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Archimedean Dynasty Augmented Mod (1.2 released!)

AtahualpaJones

Literate
Joined
Oct 9, 2019
Messages
6
And that's p. much it. GER translators would have to check original files (vanilla game), my files (1.2 mod) and translate differences / my changes to GER.

OK I can see how somebody would lose their will to live over this. ;) So a large part of the task is to meticulously reconstruct what exactly changed. Probably needs a good diff-creating workflow.

The Vfx\Scenario files often contain two English lines; am I correct in assuming rtxte is your improved translation and rtxtf is the original English for reference purposes?

Seems that many German umlauts were lost on saving, presumably due to character encoding. Not a problem per se since they aren't used, but probably good to keep in mind that encoding could be tricky.

I'll admit that, while the game mechanics never seemed all that broken to me, fixing the little mistakes in the dialogues really does appeal to me. #12102 has always bothered me a great deal. Flint's quip in the last line is so witty and on-character, and it's ruined by just one wrong word..

#0001 {Yes?}

#0101 {I need some information!}

#0002 {We all need it! Information is pure life.}

#0201 {I always thought pure life was a beautiful woman, a fake fireplace and a bottle of red Bordeaux Abysal!}

#0003 {Do you know what that's made of? Fermented sugar, artificial color, acidity regulator, taste intensifier and ketalar alcohol.}

#0301 {Yuck! Sounds disgusting! Kind of makes you wonder what the booze and the fireplace are made of, doesn't it?}

It's "the woman", not "the booze"! She explained what's in the booze! I even asked Helmut Halfmann about it back in the early aughts, and he confirmed that it was just an oversight. Such a great guy, shame that he died so early.
 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
The Vfx\Scenario files often contain two English lines; am I correct in assuming rtxte is your improved translation and rtxtf is the original English for reference purposes?
Yup. For 1.2 I'm removing rtxtf altogether, using it for "explanations / instructions" instead. For example a "nnn" value there will mean that it's a new COM trigger (added by me), so it has to be translated to GER from scratch:

oAjFg4U.png


But rtxtf values could also be used for 3rd translation (french, spanish - I'm not sure which fonts are available). You just have to change the "LANGUAGE=2" value in setup.ini to 3 I think. 1 is German.

Seems that many German umlauts were lost on saving, presumably due to character encoding. Not a problem per se since they aren't used, but probably good to keep in mind that encoding could be tricky.
Umlauts should work in GER version. They are preserved in .des files. Mostly (make sure ASCII encoding is enabled):

VsA6vyC.png


And they work ingame:

eIuXsaE.png


MA60lGP.png


It's "the woman", not "the booze"! She explained what's in the booze! I even asked Helmut Halfmann about it back in the early aughts, and he confirmed that it was just an oversight. Such a great guy, shame that he died so early.
Heh. I was sure it's just another example of "german sense of humor" and that it was intentional: Flint understands the subject (booze) but intentionally changes it to "the woman". :D

I mean:

Code:
Flint: I always thought pure life was a beautiful woman, a fake fireplace and a bottle of red Bordeaux Abysal!

Chick: Do you know what that's made of? Fermented sugar, artificial color, acidity regulator, taste intensifier and ketalar alcohol.

Flint: Yuck! Sounds disgusting! Kind of makes you wonder what the fireplace and the booze are made of, doesn't it?
Makes some weird sense... :oops:

But I'm gonna fix it, if it's a mistake...

*Edit: In GER version this dialogue looks the same:

Code:
#0001 {Hm?}

#0101 {Ich suche Informationen!}

#0002 {Tun wir alle! Informationen sind Leben pur.}

#0201 {Ich dachte immer, Leben pur wäre eine schöne Frau, eine Kaminfeuersimulation und eine Flasche Roter Bordeaux Chateau Abysail!}

#0003 {Weißt du, aus was das hergestellt wird? Aus vergorenem Zucker, Farbstoff, Säuerungsmitteln, Geschmacksintensivierern und Ketalar-Alkohol.}

#0301 {Bäh! Da fragt man sich, was wohl erst im Feuer und im Wein alles drin ist...}
 
Last edited:

AtahualpaJones

Literate
Joined
Oct 9, 2019
Messages
6
Umlauts should work in GER version. They are preserved in .des files. Mostly (make sure ASCII encoding is enabled):

That's right! Notepad++ just skipped them altogether so I assumed they were lost. Switching to ASCII works.

*Edit: In GER version this dialogue looks the same:

Oh yeah, the mistake is in the original German. :) I had never seen the English translation before yesterday. So yeah, the German should read "Bäh! Da fragt man sich, was wohl erst im Feuer und in der Frau alles drin ist..." It's not a huge thing, but it's a lovely little exchange.

The English translation really is a mixed bag. The dialogue is mostly okay, but the in-mission comm messages are a mess. From what I've seen so far you've done an amazing job cleaning that up.

