It’s time to put an old tradition to rest.
After spending a lot of time working intimately with the arte names, I have come to realize something. And that is that Hometek’s arte naming system is just too full of problems and is COMPLETELY unworkable. I have put a LOT of thought into this, I mean like, almost two hours worth… And I say, it’s time to scrap the whole thing. No more Demon Fang. No more Tiger Blade. From here on out, it’s nothing but romaji and Japanese English arte names, the way Japan intended for it to be.
I realize a small minority of you may be somewhat against this change, but it’s for the best. “Majinken” (that’s Demon God Sword in English) sounds way cooler than Demon Fang, after all. And I dunno what “Gels” are, but I sure do know what a “Gummi” (Bear) is… and they’re awesome. So yeah, Japanese will ALWAYS sound cooler than English. That’s a proven fact, proven by 9 out of 10 Japanologists. So unfortunately for the few of you that like Demon Fang and the other Localized arte names, too bad, it’s gone, and it’s never coming back, FOREVER.
I guess I ought to show you some other screenshots while I’m at it. I’m practically running out of sections of the menu I haven’t already shown yet. Well, here’s the Soma Evolve menu:
Man, those things look really convenient. I’d love to have, say, a backpack Soma that forms a Segway. Or a T-shirt Soma that forms the keys to my car, just so I can be sure I’ll never lock myself out (unless I leave my Soma in my car, and also my keys… then I’m just stupid).
And here’s the Customize menu:
Nothing special to note here.
I guess there is one other thing I should mention… I’ve gotten several requests to add a progress bar. Done and done. If you glance over to the right side of the page, you should see a spiffy progress bar. Hope that helps.
Well, that’s all for now. Until next time, guys!
August 24, 2010 at 12:14 am | Permalink
Haha, you’re great.
I agree with your naming sense completely. Really, who in their right mind thought that gummi translated to gel? That always bothered me…
Anywho, keep up the wondrous work. And I pray that some time in the future, that you manage to finish your project.
August 24, 2010 at 4:01 am | Permalink
ow yeah
one step up to go
good job
August 24, 2010 at 4:24 am | Permalink
Awesome job! Yeah, the gels thing confused me too when I first played Tales. Keep up the good work! 😀
August 24, 2010 at 4:26 am | Permalink
Well if it’s backed up by 9 Japanologists, I say do it!
August 24, 2010 at 4:41 am | Permalink
Thank you for your hard work on this project and for the new Progress Bar, eases my mind to see the update 😀
August 24, 2010 at 7:30 am | Permalink
is really good to see that You’re still working on the translation. and I agree the names of the attacks en English are many bizarre, much better the original name. Keep up the good work. SORRY MY ENGLISH
August 24, 2010 at 9:28 am | Permalink
I am waiting for your translation and I think that is so good you are still working on the translation. Thank you for your hard work on this project and for the new Progress Bar
August 24, 2010 at 12:39 pm | Permalink
Why does this have a j/k tag? Just kidding about the name change? Also, does the progress bar do anything, or just sit there? A stationary bar would still fulfill the requests for a status bar, right?
Aside from the questions, thanks so much for the screenshots! Looks awesome!
August 24, 2010 at 2:11 pm | Permalink
Glad to know you’re working on this. I can’t wait to play it. Obviously you can’t please everyone when it comes to translation so just stick to what you think is best. Many people won’t mind as long as it’s translated.
August 24, 2010 at 9:40 pm | Permalink
this is awesome news
August 24, 2010 at 11:30 pm | Permalink
First the names, now the artes? Are you translating the game or not? According to your progress bar, doesn’t seem so. Hire some people god dammit.
August 25, 2010 at 12:02 am | Permalink
I was pretty upset at first. But then I realized.
He’s kidding guys. A sarcastic response to popular fan demand.
At least. I’m really hoping this is sarcasm. This doesn’t sound like Kaji.
August 25, 2010 at 12:44 am | Permalink
He’s obviously kidding. The last screenshot has highlighted the localization option to change arte and item names.
August 25, 2010 at 8:16 am | Permalink
I’d say: Just do whatever you feel is better for you work to be as you’d like it.
To be honest, I grew used to the translated names, and found no problem with them, yet… I have to admit, though, when it’s possible, I keep the names in Romaji 😀
And actually, probably ’cause I’m not a native English speaker, I never had problems with the healing stuff being called “Gels” D: Guess I read it as “Gelatin”/”Gelatina” and it kinda made sense that way for me… After all, all I cared about when I had to use them was to prevent my party from being smashed, couldn’t really be picky at those moments 😀
Thanks for the update and all the work! Been following you on geocities, lost the link, then luckily found you again here… Keep up the good work!
