DraSa: Phileasson's Secret - Official Announcement & First Screenshots

[Gorath]

Publisher dtp sent us a PR with the official announcement of the upcoming add-on for Drakensang: The River of Time. You can find the first three pics in our gallery (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/images?ref=0&id=432).
Drakensang: Phileasson’s Secret - Add On to The River of Time is set to continue The Dark Eye cult campaign
Hamburg, March 22nd, 2010 – “The Phileasson Saga” is the most famous and successful pen & paper campaign in the The Dark Eye universe. For more than 15 years, pen & paper players have enjoyed the adventures of surrounding the world of TDE, Aventuria.
Soon, this campaign will be continued – virtually, in Phileasson’s Secret, the official add on to the highly acclaimed PC RPG Drakensang: The River of Time, which dtp entertainment announces today.
Drakensang: Phileasson’s Secret adds a new chapter to “The Phileasson Saga” as well to the PC game Drakensang: The River of Time itself. This epilogue is going to be directly connected to the current revision of the pen & paper campaign.
Thus, a new story about Asleif Phileasson, one of TDE’s best-known characters, unfolds. Having placed a bet, he must surround the continent of Aventuria. On his journey, he has to survive numerous adventures in which he discoveres new creatures and cultures, treasures and items.
Drakensang: The River of Time – Phileasson’s Secret allows CRPG players to learn more about the backgrounds and history of Aventuria and The Dark Eye itself and satisfies the long-cherished wish of TDE players of continuing “The Phileasson Saga”.
dtp entertainment and Radon Labs will release Phileasson’s Secret, the add on to Drakensang: The River of Time, in August 2010.
For playing the add on, you’ll need the critically acclaimed main PC game Drakensang: The River of Time. This is a dream come true for DSA fans. The Phileasson Saga is indeed arguably the most popular The Dark Eye pen & paper adventure.
More information. (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=14645)

[Grandor Dragon]

I DMed the entire tetralogy, and it was great. Given that and Drakensang 2's quality, this is a must buy.

[Grandor Dragon]

Hmm, nice screenshots. Looks like the add-on will take place in an entirely different region.

[Gorath]

I think they look totally fake. ;)

[Grandor Dragon]

What do you mean by that? They are certainly not ingame shots, but the engine can render this.

[Gorath]

Yes, they're rendered and then photochopped. Like 99% of all early screenshots by any game.

[Thrasher]

When is RoT going to get an English release?

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Personally, I believe that they show the last, extremely isolated remains of the more-than-ancient Elven high civilization.

Edit : The discussion is ongoing in the official forums and shows different opinions.
It might also be Myranor.

[Corwin]

I'd prefer an announcement about the English release. Why are they working on this for August when the English release is still unknown?

[Thrasher]

Apparently they don't care about the international market as much...

[crpgnut]

How did the English version sell compared to the other languages? I'm guessing the English language version outsold all other versions, but maybe that isn't the case. Do they even track sales by language?

[Siran]

I'd prefer an announcement about the English release. Why are they working on this for August when the English release is still unknown?

Because the developers of new content have nothing whatsoever to do with translating the whole game into English? You want to have the whole developer team sitting around, doing nothing, while another team works on the translation? What would be the sense in that?

[Corwin]

The sense would be in putting as many people as possible on the job of getting the English release out. Currently, we're just P***** off that it's taking so long. I would think that they should have had people working on this 'translation' while the game was still being developed; it is the largest gaming market in the world!! (That's the english speaking market I'm referring to)

[Grandor Dragon]

Personally, I believe that they show the last, extremely isolated remains of the more-than-ancient Elven high civilization.

Edit : The discussion is ongoing in the official forums and shows different opinions.
It might also be Myranor.

Could they depict a part of the "Isles in the Fog"?

[Grandor Dragon]

As for the localisation, they are not Bioware/EA, so unless the previous game was hugely successful, localisation is not a piece of cake for them.

