rastsan, if you would still be willing to continue this project, I would like to offer my services for the translation. From what I've gathered by going through this thread, the game it makes use of mostly Hiragana and Katakana so it shouldn't (hopefully) be exceedingly complex. I have only finished a simple Japanese 101 class (going to take the 2nd part of the class this summer) but I am willing to try and sort through the game script and try to translate it.
Translation Zoids Saga DS: English Translation
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if anyone knows if this is still going on i think that'll bring back some hope for this thread, otherwise im getting a feeling that this has now gone to the ''unfinished'' shelf never to see the light of day. really hope im wrong about this.
![[D]aRk[D]rEam](/data/avatars/l/255/255646.jpg?1351214296){kind=avatar}
I would like to know that too, more likely because I'm working on it from 3 days ago. A friends of mine asked me if I could make a translation for this game (since I can read both Hiragana and Katakana) so he could play the game, but I don't have any knowledge on C or ASM so my translation is pretty rough... here are some screenshot, let me know what do you guys think:
http://i42.tinypic.com/vo7cqa.png
http://i40.tinypic.com/2ufyou0.png
http://i42.tinypic.com/29litqr.png
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lsh635.png
As I already wrote before, this was intended to be a private translation just for a friend (even because let's be honest, without pointers it's a pain both to translate and read ingame but I don't have any idea of how to use them), and since there are some people who would like to have a translation for this game I decided to write this post.
EDIT: Well, if someone is interested in the project send me a pm then.
http://i42.tinypic.com/vo7cqa.png
http://i40.tinypic.com/2ufyou0.png
http://i42.tinypic.com/29litqr.png
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lsh635.png
As I already wrote before, this was intended to be a private translation just for a friend (even because let's be honest, without pointers it's a pain both to translate and read ingame but I don't have any idea of how to use them), and since there are some people who would like to have a translation for this game I decided to write this post.
EDIT: Well, if someone is interested in the project send me a pm then.
dude im sorry to say this has been dead in the water for some time, you may want to pm Rastsan for all the info that was done on this so you'll at least be part of the way through and not starting form scratch. hope this helps in some way
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pm Normmatt.
memory based pointers are not that hard to find. Usually the arm9 and overlay files have them. do a memory dump - search that dump for the text you are translating - find the beginning (the hex address of the start of the text) then search for that address in reverse. if its 06eaf0 you would search for F0EA06. when you find it with a 02 after the 06 don't worry as that is the right pointer. now if you see a bunch of numbers around there that follow the same format F8 EA 06 02 10 EB 06 02 then you are in the right spot. just reverse and drop the 02 then go to that address. (may sound confusing but it really isn't once you see it and figure out what I am taking about).
Even then the text in the arm 9 isn't that heavy. I wish you had waited for someone to take on the font. I have been on the bad end of re-doing a translation after a font reworking. going back and re-doing work can be unpleasant.
It may be easier to post your translation of the text files and just stick with doing the graphics for now. there is a bit of graphic work to be done.
Why am I bothering to reply to something I am not working on???
memory based pointers are not that hard to find. Usually the arm9 and overlay files have them. do a memory dump - search that dump for the text you are translating - find the beginning (the hex address of the start of the text) then search for that address in reverse. if its 06eaf0 you would search for F0EA06. when you find it with a 02 after the 06 don't worry as that is the right pointer. now if you see a bunch of numbers around there that follow the same format F8 EA 06 02 10 EB 06 02 then you are in the right spot. just reverse and drop the 02 then go to that address. (may sound confusing but it really isn't once you see it and figure out what I am taking about).
Even then the text in the arm 9 isn't that heavy. I wish you had waited for someone to take on the font. I have been on the bad end of re-doing a translation after a font reworking. going back and re-doing work can be unpleasant.
It may be easier to post your translation of the text files and just stick with doing the graphics for now. there is a bit of graphic work to be done.
Why am I bothering to reply to something I am not working on???
very true he cares of this thread a lot lol. jokes but lets get real the only way this is goting to be finished is if someone makes a PC to DS translator. last time i looked into it they said that there 8 years away for it to be used.
Thanks anyway for the help shikamarutak 
.
Thanks for this explanation rastsan.
I'll be honest with you, at first I didn't understand anything of what you said, but after reading for the third time your post I got what you meant with that. As you said before regarding the graphic it's true, the menu and some other stuff (if you are referring to this) can't be simply translated like the rest of the text, although I don't have any idea of how I can do this.
