Golden Reverie nearing completion state: Graphical Implementation!

Yeah, this is some good stuff. One of those things that you’re giddy just to see in action.

It bears mentioning that this massive update would not have been possible without the support of the Visual Novel Umineko Community at Reddit, and some amazing volunteers who will be credited in the final release.

Thanks, seacats!

As Miss Virgilia was kind enough to demonstrate, we’ve got the menu text translated AND implemented. We need to line it up and clean up some things, and insert some extraneous stuff, but by and large the worst is over!

The insertion process was kind of haphazard, as we basically just translated the Japanese graphics to English, tossed them in, and watched the fireworks.

As you’ll see here, it’s kind of an involving process.

Oh, but the results were worth it.

But wait, there’s more!

In-game moves will be translated as well, and…

We’ve added hard subs into the opening video too, since I’m sure you actually like to know what’s being sung in these things.

Final Cut Pro works wonders.

So in case you like hard numbers:

•     Script: 100%
•     In-Game Text: 100%
•     Editing: 95%
•     Graphics: 70%

As Ange would say… “have a nice day, see you again.”
-cj

Shadowrun [Sega CD]: Chapter 1 reaches 60%

Konbanwa, chummers.

It’s hard to stay distracted when this project generates so much interest, so I hit the grindstone and got past the halfway point of Chapter 1.

So here’s some more of the script applied to some of the screens from before, now translated. Have an enjoy.

Stay tuned.

Golden Reverie reaches 100% script completion. 07th Expansion approved!

Great news for the Umineko scholars.

The script is as of now 100% playable in-game! Also, after contacting 07th Expansion via twitter, series creator Ryukishi07 was kind enough to offer his support.

“英語パッチがあると、海外の方にもプレイしてもらえるのでとても嬉しいです。感謝します。CROSSもいつかぜひお願いします☆（竜）”

(And the English patch so you can play overseas travelers happy. Thank you. CROSS sometime take too ☆(Ryu) )

英語パッチがあると、海外の方にもプレイしてもらえるのでとても嬉しいです。感謝します。CROSSもいつかぜひお願いします☆（竜） RT @cj_iwakura @07th_official Working on an English patch, yes.

— 07thExpansion (@07th_official) September 2, 2013

All that’s left are graphics and line break tweaking. Almost there!

Post-mortem: Shadowrun Returns

Haven’t had much to update with as of late in regards to projects(though I do have a small update on Shadowrun SCD), so here’s some thoughts on something related that I recently finished.

 

Shadowrun Returns was the first kickstarter I backed, and also the first one I got to play. The gameplay is not what one would call innovative: you use cover, weaponry, and magic during turn-based combat to kill your foes with ease. It is, however, effective and enjoyable.

At least up until the crazy final battles which involve lots of nigh-unkillable beasts attacking en masse.

What most hopefully came for was a return to the Shadowrun universe, and all the character drama and rich mythos that entails.

Boy did Harebrained Schemes deliver on that front.

Shadowrun Returns has a plethora of well-written NPCs with their own motivations, character arcs, and intriguing dialogue leaving you wanting to know more about them, their backstories, and the universe of Shadowrun, everything good writing should do.

Even throwaway NPCs with one or two lines have more weight to their dialogue than certain game characters with paragraphs if not novels of dialogue to drone on about.

Better still is the campaign editor, offering creative designers an entire world of tools to play around with.

My ream is to take the script I have here for Shadowrun SCD and make a SRR campaign out of it using the editor. Given my inexperience with graphics and module editing, that could take a while.

But hey, it’s a nice dream.

Oh yeah, Shadowrun SCD.

The good news is that the script is 40% don, two campaigns out of five. The bad news is that we’re still waiting on an alpha to test the insertion, due to some technical difficulties. We’re currently isolating the deckers involved, and have dispatched some Black IC to remove them from our branch of the Matrix.

Short version: we’ll get there, and soon.

See you in the sprawl, chummers.

(Disclaimer: iwakura productions in no way endorses the unlawful use or distribution of urban pacification firearms and shall not be held accountable for any death, dismemberment, or stolen organs/limbs that results.)

Golden Reverie Updates: New Font, Translated OP, Ronove, Chiester, Kanon scenarios

Lots of updates. Firstly, I’ve included a video of the OP with annotations of the lyrics I created. I adapted a translation into phonetic lyrics so you can sing along! (I’m sure you Ranma 1/2 fans will appreciate the touch.)

It will be hard-subtitled in-game.

Also, we have 5 out of the 18 scenarios done. Sorry it’s taking a while, but inserting the text is the tough part. Once it’s there, I edit, and golden.

Additionally, we have a new font!
Straight outta OMK Cross. (That’s the sequel which we’ll do someday, most likely.)

Here’s some screens:

Original Font (Ronove Scenario)

New Font (Battler/Lucifer & Chiester/Eva scenarios)

Stay tuned.

Spaaaace Chan-
wait, wrong game.

Golden Reverie: Battler & Beatrice, Stage 1

Walterion, one of our testers, was kind enough to record some in-progress videos of the alpha patch in action.

You can find more here as well:

(Ronove & Virgilia)

(Kanon & Shannon)

As an aside, editing is around 70% there.

When The Seagulls Cry: Golden Fantasia Alpha 1.0, accepting testers

The script for Golden Fantasia is currently 100% translated.

Editing is at, oh, 15% or so. I’m comfortable with taking on some testers if any 07th Expansion fans are interested.

