- Joined
- Jul 25, 2013
- Messages
- 256
- Reaction score
- 583
- First Language
- Portuguese
- Primarily Uses
- RMVXA
Hello, folks. How are you?
Some people here already know me, I work as a literary editor. I often receive RPG Maker projects to review and I would like to discuss with you a small problem that I find in all of them. Have any of you already submitted a project to a proofreader or translator? Well, one of the problems caused by the way the RPG Maker works is to make our work immensely difficult. Or at least not encourage developers to collaborate with us. Here is an example. It sounds like a very simple message, right?
Let's see what it looks like when we are going to treat the text. Oh, wait, where is it? Well, certainly spread out on some map, inside some event page. Yeah, we'll have to look for it. And when we finally find it, look at what it looks like:
God have mercy on this project. Or rather, those responsible for dealing with this text. The first problem is, of course, that the text is all over the place. The second problem is that the messages are infested with formatting characters. Make no mistake, little grasshopper. Your translator will charge you for characters, including each backslash embellishing your narrative. And believe me when I say that, alone, they can cost you dearly depending on the size of the project. Ah, it is also worth mentioning that the work in panning the text through the game also counts.
So, how do we solve this? The first thing to do is to organize the texts all together. We don't want to waste time looking for everything, message by message. A simple code can help, RPG Maker VX Ace even has a module that we can only expand:
Realize that we need to use double backslashes. Escape characters are called, which will consider the second bars as part of the text.
Yes, at the end of the project this module will be giant, monstrously colossal. But all the editors, translators and proofreaders involved in the project will thank you with tons of cookies for doing such a beautiful job. It's infinitely more professional than leaving your things lying around, isn't it? And what would you call this message within the game? You see, it’s very easy. Use a Script Call:
Okay, I'm using RM VX Ace to illustrate, but what matters here is the concept. Reviewing: Just as you have a bank of items, characters, enemies and abilities, have a bank of texts. It's like organizing your room. I hope that this topic sheds some light on anyone who is lost in this regard. I would like to thank Syureri and Gabriel N. for clarifying the example codes. Their work. Some tips to make the process even more efficient:
1) Even if you use a text bank, it is not a good idea to send raw texts. That is, full of formatting characters. Remember that the professional will charge you for characters.
2) For very large works, consider using a translation platform. They are sites specialized in organizing this type of thing. Ex: Text Master, Mota Word.
3) There are also websites specialized in connecting translators to their clients, however they do not help in the organization. If you need a professional, you will certainly find it at: My Translation, Translators Base, Proz, Translators Cafe etc.
Some people here already know me, I work as a literary editor. I often receive RPG Maker projects to review and I would like to discuss with you a small problem that I find in all of them. Have any of you already submitted a project to a proofreader or translator? Well, one of the problems caused by the way the RPG Maker works is to make our work immensely difficult. Or at least not encourage developers to collaborate with us. Here is an example. It sounds like a very simple message, right?

Code:
\c[9]\n[1]:\c[0]
Hello, \.\c[9]\n[2]\c[0]!\. Did you find the \i[147]\c[3]Sword\c[0]?\|
I've heard that it could be on the river.
God have mercy on this project. Or rather, those responsible for dealing with this text. The first problem is, of course, that the text is all over the place. The second problem is that the messages are infested with formatting characters. Make no mistake, little grasshopper. Your translator will charge you for characters, including each backslash embellishing your narrative. And believe me when I say that, alone, they can cost you dearly depending on the size of the project. Ah, it is also worth mentioning that the work in panning the text through the game also counts.
So, how do we solve this? The first thing to do is to organize the texts all together. We don't want to waste time looking for everything, message by message. A simple code can help, RPG Maker VX Ace even has a module that we can only expand:

Realize that we need to use double backslashes. Escape characters are called, which will consider the second bars as part of the text.
Yes, at the end of the project this module will be giant, monstrously colossal. But all the editors, translators and proofreaders involved in the project will thank you with tons of cookies for doing such a beautiful job. It's infinitely more professional than leaving your things lying around, isn't it? And what would you call this message within the game? You see, it’s very easy. Use a Script Call:
Ruby:
$game_message.add(Vocab::Message001)
Okay, I'm using RM VX Ace to illustrate, but what matters here is the concept. Reviewing: Just as you have a bank of items, characters, enemies and abilities, have a bank of texts. It's like organizing your room. I hope that this topic sheds some light on anyone who is lost in this regard. I would like to thank Syureri and Gabriel N. for clarifying the example codes. Their work. Some tips to make the process even more efficient:
1) Even if you use a text bank, it is not a good idea to send raw texts. That is, full of formatting characters. Remember that the professional will charge you for characters.
2) For very large works, consider using a translation platform. They are sites specialized in organizing this type of thing. Ex: Text Master, Mota Word.
3) There are also websites specialized in connecting translators to their clients, however they do not help in the organization. If you need a professional, you will certainly find it at: My Translation, Translators Base, Proz, Translators Cafe etc.