[Poll] Do you play pre-release patches or final versions?

[ittaku]

Often a pre-release patch can reflect poorly on what the final version of a patch is going to be like and will likely not do the original VN justice. After translation check and editing the final version can be dramatically different to a 1st pass translation. Knowing that some people are willing to even play with machine translations, obviously they'll be happy with even a pre-release patch but I was curious what proportion will wait for the final release only, or will re-play it when the final version is out. I'd also like to know what people who know Japanese and have played the original versions do. Obviously I'm curious how it will affect my own project.

Edited July 6, 2015 by ittaku

[TheFantasm]

I usually play the pre-release to see it's something I'll be interested in, and if it is, I'll wait for the final patch. Minor errors here and there don't bug me too much, but I avoid machine-TLs like the plague.

[Eclipsed]

Machine TLs no no

 

Pre-release / partials ye ye

 

Waiting for only the final release despite pre-releases available no no

 

Pre-release and then final when available HOLY MOTHER OF GAWD YES YES YES YES YES

[LinovaA]

Playing a prerelease is like having sex, and then just stopping and being promised by your partner that you will continue in a few months.

[Zodai]

I've been tempted to grab the partial for SubaHibi, but apparently it's difficult to find these days and decided to just wait.  Haven't found a time when I'd needed to grab a pre-release yet.

[ittaku]

I guess I should have clarified in my poll that I meant 100% translated pre-release patches, not just partial patches. Edited poll to reflect this.

[Eclipsed]

Ehhhhhhhhh?

Might as well just go the extra mile and do the editting and TLC passes. No need for 100% translated pre-release to taint the final product's release.

[ittaku]

Might as well just go the extra mile and do the editting and TLC passes. No need for 100% translated pre-release to taint the final product.

 

I'm not sure what you're implying. Do you mean you'll just wait for the final product or do you think I'm suggesting that the translation team should not bother doing that? Of course I'm planning it on my own project and I'm sure others wouldn't dream of leaving it out either. I was just curious how much of the audience will bother re-playing it after the polishing effort.

[Eclipsed]

Both.

 

I mean if you guys really want to do the pre-release by all means go ahead but I'll wait for the final

[kyrt]

I generally only play final versions unless I'm checking grammar for a pre-final build. The patches are nice for people who only play a single route or are impatient but generally I prefer a completed translation.

[sub-zer0]

Final one, might as well wait for the most polished version with less errors 

[Kosakyun]

I play final versions most of the time.

[Nosebleed]

You could take the cake out of the oven early, or you could wait 5 more minutes and not eat a half baked cake.

Half baked cakes won't satisfy you much and have the possibility of giving you stomach aches, this also diminishes your appetite for eating the cake again.

Pretty simple logic.

Yes I am comparing translating porn with baking cakes. (After all they both involve things being covered in cream )

[Deep Blue]

final or nothing, reading a partial patch is like playing a demo of a game that maybe (and most prob) will never get released.

[kooolm]

I try to wait for the final release, although there are some exceptions. If it's something I was eager to play for a long time I won't be able to wait much longer.

[Narcosis]

I got used to waiting so much, it doesn't even make a difference whether I'll see the TL in a month, or within next ten years. As long as I manage to read it before I die, it's fine.

[ittaku]

I have to say the responses are most reassuring. I was expecting more people to be interested in only the translated version. I guess the time I spent in fansubs tainted my view of the audience who were mostly only interested in getting something as fast as possible. We'd go to great lengths in our fansub group to make something higher quality but would only ever attract 1/10th of the audience which is the opposite of the votes we have here so far. Now this could be representative of the Visual Novel audience at large being more discerning but I suspect it's just selection bias about the sort of person that hangs out on Fuwa being more discerning. I feel rather silly feeling any sense of rush in my own project after the translation portion of it took 7 years (minus a couple of years of idle time along the way).

[B0X0R]

If there's one thing that I learned from reading MLP fanfics, it's to not read a work until it's done (unless it's for proofreading). You never know if the author (or in this case translator) will pull the plug. It is a very shitty feeling when your favorite story gets the ax.

[XReaper]

Usually Playing Japanese Versions Only & For Partial Patches, Non Recommending Them To Me Friends, Family & Acquaintances Either, So When A Full One Of A Good Title Gets Released, I Would Occasionally Check It For Its Actual Quality, So That They Wont Read Shit, Resulting In Me Getting Verbally Abused In The Progress.
As For Me, I´m Mostly Interested In Partial English Patches Only For GamePlay Titles (Non Story Patch), Because Of A Better Readability On Small Screens (Already Screwed My Eyesight).
Other Than That As Stated Above, Only Using A Full-Patched Game When Playing/Reading It Together With My Girlfriend

[Heizei_koukousei]

My backlog is much too large to play recently translated titles. By the time I get around to things, the final release has been out for a while. 

[Kosakyun]

My backlog is much too large to play recently translated titles. By the time I get around to things, the final release has been out for a while. 

 

Oh. This is also my main reason.

I just get what I want after they're finished or something.