Tanak
August 25, 2010 at 9:58 am | Permalink
It’d be hilarious for it to just be a random progress bar that illustrates nothing of how the actual progress is going, made only just to shut impatient people up.
August 25, 2010 at 1:16 pm | Permalink
@Kysafen
It probably is. :p
August 25, 2010 at 3:11 pm | Permalink
I’m sure the progress bar will evt. show some sort of progress!
August 26, 2010 at 12:32 am | Permalink
Is great to see more progress about the game. And it doesn’t matter so much about the Romaji names, is like to give to the Tales saga some Street Fighter feeling (I could not realize to see the Hadouken translated, to say an example 0-O )
Good luck in this great and promising errand, Kaji, and greetings from Costa Rica!
August 26, 2010 at 3:19 am | Permalink
Whatever you want is the best even if people say otherwise. The fact that you’re doing this is amazing and just wanted to say thank you.
August 26, 2010 at 6:10 am | Permalink
I’m really looking forward to this. . . .If the game is still not released by the end of the month, I’ll probably make myself busy with Golden Sun DS while waiting. . .
August 26, 2010 at 9:52 am | Permalink
As much as I’ve grown fond of the localized artes, I figure I can live without them. Also, I love how delightfully vague the progress bar is – and I’m not even being sarcastic. Its a nice distraction being able to see, say, how close the translation is to completion as opposed to image editing or vice versa, but it isn’t really necessary if most people just want to know “when its done”. An overall progress bar is inaccurate, but gets the message across. And the message its giving off as of the moment of the post is – “Not even close. For now.”
August 26, 2010 at 10:08 am | Permalink
Great post, had me laughing for a while. Specially the random “A Progress Bar”, even if it turns out to not be a joke, I still had my fun.
Thank you very much for your update. I’ll take nice update posts every now and then over progress bars any day.
August 26, 2010 at 10:51 pm | Permalink
If I make this comment and look back at the progress bar, maybe it will move!
I have no issues with names, personally. A translation is a translation.
I’m currently playing through the game with a couple of guides. If the battle systems for these games weren’t so good, I wouldn’t even bother playing these games in Japanese.
It’s a really different experience.
It’s also times like these I’m glad I did some studying with Katakana and brief study on Hiragana a couple of years ago.
… Okay, it doesn’t help at all.
The demo patch is great and I can’t wait to play it and fully understand what’s going on.
August 27, 2010 at 9:50 pm | Permalink
i really want this patch sooo bad, I already have beaten the game but i would play it again the moment this comes out!!!! (PS. farming grade for when this patch comes out!!)
August 28, 2010 at 12:35 am | Permalink
That’s shit… but anyway we couldn’t argue with that.
You are the one making the translation so… do whatever you want.
The only thing that I could say is that every translation (official and by fans) included the localizated names for artes and also items, I can’t understand why you have to cut with the traditional names that we (Fans that have played almost every English Tales game in existence) are used to.
After all… this is a “TRANSLATION” … don’t you think so?
Anyway… you are doing a great work with this project!!
Thanks!
August 28, 2010 at 1:14 am | Permalink
They see me trollin’
August 30, 2010 at 11:00 am | Permalink
lol! “a” progress bar :).
if nothing else it helped me out of my monday blues.
August 30, 2010 at 1:33 pm | Permalink
lol, no problem with me if you want to use romanji style , because i played many tales series (jp version) with that kind of translation, so im used to it .
August 30, 2010 at 1:56 pm | Permalink
Wow, all this time and that’s all the progress you made? Wait to go, The Flash. So, when are you going to abandon this project and start another one?
August 30, 2010 at 10:06 pm | Permalink
If you don’t reckon that this project will ever finish, why bother following this site and posting snide comments? Might as well use all that spare time you’ve apparently got and take up Japanese language classes.
August 30, 2010 at 11:28 pm | Permalink
You should do like Working Designs and just name the artes whatever the hell you want. Hell, change the plot, characters, etc, too.
Instead of Majinken, call it “Victor-Ireland-thinks-he’s-the-second-coming-of- Jesus-fang.”
Make sure to remove all mention of the Japanese crew that created the game for the squashed up last 1/10 of the credits and to insert your company logo before that of Namco and Tales Studio.
This game was nothing before your translation. Nothing.
