Of bad choices and bad endings...

Warning: some spoilers ahead - don't read this post if you haven't played the game through at least once.

Some clarification about the end of the game and how the choices made during the game affect things.

The proper end of the game is not the 'itadakimasu' scene in the bath. If the game ends there, you need to play again and make different choices at the branch points. Yes, the game could have made this much clearer - I thought it was the real end of the story my first time through too.

I actually went through and mapped out the entire decision tree of the game, to see how it all worked. Basically, each decision point has a 'right' and 'wrong' answer. If you make more than one 'wrong' choice, the game ends abruptly after the bath scene. However, if you get three or four 'right', the game continues for another three chapters to the 'real' end of the game.

Here's a few thought of mine about the right answers:

#1 - Yuuna's request is reasonable, so why not agree? Plus you don't want to allow her to realize how easily she can emotionally manipulate Nanami.
#2 - Yuuna's actions were out of line and was risking letting out their secret, but she honestly didn't realize. Just explain it to her gently so she'll actually understand. If things get angry, Yuuna will still agree, but only in order to calm Nanami down.
#3 - Again, Yuuna needs to be told that she's out of line here. Telling her might upset her a bit, but Nanami does need to learn how to set limits when Yuuna gets out of control.
#4 - This is for deciding Nanami's attitude I think - being impressed with Yuuna's room will make her more willing to stick around 'just in case' something bad happens later.

- CountPacula - rose-at-sonohanabira-dot-countpacula-dot-com

Sono Hanabira - English Patch - Complete!

I never gave much thought to what I would say when this time finally came. Even more than you, I wasn't even sure that it would ever make it this far.

But here is it - the long-long-looooong awaited English translation patch for Sono Hanabira:

The patch is in two parts: a graphics patch, and a script patch. You'll need both.

You'll need the the original game as well of course. Unlike most Japanese games, a downloadable edition can be easily purchased for less than $20 US from DLsite.com's completely-English store - here's a direct link. (No, these are not affiliate links.)

I guess in the end, I really don't have anything to say. So I shall let my work speak for me.

Well, one thing I guess: Thanks everybody - seriously. Good night.

- CountPacula - rose-at-sonohanabira-dot-countpacula-dot-com

[edit: added info on where to buy the original game - please do!]

A preemptive FAQ: technical details

Alright, now for a few posts of relatively serious stuff:

Let's start off with a few preemptive FAQs about technical details

1. What exactly is all this about? Some sort of game?
   
   - If you really have no idea what this project is about, read my first post here which explains things pretty well.
   
   
2. Will I need to buy the full game to play this translation?
   
   - Yes, you will need to buy the full game. What will be available here is just an add-on patch that will allow the original game to be played in English.
   
   
3. How am I supposed to buy a Japanese game from a Japanese store if I don't know Japanese? And aren't imported Japanese games really expensive?
   
   - One of the major reasons for my choosing to this particular game was that it was available for purchase online quite cheaply from a completely English online store. There may be other places to get it, but I know for certain that the original game can be bought for less than $20 US from DLsite.com's English store. If you have trouble, here's a direct link to the product page. (And no, those are NOT any kind of 'affiliate' links - I have no interest in making -any- money from this project.)
   
   
4. What level of computer hardware am I going to need to run this?
   
   - Check the product page for the game on DLsite for the specifics, but basically, if you are here reading this, you probably won't have any problems.
   
   
5. What operating systems will the game run on?
   
   - According to the product page, the game is officially supported on Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP. It is possible to get the game to run the game on some other operating systems at well (I've had luck with both Linux and OSX), but not without some problems. Note that this includes Vista and Windows 7, both of which have some issues running the game properly.
   
   
6. The translated game will run fine on the default settings on an English system, right? I won't have to anything weird like install Japanese support or change my language settings, right? Right?
   
   - Um, I hate to break this to those of you that were hoping otherwise, but I'm afraid that running even the translated version of the game properly will require installing Japanese support for your computer's OS, as well as changing the default language for non-unicode programs to Japanese. Instructions on how to do this can be found on DLSite's FAQ page under "Trouble with opening files - 4. An error occurs when I click the exe file in game file." (If anyone knows of a better/clearer set of instructions, please let me know.) You -may- be able to avoid some of this by using Microsoft's "AppLocale" utility, but in my own experience at least, Applocale doesn't work properly with this game. It is possible that the game can be made to run without doing all this, but you -will- have issues with garbled text.
   

More to come as I have time to write them - next up will probably be some information on my translation and writing style - which I am certain many of you will find odd and demand explanations for - as well as some of the issues I came up against as a first-time translator.

- CountPacula - rose-at-sonohanabira-dot-countpacula-dot-com

It's done! (Well, almost anyway...)

Holy crap...

It's done.

Not quite "ready to upload" done, but still - the translation itself is complete. All that's left is to put it all together, wrap it up, and sent it off.

