Final Fantasy VII - Retranslation Project

[DLPB]

DLPB and Luksy present:
The Final Fantasy VII Retranslation Project

This is the Re-translation Project. Home thread found here. Starting in the next post is the documentation for non-dialogue text. There is occasionally some minor deviancy in the game from this document. These differences are usually due to making the menu look nicer. For example "Do you want to reset the Break Level?" has become "Proceed?"

I have decided to place all documentation and discussion here because my forum is not suitable for it. From now on this project will be entirely discussed and documented at Qhimm forum. This project is automatically merged with the Menu Overhaul Project [ http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=11649.0 ]. In other words you download the installer there to install the Re-translation.


Progress Report:

flevel and world_us.lgp
Total maps: 706
[x]No text: 17
[x]Non dialogue (completed): 123
[x]Debug (Not being edited): 13
[x]Dialogue (completed): 299/553
[x]Dialogue (not completed): 254
Dialogue: 427KB of 1344KB (32%)

Other
Total: 4
[x]ff7.exe: Completed
[x]Kernel.bin: Completed
[x]kernel2.bin: Completed
[x]scene.bin: Completed

Message from Translator Luksy:

“Obviously this is opinion, but in going through just the item, monster, magic and location lists etc. we have what we think is good enough evidence to support our claims.

Please keep any discussion on topic as much as possible, we will take any criticism or suggestions seriously as long as it is honest.

Why a retranslation:

Issues:

• The original English translation suffers from grammar, spelling and context errors and mistranslations.
• A lot of the errors point to a rushed job with little communication with the original authors.
• Many of the errors miss out on specific references to people, places and mythology.
• Some errors slightly alter the plot; one or two, severely. Some errors have been adopted as canon by SE, and some have been modified in later media.

What we intend to "fix":

• Items, spells, places, monsters and people for which we have good evidence as having been incorrectly translated, or modified for a western audience, will be restored.
• All dialogue will be checked for translation and context errors and modified as necessary Grammar and spelling mistakes in the dialogue will be fixed.
• Any error that has been adopted as canon does not preclude it from being changed due to the reasons in the first list.

What this project isn't:

• A literal retranslation from the Japanese (aside from certain names and items etc as mentioned above).
• An attempt to rewrite FFVII or to warp any of its original content.
• An attempt to prove that we somehow know what the original creators wanted for every single byte in the game.

If there's anything there you do not agree with, please copy pasta and give us your thoughts.”

---Credits---

Manager, Research and Documentation
DLPB (Daniel Burke)

File editing
DLPB, Luksy (touphScript)

Main Translators (Dialogue)
Luksy [555/553 maps]

Translation contributions (Dialogue)
Defade [26/553 maps]

Localisation
DLPB, Luksy, Michael Baskett

Translators (Non Dialogue)
Luksy, Herman, Defade

Proof Checking
Covarr

Cait Sith Scottish dialect
Prince Lex

Quality Assurance (Only those that have looked through a large proportion of this document)
Luksy, Defade, Herman, Ragnarok2040

Other Quality Assurance
Glenn Morrow, Hitoncheir, JYT (Chinese),Glitterberri, Kawaii Ryûkish, Ryushikaze, Gemini, L.Spiro

Japanese and story consultant
Glenn Morrow

Script Consultant
Shademp

FMV Restoration
DLPB: Restoration and Editing, M35: jPSXdec

Installer
DLPB, Kranmer

Menu Overhaul Project
DLPB, Kranmer. See the project thread.

Also thanks to all others who have contributed any suggestions or corrections, including
Kranmer, TeridKane, Idcrisis, Charon, Timber, nikfrozty, Idec Sdawkminn, NCS, titeguy3, idl12, Covarr, Halkun, sl1982

and:
Qhimm and the Forum


File editors and patches (which made this all possible):

touph Script
Luksy

FF7 OpenGL Driver
Aali

also used in testing:

Black Chocobo
Sithlord

​

---Releases---

R001:

All non dialogue completed
world map dialogue completed
Normal dialogue up to first train.

