Translation Process

[Nimbus]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen of Fuwanovel

 

I've been playing a whole bunch of visual novels recently and was wondering about the specific process done to make a fan-made translation.

 

I'm someone who would really like to contribute to this site one day, so could someone please enlighten me on how the work is done?

[Nosebleed]

First you pick which VN you want to translate, this is very important, trust me~

 

Then you have to figure out how to extract its scripts into readable files so you can edit them.

This requires you to have a software tool that can extract the VN's script files. This thread might help.

 

From then on you translate the scripts you got from the previous step by editing the script files and replacing the japanese text with your translation.

 

When you're done translating either the whole VN or some scripts, you can go over the translated scripts and edit the lines you've translated to make the english (or whatever language) sound better so it doesn't seem like some stiff machine translation but like an actual book you're reading.

 

And finally you have to find a way to insert them back into the game, this, once again, either requires a tool or programing skills.

There's multiple ways to insert the scripts back into the game so there's no defined way to do this. It just varies from VN to VN and from person to person.

 

TL;DR

hacking > translation > editing (optional but recommended) > patch creation

[Ivan A.]

Since we´re on this, I want to ask.

What´s the position that is lacking(I want to believe thats the word) the most??

[Nosebleed]

Since we´re on this, I want to ask.

What´s the position that is lacking(I want to believe thats the word) the most??

Usually people are always in need for more translators, seems to be the most requested position.

[Ivan A.]

Usually people are always in need for more translators, seems to be the most requested position.

 

Do you know if VN hacking is hard??

[Nosebleed]

Do you know if VN hacking is hard??

See this is why I said step one is so important.

Hacking depends on the VN's engine so you don't know how hard it may be because it varies from VN to VN.

[Okami]

First you pick which VN you want to translate, this is very important, trust me~

 

Then you have to figure out how to extract its scripts into readable files so you can edit them.

This requires you to have a software tool that can extract the VN's script files. This thread might help.

 

From then on you translate the scripts you got from the previous step by editing the script files and replacing the japanese text with your translation.

 

When you're done translating either the whole VN or some scripts, you can go over the translated scripts and edit the lines you've translated to make the english (or whatever language) sound better so it doesn't seem like some stiff machine translation but like an actual book you're reading.

 

And finally you have to find a way to insert them back into the game, this, once again, either requires a tool or programing skills.

There's multiple ways to insert the scripts back into the game so there's no defined way to do this. It just varies from VN to VN and from person to person.

 

TL;DR

hacking > translation > editing (optional but recommended) > patch creation

 

There's also TLC (Translation checking) work to be done between editing and patch creation, it's also optional true. As well as Image editing that can come anywhere between hacking and patch creation, optional as well.

 

 

Do you know if VN hacking is hard??

 

Depends from VN to VN but it does require hacking skills.

[SpecterZ]

Since we´re on this, I want to ask.

What´s the position that is lacking(I want to believe thats the word) the most??

 

We never have enough in any position but I think translators are needed the most.

 

You need a lot of patient to be translator too.

 

 

For example : 50+ Hour VN is about 40000+ lines

 

A single translator with translation rate at 1000 lines per week. (I try to be optimistic since actual rate is lower )

It takes almost a year to translate all of them.

[Ivan A.]

See this is why I said step one is so important.

Hacking depends on the VN's engine so you don't know how hard it may be because it varies from VN to VN.

 

Does practice help?? I´m interested in learning. Too much free time.

[Nosebleed]

Does practice help?? I´m interested in learning. Too much free time.

To hack a VN you need a tool.

Unless you can make a tool yourself using your programming skills, you'll need a 3rd party tool.

And the tools you may need, once again, depend on the VN you want to translate.

There's no practice method because every VN is different (unless they use the same engine) so you can't exactly practice because you'll need different tools every time.

The files used in the VNs might be the same so the extraction process might be similar between some VNs, but that's as far as it goes.

 

You'll just need to learn how to hack each VN individually.

[Okami]

Does practice help?? I´m interested in learning. Too much free time.

 

Here's a guide for hacking, Hackers are probably the second most needed position.

[Ivan A.]

To hack a VN you need a tool.

Unless you can make a tool yourself using your programming skills, you'll need a 3rd party tool.

And the tools you may need, once again, depend on the VN you want to translate.

There's no practice method because every VN is different (unless they use the same engine) so you can't exactly practice.

The files used might be the same so the extraction process might be similar between some VNs, but that's as far as it goes.

 

You'll just need to learn how to hack each VN individually.

 

Sounds like challenging, wich makes it more interesting.

 

Hackers are probably the second most needed position.

 

That´s also another reason I´m interested in learning.

[SpecterZ]

See this is why I said step one is so important.

Hacking depends on the VN's engine so you don't know how hard it may be because it varies from VN to VN.

 

Only need hacker for starting the project and creating the patch at the end.

 

Giving the same amount of time as other positions, Skilled Hacker can hack several VN before translation is completed and ready to reinsert

[Nosebleed]

Sounds like challenging, wich makes it more interesting.

 

 

That´s also another reason I´m interested in learning.

Of course it's interesting.

 

And eventually you'll get to a point where you know most tools so it makes it easier to figure out which tools you'll need for what VN.

That's as much "practice" as you can do

 

Only need hacker for starting the project and creating the patch at the end.

 

Giving the same amount of time to put in other position, Skilled Hacker can hack several VN before translation is completed and ready to reinsert

 

Step one was referring to "pick a VN"

 

Of course a hacker only needs to do the job twice (at the beginning and at the end) but that job varies from VN to VN, that's why you can't know if it's difficult to hack or not until you do step one which is "Pick a VN" 

[SpecterZ]

Step one was referring to "pick a VN"

 

Of course a hacker only needs to do the job twice (at the beginning and at the end) but that job varies from VN to VN, that's why you can't know if it's difficult to hack or not until you do step one which is "Pick a VN" 

 

Yeah, I agree.

 

Some VN can attract more or ward off the attention from potential team member too.

[zoom909]

Picking a VN is easy.  Simply pick your favorite VN that you've read in Japanese so far.  If you don't pick your favorite, you're bound to lose motivation before your project is done.

 

As far as hacking goes, there are many more hackers who have written extraction tools then there are reinsertion tools.  I guess this is because they want to be able to get at the images, voices, etc.

Some of these tools have source code available that you can study.  Then you can write a reinsertion tool yourself.

If the VN you want to do has no tools at all, then you'll probably have to know assembly language in order to hack it.

[Mephisto]

Picking a VN is easy.  Simply pick your favorite VN that you've read in Japanese so far.  If you don't pick your favorite, you're bound to lose motivation before your project is done.

 

 

This, so much this. I think the only game that the translator is actually making progress despite the fact they hate the game is Koiken Otome. 

[corntastic]

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

[ACF]

This, so much this. I think the only game that the translator is actually making progress despite the fact they hate the game is Koiken Otome. 

How dare you say we hate our gam- Oh, wait. Yeah, this is correct.

[Nimbus]

Thank you everyone.

 

I'm more excited then ever to get involved in this awesome community! 

[SpecterZ]

 

This, so much this. I think the only game that the translator is actually making progress despite the fact they hate the game is Koiken Otome. 

 

I think it because of they already make a lot of progress.

 

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

 

I keep tell that phase to myself when I have a bad day. 

It is easy to lose motive when doing VN translation.

 

How dare you say we hate our gam- Oh, wait. Yeah, this is correct.

 

Didn't you use to have translator who like the game?

 

Thank you everyone.

 

I'm more excited then ever to get involved in this awesome community! 

 

I hope to see you working in some translation project in the future