Does BUG need a translator?

[The Doc]

Hi,

BUG is a really great mod, but I noticed that only a few texts are translated to german. So I modified the XMLs I found in XML\Text-folder to help you out with this.
The only thing I can't access is the text for the options-screen of BUG mod. Obviously, there aren't any tags for this in the XML-files. If you would like me to take care of them, just contact me.
Also it would be great, if other german players could give their feedback on the translated parts.

PS: I didn't translate the tags TXT_KEY_HINT_74 to 92 because, as far as I can see, they are mostly already in the game (probably with different wording), as well as 99% of the text in CIV4GameText_BTS.xml.

 

[alerum68]

Wow. I've been asking for someone to do this for months! Thank you so much Doc! I'll go over them this weekend, and have the put on the SVN ASAP. As for the Options Screen, it would be very difficult because it makes no calls to the XML, having all on-screen text within the Python Code, and not sure how to make multi-language support for Python.

If you'd like to help with more translations, what we really need is a translator for our Help file. Do you know HTML, or have an HTML editor? Also, is German your mother tongue, or did you learn it later? If later, how long ago? Thank you!

 

[The Doc]

Hmm, I searched the BUG forum but didn't find any translation thread. Maybe I have overlooked your request.
I'm from Germany, so german is my mother tongue. I'm currently working together with the guys at civforum.de on the german translation for Kael's Ubermod FfH2.
I unfortunately don't know much about HTML but I'm using Notepad++ for syntax-highlighting, if this is of any help. (I guess not. )

 

[Sam_Yeager]

This seems to be the thread that Alerum was talking about. It appears that there was some german translation done at some point.

 

[alerum68]

Yes, that thread will list pretty much everything we are hoping to get translated. Ludwig II translated the old ReadMe.rtf file into German, but I believe that was it... most of our translations are now out of date unfortunally. Anyway, the only thing I request when doing the actual translations is to not just change word for word, but to adapt it so it will seem a native speaker wrote it form the start, and not just translated. Don't be scared to change my words, I won't get mad.


As for the HTML editor there are several that will take out the code for you, and allow you to just type like you are in any standard text editor. The HTML files at this point have no graphics in them, so it will be basically HTML tags for formating. If you're interested let me know and I'll send the source HTML for the help file in English, and you can use that as a template and guide to make it so you are just having to replace words, and not even deal with formating. If you're on the SVN the files are there as well.

Now if we can only make CIV have right-to-left text, we could make this complete!

 

[alerum68]

A few questions about the translations. I noticed the ones in Civ4lerts weren't so much translations, as modifications of the current wording. Were these mistranslations, or desired additions?

 

[The Doc]

Which ones do you mean? The translations for the "CIV4LERTS_ON_CITY"-Tags? Yes, I added some words so that they sound better. As you might know German is a rather precise language, especially when it comes to game rules. For example: In English a city can grow to size x, in German it has to be the population of the city that grows to size x. It's somewhat different to explain in English.

 

[ruff_hi]

The option screen text is currently imbedded in the python files. We have an outstanding item regarding moving them to XML but that is still ... errr ... outstanding. To be honest, I have never looking into what is required. I will take a look and see what I can do.

 

[The Doc]

That would be cool.
I'm no programmer but maybe you "just" have to replace the plain text of the option names in the python-files with some tags that are located in an XML-file. Then again, this might sound to easy and I'm fantasizing.

 

[ruff_hi]

well - it looks easy. I've just done 3 options (not tested yet). I'll boot up the game and see if it actually works. I'm freeing up two items (the text on the screen and the 'hover' text).

 

[EmperorFool]

Don't be scared to change my words, I won't get mad.

If you don't read German, how would you even know?

Yes, I added some words so that they sound better.

I did some missing Civ4lert translations originally using Babelfish so I expect they read quite poorly. Thank you so much for helping out. As a matter of fact, I completed Ruff's work to move the options screen tabs, labels, titles and hover text to XML files. They are in SVN now. You can get any version of the file from this page, but here is a direct link to the latest version.

Edit: Note that you need the latest version from SVN to test this out. The above XML file won't work by itself.

Edit: I thought the tabs weren't working, but I just tested again and they are. Go for it!

 

[ruff_hi]

I'm thinking of adding some files that pop up a NAG during the first 'other civs' turn. It will check for a key in the BUG.ini file and will display a pop up (and increment the key by 1) depending on the key that says ...

• key = 0: "BUG needs translators - interested in helping out for free?"
• key = 1: "Come on, you know you should help ... BUG needs translators"
• key = 2: "Last chance before we trash your hard drive (joking!) - BUG needs translators"
• key > 2: no dialog box

This will also give us a way to communicate with our users in the future (ie add additional messages for higher values of the key.

 

[EmperorFool]

Yes, but who would translate those messages?

Seriously, I'd rather not do that. Consider that we'd maybe get a few people to help, yet we'll have inconvenienced every single user. I would find it very off-putting as a user myself, a la spam.

I would be fine with adding a blurb at the end of the credits, like

Want to be a part of the team or assist with translations, artwork or coding?
Post a message to the BUG forum at civfanatics.com or send an email to civ4bug-contactus@lists.sourceforge.net.

I don't want people to think we called the mod BUG because we like to bug our users.

