Translate Fallout2?

Edit the file Fallout 2/Fallout2.cfg with your notepad.

There should be a line like this :
language=english
Remove english and write your own langage. Could be language=custom for instance.

Then, look for a folder named Fallout 2\data\Text
Inside that folder, there is one folder for each language.

Take the folder named "English" and make a copy of it. Name that new folder with the same name that you wrote in the Fallout2.cfg file.
If you keep following my example, your folder should be named custom.

Now, if you start Fallout 2, it would remain in english, but all the text that shows up would come from your custom folder.
Now, you go in your custom folder, open the .msg files with your notepad and translate each sentence in your chosen language.
(You could also invent your own dialog if you want to mess around.)

After you translated all of them, start Fallout 2 again and it would show text in the langage you translated them into.

Make sure you don't mess with the sentence numbers. Just translate the text, don't touch anything else.
Also, it would work better if you chose the biggest installation from your cd, so that all necessary files are already in your Fallout 2 folder. So all the files used are those of that folder, not those of your cd.
If you done those things right, you won't even have to restart your game. All of your savegames would still work properly.

PS: You may also need to tell in your Fallout2.cfg where are the files that should be used to play Fallout 2.
Look for the lines that start with :
critter_dat=
critter_patches=
master_dat=
master_patches=
For those with _dat, type the entire access path to your Fallout 2 folder, then the name of the .dat file (critter.dat & master.dat). (F:\BlackIsle\Fallout 2\critter.dat for instance)
For the lines with_patches, you may type just the access path to your folder named data, not the files inside it. It's how it works for me.
But if you actually have a file with "patch" inside its name, then you may write the path to it. But i am not sure about this last one.

 

Possibilities.

- You actually have a file that is considered as a patch. I don't know how to deal with them, i hope someone can tell us about it.
- The name of your folder don't match what you wrote in Fallout2.cfg or it is too complex. Better have something simple, with no number, accent, space, symbol or anything special.

Other than that, what happens ?
Do you manage to launch the game ? Is there some error message ? Does all the text still in english ? Does all the text is replaced by "error" ?

 

I don't know if those things are relevant, but i will tell what is different on my own files.

Music Path :

music=1
music_path1=data\sound\music
music_path2=sound\music

Critter_patches=(...)Fallout2\data
Master_patches=(...)Fallout2\data

I don't use an additionnal "\" and the end of the path.

Also, i didn't seen the ".dat" in your master & critter files. There's must be an option to show extensions of file in your folder setting. (your operating system settings. By the way, which one it is ?)

You may also try to rename your files and add .dat or remove .dat in your path inside the Fallout2.cfg, but i am not sure it would help. Your computer already know that master & critter are DAT files.

Also, your critter file seems bigger than mine and the master smaller.

I've seen other differences in your fallout.cfg. I am not sure if those are relevants. I suggest not touching them for now. (or make a backup)

[system]
art_cache_size=524
cdlock=E:\cdlock.dat (that line isn't there in your screenshot, but present in my file)
times_run=5 (this line is in your screenshot, but not in my file)

Otherwise i am out of clues right now. I hope you could get help from more experienced translators.

Also, i am not familiar with your operating system. Maybe it causes some issues.

 

If you don't translate, but only change random letters. Do these changes appear in the game at all?

Other than that: Why create a new language folder? Just overwrite the english. Everyone who wants to use your translation will probably have the english version anyway and they most likely won't want to switch the language inbetween playing.

 

If you overwrite the english folder you will lose it (except if you made a backup) and you will lose the ability to easily switch langage with fallout2.cfg. Plus, as your game isn't in english, it will confuse you.

If you create a new folder, it would allow to choose to switch langage at any time.