Could you possibly supply me with the unaltered English sources so that I can work out where the differences are? I've only got the German version here at the moment.
 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
1) English clean install, patched with 1.120 and 3dfx patches:

https://www.mediafire.com/?z1xtkoqy8kfag5k/

2) German "essential" files (menus, mission briefings, etc):

https://www.mediafire.com/?vh7wksa0j9oaey9/

But I don't think you should start just yet. Wait for 1.2 (I only have 3 campaign missions and 4 instant missions left) and I'll explain how the (re)translation should be done.
For example, for "mission screens" (DAT/Mission), I think you should work on GER files, applying changes from my mod, if necessary. But some rules must be followed, or text won't be displayed properly.
But for mission files (VFX\Scenario) you HAVE TO work on my files, doing only translation. But again, there are some rules, or for example COM messages won't work (character limit).
 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
BROS, I've just finished twerking Mission 02204: THE ATTACK ON SECTOR E. And it's beautiful:

1qDA8eh.png


ltwRakT.png


:smug:

Currently working on the final mission. So, after almost a year, I'm close to:

 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
BROs, it's (finally!) done.

:cry:

- BNT-Bomber: PD further decreased from 150000 to 100000 (they still took too long to destroy).
- BNT-Gun-Turret: PD decreased from 56000 to 36000 (BNT-Scout has 50000), ED decreased from 9400 to 7000 (same as BNT-Scout).
- Created a separate "mini-mod" which should be used ONLY during final missions. It will switch ATL-Bombers' & SHO-Bombers' turrets from MAX2 to PLD1. DON'T use it earlier, or you will brake the game!
- Modified and unified engine settings for enemies in the entire final hub:
BNT-Scouts: #3 for 1st ring; #5 for second ring and above,
BNT-Bombers: #3 for 1st ring; #5 for second ring and above,
BNT-Gun-Turret: #1 for 1st ring; #3 for second ring; #5 for the final mission.
Previously, settings were increasing from 0 to 5 during 5 missions.
02201: SECTOR B OF THE FIRST RING
- Disabled trigger #2104, which was responsible for failing the mission if player went to the right section, before cleaning the left one first. IMO it was unnecessary and too easy to trigger when dealing with scouts and bombers. Now the player will only get two COM warnings. Improved the way this trigger works as well. Originally it was being launched when player reached a certain zone ("area trigger"), as long as a certain turret (BNT-Gun-Turret 12) was still alive. Its destruction was disabling this trigger entirely. I've introduced a new "wccond15 = 9" trigger for all 17 turrets in the left section, so you will get the two COM messages as long as at least one of the "left" turrets is still alive.
- To fix the common problem of Biont scouts getting stuck in walls, I was first thinking about adding "self-destruct" triggers for all BNT-Scouts, launching when the scout gets paralyzed. Unfortunately, it turned out to be impossible ("paralyzed" status prevents all further activity triggers from being launched). Instead, I went with something else.
I've added two "executioner" boats, in form of 2 EnTrOx boats (named MER-Boats C). These boats will appear 45 minutes after mission's start and begin patrolling both segments, hopefully dealing with all "stuck" bionts (allied boats can "go through walls" same way enemy boats can). So, if you can't destroy some enemy boat due to the glitch, just wait 45 minutes and see if it gets fixed. Both these boats have infinite PD & ED, are equipped with Plasma Death 3 but no torpedoes, and their patrol zone should be high enough to cover the entire mission area.
-10*BNT-Scout: patrol speed unified at 100% (some were using lower settings).
- 2*BNT-Cruiser: they will attack just Flint (went back to original setting).
- 3*ATL-Bomber: PD & ED increased from 400% to 500% (to match scouts' settings). Modified their "appear" triggers. Second and third bomber will now appear when the previous one gets destroyed (old) or paralyzed (new).
- Added NAV A @ Polar, renamed second NAV.
- Tweaked COM (Polar now does most of the talking). Added "final" COM message (mission complete).

02202: THE ATTACK ON SECTOR C
- Added two "executioner" boats, in form of 2 EnTrOx boats (named MER-Boats C). These boats will appear 45 minutes after mission's start and begin patrolling both segments, dealing with all "stuck" bionts. Both these boats have infinite PD & ED, are equipped with Plasma Death 3 but no torpedoes, and their patrol zone should be high enough to cover (almost) entire mission area.
- Since in this mission both enemies and allies are strongly prone to wandering off the designated patrol zone, I've decided to reintroduce or add second activity trigger for all BNT boats. They will now patrol for 120 seconds and then reset their patrol zone by moving back to their original position. This should prevent players from having to scout the entire map for some remaining enemy to end the mission. Allied boat will just keep patrolling, as this setting actually makes them survive longer (esp. bombers tend to leave the combat area for some "time-outs"...).
- 23*BNT-Scout: patrol speed unified at 100% (some were using lower settings). Renamed some of them to assure proper "order of appearance". Final 8 "optional" scouts (appearing only if some turrets are still alive) will now appear depending on difficulty settings (4e +2m +2h), instead of all of them appearing always.
- 3*BNT-Cruiser: they will attack just Flint (went back to original setting).
- BNT-Cruiser 02: tweaked its position again, to avoid clipping with BNT-Cruiser 03. Switched name with (current) 01.
- 1*ATL-Bomber, 2*SHO-Bomber: PD & ED increased from 400% to 500% (to match scouts' settings). Restored previous patrol radius (50).
- 3*ATL-Scout & 2*MER-Boat: decreased their speed on the way from ATL-Polar to CLA-Bengalia from 200% to 150%. ATL-Bomber has to use 100%, or it most likely won't reach CLA-Bengalia at all.
- ATL, MER & CLA units will now move inside the "turret zone" when Player reaches certain area (trigger #2142) AS LONG AS all enemies from the first wave (wccond0 = 2) have been destroyed. This change prevents allies from "rushing" into the "turret hell" while CLA-Bengalia is still being attacked.
- SHO-Squadron B: Modified their "appear" triggers. New unit will now appear when previous one gets destroyed (old) or paralyzed (new).
- 5*SHO-Scout: patrol speed unified at 100% (some were using lower settings).
- Introduced new AM setting (iff = 7) for paralyzed Bionts. Allies will ignore them now, saving their torpedoes and attention for active ones. You don't have to destroy them to complete the mission, OFC.
- Changed identification of 9 "trash fields" from neutral to foe (#7) to make them "confusing" to Flint's sensors.
- Changed identification of 10 "trash fields" from neutral to friend (#2) to make them stay "green" even when Flint hits some friendly unit.
- Added NAV A @ Polar, renamed other NAVs.
- Tweaked COM.