I am being sarcastic, for those who cannot dig that.
August 31, 2010 at 11:35 am | Permalink
Sarcastic or not your post is painfully stupid.
August 31, 2010 at 4:16 pm | Permalink
Stupid or not, my post does raise a good point showing the difference between fan translations and professional translations. Fan translations show more reverence for the game being translated, whereas professional translations typically try to make the game appear as their original IP and will alter whatever they deem necessary to make the game marketable.
I do not appreciate having my words described as “painfully stupid” when I was clearly making a joke just as many of the other people posting a comment here were.
I will refrain from further comment to avoid conflict in an inappropriate location. If you want to email me at chaoticprime@yahoo.com and further go into why you have the right to judge what I say, please do. Unless you lack conviction to back up your words.
September 1, 2010 at 1:28 am | Permalink
Instead of Majinken, call it “Victor-Ireland-thinks-he’s-the-second-coming-of- Jesus-fang.”
LOL…. like the “-fang” at the end.
September 1, 2010 at 11:52 am | Permalink
Make sure you get that butt wound treated cuz when you get to the point of posting your email to continue a internet discussion with a random internet person, you know your post was painfully stupid.
September 1, 2010 at 8:29 pm | Permalink
@Wes – Actually, in most cases, professional translations tend to reach out to a carefully selected target audience, while at the same time bowing down to a multitude of restrictions and variables (such as estimated sales vs size and age of target audience vs content affecting ratings vs cultural, platform or publisher restrictions vs original creator guidelines vs overall budget). They ensure that what may have been rather poor in taste for their target audience isn’t as unappealing as it initially was (as it’d both reflect badly upon them, being the publisher/translator of potentially sub-par content, and also further prevent them from being financially or contractually capable of delivering future projects).
I don’t recall any specific game being sold off as the property of the localization team, but the actual translated assets are entirely the work and property of whoever translated it (unless they’ve given away their rights to it). And taking credit for translated works is not only an important thing as a translator (as it’s usually what you live off of), but also because it’s more or less your seal of quality/signature on something. If you’re familiar with greater works of literature, you may know that there are many literal works that’ve been translated a multitude of times into the same languages and the importance of knowing which translator either has the style and quality that appeals to you.
I guess this doesn’t really happen with games very often (yet), but it does happen with some re-release and remake cases. Many of which are actually considerably worse than previous releases, as they often fail to realize that the problem with the past translations might not have been the actual translation itself, but rather other elements that can somewhat affect quality and the impression it gives the end user… such as frequent grammar mistakes, stale source content, poor voice acting, etc..
I’m not gonna say people like Victor Ireland and Ted Woolsey didn’t take certain liberties with the source content (and whether they were necessary or not), but, damn, as an industry translator who’s worked on leading franchises on several platforms, I still idolize these people for their hard work and efforts. Whether I liked what they did or not is almost irrelevant*, ’cause at a time when video game translations were about as readable as the nonsense Babelfish and Google Translator sometimes throws at you, and the solution to releasing a text heavy game was either to not releasing it at all or just cutting out all the text in it and see if whatever gameplay/content that may be left was even remotely possible to salvage… these guys pretty much helped lead what has paved the way for the releases of an entire genre (and its many sub-genres) here in the west. Turning it all from a tiny niche for the poor, to a worthy (and even superior in some cases) alternative to the many and often more appealing alternatives available on home computers or in pen and paper form. Opening doors that enabled yesterday’s casuals to enter what at the time was considered a creepy dungeon full of dorks ‘n’ nerds (and which now has become a considerably more creepy dungeon, thanks to its newfound residents).
Fan translations on the other hand tends to be rather pretentious and gigantic crusades driven in an e-penis enhancing campaign, often with a rather limited appeal-desu, as envision by some random Douche no Ouji (and tomodachi), who most of the time tries to reinvent the wheel in not only linguistic form, but also in pure stupidity. Their accusations of inaccuracy towards previously established translations are often rooted in their own unimagination, pure lack of knowledge and experience and/or their illiterate background. This is of course not true in all cases, as there are those who do amazing quality work, and not really surprisingly enough, most of these have nothing but good things to say about certain previously named and unnamed individuals.
So, although you didn’t want to continue this “discussion” here in the comments section, I decided to do so anyway – as I think you’re leaving things rather unfinished by just demanding that it be moved private.
