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zoom909

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  1. Like
    zoom909 reacted to SilverLi in MangaGamer's Message to Fan-translators   
    Oh well I was very unclear. My bad.
     
    In my opinion a good VN is something that intrigues the reader. Something that makes me feel alive and interested throughout the story. Yes our preferences differ here and I can't say this or that about the VNs. But some of my favorites are F/SN, Tsukihime, Clannad (localized), Ever17 and Majikoi. They all kept me entertained for the whole story. I didn't felt once "damn this is boring" and turned it off. But this is my personal opinion. I can't speak for the whole community. That's impossible. I know a lot of you doesn't agree with me. 
     
    But a nukige could be well made too. So I see your point now about "what is well-made". Eroge, Discipline and Boob Wars are all well made in my opinion. They are interesting and give me something back that could be called a plot. I think nukiges are boring without at least a decent story. Other maybe prefer 97% sex scenes because that's what they want. Someone maybe even think VNs such as W:C, Dual Phase and Sakura Spirit are well made. Preferences and own opinions here. I am probably backing on that statement.
     
    I can't read Japanese so my knowledge and thought process about everything is a bit narrow. I can admit that. About pirating I think Mangagamer was talking about the west and translated VNs. They are the most popular ones. Sekai Project confirmed this because we managed to throw 500 - 700k on both Grisaia and Clannad Kickstarters. I think physical copies of non localized games such as F/SN would sell really well here. I am not sure if you can buy a Japanese physical copy and then install a translation patch.  You should be able to do that so the hardcore fans of the series are probably already owning a copy.
     
    I don't support buying short simple nukiges which is Mangagamer´s and probably J-List´s best market. I am hoping we could focus on the more complex and bigger games which at least give me a more satisfying feeling when I am finished with it. 
     
    I think releases such as Littlewitch Romanesque is much better than a Raidy title. Everyone won't agree with me here either. The Raidy title would probably sell more if it was released today. But the positive thing about Littlewitch is that you could change it and make it all ages. I think this is the future. Two versions of the game, one 18+ and one all ages because you can't release it otherwise on Steam for example. But I know a lot of the customers are purely nukige fans. Let's keep feeding them with various titles. But you have to change the way you market games with an possibility of an all ages version. The problem is Mangagamer and J-List sucks at marketing their bigger titles. They can't except people outside this small franchise to find them. They wont. 
     
    If you are translating a RPG you want to target the JRPG, role playing and anime tags in Steam for example. The customers aren't searching for new games most of the time. Now I am ranting a lot.
  2. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Eclipsed in Who's All Excited For Dracu-riot! ?   
    geez people, play a real vampire game
     


  3. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Deep Blue in What kind of translation do you prefer?   
    Localization is unnecessary.  Just translate it and give me what they said, that's it.  Just make sure it fits within the usage rules of English.  Don't make the characters sound Western.
    Regular watchers of anime/readers of manga will understand the nuances of what Japanese people say, they don't have to have it spelled out for them what an American or whatever would do under the same circumstances and risk one of those WTF moments like Satsuki mentioned.
    This is one of the reasons why I learned Japanese.
  4. Like
  5. Like
    zoom909 reacted to Darklord Rooke in VN scores detracting from enjoyment?   
    Scores are there for people who can't be arsed to read actual impressions on the game, and to be frank who cares about them
     
    Numbering systems are stupid, and inaccurate. Your prejudices and preferences weight these things (which is why top animes are all shounen crap  , which may apply to VNs also) your experience weight these things, your philosophy on review scale affects your score, scores are relative so what you're comparing it to also affects stuff.
     