The final fixes and changes to the script from the last editing/proofreading pass have been made. The graphics files sit patiently, awaiting the big moment. There are still a lot of things that I have doubts about and wish I had had more time to work on - but that would probably still be true no matter how much longer I spent on them. The time for coddling is over - my "little baby" is ready to go out and face the big wide world.

All that's left to do is the final building and packaging, and one final test to make sure nothing catches on fire or explodes. (Disclaimer: you use this translation at your own risk - if it makes anything of -yours- catch fire or explode, sorry, but tough luck.)

It will probably still be a few hours yet before I'm ready to upload the finished translation, but rest assured that it really is on its way, and will be arriving soon.

- CountPacula - rose-at-sonohanabira-dot-countpacula-dot-com

A post commenting on a comment posted...

This "Extra Strength Nobody Cares" post has been brought to you by our sponsors: sleep deprivation and the number 420. (...just walk away slowly, and don't make eye contact...)

Xalthal said: "Dunno if you actually are reading the comments..."

Yes, I do generally try to read all the comments that get posted. :) Even the negative ones are appreciated - the honest complaints and criticism taken to heart, with the sad whiny trolls providing a dose of comic relief.

Not always though. A couple times when I was struggling along with difficulty, I would run into a troll comment that I was weak enough at the time to actually fall for and get upset over. I fairly quickly learned to avoid reading comments if I was having doubts of my own about the project.

And then yet again, occasionally the nastiest comments are my favoutite ones to get. In early January, as I was nearing the first beta release, 'tornado261' posted this: "It's DEAD or a HOAX. I don't know and I don't care which (but I've got my money on the latter). That is all." Though afterit was an understandable expression of frustration after over seven months of silence from me, that comment got under my skin though in a different way. I found myself eager to make tornado eat those words as soon as possible. It was just a few days later that I finished the first complete beta build, sent it off to my beta team, and then finally broke my long long silence, announcing making to beta here and to /u/.

- CountPacula - rose-at-sonohanabira-dot-countpacula-dot-com

(A parting question: this might sound stupid, but how many of /u/ realized what those pictures that I was posting in the thread I started were exactly? I don't know which question is dumber: "Did any of you notice?" or "Was there anyone who did -not- notice?" More importantly, does anybody other than me even -care-? )

Holy crap - just three days left?!

(A warning to the squeamish and jaded among you: this post includes some personal details, and may be considered Too Much Information.)

I'm scared.

This is the first time I've ever attempted let alone come this close to finishing a public project like this. I've had a lot of self-doubt along the way, and there were times that I was paralyzed with fear of failure so much that I was literally unable to work on the project at all, thinking that there was absolutely NO way I could ever actually finish, so why bother trying.

For a long time, I couldn't even bring myself to make a post here, even just to let you all know that I was still alive, because I didn't want to give any potentially false hopes. It was not until I had managed to bring the translation up to a beta level - pretty rough yet in a few places perhaps, but still essentially complete - that I finally felt comfortable and confident enough to break my long silence.

And so, despite all of the doubts, we have almost arrived at our destination. Already having gone through several beta revisions since my last post, the script is currently undergoing one final round of proofreading before being packaged up for release. Likewise, the graphical modifications have been checked over, the few issues that were discovered are now fixed, and indeed, the graphical part of the translation patch I now consider complete - packed up waiting to be released.

So yes, I'm scared. But I'm also hopeful.

Scared of what you all will think of my work once it gets into your hands in a few days. But then again, as I read over and play through my translation, I also feel a tiny glimmer of pride in what I've managed to accomplish with it. The people who have played the beta translation have been quite pleased with what I've done - including the main person for whom I started this project in the first place: my wife (Yay Canada!), CountPokey, who now has finally been able to read this wonderfully sweet story together with me. One way or another, I hope there will soon be at least a few of you out there who will enjoy as well.

- CountPacula - rose-at-sonohanabira-dot-countpacula-dot-com

One final thing: I've given the current beta version to a friend of mine, with instructions to post it publicly if something happens to me. I'm know I'm just being paranoid, but - just in case - I'd prefer to be remembered as somebody who actually managed to keep her promises and deliver on them, rather than be dismissed as just yet another troll.

Almost there - yes, really!

Just to quell the (understandable) fears that this project has died: though it had been 'on hold' for a while, I've been back working on it almost full time for a couple months again now, and the project is -finally- nearing release. The translation patch is pretty much complete now, and is currently in beta testing.

Some of "you" may have already heard rumours of a release date - I do intend to meet that date, and yes, I do mean this year. :) While I can't promise it will be the final version or be free of translation errors - this is my first translation project after all - one way or another, there will be a full public release by that date.

I'll try to keep an active presence here over the next few weeks, with progress reports and other info on the project.

- CountPacula - rose-at-sonohanabira-dot-countpacula-dot-com

P.S: To those who had given up on me: no hard feelings, I would have given up on me too after all this time.