Localization

The Localization for WalkScape is open source, which means that you, yes YOU, can contribute. Please note that this article will contain light spoilers for many parts of the game.

Sign up to Contribute

To begin contributing today, click the link here. This link will take you to a page to create an account on Tolgee. After signing up, you'll need to contact Schamppu on Discord (#schamppu) to get an invite link to WalkScape project.

1. If you have an account, enter your details. If you do not have an account, select "Sign Up".
2. Next, select the WalkScape project (it will be the only one, unless you are contributing to other localization efforts). You will then see a menu to select languages.
3. Select the language you would like to contribute to, and pairs of text should pop up.
4. Click in the area for the TRANSLATED language (do not edit the base English!). Here, you will be able to edit the translation, or provide comments. Click save to apply your changes before moving to the next translation pair.

See the pictures below if you would like a preview of the process!

Translation Guidelines

Keep the goal in mind

We want WalkScape to be enjoyed by as many players as possible. The following guidelines should help to achieve this. They can all be summarized to the SCARF core values we find important, which are:

Simplicity	Don't overcomplicate things
Clarity	Keep it understandable for all ages
Accessibility	Some people might have vision problems!
Relatability	Players feel more immersed when they can relate to things
Fun	Last but definitely not least, keep it fun for the player, but also for yourself! Feel free to add a healthy dose of humor!

As long as you keep asking yourself "Is this SCARF?", not much can go wrong!\

Mind the parameters

Some entries might have a reference to parameters. You can reorder the placements of these code blocks in your translated text as it makes sense in the target language, however do not alter anything within them. They might look like:

$pointCount achievement points

Do not translate anything from the "$" until the next space.

Have <numberProgress current="${current}" max="${max}" style="achievement_text" maxStyle="achievement_text" /> different gems in your inventory.

Do not translate anything from the opening "<" to the closing "/>" angle brackets. Anything between HTML opening and closing tags should still be translated. For example:

Welcome to the <c>Kallaheim's Frosty Finds</c>!

In this case, the shop name should always remain within those tags when translating it to the target language.

Do not touch text within code blocks or variables.

Pluralization

Different languages use different rules for pluralization. These rules per language can be found here. If a translation key has the "plurals" tag, these rules should be followed. If a pluralization entry is not applicable to your language, you can enter a "-". This way everyone knows it's been looked at but not applicable, and it will not be used in the game.

Machine translation

Tolgee offers translation suggestions using machine learning. These are not always reliable as they lack context and consistency. We recommend first thinking of a translation yourself without looking at the suggestion, and then using it to potentially correct and/or improve your translation.

Cultural references

It is okay to replace specific cultural references to something that makes more sense in the target language. Be careful that if it relates to a specific item, it should still match the image of that item.

References to other media

Some text might reference other media such as books, movies, games, music, or memes.

• If the referenced text has an official translation, use that. Subtitles for movies can be found here.
• If there is no official translation but the English text is well known in the target language, it is okay to keep it English.
• If not, it can be translated.

Names of characters and locations

• Common English first names of characters may be changed to names that are common in the target language. This helps keep the player immersed.
• Last names and names of locations should only be translated if they are of English origin. These names should already provide the player with some background information of the subject. Some examples:
  • Peter Banksworth
  • Galeforge
  • Painful Islands
• If the names cannot be directly translated, they can be slightly altered to match common naming styles of the target language or to switch out uncommon/unused characters for more common ones. Some examples for Dutch:
  • Jarvonia becomes Jarvonië
  • Wallisia becomes Wallisië
  • Wrentmark becomes Frentmark
• If a real person or a person from other media is referenced, do not change their names. Some examples:
  • Flora Floursifter
• Non-English names should not be translated. They can however be changed into the target language's characters instead of the Latin alphabet. Some examples:
  • Runa Norrberga
  • Rid Raddak
  • Ewerethien

Text style

• Stick to the same capitalization style as the original text if this makes sense in the target language. Following the target language's rules should always take priority.
• Try to keep the translation to a similar length as the original text, or shorter. This makes sure all text is displayed correctly.
• Try to stick to simple and conventional language and avoid difficult or long words. We favor using more words instead of such words, if possible (see previous point). Nobody should be looking up words to see what they mean.
• Avoid using multiple different translations for the same word to prevent confusion.

Accessibility

We want players that are visually impaired to be able to enjoy the game just as much as anyone else. They might be using screen readers to have their device read out loud what's on the screen and/or they might have trouble seeing images. To increase immersion, not just for them but for everyone, try to use descriptive language where applicable. This is especially important when translating anything that directly relates to an image, such as:

• Item descriptions
• Location descriptions
• NPC descriptions
• Character customization

The translation community

While looking through translations, remember that you can comment on the original text or already made translations you think could be improved! If you have any questions, or just want to have a second opinion when you're not sure about something, feel free to reach out to the community on Discord in the #localization channel. If it is language specific, you can ask in the specific thread of the target language.

Visual Contribution Guide

Toglee - Sign up or sign in

File:Translation.PNG

Select Walkscape project

Make sure to save before moving on!