Avalon on 7/3/2003 at 05:34
Heh, I've noticed that text thing a lot. I can understand when the author's first language is not English, but not - for example - if the author were someone like GayleSaver. I know VK is an English and grammar whore, so if he were to release a mission that had objectives reading "Taking the goblets and get them to safe your hiding spot," it could only be pure laziness. I, too, see many missions sporting these errors in the most obvious places.
On the topic of text and books, long-winded books are a bitch. Wall scrolls and plaques should not bring up a text background image unless they're of the "Duck!" variety (something is triggered in the game world when you read, where it would be important to finish reading before you continue playing). Slower systems take ages to bring those things up, and it's generally a waste of time to 'zoom in' on a gold plaque that only reads "Saint Obi-Wan." And, objectives to read books are also ass - important information should be given to the player in a way that you can make sure that it was received, not ignored. Plus, it's a yawn-fest to read through 10 pages of an author's creativity to find that one sentence, "Lord Dinkle put a button under the third step of the second staircase on the sixth floor that conveniently opens up the SECRAT VAULT OF COLERED LIGHTING."
Nightwalker on 7/3/2003 at 13:14
Eipthumia is quite right. There are a number of people who make FMs who don't speak English well, and I, for one, would never want tham to hesitate to release their FMs because they were afraid that their English would be criticized. I'm sure if I tried to write something in THEIR language, it wouldn't turn out well at all! So don't be too hard on them.
I, for one, quite enjoy a nice involved storyline and for that, you need books and scrolls to develop it. I do agree that important clues should NOT be buried in those books, though, so that people who don't enjoy reading shouldn't be forced to wade through the books to find anything vital to the mission.
Preno on 7/3/2003 at 20:09
Yup. I understand if the author is not English and has poor grammar/vocab (hell, I'm also not English) but if the author is English and even I see their mistakes then as Avalon said, it's rather embarrassing. (Btw VK is English? His name certainly doesn't sound English...)
And as for the golden plaque, just look at Library: The Town. It was so annoying to have a short text such as "The Mall" displayed on an extra screen!
ghg76 on 7/3/2003 at 21:35
Yeah I understand your point about the author not being able to speak english, but I guess its the storylines sometimes that bug me more. I remember in one FM, I think it was Circle of Strain 3 or something, the whole thing was like a quest for the holy grail...so they basically intertwined christian mythology into the world of Thief...well Im not bagging on the fact they did this, but its like, they didnt really need to. I mean the Thief world in of itself seems so complete, that to add real life influences is sorta lame. The "Hammerite religion" draws enough comparisons to Medieval Catholicism without coming out and just saying it.
Another thing that bugs is when your forced to kill someone, like your sent on an assanation quest...come on, the whole point of Thief is that you DONT have to go in "Arrows" blazing and kill someone.
Dont get me wrong, I love the FM's. I know how much work is involved, but the stories/quest could be a little more original....ok im done ranting now.:erg:
Fidcal on 7/3/2003 at 21:54
Just scanned quickly through this thread againa and can't remember seeing anything about 'tight furniture' - eg, rooms where chairs are round a table spaced out nicely but just not quite enough room for Garrett to squeeze by! So what would be dead easy for any normal person to slip through becomes an obstacle course of a series of ridiculous blocks of immovable chairs. (why can't chairs and stuff move like barrels?) Course then, a couple of guards run and easy run past the chairs. Don't get me wrong - I like small, packed rooms full of interest, just space them out so Garrett doesn't get blocked by absurd gaps between nailed down furniture.
Oh yeah! and along with that, 'solid' beds and stuff where Garrett can't seem to jump two feet into the air or even lean over a bed or cabinet or something. It's so frustrating when a Guard is chasing you and you try leap over a 2 inch matchstick on the floor and just jump up and down on the spot.
The Watcher on 7/3/2003 at 21:59
Quote:
Originally posted by Nightwalker Eipthumia is quite right. There are a number of people who make FMs who don't speak English well, and I, for one, would never want tham to hesitate to release their FMs because they were afraid that their English would be criticized. I'm sure if I tried to write something in THEIR language, it wouldn't turn out well at all! So don't be too hard on them./me tries to word this properly.....
I don't think anyone is being hard on them for trying to write in a language other than their native tongue as such, it's what happens afterwards. If I even attempted to write something in more or less any other language (French, German, American etc) I'd reduce native speakers to fits of incoherant laughter. I wouldn't even attempt it - I'd find someone who was willing to help me, even if it was just with checking and refining the material when I felt confident enough to do the actual translation. Given the number of people here and the wide range of nationalities they represent, it is almost certain that there will be someone who can help.
Even if someone doesn't hang around here much, as epithumia suggests, the chances are there is someone who can help out. I know people from all over the world (several Germans I talk to regularly write better English than I do... although that wouldn't be difficult!) and surely I can't be that atypical.
My point is that I have nothing but respect and admiration for polyglots, but even material written in someone's native tongue should be reviewed by someone with good spelling and grammar checking skills - material translated from another language needs checking even more thoroughly.
Maybe we could do with collecting a list of peope willing to help out with translating and checking written material in fan missions and the languages they can work in? That way mission authors could easily locate someone who could help them....
GayleSaver on 11/3/2003 at 05:02
Quote:
Originally posted by Preno Btw VK is English?
Therein lies the klink. Pure-blooded Georgian Jew before you.
Well, nearly. 75%.
Preno on 11/3/2003 at 20:23
Now I see... ;)
Hit Deity on 23/1/2023 at 04:52
Books that trigger a New Objective or something that generates that "chime" only to have the chime play for 0.1ms and then the book or scroll opens up.. Then, after you're done reading and close the book, the chime continues.
I'm kinda 50:50 on whether to have the chime play before the book opens, or after, either one is preferable to splitting the audio on it. Small gripe, big annoyance.
zacharias on 23/1/2023 at 06:10
Pretty awesome bit of thread necromancy there Hit Deity!
Jeez, where did those 20 years go..? :tsktsk:
