Civilization III 1.29b2 Languages

[kayle]

Few months ago, I tested patch 1.29b2 on my civ3 v1.21.f (or g). It looks like it works, except "few" little things: while I was playing, some text turned to English while other stay in French (yes I'm French, with a French civ 3 release).

But the main problem wasn't here... many unit file were updated, but their file name were in english. So I used old french units.

I was able to translate english unit file name to french, but I'wasn't able to translate internal civ text.

Few time later I decided to downgrade my civ3 to v1.21.

I think it is not a small french problem. But a global translation work to do for all local civ3 release to support 1.29b2 patch.

Personally I will gladly work on french translation, but I certainly need some resource file from 1.29b2 project, if any civ patch developer ear me...

If other believes in my idea, just follow...

 

[AlanH]

It sounds like teh 1.29b2 patch has not been localised to update non-English versions. We are waiting for MacSoft to release the final 1.29f patch. Maybe that will include the support you need for other languages. Perhaps you should email MacSoft support to ask them to release it.

 

[hawai_74]

welcome kayle, enfin, someone with the same problem than me... are you playing on OSX or Os 9?

 

[Trabpukcip]

I personnaly don't have that problem with cause my civ3 copy is english, but I would gladly help or the french translation to. If my help is needed I'm always around not so far from here...

 

[Brad Oliver]

It sounds like teh 1.29b2 patch has not been localised to update non-English versions. We are waiting for MacSoft to release the final 1.29f patch. Maybe that will include the support you need for other languages. Perhaps you should email MacSoft support to ask them to release it.

The localization is mostly a data-file issue. All of Civ3's text is stored either in data files in the game folder (it's been so long I don't remember exactly where) or in the resource fork of the app itself. You can pop open the app with ResEdit or Resorcerer and translate the Mac-specific stuff there.

 

[kayle]

Sorry to 've been so long...

But I may have some new informations about Mac Cic 3 v1.29f !

Here is amail I sent a month ago to MacSoft, and their answer below :

------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Hello,
>
> I'm currently playing with civ 3 v1.21g in French localization.
>
> Apple recently offered patch 1.29b2 to upgrade civ 3. I succeeded to upgrade
> my French civ 3 release but I have to face many language issues. (Unit files
> named in English, interface language turned into English, etc.). So I
> decided to downgrade to my v1.21g in French.
>
> A person from GOTM staff from http://forums.civfanatics.com told me that
> macsoft worked on patch 1.29f for macintosh
>
> So my question is :
>
> Will v1.29f include French localization ?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>

Hi Kayle,

There is no released 1.29 update currently. If we release this update, I'm
sure that we would release a French localization as well. However, I do not
know if 1.29 will be officially released.

Thanks,

--
Greg Grimes
MacSoft Technical Support

----------------------------------------------------------------

So French user ! maybe we should translate patch 1.29b2 by Ourselves ?

Brad Oliver talk about resources files to translate, I'll try to explore CIV 3 tree folder with ResEdit maybe next week.

 

[AlanH]

It's a bit sad that they think they may not even release the 1.29 version, when we know they have it.

I've had a quick look at the resource fork and the only strings in there are the ones that appear in the optional first screen, where you set up the screen resolution and so on, and the error messages that appear if you need to install OpenGL, or some other basic problem has occurred with your installation. That's a small part of the localisation job.

As Brad Oliver says, most of the text that appears in the game is in the data files, and a lot of that is pure text files. But I imagine your biggest problem is with the names of units and improvements. And these are also stored in the .bic file, which is pure binary. To change those you would have to:

(a) edit the civ3mod.bic file to rename them in the game software - that's a hex editor job right now,
(b) change the names of the /Art/units/ and /Art/folders to match the new names,
(c) change the names of the .INI files in those folders to match the new names.

If you want the Civilopedia to provide French descriptions of the game information then you need to translate the file civilopedia.txt. If you want the diplomacy screen messages to be in French then you need to do the same in diplomacy.txt. There are also lots of game menus and dialog strings in the other .txt files in the /Text/ folder. If you have a 1.21 French version of each file then it's best to start with that and modify it to correspond with the 1.29 English file. Always ensure that you use a pure text editor to modify the Civ3 text files, and set it to use CR/LF as the line ending sequence. That's not standard for Mac text editors. My signature contains a link to a modified TextEdit that will allow you to do it.

 

[kayle]

Soon, I would gladly upload here, a french translation patch for Civilization 1.29b2,

As I am not very convinient with installation tools for MacOs X, this patch needs the terminal and manual file copies... but it seems working fine for me :

I uprade from french civ III v 1.21g on an iMac G5 with OSX 10.3.6

This patch contain a zip file (1,7Mo) with text and binary translated
and 2 tcsh script file (< 1ko).

Can I upload such heavy data in that forum ?

more info later...


Same in french :

Prochainement je pourrais (peut-être) déposer ici mon cadeau de Noël : une version française de Civilization 1.29b2.

Ce patch fonctionne à partir de ma version 1.21g française sur un iMac G5 avec Os X 10.3.6.

Comme je ne m'y connais pas trop en installeur pour mac, ce patch se passe "à la main", à l'aide du terminal et aussi avec quelque copies manuelles de fichier.

prochainement ....

Kayle

 

[AlanH]

I suggest you email the patch to me. I can upload it to the gotm file server and provide a link for you to publish.

If you like I can try to build an installer for it for OS X. It may also work with my drag and drop mod installer. I would need French text for the readme and welcome screens, and if I build it you would have to test it for me on a French OS.