Notes of helpfulness:

• Be Umineko and/or Japanese savvy.
• Identify line breaks and non-translated STORY text. The mid-stage dialogue exchanges are untranslated at the moment, it has yet to be incorporated.
• Note any typos or misused character names (i.e. Battler talking to Beatrice and addressing her as Eva). We did the script raw without context, so this may happen on occasion.

You can message me here or email cjiwakurax@aol.com if you’re interested. Good hunting!

A Beginner’s Guide To Kanji Tables

Oh wait, wrong Kanji.

There we go!

Kanji tables are integral to fan translations. This is currently the obstacle for Shadowrun. In a nutshell, they’re image-format depictions of Japanese characters that have to be transcribed into text to make facilitate the process of replacing Japanese text with English text.

That’s the Kanji table for Shadowrun Scenario 2. There’s one for each scenario.

We’re hacking away at it, so stay tuned.

It includes some hiragana and katakana as well, but mostly kanji. Hiragana & katakana are simpler characters, often used to spell out kanji for ease of pronunciation or saying non-Japanese words, such as “Ku-Ri-Su’ for Chris(see: Steins;Gate).

(She prefers Christina, I’m told. It’s not that she likes it or anything, though.)

If you’d like to know more about kanji tables, read here.

http://www.romhacking.net/documents/56/

If you’d like to know more about Kanji hitting people with tables, play Persona 4 Arena.

-cj

 

Shadowrun [Sega CD] Progress Update & Gameplay

Hey all. I’ve been getting a lot of contact about the Shadowrun project, which is awesome. Not sure if it’s the Shadowrun community or niche Sega CD/SRPG fans or both, but I’m not complaining.

Unfortunately, it’s proving to be a complicated task. The game uses some very intricate kanji tables, and though we have the first Scenario translated, implementing the script is gonna be a pain, chummer.

That said, I decided to get some screens up to and including the first few battles to tide you all over.

Our wayward posse of Runners decide to run around the city looking for clues, and they find a lot.

As well as a gang who need to have their faces smashed in.

And maybe, just maybe, the elusive Samurai Killer…

The gameplay as said, is SRPG format, and uses a fantastic dice-rolling mechanic to determine damage and defense, as well as chances of the attack hitting.

I had a blast playing it, and I hope you will too. Keep on runnin’.

If you’ve played Snatcher or Policenauts, the gameplay should feel very familiar. You talk to people, get ignored, talk some more, then bust some skulls and then they start talking. Expect a LOT of talking, this is a very wordy game. (This is a huge plus for me.)

When The Seagulls Cry: Golden Reverie Fan Translation

I know it seems like I’m a busy bee, but almost every project I’ve posted about here since Shikigami has been stuff I’ve helped out with.

This one is my next personal endeavor.

Golden Reverie, translated from Ougon Musou Kyoku, is a fighting game based on the universe of When The Seagulls Cry(Umineko no Naku Koro Ni).

This is an official follow-up to the visual novel, taking place after the events of Episode 4, canonized and sanctioned by 07th Expansion.

Of course, odds of it getting officially localized in any capacity, much like the VN, are just about non-existent.

So we’re translating it, and plan to release a patch to make all the game’s dialogue viewable in English.

FAQ

Should I play the visual novel before this?
YES. The events and even backgrounds of Golden Reverie contain massive spoilers to Episodes 1-4 of the visual novel.

What about the expansions like Cross?
We’re doing the original first. Cross and its ilk may come later.
No sense getting in too deep just yet!

Will the Japanese voice overs be intact?
Yes. We have no intention of dubbing this, as it would be a massive project. Almost every line of dialogue is voiced from the cast who did the PS3 VN/anime voices, and they did a fine job.

What about spoken dialogue during matches?
As cool as having subtitles in-game for that would be, that would be a massive undertaking. Most likely, we’ll include translations for all the battle quips in a read-me, same goes for the opening song and such.

I love Umineko but I hate fighting games. Will finishing this be a nightmare?
The AI can be cheap as hell, fair warning. But there is an easy mode, so you should be fine.
It’s also very easy to exploit cheap combos and get story mode over with if that’s your preference.

How far along is the project?
Hacking is already going smoothly. The script is at 75%.

Can I help?
If you’re both:
A. An Umineko scholar
B. Fluent in Japanese
Then absolutely, PM me.

The Players

The one who defies magic, and will explain it all through reason. Locked in an endless battle with the great witch, Beatrice. It may be all useless, but you can still turn the chessboard around.

The one known as the Golden Witch. There’s only one known way to kill her.
Can you defy the strength of her magic through sheer force of will, or will you be another broken beneath her heel?

The younger sister of Battler, fighting to regain the family stolen from her by the Golden Witch. What awaits: a happy future, or one of endless despair?

An elegant butler in service of Beatrice, yet he also has great respect for Battler. Where do his loyalties lie?

A maid sworn to the service of the Ushiromiya Family. A master of spiritual defense, she will let no harm come to those she loves.

The youngest of the Ushiromiya servants, he is never far from Shannon, and any who try to harm her or those under his protection will find he is all too capable of enforcing it.

A legendary witch, reputed to be Beatrice’s elder and instructor. Does she aspire to bring Beatrice back to her senses, or help the Golden Witch in her schemes?

One of the Ushiromiya Family, twisted by the promise of power with a penchant for unending cruelty.

The eldest of the Seven Stakes of Purgatory, executioners of Beatrice’s will(as well as her victims).

One of the Siesta Sisters, each of whom is easily a match for the combined might of the Seven Stakes. Yet, they serve not Beatrice, but the fearsome sorcerer known as Goldsmith.

English screens, testing:

Other screens: