Zeroigar Translation Thread

[elmer]

1. The points you earn are actually like experience points, and your ship levels up frequently throughout the game. That's what that starry black-background screen is all about. Every time you level up, you gain stronger shot power, more armor capacity, and more subweapon ammo capacity. Your level never goes down. If you keep playing indefinitely, you will level up until you are at god-like strength.

We're getting closer!

The Trial Mode screens are done, and I've been doing some clean-up tasks, like switching to a mixed-case font.

Here's the latest version of the "Repair" screen that you get when you die/finish a level.

So ... I have a question for everyone.

Sam has mentioned that the game relies heavily on the concept of "levels" and the accumulation of "experience points" that don't get reset when you die.

But ... I'm not loving the use of the abbreviation "Exp". I don't think that it fits particularly well on the screen, and it's difficult to make it look good on the game screen itself (that damned descender on the 'p').

Do gamers here find that calling the those points "Exp" instead of just "Points" actually makes it easier for people to understand how to play the game?

[Aggie Tsubi]

I think "Exp" looks okay on that screen. In the context of that screen, I think "Next Level Points" and "Current Points" would be clear, but without the "Next Level" I could see "Current Points" or just "Points" being confusing elsewhere, though. Like possibly confused with the player's score. (Or are the experience points the same as the player's score anyway?)

Would it maybe help to go with "XP" instead of "Exp"? Some RPGs use "XP" as an abbreviation for experience points.

[td741]

XP works well.

Would "Total" instead of "Current" (ie Total XP)  sound better? (Assuming that it the total overall and not the XPs generated on that level and that counter will reset later in the game session.)

[Necromancer]

I'm with Aggie: Exp (or XP) is better than a generic 'points' which could be construed as score.

[elmer]

Hmmmm ... OK ... I'll keep on trying to get "Exp" to look decent on the game screen.

I agree with Sam's opinion in the development thread that 3 letters is better than 2 ... "LV" just doesn't seem like a good abbreviation for "Level", it really needs to be "Lvl".

[SamIAm]

You know, one thing that I've been thinking for a while but neglecting to mention is that "Next Level Exp" might as well just be "Next Level" or "Next Level Up". Somehow that looks a little better to me.

Would "Total" instead of "Current" (ie Total XP)  sound better? (Assuming that it the total overall and not the XPs generated on that level and that counter will reset later in the game session.)

It's not the total overall. It resets every time you level up.

[elmer]

You know, one thing that I've been thinking for a while but neglecting to mention is that "Next Level Exp" might as well just be "Next Level" or "Next Level Up". Somehow that looks a little better to me.

I really want to keep "Exp" on that line somewhere to hammer in the link between the "Exp" on the in-game display and that it's the thing that gives you the level upgrade.

Do you think that "Next level at Exp" works any better?

Would "Total" instead of "Current" (ie Total XP)  sound better? (Assuming that it the total overall and not the XPs generated on that level and that counter will reset later in the game session.)

It's not the total overall. It resets every time you level up.

I bet that you were in a rush when you typed that!

"Yes", it does go down ... but it's not actually a "reset", just a subtraction.

So if you've get up to 38,000 exp on a level, and the next level-up is at 25,000 exp, then you get the level-up, and still have 13,000 exp left to go towards the next level-up.

It helps to keep the number manageable when you get into the high level 20's and need millions of exp to get to the next level.

[SamIAm]

I really want to keep "Exp" on that line somewhere to hammer in the link between the "Exp" on the in-game display and that it's the thing that gives you the level upgrade.

Do you think that "Next level at Exp" works any better?

That's cool.

Next Level Exp is totally fine. I'd like to avoid using little words like prepositions. I was thinking about "Exp to Level Up" but I don't like it for that reason.

I bet that you were in a rush when you typed that!

"Yes", it does go down ... but it's not actually a "reset", just a subtraction.

So if you've get up to 38,000 exp on a level, and the next level-up is at 25,000 exp, then you get the level-up, and still have 13,000 exp left to go towards the next level-up.

It helps to keep the number manageable when you get into the high level 20's and need millions of exp to get to the next level.

Let's go with your "in a rush" idea. That sounds better than my first idea, "I'm a moron".

[elmer]

To give people an update ... we're nearly done!

There's just the in-game icons left to do, and then I think that we'll be ready for some testing.

Here are some of the recent screens ...

[SamIAm]

Every time I see some English working in the real game for the first time, it gives me a huge buzz. Hats off to elmer for digging deep and hacking everything you will need to play this game to its fullest.

It really is pretty much done at this point. We could release it right this instant and still have it look polished, but it's better if we get an extra thing or two in there and get a couple play-testers to go through it first.

By the way, if anyone has the manual for this game, it would be great if you could send me some photos of all the pages. As long as the text is legible, you don't have to worry about quality. There are a couple of names and terms I would like to make sure are consistent.

Does anyone know if "Super God Trooper" is the official translation of 超神兵器? Does it appear on any official materials? It sounds like someone just read the kanji characters straight across, so I expect that it's actually unofficial.

[Necromancer]

By the way, if anyone has the manual for this game, it would be great if you could send me some photos of all the pages.

I can bring mine to work and scan it next week.

[filler]

For what it's worth I did a bunch of Google searching last night and I don't seen any references to "Super God Trooper", or any other translation, in official materials.

Great to hear that this is coming along!

[SamIAm]

By the way, if anyone has the manual for this game, it would be great if you could send me some photos of all the pages.

I can bring mine to work and scan it next week.

Dang, that would be awesome. First the Steam Hearts manual, and now this.

If there's a nice story introduction and/or character descriptions, I'll write those up, too.

Thank you!

For what it's worth I did a bunch of Google searching last night and I don't seen any references to "Super God Trooper", or any other translation, in official materials.

Great to hear that this is coming along!

That's good to hear. It wouldn't surprise me if the creators had no interest in making an English alternate title, given both the system of release and the extreme Japanese-ness of this game.

I think there weren't any PCE/PC-FX mags still in publication when this came out, so if it isn't in the manual, I think we're safe. Thanks!

[elmer]

The new icons are working in the game! 

[esteban]

The new icons are working in the game! 

GORGEOUS!