Super Robot Taisen Alpha for Dreamcast (Hopefully) can be translated.

[Gyasuke]

If even I, that am a dumbass can go to this point, there are possibilities that someone with actual experience maybe can do something.

After the release of Tricolore Crise, the creator of the patch also release the tools, the very first thing that appears in my mind was SRW alpha, so there we go.

After that I downloaded Python (32 bits, my PC is veeery old and is falling apart, it doesn't even emulate PSP very well) and do the process.

What can I say? I reach the point of having the scrip before my eyes, but not having any experience of Japanese at all or even use of AI, I can't do nothing.

I hope that at least this can be seen as a proof that a translation is possible.

Tools: https://github.com/closedsockets/dreamcast-translation-kit

 

[ShinnAsukaYESTaylorSwiftNO]

I see you use Windows 7 in the year of our lord 2026....

 

[Gyasuke]

I see you use Windows 7 in the year of our lord 2026....

Yeah, it's very old, I don't even use it, only to move things from USB to USB.

 

[otogirisou]

You can make public spreadsheet so a lot of people can help translating them

 

[rhinestonehawk]

that's actually amazing?! i think i'll try translating an english game to portuguese!!

 

[Super2]

Thanks so much Gyasuke, this is brilliant.

I think a good next step for anyone who is interested in helping with the patch is:

1) Make sure that the game copy/dump of SRW Alpha you are using, is the exact same one that everyone can access

(This is to make sure that the patch will work for everyone, as different dumps can read differently)

Someone with more knowhow of how translations are handled here might know which copy/dump to use.

2) After using the Dreamcast tool on the game, put the resulting translation files in a Github page.

3) Before translating all of the script with AI (because its quite big) it would be ideal if someone who knows about coding (or who is willing to ask AI for help with coding) can see if they can increase the text space available for the English translation.

Until the text space is increased, its best not to translate all of the script, because we are limited in how long the lines in English can be.

 

[Gyasuke]

Thanks so much Gyasuke, this is brilliant.

I think a good next step for anyone who is interested in helping with the patch is:

1) Make sure that the game copy/dump of SRW Alpha you are using, is the exact same one that everyone can access

(This is to make sure that the patch will work for everyone, as different dumps can read differently)

Someone with more knowhow of how translations are handled here might know which copy/dump to use.

2) After using the Dreamcast tool on the game, put the resulting translation files in a Github page.

3) Before translating all of the script with AI (because its quite big) it would be ideal if someone who knows about coding (or who is willing to ask AI for help with coding) can see if they can increase the text space available for the English translation.

Until the text space is increased, its best not to translate all of the script, because we are limited in how long the lines in English can be.

1: Let's just say, is this, I don't want this falling in piracy, a Google search can help you: (Super Robot Taisen Alpha for Dreamcast v1.016 (2001)(Banpresto)(JP)[!][1M1])

2 and 3: Sadly, I don't have a ideal working environment, I don't think I can do any more, I could share the excel file with the translation but you need to have the game file open with the tool to validate the changes, and the tool create the translation file automatically after decompress (don't known a better word to say) and scanning the game files, so it's a little pointless to share something that everyone interested can obtain easily in the process.

Lastly, I can't found the prologue dialog, but the first scenario yes, in the photos, I going to try if adding something to the translation line works, I be clear, don't known Japanese and zero experience with AI, and the target language for the test will be Spanish, so just Google Translate and manual copy and paste, this is not an active project, it's only to see if it can be done, I repeat myself, I don't have the knowledge or time to do this, please keep your expectations checked, even I will jump of excitement if all of this interested to someone who can take this as a project.

 

[Super2]

That sounds great Gyasuke.
And please don't feel that I'm trying to make you do all the work, do not worry.

My suggestion, give the Japanese text (or the file itself) for the first scenario to Chat GPT, and ask it to give you a "localisation translation", while keeping it "strictly within the character limits of the original Japanese text". Tell it to be creative and abbreviate or summarise as needed, even character names.

ChatGPT does some amazing translations, so please do give it a try for this test, it will surprise you.

The reason is, the tool warns about it ("English can never be LONGER than the Japanese allocation. If a line simply cannot fit, shorten the translation — pointer rewriting is out of scope for this kit.")

 

[Gyasuke]

That sounds great Gyasuke.
And please don't feel that I'm trying to make you do all the work, do not worry.

My suggestion, give the Japanese text (or the file itself) for the first scenario to Chat GPT, and ask it to give you a "localisation translation", while keeping it "strictly within the character limits of the original Japanese text". Tell it to be creative and abbreviate or summarise as needed, even character names.

ChatGPT does some amazing translations, so please do give it a try for this test, it will surprise you.

The reason is, the tool warns about it ("English can never be LONGER than the Japanese allocation. If a line simply cannot fit, shorten the translation — pointer rewriting is out of scope for this kit.")

I knew that something like this gonna happen, don't known if it's because my very old and bad PC or what but give me error when I tried to validate the translation, at first though it was because the Spanish characters (¿¡ñ) so I erased them, same error, translate to English but the same, this is the most I can do with my PC, don't have experience at all to point the problem.

There is a utf-8 error, but I don't change anything en Excel, the file is exactly like the tool created it.

 

[Super2]

Wow, you're fast!

Hm, I don't know enough about the tool to give a comment,

But perhaps this is something the author of the tool can help with? (https://github.com/closedsockets/dreamcast-translation-kit)

By opening an Issue - and then explaining the problem, he might be able to give you an answer

 

[Gabrinius]

I don't know the game. But it is amazing that a tool like that exists. Hope it can advance and make possible that anyone can do, at least, menu translations for the games.

 

[Gyasuke]

Wow, you're fast!

Hm, I don't know enough about the tool to give a comment,

But perhaps this is something the author of the tool can help with? (https://github.com/closedsockets/dreamcast-translation-kit)

By opening an Issue - and then explaining the problem, he might be able to give you an answer

I just change 4 lines of dialogue to try, not much.

The thing is that I don't have the working environment or knowledge to try, so I don't going to open a issue, like I say before, it's not something that someone with my resources is able to do, all of this was to show that at least you can see the script, maybe someone that have all that I not can do something, my goal was to bring it to light so maybe that someone can see it.

 

[Super2]

No worries Gyasuke, and thanks for giving it a shot.

Could I open an Issue myself, and ask about the problem?

If no, that's ok.