.Thanks for this explanation rastsan.
I'll be honest with you, at first I didn't understand anything of what you said, but after reading for the third time your post I got what you meant with that. As you said before regarding the graphic it's true, the menu and some other stuff (if you are referring to this) can't be simply translated like the rest of the text, although I don't have any idea of how I can do this.
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well like most memory based stuff you just work with the space provided. so from your memory dump you know what takes up what space... as in this block of text takes this exact space up. from translating it you know you have 4 double width characters of space (8 single byte letters) that you now can use for something else as that space is freed up. why not put something in that space and change the pointer for the previous spot it was in... which only had 3 double bytes space (6 single byte letters).
when you get the hang of juggling where things are moved this will get real easy.
take a spreadsheet one column has the pointers (the memory based ones), the next column has a dump of what the pointers point to. the column after that has the translation. the column after that lists whether its bigger or smaller than the untranslated stuff (+ and the number for how much more, - and the number for how much less). the column after that lists how much space you have to work with for each- for the untranslated stuff. Then you just match up based on space. "move" things according to size requirements. as in change the pointers and put what you need in its new spot. so "liger zero dash" was here but can be moved to there. now you can put "Green Horn" or something else which previously you had to short form "grnhrn" in its new non short form spot where "liger zero dash" used to be. now "liger zero dash" is short formed itself to LZ Dash and moved to somewhere else. and so on... just juggling where things go after you translate.
I literally am doing this for three other games. once you get to doing it - its not hard. I can only translate zoids battle coloseum textwise this way. As everything text wise is in the arm9/overlays.
there are options for getting the translation in here.
Fast6191 did mention several ways to look for empty memory locations (in other threads) - which can be used to "store" translated text. basically just watching the memory for a spot that doesn't get used. then using it. which may sound complicated to implement but it really isn't. Eventually when I give up on finding the font for Itadaki street ds this is exactly what I have to do if I want to avoid short forming the translation. this may even be the best way to get around not editing the font for this game asm wise. leave everything double width and repoint - near everything using all available free memory.
look up dte or mte. they can both be done without changing the asm... its just time consuming to implement and will take a dedicated person to do.
My point really is to say don't worry just yet about getting in there... just finish translating everything. Use a spreadsheet then worry later and or post it for someone else to insert.
when you get the hang of juggling where things are moved this will get real easy.
take a spreadsheet one column has the pointers (the memory based ones), the next column has a dump of what the pointers point to. the column after that has the translation. the column after that lists whether its bigger or smaller than the untranslated stuff (+ and the number for how much more, - and the number for how much less). the column after that lists how much space you have to work with for each- for the untranslated stuff. Then you just match up based on space. "move" things according to size requirements. as in change the pointers and put what you need in its new spot. so "liger zero dash" was here but can be moved to there. now you can put "Green Horn" or something else which previously you had to short form "grnhrn" in its new non short form spot where "liger zero dash" used to be. now "liger zero dash" is short formed itself to LZ Dash and moved to somewhere else. and so on... just juggling where things go after you translate.
I literally am doing this for three other games. once you get to doing it - its not hard. I can only translate zoids battle coloseum textwise this way. As everything text wise is in the arm9/overlays.
there are options for getting the translation in here.
Fast6191 did mention several ways to look for empty memory locations (in other threads) - which can be used to "store" translated text. basically just watching the memory for a spot that doesn't get used. then using it. which may sound complicated to implement but it really isn't. Eventually when I give up on finding the font for Itadaki street ds this is exactly what I have to do if I want to avoid short forming the translation. this may even be the best way to get around not editing the font for this game asm wise. leave everything double width and repoint - near everything using all available free memory.
look up dte or mte. they can both be done without changing the asm... its just time consuming to implement and will take a dedicated person to do.
My point really is to say don't worry just yet about getting in there... just finish translating everything. Use a spreadsheet then worry later and or post it for someone else to insert.
Thanks again for your reply. Yeah for now I will translate what I can (right now each Zoids/Weapons/Items Are translated or rather shortened) and I will focus on pointers and rename what I can. Meh, I truly hate how fonts take 2 byte instead of 1, it would be easier without that problem. By the way thanks again for your explanation, you made me understand something that was bothering me from so much time.
Hi DarkDream specifically, and all
I made an account specifically to cheer you on xD. I would PM you, but a new account can't do this, I believe.