02203: SECTOR D OF THE SECOND RING
- 4*SHO-Bomber: PD & ED increased from 400% to 500% (to match other boats' settings).
- Reintroduced old activity triggers for BNT boats (move / patrol in 30/60-second long intervals).
- 8*BNT-Scout: patrol speed unified at 100% (some were using lower settings). Other 14 scouts can use values lower than 100, but their triggers are too complex (patrol / move through the entire mission area) to mess with. Plus too much work. Renamed some BNT-Scouts to assure proper "order of appearance".
- 8*MER-Boat: the boats will now appear only if Polar is safe (first wave of Bionts dealt with). Originally they were appearing and moving into the "turret area" when one of the first two MER-Boats got destroyed, regardless of the Polar's situation. So, they were advancing into the "turret hell" area ahead of other allies.
- Changed identification of 5 "trash fields" from neutral to foe (#2) to make them "confusing" to Flint's sensors.
- Changed identification of 5 "trash fields" from neutral to friend (#7) to make them stay "green" even when Flint hits some friendly unit.
- 16*pipe: changed (fixed) identification from friend to foe (iff #2). Previously destroing them counted as destroying a friendly unit. Unfortunately, disabling them as "sonar objects" isn't possible for some reason...
- Added "mission complete" line in COM.

02204: THE ATTACK ON SECTOR E
- Added two ATL-Bombers (PD&ED = 600, equipped with DOOM & 20*LEE2). Original setup of allied boats (4*ATL-Scout & 2*MER-Boat) was IMO too weak, considering enemy force (3*Cruiser, 8*Bomber & 14*Scout). When testing this mission on "hard" I was always ending up only with Hong Long and crippled Polar (most turrets destroyed), having no torpedoes left, while still facing 2 or more Biont bombers... Now it should be more balanced. These two bombers will appear when ATL-Scout 2 / 4 gets destroyed, as long as ATL-Polar got attacked.
- Reintroduced old activity triggers for BNT boats (move / patrol in 60-second long intervals). Renamed some BNT boats to assure proper "order of appearance".
- BNT-Cruiser 01: Fixed move trigger (min/max height values were wrong); PD decreased from 150 to 140%.
- 4*BNT-Bomber: final four bombers (#06-09) will now appear when corresponding "earlier" bomber (#02-05) gets destroyed (old trigger) or paralyzed (new trigger). Beware.
- 14*BNT-Scout: patrol speed unified at 100% (some were using lower settings). Final 6 scouts (#0A-0F) will now appear when corresponding "earlier" scout (#02-09) gets destroyed (old trigger) or paralyzed (new trigger). Beware. Changed difficulty-related triggers from 10e +2m +2h to 8e +4m +2h.
- Changed position of first two paralyzed Biont units, so they actually appear in the mission area.
- Added NAV B @ Triton (will appear when Polar gets attacked). You can try luring enemies there.
- Changed identification of 8 "trash fields" from neutral to foe (#5) to make them "confusing" to Flint's sensors.
- Changed identification of 8 "trash fields" from neutral to friend (#7) to make them stay "green" even when Flint hits some friendly unit.
- 4*pipe: changed (fixed) identification from friend to foe (iff #5). Previously destroying them counted as destroying a friendly unit. Unfortunately, disabling them as "sonar objects" isn't possible for some reason...
- COM: Added two "death cries" for new bombers and a "mission complete" message.