    Basically the accurate stuff is in the text and scores just give a quick impression, and not a very accurate one either. It's not worth stressing out over.
  6. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Cyrillej1 in What do you hate about yourself?   
    This is an easy one for me.  I'm lonely.  The social skills which seem to come naturally for most people are totally absent with me.  People used to say I was "just shy."  But it's quite clear that something more severe is at work here.  I only make friends when people accidentally find out that I'm friendly.  It's certainly not because I know how to approach people.  Needless to say, a successful romantic encounter is out of the question, since it requires a level of extroversion an order of magnitude greater than friendship.
    Even on the internet I feel alienated.  At least the social aspect of it.  When the internet is used to exchange useful information, that's when I feel the most comfortable.
    No wonder I tend to escape to the world of 2D, then.
    But in all the other areas of life, I still try to do the best I can.  Because I know that in the world to come, all my imperfections will disappear forever.
  7. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Darklord Rooke in Princess Evangile Release 2015   
    I don't expect that.  Whatever it is...if I'm going to play it, and if it's got lots of text to read, then I want it to be readable.  Some nukige are worth reading, anyway.  Any visual-novel-style game that isn't worth reading the text, isn't worth playing...you've just got yourself an expensive hentai image / sound gallery at that point.
  8. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Darklord Rooke in Professor Rooke   
    Picture of your typical visual novel localization team
     



     
    Also, I was ranting about Mangagamer before Rooke got here (I wonder if I can find those posts...it was back in the Da Capo / Shuffle days)
  9. Like
    zoom909 reacted to solidbatman in Professor Rooke   
    Rooke sat at his desk staring at the stack of papers that had been placed there. His wrinkled face tightened up into an even more unpleasant look, not all that different from an old prune, left out in the sun for too long. 
    "Alright, time to grade these." 
     
    Rooke grabbed the first paper in the stack. It read, "My Dog. My dog is kute. My dog liks too run. My dog is kool. I love my dog."
     
    Feeling his blood pressure rise, Rooke began rubbing his temples. "Deep breaths, deeps breaths," he kept telling himself. "Timmy!" he suddenly shouted. "To my desk, now!"
     
    A boy stood up from his desk, trembling, and slowly made his way up to Rooke's desk. "Y-yes sir?"
     
    "Timmy, are you an ignorant fool that has not been listening to my teachings for the past 3 hours? Because this paper is complete, and utter garbage. Mangagamer could have written this better!"
     
    Timmy did his best to maintain his composure. "I listen sir. I'm sorry." His lower lip was quivering. It was a pathetic sight to behold. 
     
    "If I handed this to any, ANY, literary group in the world, they would put it in a paper shredder and take a piss all over the shredded piles. Go back to your desk, think about what you have done, and edit this pile of shit." 
     
    Timmy took his paper from Rooke and sat back down at his desk. He placed his head on his desk, and used his arms to hide his face as he began to cry as quietly as he could.
     
    Feeling satisfied that a lesson had been taught, Rooke moved on to the next paper. "Mommy. Mommy maks the bestest fud. Wen she get home from werk, I get so happy. My mommy is my faverit persen in the earth."
     
    Rooke barely finished the paper before shouting, "Cassandra! Get up here right this second!" 
     
    A young girl burst into tears as she stood up from her desk and made her way to the front of the class. The rest of the class let out a collective sigh. It wasn't their turn yet. They were spared for another editing pass.
     
    "Cassandra, did your mom raise an illiterate monkey that eats her own poop?" Cassandra shook her head. "No? Well, when I read this, that is how I imagine the author of this... I can't even call it English. This is so incomprehensible that I may have actually gone blind from it. Is that what you want? You want Rooke to go blind?" Cassandra tearfully shook her head again. "If you don't want that, I want you to take this paper, rip it up, and throw it away. I don't want to see your face again until you've become a respectable writer."
     
    Cassandra snatched the paper from Rooke and ran out of the classroom, bawling her eyes out. "Good riddance. The less poor writers we have in this world, the better. Now who is next?"

    And so the first day of First Grade at Kieth Smith Elementary School continued. 
     