NEXT RELEASE:

R002:

1. Tweaks to non dialogue.
2. Continuing work on game dialogue.

 

[DLPB]

well, for some reason, it won't post it in the format....So can someone allow me to have editing, so I can attempt to correct it? Thanks.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

Can you agree that in the future, you'll employ the use of paragraphs? It's hard to read your posts when they're in giant clumps like that.

 

[DLPB]

It isn't my fault... There is something wrong with how it is sending and I can't troubleshoot without double posting because I have no edit permissions. If someone could give me the ability to edit I will sort it.

 

[Ryushikaze]

You are not allowed to edit because of your low post count. They will be granted automatically upon sufficient post count
I will edit your posts to be more readable.

In the future, you might want to employ the preview option to make sure your formatting transfers

ADDENDUM: 1. Wargod strike 2. Quadra 3. Mystify 4. Turtle Pastime, but only if you insist on removing 'paradise' which is technically less accurate but conveys the idea better, IMO. 5. Cure

For the record, I think the 'ru' might have been added in an attempt to turn the words into the 'ru' forms of verbs, in a sort of pidjin between English and Japanese.

 

[DLPB]

Cheers Ryu Appreciated.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Omnislash: You could call it Mars Attacks. No but seriously, it looks pretty grandiose in Japanese, so why not go the whole Latin hog and called it Ictus Omnipotens Maximus? Squeenix likes Latin.

Have no opinion on 2 and 3.

Keep Turtle Paradise because it sounds more like what a resort like that would be called in English anyway, and keep Cure because that's exactly what it does.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Actually, if space isn't a factor, how about a direct romanization of the japanese pronunciation, a la Renzokuken and Zansetsuken?

 

[DLPB]

It is possible to use a romanisation, the problem then is that we have shirked the responsibility of translating. The only times I have left Japanese intact is when it is a ninja move (etc) or a NAME. Something defined- like "Katon"

But in this case it is just a sequence of words that should be translated...

Mars Slash was an original option but I felt it was a bit poor sounding and favoured Ares, Hachiman. Still if most people wanted that I wouldn't be against it.

 

[DLPB]

haha sorry, just realised you meant the film

 

[Ryushikaze]

It is possible to use a romanisation, the problem then is that we have shirked the responsibility of translating. The only times I have left Japanese intact is when it is a ninja move (etc) or a NAME. Something defined- like "Katon"

But in this case it is just a sequence of words that should be translated...

Well, so were Renzokuken and Zansetsuken.
What is the character limit you have for translation space on this one, BTW?

 

[DLPB]

I would have to place it in, it is dependant mostly on the actual text box and menus, not mathematically.

Zantetsuken is a proper move I heard (if this is wrong I will prob have to address that), rather than just a meaning, and I have steered clear of Renzokuken in favour of "Consecutive Cut"

 

[DLPB]

I understand it means "iron-Cutting Sword", but whether it is a defined martial arts attack (etc), is the issue. If it is, then I can keep Zantetsuken, but if not, I would have to translate.

Funny really that I didn't question the source, I usually double check these things.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Zansetsuken is a name, meaning 'Steel cutting sword'

And 'Ultimate War God blah blah blah' is definitely intended to be a 'Proper name' for a technique rather than a meaning as well, but pfeh.

 

[DLPB]

http://thelifestream.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3845

Are they real life samurai, ninja, martial artist or mythological attacks? In other words, not limited to FF7 but taken from somewhere Chinese or Japanese.

In those cases I can use the romanisation as they would be names, like Katon and

Grand Spark > 地走り > Jibashiri
[Ninja Move http://onbu.net/www/ninja/ja/jutsu_jibashiri.shtml ]

Otherwise...we are Snookered and it will probably have to be a translation.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

I prefer the original options for most of the above, including Omnislash. But for the bar, why not "Turtle Lounge" or "Turtle Pad".