02205: THE FINAL BATTLE
- Reintroduced old activity triggers for BNT boats (move / patrol in 60-second long intervals).
- 3*BNT-Fast-Bomber: Renamed to "BNT-Pursuer", PD & ED decreased from 150% to 120%, move and patrol speed increased from 100-140% to 150%.
- 8*BNT-Guardian: PD & ED unified at 500%.
- Added "must be destroyed" trigger (wccond1 = 2) for BNT-Gun-Turrets #01-03.
- 15*BNT-Gun-Turret: introduced new identification setting "iff = 5". ATL units will ignore these turrets and vice versa.
- Switched the iff settings of all mines from #6 to #5. See above. Previously esp. ATL-Bomber A was eager to visit the bridgehead, attacking either turrets or mines.
- MER-Hong-Long: introduced new identification setting "iff = 7". With original setting (iff = 0, the same as other ATL/MER units), BNT-Gun-Turrets were sometimes ignoring Flint, "aiming" at Hong-Long instead, as long as her boat was inside their (increased) sonar range. Now they will ignore her.
- Increased "car" setting (FOV) of some BNT turrets from 2-6 to 6-10.

Trai0: MOGHS
- Introduced difficulty settings by changing enemy setup from 45e +0m +0h to 25e +10m +10h. Renamed boats and changed their "appear" triggers to make everything work properly. "Medium" boats can't be activated by "hard" one's destruction, etc. - mission would be impossible to complete on lower difficulty settings.
- Changed Flint boat's engine from #2 to #3.
- Added "mission complete" COM line.
- Tweaked COM.

Trai1: TANK EXTERMINATOR
- Introduced difficulty settings by changing enemy setup from 34e +0m +0h to 26e +4m +4h. Changed tanks' "appear" triggers to make everything work properly.
- Increased patrol speed of some enemy units from 70-80% to 100%.
- Added "mission complete" COM line.
- Tweaked COM.
- Tweaked BRF.

Trai2: SAVE THE CONVOY
- Introduced difficulty settings by changing enemy setup from 44e +0m +0h to 28e +8m +8h.
- New enemy squadrons will now appear in sequence (after 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 seconds), instead of all at once. Still, the "new" ones will appear whether the "old" ones got destroyed or not. Just not all at once.
- 4*ATL-Bomber: PD decreased from 300% to 200%; reintroduced old AI settings - these units will patrol for 120 seconds then reset their patrol zone.
- CLA-Freighter 1: increased its patrol height to make its turrets more effective.
- COM: Added "mission failed" message.

Trai3: FREE VESPUCCI
- Introduced difficulty settings by changing enemy setup from 39e +0m +0h to 31e +4m +4h.
- Increased patrol speed of some enemy units from 70-80% to 100%.
- 3*ATL-Bomber: reintroduced old AI settings - these units will patrol for 120 seconds then reset their patrol zone.
- 2*ATL-Tank A: changed their activity triggers. Originally these units were staying in the area where ANR-Gun-Turrets were (before the settlement). Now they will continue further into the settlement when Flint reaches it.
- 5*ANR-Scout C: increased patrol height to avoid clipping with buildings.
- COM: Added "mission complete" message.
- Renamed some units.
So, the following comments / requests by Moo Rhy:

- I think the bionts' armor is too strong. At first you paralyze all ships and then clear up everything. But taking down the bombers is just annoying. It takes half a minute to one minute to destroy one with the plasma gun. I but a weight on my space bar to use the waiting time for something else. I think it could be enough when all enemies are paralyzed to win the mission.
- Sometimes there is one last enemy ship in a totally different sector. You have to search through all sectors to complete the mission.
- In the first mission you have to clear the left half of the sector first. If you go to the right side you lose. But sometimes that's necessary because the enemys spawn in the second sector you enter through the right side and sometimes they stick there.
Have actually been taken into consideration...

You know what's next...

giphy.gif


ETA: Thursday. :obviously:
 
Last edited:

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
Ladies, gentlemen, and all other specimen. It looks that THE Thursday is today.

Version 1.2 of the Augemented Mod is ready!

:yeah:

Major changes (for people who skipped earlier posts):

A. Global ones:

- All files and directories now use proper DOS 8.3 naming format system. This should fix problems reported by Linux users (Linux distinguishes between uppercase / lowercase filenames).
- Renamed all readme files using 8.3 format.
- Checked, cleaned and proof red mod's readme (Readme_m.txt).
- Changed mod info in main screen (removed version).
- Intro movie ("The Prehistory") is now viewable in the Movie Player.
- Renamed "Movie player" to "Cutscenes" to avoid confusion ("Movies" menu allows enabling / disabling of the "non-cutscene" ingame clips).
- Tweaked help screen (expanded abbreviations, made some options more clear).
- Tweaked some descriptions in "Weapon Store" menu (longer descriptions, split into two lines).
- Changed method of disabling the "Caution! System breakdown imminent!" audio message. Instead of replacing the audio clip (Coc09.pcm), I've disabled it in /Sfx/Snd/Smpmap.des via separate mod (1_mod).
- Tweaked the ATL-Scout (Atscout.des), increasing its turn speeds and generally making it a little bit more aggressive. Originally it preferred moving around to attacking, now it should fire at enemies more often. Still, it's basic PD is so low, that making it even more aggressive would lead to this unit being a cannon fodder (too weak to survive longer exchange of fire with stronger enemies).
- BNT-Bomber: PD further decreased from 150000 to 100000 (they still took too long to destroy).
- BNT-Gun-Turret: PD decreased from 56000 to 36000 (BNT-Scout has 50000), ED decreased from 9400 to 7000 (same as BNT-Scout).
- Fixed bad name (Armsdealer) @ Ajanta I.
- Created separate "Plasma turrets for ATL and SHO bombers during final missions" mod (2_mod).
B. Changes to conversation files (Txt\Dia):