  10. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from ExtraMana in Tomoyo It's a wonderful life News!   
    It's a Wonderful Resolution and Screen Size (480x272)
  11. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Deep Blue in A fan translation of Dies Irae battle scene   
    Well, I'm not a fan of the game, but a good English analogy for the line from the Kojiki would be something like this:
    Leoht eastan com, beorht beacen Godes; brimu swaþredon, þæt ic sænæssas geseon mihte, windige weallas.  Wyrd oft nereð unfægne eorl, þonne his ellen deah!  Hwæþere me gesælde, þæt ic mid sweorde ofsloh niceras nigene.
  12. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Kaguya in Love Live Poll ~I wondered why there's none here.(TBH)~   
    Where is A-Rise in all of this
  13. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Ceris in Love Live Poll ~I wondered why there's none here.(TBH)~   
    Where is A-Rise in all of this
  14. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from BookwormOtaku in Gaming devices you wish you had, but never did   
    Well, that's what emulation is for.
    I mean even if you did have the systems at the time, it's doubtful you'd be able to even experience let alone beat every good game.
    Not to mention the ones that were Japan-only.
  15. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Cyrillej1 in Opinion on Handheld Consoles   
    Some people just seem to enjoy playing games on a teeny tiny little screen with puny sound.  I don't.  I want a big screen with full size speakers and full size controls.
     
    It's the same way with movies.  Some people are OK watching on a teeny, tiny little screen.  I want a big screen.
     
    (Since I never have the opportunity to use public transportation, mobility is a non-issue.  I'm always driving everywhere.)
  16. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Zalor in Of zoom909 and the rest of the VN community   
    I don't like to use the term visual novel.  It's too darn serious.
     
    The words visual novel have an oddly formal ring to them.  When someone says visual novel, I immediately think of all the discussions about elevating visual novels to an art form (as it were), how to improve them by separating them from anime tropes, how important it is to have a serious, epic storyline, and so forth.  (The thought might also cross my mind of statements made about ero scenes gaining legitimacy by being "crucial to the story", but that is another kettle of fish.)
     
    But I'm personally going back to "galgame" (or just "game" in context).  For me, this conjures up thoughts of, for example, cute, moe 2D girls all holding out chopsticks trying to feed you an octopus sausage or tamagoyaki simultaneously (yes I say "you" because I always think in terms of the player character so whether I say "you", or Tatsuya or whatever his name is, in describing a scene, it makes no difference in my mind.).  In other words, I think more in terms of entertainment, and accept any mild cheesiness as part of the fun, as I do with anime.
     
     
    I don't like to use the term project for translations.
     
    Now I'm very serious-minded about translation accuracy/transparency.  You see, even though I don't fret over the actual narrative value of the game I might be playing, I sure don't want jumbled up, goofy text in a game that is primarily text-based, like a you-know-what.  I don't want to be reminded of those Hong Kong anime bootlegs people used to watch.  I know I have certainly seen comments to the contrary, a sort of who-cares-how-it's-translated-if-it's-just-moege attitude (And if a game gets labeled a "nukige", you may as well forget about it, regardless of what kind of content the game has besides ero-scenes).  I happen to be fanatical enough think that translations are worth getting right even if it only lets you get to know some cute 2D girls a little better.  I must be nuts.
     
    Nevertheless, I've discovered a few things since Mikukisu etc.  After trying to move up to the big league, I found out that just being able to translate Japanese to English does not make you a fan translator.  You need a lot of determination.  You need (appallingly) people skills.  And most of all, you need time.  I don't have these things.  I don't know if and when I will get these things.  So from now on, instead of "projects" it will simply be "stuff I translated."
     
    Look at all the stuff that people on "projects" have to deal with.  "Is this something people are really going to want to play?  Will we really be able to complete this before we get sick of it?  What if people or patch files suddenly disappear?  Is someone else working on the same game in secret and will beat us to a release?"  And so on.  It's just too much. 
     
    But if I just do "stuff", then it's different.  I can relax.  I'll translate things that happen to interest me personally, in whatever spare moments I happen to have.  No promises or unfurl-the-banner announcements will be made.  If something is going to become a project, I want it to do so of its own volition.  That's what happened with Mikukisu--it didn't start out as a "project", it became one.  So no projects from now on.  Just seedlings that I or perhaps someone else can raise into a project if fortune smiles on us. 
     
    Oh well, I don't usually make long posts like this.  So please put up with it one time...
  17. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from kratoscar2008 in Of zoom909 and the rest of the VN community   
    Thanks, and yeah, it would be hard to find another game like that one anyway.  It was short and yet I liked it very much.  It was popular because of the Vocaloid fans, though, not because of the English VN community--they have to have either significant seriousity*, or hentai.  MikuKisu had neither.
     