 

[The Doc]

I just finished the first revision of the german translation (yay ) and I found some missing tags that are not in the xml-files, so I can't translate them. See pictures below (mostly dropdown-menus). I marked them with red frames.
Also the text on the tabs is translated but doesn't show up.

 

[EmperorFool]

@The Doc - Wow, that looks amazing!

The era at the top of the screen in the main interface isn't translated. In the core Civ4 translations, some languages contain the word for "era" as part of the era. For example (totally made up), in English you have "Ancient", but this translates to Spanish as "Era Vieja", so it shows up as "Era Vieja Era". I think this is filed as a bug in our tracker.

I'm still working on a way to make the drop-downs translatable. The tab names, however, should be working. They weren't at first for me, but then they just started working for no good reason. I'll check again on my end.

For the Foreign Advisor, the first option (Glance Tab) means to show a whole new tab on the screen. The second option (Glance Tab Smilies) means to put smilies on the Glance Tab (only if the first option is checked, of course). Not knowing German, I can't tell if that is clear from your translation.

I'm stoked to see what you've done so far. Thank you so much!

Edit: Here's what I added for the Military Advisor. You can update SVN and get the addition (it will merge in your changes -- not overwrite them, though I certainly recommend making regular backups to a different directory until you're comfortable with SVN).

	<TEXT>
		<Tag>TXT_KEY_BUG_OPTLABEL_MILITARY_ADVISOR</Tag>
		<English>Military (F5):</English>
		<French>Military (F5):</French>
		<German>Military (F5):</German>
		<Italian>Military (F5):</Italian>
		<Spanish>Military (F5):</Spanish>
	</TEXT>

It goes in between the Foreign and Technology Advisors, as it is on the screen.

Edit 2: Are the color translations I got from Babelfish okay? If not, they are located at the end of BUG_CIV4GameText.xml.

 

[EmperorFool]

The tab names, however, should be working. They weren't at first for me, but then they just started working for no good reason. I'll check again on my end.

Of course, they're not working anymore. I'll fix that and add a way to translate the screen title (BUG Mod Options).

I'm close to having the drop-down lists translatable.

 

[The Doc]

@The Doc - Wow, that looks amazing!

Thanks. It's just the first revision and still work in progress.

The era at the top of the screen in the main interface isn't translated. In the core Civ4 translations, some languages contain the word for "era" as part of the era. For example (totally made up), in English you have "Ancient", but this translates to Spanish as "Era Vieja", so it shows up as "Era Vieja Era". I think this is filed as a bug in our tracker.

Oh, Ok. Maybe the next patch will help us out with this.

[...]

For the Foreign Advisor, the first option (Glance Tab) means to show a whole new tab on the screen. The second option (Glance Tab Smilies) means to put smilies on the Glance Tab (only if the first option is checked, of course). Not knowing German, I can't tell if that is clear from your translation.

Yes, I know what it does. English is not shorter on every occasion.

I'm stoked to see what you've done so far. Thank you so much!

Edit: Here's what I added for the Military Advisor. You can update SVN and get the addition (it will merge in your changes -- not overwrite them, though I certainly recommend making regular backups to a different directory until you're comfortable with SVN).

[...]

I'm using Winmerge for version comparison. So that's no problem at all.

Edit 2: Are the color translations I got from Babelfish okay? If not, they are located at the end of BUG_CIV4GameText.xml.

The Colors weren't translated when I first laid eyes on the xml-files of BUG. They were among the first things I worked on, iirc.

Of course, they're not working anymore. I'll fix that and add a way to translate the screen title (BUG Mod Options).

I'm close to having the drop-down lists translatable.

Great to hear.

 

[EmperorFool]

Okay, all done.

• Tab titles are translated.
• Option lists are translated. Separate items by a vertical bar "|". See the XML file for an example, search for "_LIST". I added all of the existing ones with German translations. Laugh at Babelfish.
• The Credits tab's headers (BUG Team, Mod Authors, Translators) are translated.
• I added you as "The Doc" to the Credits tab. Let me know if you want to use a different name.

The one remaining option list related localization issue is that I can't see an easy way to use "," for the decimal point "." that we do in the U.S. For example, "3,14" vs. "3.14" for pi. I notice the game itself doesn't use "," for its numbers in German, so I'm inclined to punt on this one.

 

[EmperorFool]

The Colors weren't translated when I first laid eyes on the xml-files of BUG. They were among the first things I worked on, iirc.

Ah, I see I only did the Spanish colors originally. I see the German ones on my screen here, so I assumed I had looked them up in the fish as well. I see that Alerum snuck your translations in at the end of March.

 

[The Doc]

Ah, I see I only did the Spanish colors originally. I see the German ones on my screen here, so I assumed I had looked them up in the fish as well. I see that Alerum snuck your translations in at the end of March.

No problem, mate.
The Option lists are translated now and work fantastic.
I found some additional things that would be great if they could be put into xmls:

- The dropdown menu of the Customizable Domestic Advisor
- The Raw Commerce / Production display on the city screen

Not translation related things:

- Tooltips for the icons to the right of the dropdown menu in the Customizable Domestic Advisor
- Some wider column headers by default in some of the pages of the Customizable Domestic Advisor

As for "." against ",": I don't think it's necessary to change that if it's too complex to implement it.