- Reintroduced old ranks for Akira & Cox (generals) and Lopez (major). Let's not mess with the lore...
- Checked and tweaked conversation files AGAIN (punctuation errors, better flow).
- Introduced a couple of major and minor fixes (more info in Readme_m.txt or ITT)
C. General changes to mission files (Vfx\Scenario):

- Tweaked models, guns and torpedoes of boats and turrets. Generally, these are now related to difficulty level (if possible) - units with "diff = 1" or "diff = 2" settings have stronger guns / torpedoes than units appearing on all 3 difficulty levels ("diff = 0").
- Tweaked "patrol" coordinates (x/y) of almost ALL units in the game to avoid units using the exact same coordinates, which could've led to "overlapping".
- Reduced number of objects using "sle = 1" setting ("object can only be targeted when in Flint's sonar range"). Using it often feels wrong in case of boats, as you can't target something clearly visible, or keep loosing your lock-on ("target lost!"), or can't target an enemy, who's targeting you (bombers!).
- Unified "car = X" setting of turrets, using "car = 10". This setting determines the "FOV" of a turret. If set to 0, turret can only "see" the enemy when it is directly in front of it. When set to 10, its' FOV is equal to 360 degrees. Lower values are mostly used in the beginning of the game, but still - enjoy. Makes some "allied" turrets more effective as well.
- Applied my naming format to GER names, using either original names or English names or google-translated names. Removed 3rd names ("inff = ") altogether.
- Removed 3rd COM messages ("rtxtf = ") altogether.
D. Changes to particular missions (Vfx\Scenario): changelog of this part has 645 lines. See Readme_m.txt.

And last but not least, link:

https://www.mediafire.com/?7ju1zd29lpyechl

!IMPORTANT!

This version should be used on top of a "clean" install (game + 1.120 Patch + 3dfx Patch). Some files were removed when compared to previous version of the mod (1.01), so clean install is necessary for everything to work as it should.

Now give me a couple of days to prepare and post all the info needed for people willing to translate this bad boy to German...

p.s.

I would be really thankful for some TESTING. Because it can be safely assumed, that I screwed sth up. Again. :cry:
 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
All right. Here's the promised post for people interested in translating my mod to German, thus making it Schleichfahrt-compatible.

What needs to be done? Well, quite a lot. :(

Let's take a look inside my mod's folder structure...

1. /Dat/ folder

It contains .des files responsible for various aspects of the game.

1.1. /Dat/Mission/

This folder contains "mission info" files, which are used in "loading screens":

iSjIDhO.png


In "mission briefing" screen (press B during missions):

U1lkrwI.png

lkQPVfk.png


And finally in the "Dock" window, when choosing a mission (mission's name).

Corresponding .des file looks like this:

Code:
;
; m00105
;
; Credits = 0
;

[Mission]
Dramaturgy	= strai3

[AreaMap]
Name            = Free Vespucci
X               = 113
Y               = 90
Arrow           = TopRight

[B]
{
--- FREE VESPUCCI ---

Pirates have occupied the mining station
VESPUCCI and deployed some crawlers
to steel mangan lumps. Your task would be
to reach VESPUCCI through a narrow
canyon and destroy the crawlers.

Further orders will be given after that.
}

[P]
{
}

[S]
{
- Save your ammo.
- Use city buildings to chase off torpedoes.
- Keep close to the ground to avoid being
  detected by torpedo turrets.
}
So, what needs to be done here:

a) Translator should work on German files. My changes were mostly cosmetic, so there's no point of retranslating the whole text.
b) Compare two files: the one from vanilla game and the one from my mod to find my changes.
c) Apply these to the German file. Or not, if you find my changes wrong / bad. :(

What is important:

a) There's a "character limit" in these files. If you make the lines too long, text will get cut:

TijSUIM.png

WC8bo4U.png

1dd4RT8.png


b) Text in the "Hints" section (lower right on loading screen, |S| section in .des file) MUST consist of at least two lines, or it won't be visible on loading screen. Authors somehow did not realize this, so I had to do plenty of "Fixed non-showing tip in BRF" modifications.

What do I mean? Well, something like this:
Code:
[S]
{
- Save your ammo.
}
Will not work:

tRlsfaH.png


"Hint" is visible in "mission briefing", though:

uwl2ct0.png


But if you add one "enter" and one "space" after the single line (or add another line):

Code:
[S]
{
- Save your ammo.
 <--- space goes here
}
It will work fine:

cREXKaz.png

vV6U5R3.png


c) OFC the entire text has to be put between { } but that's obvious... :obviously:

1.2. /Dat/Save/

Two types of files can be found there: "campaign" saves and "fake" saves which work as configuration files for "Instant action" missions. I've tweaked those, but translator should leave them alone. They will work fine with SF. Check German Ftrai0-3.des files if you don't believe me. Both ENG and GER files have identical CRCs. So, nothing to translate here, simply use my files for the SF mod.

