently and noticed that both games were released on the Virtual Console in Japan and were given new CERO ratings. The first Legend of Xanadu was rated C (15+) and the 2nd game was rated B (12+). Does anyone one know why the first Legends game has a higher rating? Just curious.

[CrackTiger]

The first game is twice as long, with much more dialogue and cinemas, including some war scenes.

[Arjak]

It's been about three months since we've heard anything about this project. Has there been much progress? Are we any closer to seeing a release?

[Zead]

Hello everyone. I just registered here to say a big THANK YOU and good luck to everybody who are making this possible, that this is/looks rad and I can't wait for finally play it in English. I'm a big Falcom fan and I love Legend of Xanadu I&II so much (even to the point to upload their long and fantastic soundtracks on YouTube for everybody's pleasure), so when I found that Legend of Xanadu II was going to be translated, I cried of joy and imported the game (AND the prequel). It was worth every penny, and I can't wait to see more people finally enjoying it and read their opinions about this amazing game. I understand that translating is hard work, no talk about the programming part, so I'm not going to say "WORK FASTER DAMMIT" or stuff like that

Now, I have 3 questions:

- How are the things going? Any progress? Announcement incoming?

- Any possibility for the first game (Legend of Xanadu) to get fan-translated? I know that Nightwolve tried it back in the past, but he had some difficulties around that time and then decide to do the Xak III's translation.

- This one is for Nightwolve itself (don't know if he'll read it, but here goes!): does still work the "Donate" button on YsUtopia? I'm seriously considering on donate you 10€ (I know, not too much ) because your efforts, especially the Ys IV translation project (Ys IV in FULLY English? That's hot man!), although before I would like to ask you something about that precise game (and preferably by private).

Anyway, good luck again guys!

[NightWolve]

- This one is for Nightwolve itself (don't know if he'll read it, but here goes!): does still work the "Donate" button on YsUtopia? I'm seriously considering on donate you 10€ (I know, not too much ) because your efforts, especially the Ys IV translation project (Ys IV in FULLY English? That's hot man!), although before I would like to ask you something about that precise game (and preferably by private).

Sure, it's just a link to Paypal with my chosen email address. Easiest way to have found out if it works was by clicking it, ya know ? ;) Anyway, PM away as to anything private you're wanting to know.

[Arjak]

I just wanted to bump this thread to remind everyone of this project's existence. I hope things are going okay and that it won't get cancelled. It's been a really long time since any official news was given, and I know there have been some setbacks as of late. I still have faith that it will one day be finished and released, though.

Good luck, SamIAm. Know that I'm still cheering you and Esperknight on. I know I've been a little overzealous about knowing how things are going, and I'm sorry about that. I've just been really excited (and a little impatient). Keep fighting the good fight.

[geise]

He's been busy with the Princess Crown translation project, but should get back to this at some point.

[Arjak]

It has now been OVER A YEAR since the last status update from SamIAm regarding this project. If there has been any progress, or even just more difficulties, I would certainly appreciate hearing about it. When you know nothing for so long, any news is good news.

Please?

Is there anybody out there? *Creepy Synthesizer Effect*

[SamIAm]

Don't despair, but it's kind of a long story.

AFAIK, the biggest hurdle in the way of finishing the project is getting a decent print routine to work.

Esperknight once coded a variable-width font routine for use on some other project, but apparently it didn't work on real hardware. He's looking for alternatives.

His plan for a while has been to try and see what Ah! Megami Sama! on PC-FX does for its VWF and duplicate it for other games, but to do that he needs some additional debugging features in Mednefen, the emulator he uses for all his PCE/PC-FX hacking. And there's no telling if or when Mednefen will get those features. To my understanding, that's been the holdup for a while.

I'm thinking I'll start goading him into using a fixed-width font so we can get this project done. It's important to be tactful though, because he's doing all this for free. I also think he wants to do other PCE translations and hopes to get a working VWF routine figured out that he can apply to any or all of them.

Anyway, I just emailed him now and asked him if he has any news for me.

[TurboXray]

So, you guys tried a FWF routine and it worked fine, but the VWF routine had problems? Tell him to send me an email and I'll take a look at it (second set of eyes is always good); tomaitheous-at-pcedev-dot-net.

[SmaMan]

SamIAm! Great to hear from you! Good to know someone's at least trying on this still. Still remember those voice samples I recorded for it. Good times!

[SamIAm]

So, you guys tried a FWF routine and it worked fine, but the VWF routine had problems? Tell him to send me an email and I'll take a look at it (second set of eyes is always good); tomaitheous-at-pcedev-dot-net.

Thanks a million! I gave your address to esperknight. I hope he gets in touch with you soon.

[TurboXray]

So, you guys tried a FWF routine and it worked fine, but the VWF routine had problems? Tell him to send me an email and I'll take a look at it (second set of eyes is always good); tomaitheous-at-pcedev-dot-net.

Thanks a million! I gave your address to esperknight. I hope he gets in touch with you soon.

Cool I have a something I'm working on to get out the door, but as soon as I'm done - I'll be bringing SM2 up to date. It's mostly just that one stage where I need to write a special compression scheme to fit the text in.

[Arjak]

Are you referring to Spriggan Mark 2? I remember hearing about that project being in the works a while ago, but haven't heard anything since. Are there still plans to do a dub? I remember hearing that Burnt Lasagna was going to direct.