    *The degree to which something pretty heavy goes down in the story, that's outside of your regular anime-style romance/comedy/slice-of-life antics.
  18. Like
    zoom909 reacted to Nosebleed in Perfection   
  19. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Cyrillej1 in How to interpret choppy JParser Definitions (Help me read Untranslated!)   
    No, it's a good way.  If you asked me how I knew what ataru meant in this case w/o looking it up, it is NOT by remembering all 20 meanings listed by EDICT.  Those aren't technically even meanings, they're really usage hints.  The real meaning of ataru is very close to English "hit.", and that's how I memorized it at first as well.  And then, any time it seemed the meaning was being stretched a little, I would look up the meaning in the dictionary to make certain of what it meant.  Eventually all that stuff gets internalized, but at the beginning, that's the way I did it.
  20. Like
    zoom909 reacted to Cyrillej1 in How to interpret choppy JParser Definitions (Help me read Untranslated!)   
    I always remembered 当たる more as the basic meaning of "to hit" and seen it used in other contexts as "to succeed", "right", etc. but thinking about it (even all those definitions from wwwjdic), they still have similar meaning but changed somewhat in context it's used in I think.  Such as さっき当たりました -> was hit earlier.. and he's saying that to the teacher.  So if in context, it makes sense to view it as the student telling the teacher he had "hit/targeted" him before already.. which to me, is similar to being "called on" by the teacher.  So that makes it easier to remember if you ever see that context used again.. instead of trying to remember every single definition/meaning on wwwjdic by itself... though, I guess with some you may have to if they're so different.
     
    Perhaps that's a bad way of remembering things xD but that's how I do it... so I'm not jamming too many different definitions for one kanji, but just remember basic (often most used) meaning and its different possible contexts it can also be used/changed in.  I'm still learning though myself, so~ just a thought.
     
    From my experience so far.. it helps to read sentences before, and after if you can't make sense of it.. might help make things more clear about what they're really referring to.
  21. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Zalor in How to interpret choppy JParser Definitions (Help me read Untranslated!)   
    I would not recommend learning solely through games and TA.
    In this case, your problem would have been solved by looking in a better dictionary*
    Ataru happens to be one of those words with a broad application.
    *Edit:  I just realized that you were using Tagaini Jisho there.  But even so.
     
    WWWJDIC:
    当たる(P); 当る; 中る; 中たる 【あたる】 (v5r,vi) (1) (ant: 外す・4) to be hit; to strike; (2) to touch; to be in contact; to be affixed; (3) to be equivalent to; to be applicable; to apply to; (4) to be right on the money (of a prediction, criticism, etc.); (5) to be selected (in a lottery, etc.); to win; (6) to be successful; to go well; to be a hit; (7) to face; to confront; ( to lie (in the direction of); (9) to undertake; to be assigned; (10) to be stricken (by food poisoning, heat, etc.); to be afflicted; (11) to be called upon (by the teacher); (12) to treat (esp. harshly); to lash out at; (13) (as 〜するには当たらない, etc.) to be unnecessary; (14) {baseb} (usu. as 当たっている) to be hitting well; to be on a hitting streak; (15) (in fishing) to feel a bite; (16) (of fruit, etc.) to be bruised; to spoil; (v5r,vt) (17) to feel (something) out; to probe into; to check (i.e. by comparison); (18) to shave; (19) (as 〜の〜に当たる) to be a relative of a person; to stand in a relationship;
     
    Number 11 is obviously the one you wanted.
     
    In the beginning, I went very slowly and made sure to understand everything.  Even if I had to do a little research as I played, I didn't mind.
  22. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from CLuBLioN in Sanoba Witch   
    Very simple solution to this.
    Call it "Sanova Witch"
    Then the pun is preserved for anyone who gives it a 2nd look.
    (katakana バ is often rendered V as it is even though there is a separate symbol for it)
  23. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from Katatsumuri in Of zoom909 and the rest of the VN community   
    I don't like to use the term visual novel.  It's too darn serious.
     