1.3 /Dat/Story/

Two types of files here. ChXX.des files, which are responsible for chapters (starting area, starting station, available interlocutors, etc.). I've modified Ch1.des to enable the first FMV (The Prehistory) in Cutscene Player. Nothing to translate here. Just use my file for the GER mod.

There's also a Tasks.des file here, which contains Tasks, found in the PDA. This file needs to be tweaked, but nothing fancy.

a) Work on German Tasks.des file. My changes were mostly cosmetic (Arabic to Roman digits, some tweaks), so there's no point of retranslating the whole text.
b) Compare two files: the one from vanilla game and the one from my mod to find my modifications.
c) Apply these to the German file. Or not, if you find my changes wrong / bad. :(

1.4 /Dat/World/

A lot of various game files here. I've modified 8 of them:

1) Id3_1.des. It's this fix:

Fixed bad name (Armsdealer) @ Ajanta I.
Basically, I've changed Armsdealer to Arms Dealer. :oops: In SF this guy goes by WAFFENHÄNDLER, so I think we're good here... :lol:

2) 7*StXXXX.des files. Those are stations' config files. "New" files are responsible for some important modifications:

- Fixed audio descriptions (clips) for Mole & Polar (errors in .des files led to lack of audio).
- You can buy Carbon Armor at the Mole (immediately after receiving Zorn) - makes 3 missions against Santiago slightly easier. Still, to buy Fixer, Booster, etc., you have to reach the Triton.
- Plasma Death 3 becomes available later than in vanilla game: during final missions, not during the Shogunate missions (Svesda Wostock, Polar, Progress).
So, this time YOU HAVE TO WORK ON MY FILES!

a) Open two files: the one from my mod and the one from the GER version.
b) Copy GER "Description" and paste it into my modified file. I could've do it myself, but what do we have translators for? :D

So, it's all about changing:

Code:
Description     = Battle ship of the Atlantic Federation

to:

Code:
Description     = Schlachtschiff der Atlantischen Föderation

And maybe tweaking the GER description if necessary...

Don't use GER files as a base, or the 3 fixes above will be lost.

vlC7EYl.jpg


2. /Gfx/ folder

It contains various graphics files (fonts, backgrounds, movies, palettes, etc). Translator has nothing to do here. I've created modified "main menu" background:

zgNFfP0.png


So the "Augmented Mod" info can be visible in upper right corner of the main menu:

WwxmeI0.png


Total waste of time, but if somebody wants to do the same for SF, be my guest.

You need to put the "Title.pcx" into /Gfx/Pic/Title/ directory.

.

.

.

Aaand that concludes the easier part of the translation.

:smug:

To be continued (unless potential translators have enough already). ;)
 
Last edited:

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
Alrighty. Time to post the second part of the "How to translate Augmented Mod back to German" tutorial.

I don't think that it's actually gonna happen, due to Germans being lazy fucks, but hey - at least I'm gonna do my part...

Anyway...

3. /Txt/ folder

That is where translator will spend most of his/her precious time. And weep. This folder contains dialogue-related files (/Dia/ subfolder), item descriptions (/Thing/ subfolder) and menu descriptions (Deeptext.des & Fightext.des).

What to do?

3.1. /Txt/Dia/

All dialogue-related files can be found here.

L0zPq9C.png


There are three types of files used in dialogues:

1) .des files: "description" file in text format. It contains the interlocutor's name (Name), his/her position on station / boat (Position - four values for station / place / person) and last but not least... Triggers. :cry: The main part of the file (Message# section) contains triggers, responsible for enabling / disabling events, persons, dialogue lines, missions, etc.

Code:
;
; perry wird von flint abgeholt und soll zu el topo gebracht werden
; -> el topo
; -> toshiro budjow (wachdienst)
;
; -> approach movie von eltopo ersetzen durch D03
;

[Person]
Type		= story
Name		= Perry Lasalle
Sex		= m
Position	= 2/2/4/3

; das "1.gespr„ch mit el topo" wird aktiviert
[Message1]
Id		= 9999201
Type		= addperson
Name		= 001004

; das "gespr„ch mit toshiro budjow" wird aktiviret
[Message2]
Id		= 9999201
Type		= addperson
Name		= 001110 

; replace approach movie from el topo
[Message3]
Id		= 9999201
Type		= replaceapproachmovie
Station		= 3
Name		= d03

; mission: "perry lasalle zu el topo auf station 3 bringen"
[Message4]
Id		= 9999201
Type		= mission2station
Mission		= m00105
Station		= 3 

; mission: fun
[Message5]
Id		= 9999201
Type		= mission2station
Mission		= m00103
Station		= 1

; adds guard
[Message6]
Id		= 9999201
Type		= addperson
Name		= 001109

I've made a lot of fixes / modifications to these triggers, and that's why the translator must use my files in GER mod and leave them the fuck alone!

2) .dia files: "trigger" file in HEX format. These babies are used to connect .des and .sen files. Basically, while playing the game you see the text that is stored in .sen file, and while making dialogue choices, settings stored in the .dia file magically transform your dialogue choices into certain triggers, which are launched via the .des file and are later stored in saves.