If there IS going to be a dub, let me know. I'd love to audition!

[TurboXray]

Are you referring to Spriggan Mark 2? I remember hearing about that project being in the works a while ago, but haven't heard anything since. Are there still plans to do a dub? I remember hearing that Burnt Lasagna was going to direct.

If there IS going to be a dub, let me know. I'd love to audition!

A dub is planned. But I'm not handling that part (other than maybe helping on the tech side, say ADPCM stuffs). I haven't had contact with Burnt Lasagna in awhile, so I don't know if he's still interested in the project. SamIam redid all the game translation (I had a partial translation before) as well as translating the cinema dialog. I just have to tidy up little bits on my end and have him give the final OK on it, or make any changes. But yeah, Spriggan Mark 2.

[SmaMan]

I'm totally down for another PC Engine game dubbing too!

[Burnt Lasagna]

A dub is planned. But I'm not handling that part (other than maybe helping on the tech side, say ADPCM stuffs). I haven't had contact with Burnt Lasagna in awhile, so I don't know if he's still interested in the project. SamIam redid all the game translation (I had a partial translation before) as well as translating the cinema dialog. I just have to tidy up little bits on my end and have him give the final OK on it, or make any changes. But yeah, Spriggan Mark 2.

Hey Bonknuts, great to see you still around!
I don't exactly want to derail the Xanandu II thread, but I'm still interested. Though its been almost a year an a half since this project went cold, so it's hard to remember what was finished/sent to me...I think the last thing was waiting for you to send me the ADPCM pointers, as well as a translation for the in-game text/ADPCM. I know SamIAm sent me the improved dub script awhile back for the cut-scenes (which is fantastic!).

I'll have to PM you sometime later to touch base on this. Again, nice to see you around again man!

[TurboXray]

A dub is planned. But I'm not handling that part (other than maybe helping on the tech side, say ADPCM stuffs). I haven't had contact with Burnt Lasagna in awhile, so I don't know if he's still interested in the project. SamIam redid all the game translation (I had a partial translation before) as well as translating the cinema dialog. I just have to tidy up little bits on my end and have him give the final OK on it, or make any changes. But yeah, Spriggan Mark 2.

Hey Bonknuts, great to see you still around!
I don't exactly want to derail the Xanandu II thread, but I'm still interested. Though its been almost a year an a half since this project went cold, so it's hard to remember what was finished/sent to me...I think the last thing was waiting for you to send me the ADPCM pointers, as well as a translation for the in-game text/ADPCM. I know SamIAm sent me the improved dub script awhile back for the cut-scenes (which is fantastic!).

I'll have to PM you sometime later to touch base on this. Again, nice to see you around again man!

Sounds good. I have a forum; I'll setup some private sub-sections for SM2 stuffs.

[Burnt Lasagna]

Sounds good. I have a forum; I'll setup some private sub-sections for SM2 stuffs.

Sounds good.
PM sent.
(Okay, let the discussion go back to Xanadu II)

[Keranu]

Please?

Is there anybody out there? *Creepy Synthesizer Effect*

This?


PS, any further updates?

[Arjak]

Please?

Is there anybody out there? *Creepy Synthesizer Effect*

This?

Non-sequitur; your facts are uncoordinated!

I was actually making a reference to Pink Floyd's The Wall, one of my favorite albums.

[pulstar]

I was actually making a reference to Pink Floyd's The Wall, one of my favorite albums.

Indeed it is a good album, but not as good as Wish You Were Here

[OldMan]

....not as good as Wish You Were Here...

<sigh> Children.
Give me Meddle or Ummaguma any time.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Pink Floyd sucks.

Just saying.

[Arjak]

Pink Floyd sucks.

Just saying.

GET HIM UP AGAINST THE WALL!

Indeed it is a good album, but not as good as Wish You Were Here

That one is really good, too. Shine On You Crazy Diamond is nothing short of epic.

....not as good as Wish You Were Here...

<sigh> Children.
Give me Meddle or Ummaguma any time.

Haven't heard those ones. I'll try to look into them sometime, though.

Ah, but there's a bigger issue here than which Pink Floyd album is the best...

[seieienbu]

Though Dark Side of the Moon isn't my favorite album, Time is the best song ever recorded.

Pink Floyd - Time (2011 Remastered)

[roflmao]

I agree to disagree... for surely nobody of sound mind would dispute or contest the fact that the title of "best song of all time" belongs to Barnes and Barnes for their Seminole masterpiece: Fish Heads

No argument here.

LaughinghappyfishheadsareneverseendrinkingcappuccinoinItalianrestaurantswithOrientalwomen!
Yeah...

[esteban]

I agree to disagree... for surely nobody of sound mind would dispute or contest the fact that the title of "best song of all time" belongs to Barnes and Barnes for their Seminole masterpiece: Fish Heads

No argument here.

LaughinghappyfishheadsareneverseendrinkingcappuccinoinItalianrestaurantswithOrientalwomen!
Yeah...

I used to listen to Dr. Demento on the radio when I was a kid. 

[Arjak]

This project thread recently had its third anniversary! Many happy returns.

Has there been any progress on getting that damn Variable Width Font to work?

[Echelon5]

If the opportunity never rises to play and understand this game I think it'd at least be pretty cool to understand the story. I've always been curious as to the plotlines, the villains and characters, etc.

Would anyone knowledgeable on the subjects like to talk about it?