translation information please?

[old.Kihon]

Hi All,

This is mainly aimed at GOA, and I hope they can provide some answers.

Firstly I work in software developement (telecoms sector), and I understand that sometimes you just cant give definate timescales - especially when working with someone elses code.

However, what I would like to know is:

1. On average how long does it take to translate a Realm to a single language? 5 days? 10? 30?
2. On average how long does it take to test the translated code? (I believe you mentioned that it takes at least as long as translating).
3. How much "other" work needs to be done for a patch? (Though Mythic have done a lot of the work, I cannot believe that all GOA have to do is translate). How much time does this take?
4. Do you only start on one patch once you have released the previous? or is there already someone working on the next patch? While testing is occuring on the 1.48 patch will translation be occuring on patch 1.50?
5. Do you consider it reasonable that players would want to be kept upto date with the translation progress? If so, how often do you think the information should be updated? Once a week? Once any section is completed? Once every 2 weeks?

The aim of this thread is for me/us to get a better understanding of the process/timescales involved in the translation procedure. Please, please do not turn this thread into a blame GOA thread.

Looking forward to a reply.

 

[old.stroke]

doubt you will, use rightnow.

 

[old.Ukkeli]

"Information wants to be free."

Valid questions, this information should be provided to us customers.

I would escpecially want to know myself your question #4, has the translation process for patches 1.49 and 1.50 already started? Will the process be as long as it has been with the 1.48 patch? One would assume that the files are already available to GOA since both patches are now completed by Mythic.

On a sidenote, what is still also unclear to me is why in fact the english servers have to be patched at the same time as the other servers? Mythic does rolling updates and updates their servers a few servers at a time. The 1.48 patch news on www.camelot-europe.com posted on 05-03-2002 only states that:

As you know, we cannot patch some servers and let others in an older version.

Why in fact is this not possible, could someone post the official technical explanation to this?

 

[old.Kelmon]

Easy. Money.

GOA is too cheap to use more machines than is needed.. Each US server actually consists of FOUR seperate machines, three servers and a database box. (I read that a while ago, somewhere.)

My guess is that GOA decided to compress several servers into less machines, making it thus impossible to update the servers seperately. (Imagine that that does when the serverload grows as more people join.. yes, more lag.)

Either that, or they CAN patch seperately, but can't be bothered for the effects that it would have on the other language versions. (I think this is the more likely scenario..

 

[old.Elasto]

As I said somewhere else about this, I can see why Goa don't patch until all servers are ready to go. Their support facility would go baps up if it had to cope with different versions on different servers....

Frustrating as it is - godammit!! - I think we'll all just be waiting for the next patch a while longer.

As for Darkness Falls, that is going to take some major patching - it's a very big patch, and if they're going to translate it at current speed we'll be playing DAoC 2 before the Euro version is anywhere near close.

Real pity, coz you guys will love Darkness Falls

 

[old.Kihon]

why we cant have english

I suspect that the client needs to be patched as well as the server, and as mentioned elsewhere in the board, this is unlikely to be backwards compatible with non patched servers. Which means that someone who plays on an english server will nolonger be able to play on the german/french.

Just because you play on a german server does not mean that you are not entitled to play on an english one too, and as a result GOA have to ensure that at any time, any player can play on any of their servers.

Though its possible to work around this by having a seperate client for seperate servers, this would be unfeasable, take time to implement, and be a nightmare to support.

 

[Galatea]

Though its possible to work around this by having a seperate client for seperate servers, this would be unfeasable, take time to implement, and be a nightmare to support.

and we all know how much GOA hates providing support

 

[old.Kihon]

To be fair, I have not yet come to a decision regarding the level of support from GOA. (being a software developer, having to support my own code as well as that of others) I have a certain amount of sympathy for GOA.

I cannot deny they had a BAD start, but people like kremor seem to be putting a good deal of effort to try and rectify the situation.

Lets give them some time and see how it goes - see if they answer this thread for a start.....

 

[old.Ayeye]

To be fair, I have not yet come to a decision regarding the level of support from GOA. (being a software developer, having to support my own code as well as that of others) I have a certain amount of sympathy for GOA.