Don't fucking touch my files, as they contain important fixes / changes.

Plus, what could you possibly know about HEX-editing, son? :roll:

3) .sen files: actual dialogue lines ("sentences") in text format:

Code:
#0001 {So, what'd EL TOPO have to say?}
#1001 {I'm supposed to take you to him.}
#0002 {Great, let's go! I hope you actually plan to make an effort on this mission...}
#1002 {Consider yourself lucky I'm in the boat with you. And we better get to the dock promptly - EL TOPO told me he needs his emetic right away.}

These are the ones that need translating. The brave translator would have to work on my files. I don't think there's an easier way.

a) Open three :oops: files: (1) the one from my mod (new ENG dialogue), (2) the one from vanilla ENG version (old ENG dialogue) and (3) the one from vanilla GER version (old GER dialogue).
b) Look for differences between (1) and (2).
c) If there aren't any, just copy a correct line from (3), and paste it into the (1) file, maybe twerking it a bit, if you think it's necessary.
d) If there are differences (which means I fucked with this line), kindly translate my line in (1) into proper fucking German. Thank you very much, hon.

Repeat for 259 .sen files. And every file has at least a couple of lines.

giphy.gif


Yeah. Good fucking luck with that. :cry:

Unfortunately I've modified almost every dialogue file in the game (259/261). Sorry about that. :oops:

! Important !
  • Each line has to be placed between {}. So, don't delete any {} by accident, or the game will crash.
  • ~1 ~0 markers are used to capitalize text between them and make it "brighter" (check Vespucci / Asylum parts below):

BrVLNZX.png

dYQZ5f9.png

veqVS2e.png


Don't fuck these two up. soldier!

So, once more: work ONLY on .sen files, don't modify my .des & .dia files, just use them in GER mod.

All remaining files are piece of cake, compared to dialogues...

3.2. /Dia/Thing/

Item descriptions in shops. I've made following changes to 14 of them:

- Increased EA for all energy weapons to 150% of their initial values:
Plasma Gun 1: from 40 to 60
Plasma Gun 2: from 80 to 120
Plasma Death 1: from 120 to 180
Plasma Death 2: from 240 to 360
Plasma Death 3: from 480 to 720
Doom Mortar: from 1000 to 1500
- Tweaked some descriptions in "Weapon Store" menu (longer descriptions, split into two lines).

Old PLD3:

wxl22vj.png


New PLD3:

DAzYCRb.png


Old BUL1:

0FqqnGc.png


New BUL1:

yBkz4Iy.png


Todo: Work on GER files.

a) Open two files: the one from my mod and the one from the GER version.
b) Apply my changes (higher EMP damage in case of Energy weapons, tweaked description in case of all 14 obejects - OFC if necessary) to the GER files.

Just don't make the description too long (or to be precise, make it 8-9 lines tops), or the whole description won't fit inside the window:

QH8psO6.png


OFC I could've done (almost) all the above myself, but I'm a horrible person. :oops:

3.3. Deeptext.des & Fightext.des

First file contains "Main & PDA" menu entries:

Code:
Text0 = ERROR: no vesa driver detected.
Text1 = ERROR: vesa modes 640x480x64k and 640x480x32k are not supported.
Text2 = ERROR: no mouse driver detected.
Text3 = NEW GAME
Text4 = QUIT
Text5 = Sound
Text6 = Graphics
Text7 = Movies
Text8 = f r e i
Text9 = f r e i
Text10 = f r e i
Text11 = f r e i
Text12 = f r e i
Text13 = f r e i
Text14 = N O T E B O O K
Text15 = ---------------
Text16 = TASKS / HINTS / MISSIONS
Text17 = LOAD / SAVE
Text18 = SEAMAP
Text19 = OPTIONS
Text20 = QUIT
.
.
.

While second file contains various menu and HUD entries, used during the combat:

Code:
Text0 = Mission targets:
Text1 = ----------------
Text2 = Hints:
Text3 = ------
Text4 = PRESS ANY KEY TO START
Text5 = was destroyed
Text6 = was attacked
Text7 = was identified
Text8 = was paralyzed
Text9 = arrived
Text10 = was infiltrated
Text11 = ------ MISSION COMPLETE ------
Text12 = ------ MISSION FAILED ------
Text13 = ------ YOU DIED ------
Text14 = CHASE VIEW
Text15 = FLY AROUND VIEW
Text16 = PASS BY VIEW
Text17 = LOOK VIEW
Text18 = DEATH VIEW
Text19 = LOOK AT VIEW
Text20 = H: NEXT PAGE   ESC: EXIT
Text21 = H E L P
Text22 = NO HELP AVAILABLE
Text23 = B: NEXT PAGE   ESC: EXIT
Text24 = B R I E F I N G
Text25 = NO DESIGNATION
.
.
.

Todo: Work on GER files.

a) Open three :oops: files: (1) the one from my mod (new ENG menu), (2) the one from vanilla ENG version (old ENG menu) and (3) the one from vanilla GER version (old GER menu).
b) Look for differences between (1) and (2).
c) Apply these to the GER version (3). Or not. It all depends whether the GER entries are comprehensible, or not (like some of them in ENG version are).