Practical reasons :

- You could get bored of a bad translation.
- You could have a wish to know what was actually been written by the original develloppers. (my next playtrough will be in english)
- In case of a partial translation, you can get some "error" message. You switch in english and have the full sentence.
- You have a clean langage folder, so you can detect the differences in case there is a mistake.
- If you use an ongoing mod, like the restoration project, you HAVE to work on a different folder. So the english version would be overwritten in each update, while you will have to update your translation based on the changes. If not, your own translation would be overwritten by the new english version.
- On a more personnal opinion, i think it is a right for a player, to choose what langage you want to use for the voice and for the subtitles. (two choices). I am tired of having to tweek some games just to access original voices instead of 12 years old french dubbing.
- The game already provide the ability to easily change langage by a single line, that you can access without downloading a single application. Why stealing them that ability ?

 

About the operating system ?

Which version of Windows/mac/linux it is ?
Maybe the OS isn't fully supported...

 

Considering the informations available, i am not able to see what is wrong.

Maybe accessing the files themselves would allow to make some tests.

Could you put your Fallout2.cfg file into your Fallout2/data/brazil folder, create a winrar archive of that folder and send it into the internet ?


Seems that the attachments option of nma forum is not working so it's better if you have some ftp.

If not, there is a french website that allow to send files, without the need to register, to enter your email, or the one of the person you send the file.

It's free dl :
http://dl.free.fr/

You select "parcourir" to look you your file. Then, you select "Envoyer" to send it.
There is a very short loading time.
Then, when it says
"Fichier "(your file name)" en ligne, procédure terminée avec succès..."
You can copy the link provided in the line just under it and past it there.

If you're not confortable with it, i could send you my email, but i rather not share it widely.

 

Didn't you have a whole folder named "brazil" with all translated ?

For now i am clueless about the narration.

It seems that the game doesn't use narrate.txt for translating.

On my french folder, narrate.txt contains Fo1 introduction in french. (the english narrate.txt still provide fo2 introduction)
But, when ingame, and french selected, i get the Fo2 french introduction.
So it seems that when you switch langage, the game is looking the intro narration from another file.
I used text crawler to look for familiar words from the Fo2 french introduction on my Fo2 folder and i didn't found the Fo2 french introduction.
I extracted contents of Fo2 critter.dat & master.dat and started another text crawler search and no success for now.

So that specific elements seems a issue from the game itself. It doesn't mean that your other translations shouldn't work.

Still looking...

(The text crawler allow you to search word in multiple text files in the same time)

 

I do know that narrate.text is in the "cut" folder.

What i am saying is that :
- In the english folder, i get the english fallout TWO intro narration.
- In the french folder, i get the french fallout ONE intro narration.

But ingame :
- If i switch in english, i get the english fallout TWO intro narration
- If i switch in french, i get the french fallout TWO intro narration

So, Fallout 2.exe is able to get the french (or another language) fallout two intro narration, but it doesn't get it from narrate.exe

I used text crawler to try to find which file provide the french intro narration, but i didn't find it. (it exist for sure. Otherwise, i wouldn't have it ingame)
If i am able to find it, you will look for the english counterpart and translate it.

Are you issues only about the narration ?
I could provide help for usual dialogs for the time being.

 

FOUND IT ! ! !

Actually i did a search about which files were used for the second intro video.

I ended on this topic.
http://www.nma-fallout.com/showthread.php?196144&p=3863916

I brought me to the Text/cut/credits.sve file, that is actually a video file.
I tried to find some .txt files that called it, with no success.
After differents attempt to find way to solve the problem, i finnally tried something unexpected.

I tried to open the credits.sve file with the notepad. (a file supposed to be a video)
When i opened it, i've finnally seen the narration i was looking for.

I changed a few things, then i launched the game.
Those changes finally appeared ingame.

I bet the subtitles for other videos should be changed in the others .sve files.
It also explain why i couldn't find it with text crawler as text crawler only looked in files that were supposed to contain texts.

 

I am not sure i understood what you are talking about.

If it is about the names of town on the worldmap, it's Text/English/Game/WORLDMAP.MSG

Otherwise, there is not one big .msg file that deal with everything that happen on a single map.