I'm a programmer too, and I have to support too my own code as well as that of the others but I haven't a certain amout of sympathy for GOA board!
I do not blame poor programmers (or poor programmer), I blame the fact (in the beginning) they tried to cut down costs by hiring much less people compared to the amout of work to be done.
This happens everywhere and everywhere I do not blame the hired ones but the board!

Now it seems they have learnt the lesson because they are hiring other people so I hope next patch would be translated faster!

 

[old.dittytwo]

Originally posted by Ayeye


I'm a programmer too, and I have to support too my own code as well as that of the others but I haven't a certain amout of sympathy for GOA board!
I do not blame poor programmers (or poor programmer), I blame the fact (in the beginning) they tried to cut down costs by hiring much less people compared to the amout of work to be done.
This happens everywhere and everywhere I do not blame the hired ones but the board!

Now it seems they have learnt the lesson because they are hiring other people so I hope next patch would be translated faster!

I am a programmer too my god I hate it when people find a small bug in my software which turns out was already there and was nothing to do with my code (anyway enough babble)

fingers crossed about the next patch being faster (still waiting for an offical anser Kremor
allwe want is information good or bad info is good wars have been lost due to lack of information being passed down the lines

 

[Flimgoblin]

Gah it's Kemor not Kremor...
(shouldn't this be in the Midgard/Midguard thread?)

It'd be nice to get some more updates - once a week at least I'd hope... (they've only just got the news tool so mibbe we'll have an update tomorrow )

I'm completely guessing here - maybe some GOA employees will have a chuckle at this for being so wrong.. but I'm thinking maybe they were understaffed because of this:

1: They didn't expect such a huge demand?
Or they weren't convinced they'd get it ... imagine having 8 servers, with only 100 people per server. That'd be a swift journey to ****edcompany.com. From their POV (and any sensible business one) far better to add servers as they're needed... From the same school of thought - better to hire X translators now just incase you don't have the customer base to support Y which you'll need.

2: They didn't expect Mythic to be patching quite so
voraciously?
After all they've not done a MMORPG before...
That said would some research help this at all? How often did UO and EQ patch at the start? How often do they patch now? I've only ever played DAOC (well, 4 levels of EQ but that don't count)

Personally I'm getting less annoyed at the patches being late since 1.50...

This gives the Guinea Pigs *cough* americans plenty of time to test all the Realm Abilities, find out what's borked and what not so that by the time I'm spending mine I'll know what everything does (and they'll probably be vaguely balanced)

Don't mind being a week or two (or three) behind ...
I'll probly start getting antsy and annoyed after a month or so... but hey

 

[old.Gorthol]

you make a valid point, let the US players make all the mistakes
and then we wont, I think that is one plus for laggin a bit behind

 

[inqy]

doesn't it also mean they have direct input to request classes buffing/nerfing and other needed changes. where as we just get what ever the yanks have wanted. they're not a perfect nation are they now? surely they could miss something

I agree that it's good that most of bugs are gone. But we have GOA to add in their own ones. negative damage anyone?

 

[old.Gorthol]

lets not live in the past.
all human makes mistakes no matter who they are what they were supposed to do

 

[SFXman]

You know, the problem with these posts is that Kemor will not give out more information just for one person. We were given all info that is needed the "N... News" and we have to live with it

 

[Elvewen]

And of course, as all programmers out there know, they wont give a firm date because when it sails past without a whisper of a release they will get twice the amout of flack they do now

 

[Keri]

Behind every good programmer stands a competent project manager. PMs are the ones who should take the flack, it's one of their job reponsibilities.

 

[old.Ayeye]

yes you said well.... competent!
. ... .

 

[old.Kihon]

I suppose it was a vain hope that there would be a response from GOA on this. They probably consider it too close to being an ETA, and hence possibly raising expectations.

I guess we will have to wait and see how the News section on the website is updated. if its once a week (atleast while we are waiting on the patch) then I cant really complain.

Oh and any thing that goes wrong is all Pali's fault.... (Pali is my manager and general scape goat )