I just wanted to add that even if you do a broken sort of translation/edit, as long as a non-japanese speaker can play the game, even if it's just menus that you have managed to do, I hope that you will update this thread and share your work, because that would be so much more than nothing, and I know that I and other zoids fans would be so excited to be able to play it and understand the menus and what it is we are equipping and such! So I hope you don't give up, and do what you can, and please share!
I can speak for myself that I've been quietly waiting and being patient, but mostly resolved to just never be able to enjoy the game, but you have given me some hope, so don't give up!
I made an account specifically to cheer you on xD. I would PM you, but a new account can't do this, I believe.
I just wanted to add that even if you do a broken sort of translation/edit, as long as a non-japanese speaker can play the game, even if it's just menus that you have managed to do, I hope that you will update this thread and share your work, because that would be so much more than nothing, and I know that I and other zoids fans would be so excited to be able to play it and understand the menus and what it is we are equipping and such! So I hope you don't give up, and do what you can, and please share!
I can speak for myself that I've been quietly waiting and being patient, but mostly resolved to just never be able to enjoy the game, but you have given me some hope, so don't give up!
Thank you DarkDream, Im sure me and many other zoid's fans are cheering you on!
Rastran, while I know your not working on this, just know I am thankful your so helpful
Here's to hoping the translation will be a success!
Rastran, while I know your not working on this, just know I am thankful your so helpful
Here's to hoping the translation will be a success!
I have made a complete .bin file with the skills partially translated but i can't get it ingame because it wont read latin chars and i cannot edit the .bin file containing fonts... anyway to do this? how ever im uploading the skills file to here....
REMOVED DUE LACK OF QUALITY IN THE FILE READ BELOW
it left like 5 skills only and to confirm some of them i havent tested ingame some terms are kinda tactical since im a militarist....
may be if you got english letters on your rom file it could work, what about uploading it to see?
REMOVED DUE LACK OF QUALITY IN THE FILE READ BELOW
it left like 5 skills only and to confirm some of them i havent tested ingame some terms are kinda tactical since im a militarist....
may be if you got english letters on your rom file it could work, what about uploading it to see?
To both Cubioh & dominick1233
Sorry for the late reply, my pc broke but do not fear, I didn't have any data loss issues so the translation it's safe as my other important personal files. Right now I'm waiting for my new pc and I will continue the translation, slow but i'm still working on it. Sure I would appreciate the help of someone with a better experience of japanese language than mine so I would have less trouble of misunderstanding with some words, but it's still ok. Even if in the future I should reach the corner of dropping the project I'll anyway release a patch with all the work I've done until that time.
EDIT
To UlfrRiorwa
Ah I see you translated some skills nice work, I will see the file as soon as possible, regarding your problem, perhaps is the same I encountered in the beginning, that japanese fonts take 2 byte instead of 1
Sorry for the late reply, my pc broke but do not fear, I didn't have any data loss issues so the translation it's safe as my other important personal files. Right now I'm waiting for my new pc and I will continue the translation, slow but i'm still working on it. Sure I would appreciate the help of someone with a better experience of japanese language than mine so I would have less trouble of misunderstanding with some words, but it's still ok. Even if in the future I should reach the corner of dropping the project I'll anyway release a patch with all the work I've done until that time.
EDIT
To UlfrRiorwa
Ah I see you translated some skills nice work, I will see the file as soon as possible, regarding your problem, perhaps is the same I encountered in the beginning, that japanese fonts take 2 byte instead of 1
as i sed you can add the file i created... im anctious to see the result i spent hours on this file alone, if it works i will translate other files if i found them
EDIT:
@dark dream
i will read carefully to see if i can get it working but if you can explain me via facebook i can make some more work like translating weapon names o.o
I sent you a pm with a small explanation regarding your issue
...That's odd indeed XD , wait a little bit, maybe it's a forum problem or rather this old pc i'm using right now
i have replied to the PM you sent me... AHHHH i hope this works... also i can translate pretty accurately image files well at least i can find someone pretty good at doing it so (my brother)
EDIT i have left you 4 pms !
EDIT: Progress made, i went tru the problem taking me away of translating the skills and i made a file that works normally, we will be able to make a release soon so we are gonna need testars... the file until now have proven to be compatible with normal savegames ...
oohhh im very anctious to see the outcome of this !
EDIT i have left you 4 pms !
EDIT: Progress made, i went tru the problem taking me away of translating the skills and i made a file that works normally, we will be able to make a release soon so we are gonna need testars... the file until now have proven to be compatible with normal savegames ...
oohhh im very anctious to see the outcome of this !