    The words visual novel have an oddly formal ring to them.  When someone says visual novel, I immediately think of all the discussions about elevating visual novels to an art form (as it were), how to improve them by separating them from anime tropes, how important it is to have a serious, epic storyline, and so forth.  (The thought might also cross my mind of statements made about ero scenes gaining legitimacy by being "crucial to the story", but that is another kettle of fish.)
     
    But I'm personally going back to "galgame" (or just "game" in context).  For me, this conjures up thoughts of, for example, cute, moe 2D girls all holding out chopsticks trying to feed you an octopus sausage or tamagoyaki simultaneously (yes I say "you" because I always think in terms of the player character so whether I say "you", or Tatsuya or whatever his name is, in describing a scene, it makes no difference in my mind.).  In other words, I think more in terms of entertainment, and accept any mild cheesiness as part of the fun, as I do with anime.
     
     
    I don't like to use the term project for translations.
     
    Now I'm very serious-minded about translation accuracy/transparency.  You see, even though I don't fret over the actual narrative value of the game I might be playing, I sure don't want jumbled up, goofy text in a game that is primarily text-based, like a you-know-what.  I don't want to be reminded of those Hong Kong anime bootlegs people used to watch.  I know I have certainly seen comments to the contrary, a sort of who-cares-how-it's-translated-if-it's-just-moege attitude (And if a game gets labeled a "nukige", you may as well forget about it, regardless of what kind of content the game has besides ero-scenes).  I happen to be fanatical enough think that translations are worth getting right even if it only lets you get to know some cute 2D girls a little better.  I must be nuts.
     
    Nevertheless, I've discovered a few things since Mikukisu etc.  After trying to move up to the big league, I found out that just being able to translate Japanese to English does not make you a fan translator.  You need a lot of determination.  You need (appallingly) people skills.  And most of all, you need time.  I don't have these things.  I don't know if and when I will get these things.  So from now on, instead of "projects" it will simply be "stuff I translated."
     
    Look at all the stuff that people on "projects" have to deal with.  "Is this something people are really going to want to play?  Will we really be able to complete this before we get sick of it?  What if people or patch files suddenly disappear?  Is someone else working on the same game in secret and will beat us to a release?"  And so on.  It's just too much. 
     
    But if I just do "stuff", then it's different.  I can relax.  I'll translate things that happen to interest me personally, in whatever spare moments I happen to have.  No promises or unfurl-the-banner announcements will be made.  If something is going to become a project, I want it to do so of its own volition.  That's what happened with Mikukisu--it didn't start out as a "project", it became one.  So no projects from now on.  Just seedlings that I or perhaps someone else can raise into a project if fortune smiles on us. 
     
    Oh well, I don't usually make long posts like this.  So please put up with it one time...
  24. Like
    zoom909 got a reaction from EldritchCherub in Want to start hacking   
    Well, if you have the opportunity to take CS courses, that sounds interesting to me anyway, but if not, I think there is enough material online to learn from otherwise.
    I think the bits-and-bytes type of courses, like computer architecture or assembly languages etc. would be the most helpful for hacking, courses on database management and web sites probably not so much.
  25. Like
    zoom909 reacted to Zakamutt in My only problem with nekopara.   
    I don't know about this. You could argue for consistently using third person instead of doing all kinds of judgements and contortions every time you need to think about it. I didn't personally find anything wrong with how it was presented in nekopara.
     
    Insem actually did something similar for Chinami in Hoshimemo - quite a few lines don't necessarily have her refer to herself in third person, but still use third person. In the end it's still a valid choice to keep that consistency, imo. I'm used to the Japanese third person cutesyness in general though (and never considered it jarring anyway, I guess?), so whether it's there or not doesn't really affect me.
     
    Then again, I've gotten into the habit of referring to myself and others in third person without using names when speaking Swedish - so "do you want to know about x?" could be answered by me with "he is interested". Also for other people when talking to them when I should really use second person
     
    Entertaining, though also instinctive somehow... and no, it's not exactly correct Swedish. I just don't fuck a give.
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