And that's it when it comes to the /Dia/ folder! Only the /Vfx/ folder left, and this one is fucking easy-peasy in comparison.

That's actually a lie...
Stay tuned for moar!
 
Last edited:

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
Let's end this...

4. /Vfx/ folder

My archnemesis. :cry:
It contains various files, related to the combat section of the game.

4.1. /Vfx/Cockpit

This folder includes files related to 4 "cockpits" of Flint's boats, but also 3 .txt files, responsible for help screens. I've modified those.

Old help first, new help second:

UllsqrJ.png

vbL2JLi.png


VbXDlta.png

IBzoqmT.png


7u088IN.png

Wd6oEha.png


Todo: Work on GER files.

a) Open two files: the one from my mod and the one from the GER version.
b) If necessary, apply my changes to the GER files. Check screens above or vanilla ENG files to spot differences.
c) Don't fuck it up by making the lines too long. Add / subtract spaces if necessary:

NgUs5hF.png


4.2. /Vfx/Scenario

Home sweet home. While making the mod, I've spent like 99,5% of my time here. Luckily, for the translator there are only two points of interest in these files: objects' names (and MAYBE cargo) plus COM messages.

Todo: Work on my ENG files. I fucking mean it!

vlC7EYl.jpg


1) Names

a) Fire up some decent text editor. Search for "cargf = " value.

KAJ3qoQ.png


b) Check the ENG name ("infe = " section). If you think GER name should be changed somehow, do it ("inf = " section).

Generally I went with (ENG - GER):

gun-turret - gun-turret
scout - scout
bomber - bomber
crawler - crawler
boat - boot
persuer - verfolger

etc.

So, sometimes I've used ENG word, but sometimes went with the GER one. Do whatever you want with it, but it would be nice, if the names were consistent in the entire game. So, for example, if you decide to use "bagger" instead of "crawler", apply this change to all mission files.

c) If you're really bored, do the same with object's cargo ("carg = " & "carge = " sections).

Repeat like a billion times for all objects in the mission file and all 71 missions.

2) COM messages

a) Fire up text editor. Search for "radio". This will find the beginning of the COM section.
b) Check the ENG COM ("rtxte = " section). If the GER COM ("rtxt = " section) doesn't match with ENG COM, it's probably because I've messed with it (consult vanilla ENG files if you want, I've removed the vanilla ENG text originally found in the "rtxtf = " section because of reasons).

BTbchFB.png

ZPZFiXU.png


Repeat for all COM messages in the mission file and all 71 missions.

! Important !
  • Don't touch triggers in the section below the message itself (bccond1 - bcdel) or you will mess with the line's appearance triggers.
  • # marker is important. It changes the text's color to red (enemy). So, don't delete the # accidentally.
  • If there's a "nnn" line in the "rtxtf = " section, it means that I've added this message. So, the GER translation is totally missing (ENG line was copied into the GER section). You can find such lines by searching for "nnn".
  • There's a character limit here, so watch out for it, or the line will get cut:
UyfbU8c.png

av0RHdv.png


And that's it, baby!

4.3. /Vfx/Sobjects/

This folder contains settings for various object appearing during combat phase. Nothing to translate here.

Just use my files in the GER version of the mod, or plenty of changes applied to various boats, turrets and other object won't be available.

Well, I think that's it. Anyone up to the task?

:lol:

Two guys ([TS] Deathclaw and sideshowBob) contacted me @ Jealous Jellyfish around February / March 2019, claiming that they want to do the job (translate the mod back to GER). And we've had our local BRO AtahualpaJones.

So...

I'm p. sure it's not gonna fucking happen.

:rpgcodex:

Now if you excuse me, I have some other things to look into at:

xUqXlPm.jpg

xnGGi29.jpg
 
Last edited:

AtahualpaJones

Literate
Joined
Oct 9, 2019
Messages
6
Well, let's see about that.

Oh. Well I wasn't gonna say anything in order not to raise false hopes, because I honestly have no idea how far I'll get.

But.. well, if you're gonna work on it, don't start with the /Dat/Mission/ folder please. ;) Let's not do double work.
 

[TS] Deathclaw

Barely Literate
Joined
Jan 16, 2020
Messages
2
Well, let's see about that.

Oh. Well I wasn't gonna say anything in order not to raise false hopes, because I honestly have no idea how far I'll get.

But.. well, if you're gonna work on it, don't start with the /Dat/Mission/ folder please. ;) Let's not do double work.

I think if I throw everything into one of my translation tools, I should be able to figure out a resonable way to take out the diff-checking busywork... if they can parse the stuff.
 

no idea

Barely Literate
Joined
Jul 18, 2021
Messages
1
BROs, it's (finally!) done.

I had to register just to say: thank you! (I now chances are low that you will read this but ... worth a try;) )
I found this gem of a mod-patch since I wanted to enjoy Schleichfahrt again (now playing in english) and had the typical problems regarding the broken Lima I Mission (pipes get destroyed way to early). So yeah... big thank you again!
 

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