My email address is alanh <at> gotm.civfanatics.net. Change <at> to @

 

[hawai_74]

Soon, I would gladly upload here, a french translation patch for Civilization 1.29b2,

As I am not very convinient with installation tools for MacOs X, this patch needs the terminal and manual file copies... but it seems working fine for me :

I uprade from french civ III v 1.21g on an iMac G5 with OSX 10.3.6

This patch contain a zip file (1,7Mo) with text and binary translated
and 2 tcsh script file (< 1ko).

Can I upload such heavy data in that forum ?

more info later...


Same in french :

Prochainement je pourrais (peut-être) déposer ici mon cadeau de Noël : une version française de Civilization 1.29b2.

Ce patch fonctionne à partir de ma version 1.21g française sur un iMac G5 avec Os X 10.3.6.

Comme je ne m'y connais pas trop en installeur pour mac, ce patch se passe "à la main", à l'aide du terminal et aussi avec quelque copies manuelles de fichier.

prochainement ....

Kayle

BONNARD!!! great kayle if you were a girl, hmm... nothing

 

[kayle]

Ok, I'm sending you, AlanH, the patch content, you'll see if it can be transformed into single install binary patch.

for you and the forum :

the patch consists in two scripts: "PreInstallScript.tcsh" and "PostInstallScript.tcsh"

+ a "Civilization III 1_29_b2 (french files).zip" file containing translated files.

+ the original English Civ III patch v1.29b2

Here is the patching procedure :

starting from a clean new french civ III v1.21g folder (to be sure),
copie in that folder PreInstallScript.tcsh and PostInstallScript.tcsh scripts (in folder where Civilization III programme is).
Open a terminal shell window and go to the civ III folder to upgrade using "cd" command,
Make sure the PreInstallScript.tcsh and PostInstallScript.tcsh scripts have the exec rights (use chmod 750 *.tcsh)
run script ./PreInstallScript.tcsh
Execute the original 1.29b2 patch (double click on its icon) => after that, you've got a fonctional civ III 1.29b2 in English from a French 1.21g, let's continue....
Run script ./PostInstallScript.tcsh
Extract the Civilization III 1_29_b2 (french files).zip somewhere (the desktop will be ok)
The folder created contains translated files to be replaced in the patched Civ III folder we are working on.
The tree of this folder match the civ III folder tree, so copy each file to right place in the civ III destination folder.


Content of "Civilization III 1_29_b2 (french files).zip" :

Civilization III 1_29_b2 (french files)/
......civ3mod.bic
......Civilization III
......inventaires des différences.txt
......Scenarios/
............Terre (Gigantesque).bic
............Terre (Standard).bic
......Text/
............Civilopedia.txt
............diplomacy.txt
............label.txt
............PediaIcons.txt
............script.txt
............Tutorial.txt
............version.txt

Notes and limits .... there are some more

civ3mod.bic is updated by original civ II 1.29b2 patch and it contains English name for units and technologies and other things...
I think this file is compresssed as it contains as much information as the old one that was in a "human understandable" format, but in only 20 ko !
I wasn't able to find the compression format used, (if someone has a hint ....)
So, I simply use the civ3mod.bic from my old Civ II v1.21g French version and every thing seems to be ok, but I'm sure we miss something since that file is updates by 1.29b2 patch !
The good news (if there is one) is that now, Civ3Edit works well now with my 1.29b2 version (that was the compressed civ3mod.bic that caused the crash)

another issue :

I wasn't able to make Civilization III executable understand that in France, French keyboards are used... (any idea ?)

I think the program uses keyboard code instead of char code. So, to exit the program, you have to press CTRL+A keys and to order units to wait, you must press CTRL+Z keys...

that's all for now

 

[AlanH]

Well done, kayle. I've got it. I'll have a look at it as soon as I have defeated Carthage in the current GOTM. 24 hours maximum.

 

[hawai_74]

waou, what a christmas present!!! thanks kayle even if i didnt get all the explanations, i'll have a try

 

[hawai_74]

Well done, kayle. I've got it. I'll have a look at it as soon as I have defeated Carthage in the current GOTM. 24 hours maximum.

if its working, where can i download it?

 

[AlanH]

Kayle has emailed it to me, and I looked at it and asked a couple of questions. He's replied, and now I need to get my act together and try to make a file set/installer that will provide the changes his patch needs without distributing any copyright material. I hope to be able to get something for you this weekend.

 

[hawai_74]

great, thanks

 

[kayle]

Next in French :

Le lien suivant propose le téléchargement du patch qui permet de passer d’une version française 1.21g à une version française 1.29b2 :

http://gotm.civfanatics.net/games/saves/CivIII_v1.29b2_French_Updater.pkg.sitx.zip

Cette installation a été gracieusement assemblée par AlanH, idée originale et recette ont été réalisées par mes soins. Patch original conçu par Brad Oliver

La traduction à été testée mais pas complètement.

Limitation : le clavier est pris en charge seulement en QWERTY . Attention au Ctrl-Q qui fait un Ctrl-A intempestif, surtout avec les unités « travailleurs »

Si il y a des remarques, vous pouvez toujours les poster ici.


English :

Download French version of patch 1.29b2 :

http://gotm.civfanatics.net/games/saves/CivIII_v1.29b2_French_Updater.pkg.sitx.zip

Credits to AlanH, me and Brad Oliver

It work only with french version 1.21g

Comments and questions can be posted here.

--------
Kayle

 

[kayle]

I face many problem with GOTM installing and playing with version 1.29b2 fr.
I'm trying to fix things...

Alan... ? I'm affraid there is a pb with french version.txt file...
(i've got the fix.)

 

[AlanH]

I've deleted the installer file on the server. Email me as soon as you have the corrected files.

 

[hawai_74]

hmm, damn, i hope it'll work soon, thanks again guys. i'm really thrilled about playing a GOTM scenario