Now, may I inquire about which translator it was that not only pissed in your cereal this morning, but also at the same time took the liberty to rape your childhood while spouting out nonsense about your loved ones, as you clearly appear to think you’ve been violated in so many ways that you feel the entire industry as a whole has done you nothing but wrong and the fan translation scene is now your final bastion of pure and unadulterated nihongo no gaming delight.
[*] PS: I like it. A lot.
September 1, 2010 at 10:25 pm | Permalink
I’m a bit sad that the names will be kept as romanji… To me Tales of Hearts already feels too different from the rest of the series, this makes me think that this’ll make it feel too different… I still like Tales of Hearts and wish that I could understand what’s going on… Am I really the only one troubled by this?
I know this might be a dumb question, but will the finished patch be compatible with both anime sequence and CGI sequence versions?
September 1, 2010 at 11:08 pm | Permalink
OMG now that’s one HUGE post. Kudos to anyone who read the whole book. ._.
September 1, 2010 at 11:24 pm | Permalink
LOL
I must say I’m a person who usually takes what other people say seriously, but considering that last screenshot… it was clearly a joke. There will be the Localized version of the names so calm down, people, no need to get so worked up. And whether it is a fan translation or not, I think people should just feel a little grateful that there are other people working to make the game understandable to everyone who doesn’t know the original language.
Anyway, this is my first comment here, just discovered this website. I’m really happy there’s an ongoing translation to Hearts, as a big fan of the Tales series too I really want to play this game. This kind of project always takes a long time to be concluded, but it seems you guys won’t give up on this one so I’m really grateful for it. I’ll definitely be waiting for the full translation. <3
And English is not my first language so forgive me for any mistakes.
September 2, 2010 at 12:52 am | Permalink
@Bob – There’s minimal difference between the two versions. Not sure if there’s been said anything public on the matter, but adding CG Version support shouldn’t require much extra effort.
@Z-Slash – But nothing for the author? :'(
September 2, 2010 at 7:30 pm | Permalink
Well I was first introducted to the tales series with the DeJap Phantasia and they used gummi. I will just have to get used to it again. Maybe I will change the naming conventions I use in Innocence to help the transition.
Either way I’m not too bothered, I just liked the localised names because I knew what most of them were the second I played the next game. Having them say the word I see on screen will help make more sense I guess.
September 2, 2010 at 8:08 pm | Permalink
IM OK WITH THIS
good luck mate !
September 3, 2010 at 5:45 pm | Permalink
@Carnivol Thanks, I appreciate it… Personally I like the anime sequence version better, but it was something that was itching at the back of my head…
@Akane I never said anything about being ungrateful… In fact, donating that $30 to ThroughHim and the rest of the Absolute Zero Team is still on my “to do” list because sadly I haven’t had much luck with my finances lately… I’m not one of those guys who just leaves the things on his “to do” list undone and forgets about it, either… It’ll be the same when the K-E Team’s Hearts translation patch is finished…
September 4, 2010 at 9:21 am | Permalink
HOW DARE YOU
YOU ARE A TRAITOR TO THE TRUE IDEALS OF THROUGHHIM
HOW CAN YOU DO THAT AFTER ALL HE’S DONE FOR YOU
…aka, I laughed my ass off when I saw that last screen. Seriously, gg man :’D
September 4, 2010 at 3:58 pm | Permalink
Just go with “Psion Bolt” and the names of the artes used on Tales of Destiny
September 4, 2010 at 4:16 pm | Permalink
@Bob – You’re welcome. I’ve always liked the CG cutscenes, but hated how half-assed the rest of the presentation was. (They really should’ve made CG portraits and some minor sprite-alterations to the CG version)
@Donaldgx – No dissin’ of ToD PS1! (Even if Phantasian Productions will be ditching some of the legacy translations from it).
PS: Pardon if my avatar doesn’t show (Not my computer, so maybe I entered the wrong e-mail hash)
September 6, 2010 at 2:32 pm | Permalink
In the meantime there are new games coming out here and some older ones to chew on while we wait…
September 6, 2010 at 11:26 pm | Permalink
Only if you mean new games for PSP; PS3 and maybe 360, because DS is as dead as Tales of Localizations.
Unless you mean Pogaymon .
September 7, 2010 at 12:42 pm | Permalink
sadly.. i kinda used to english artes.. even if it sux.. i’m not quite farmiliar with the japanese names.. but if it’s ur choice.. then so be it.. at least there’s someone translating this game..
September 9, 2010 at 6:14 am | Permalink
well im guess im glad that the only person doing this is some guy on the internet. if this was namco…