 

[DLPB]

drake, list your choices and I will add your vote I am counting them all.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

Except for Turtle's Paradise, which I vote for "Turtle Pad", I vote for the same translations as the original English vers.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Interesting project. Translating an entire game remains a grander task than what I'm prepared to take on myself, so I salute you for your efforts.

I vote for:
1) Hachiman Strike ("slash" implies one swing of the sword in my mind; "strike" implies that he's going to blitz your ass)
2) Quadra Magic
3) Bewitch (implies the same results, but emphasizes that magic was used)
4) Turtle Lounge (fits better than anything else, including "Turtle's Paradise")
5) Cure (simple and to the point; no use fixing what ain't broke)

 

[DLPB]

I thought that \"Pastime\" was closer? Certainly the words that spring up in dictionaries are all \"pastime\" \"Hobby\" (probably in reference to the flyers side quest).

I don\'t know if Lounge actually works with this Japanese?

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

You're correct about the literal translation of the word, but I'm one of those translators who cares as much about the "feel" of something in the target language as I do about the original wording.

"Pastime" is the literal meaning, but the place is a bar -- somewhere to throw back and relax. You've got the Turks hanging out there doing that very thing, after all.

I think "lounge" as a place where the time is being passed fits the feel better in English. But that's just my vote.

 

[DLPB]

Well to be fair no one is doing it by themselves. The majority of work will prob be by me, but the more that can contribute the better

 

[DillyDally]

http://thelifestream.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3845

Are they real life samurai, ninja, martial artist or mythological attacks? In other words, not limited to FF7 but taken from somewhere Chinese or Japanese.

Are you gonna translate everything? I do have questions regarding some Chinese names in the game.
Will you translate Cid's weapon's name? I mean he's got this weapon called 青龙偃月刀.
Here is a photo of it.

It's a very famous weapon used by an ancient Chinese warrior named GuanYu, who is a real person in history.
And there's the random black chocobo named 东方不敗　トウホウフハイ. I googled it and there's this anime character in Gundam series after the same name. BUT, I do know one VERY FAMOUS Chinese fictional character with the same one. He was created at least thirty years ago, probably forty years ago. But he is a GAY.
THe most recent actor who played him.

Also I remebered someone's weapon is 方天画戟, whose owner is a warrior named LvBu in the same period with GuanYu.

About the vote, Both omnislash and Ares Slash are not perfect. Maybe you can put them together so that 超究 and 武神 can be included.

 

[DLPB]

Everything is being translated, and everything already has been none dialogue. The weapon you speak of is: Scimitar > &#38738;&#40845;&#20547;&#26376;&#20992; > Seiry&#363; Engetsutou > Seiryuu Scimitar The Black Chocobo is Tohofuhai (this won't fit with the limit of 7 Charcters for this Chocobo, however, I do have a way to correct this. ============= Teioh > &#12488;&#12454;&#12507;&#12454;&#12501;&#12495;&#12452; > T&#333;h&#333;fuhai > Tohofuhai [Tohofuhai, "Master Asia" is a character in a Japanese Anime http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mo ... characters The manga borrowed the name, however, from a character in a chinese novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongfang_Bubai &#26481;&#26041;&#19981;&#25943; The name means Eastern/Asian - Unbeaten/Invincible Teioh means Emperor in Japanese and was probably used because a Chocobo in the Japanese game cab be named &#12486;&#12452;&#12458;&#12540; ] =============== < My research on this As for Omnislash, what are you proposing?

 

[DLPB]

Everything is being translated, and everything already has been none dialogue. I cannot reply to your post yet as I am using a proxy site, and it will not allow me to post with the correct formatting. The Black Chocobo is Tohofuhai, Cid's weapon is Seiryuu Scimitar. >>> Can someone please take my IP off the banned list? It is: 94.193.81.249