But I agree that there should be some update on the process. Even if it's just a few sentences.

[Grandor Dragon]

Just checked the forums. A dtp official expects the English version to be released in autumn.

http://forum.dtp-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=223&t=14798

[Corwin]

That's nearly a year after the German release. Not good enough in my book for this day and age!!

[Grandor Dragon]

Yep, not good. But I am sure this is due to the circumstances. There is no reason for Radon Labs to not want the English version out as soon as possible.

Who knows, perhaps it might include the add-on?

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Because the developers of new content have nothing whatsoever to do with translating the whole game into English?

Oh, interesting you say this, because NORMAllY, it is vice versa !

I guess you feel good with ANY game as long as it remains in the English language - why bother with the small, unimportant, uninteresting, tiny language-islands of so small, really unimportant so-called "countries" like France, Spain, Poland, Germany, Hungary, or even ANY african languge ?

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Could they depict a part of the "Isles in the Fog"?

Yes, that's what I thought as well. Anoher thought mentions the south of Aventuria.

Perhaps even both connected with one another.

I'm guessing the English language version outsold all other versions,

Could be - if you look at the sheer number of pople living in English-speaking territories compared to the number of German-speaking pople.

The sheer mass of people makes the English-speaking market the overwhelming one.

[Siran]

Oh, interesting you say this, because NORMAllY, it is vice versa !

I guess you feel good with ANY game as long as it remains in the English language - why bother with the small, unimportant, uninteresting, tiny language-islands of so small, really unimportant so-called "countries" like France, Spain, Poland, Germany, Hungary, or even ANY african languge ?

Sorry, but did you read my post at all?

People, who develop the games, don't translate the games. Even if they do understand and speak other languages fairly well, translating whole texts is a different story. All the more as customers who speak said other language won't be happy if they buy a game at full price and get a bad translation for their money.
So, translations are made and should be made by experts who have the knowledge and vocabulary.

Now, while these experts translate, the developers themselves can work on other stuff. That may be bug fixes or may be new content for an expansion. If they don't work on anything while the game is translated, the translation won't arrive any sooner but all the people who can play the game in the original language have to wait longer to get new content. And the company would delay the development of their own next game.

So what would be the advantage for the people who are waiting for the translation if the developers wouldn't work on an expansion? I see none. Only disadvantages for the people who speak the original language of the game. Even the other customers would have disadvantages in the end because an expansion that is developed later will take even longer to be translated into other languages.

[Gorath]

The sense would be in putting as many people as possible on the job of getting the English release out. Currently, we're just P***** off that it's taking so long. I would think that they should have had people working on this 'translation' while the game was still being developed; it is the largest gaming market in the world!! (That's the english speaking market I'm referring to)
Sorry Corwin, in this case Siran is right and you're telling nonsense. ;)

Radon Labs' job is development. When one product is finished they move their people to next. Simply because they need to work to get the bills paid. The only other alternatives would be to fire people, let them run idle or close the company. They always have more than one game in the pipeline, among others the add-on and the real DraSa 2. TRoT is officially DraSa 1.5.

Publishing is dtp's job. We cannot know if they have trouble securing international publishing deals (-> they need partners) or if the late release is a strategic decision because they expect advantages from the delay.

The translation argument by dtp is bullshit. The locas are either already finished or there are reasons why they're delayed.

One thing which could make sense is that dtp wants to release a Gold Edition right away because they know (a) it would be the more complete product and (b) they would have no realistic chance to secure shelf space for an add-on for a niche game.

The official sales numbers are:
DACH: 150k, WW except DACH: 300k. As of last October, so it's probably significantly more now.
The average sales price (resp. the royalties for dtp & RL) was certainly much higher in DACH.

edit: Although the translations and voice recordings are done elsewhere it's quite probable that RL has to integrate them into the game. Which sounds like a terribly boring grind job.

[Grandor Dragon]

I am actually impressed by the world wide sales. For a German title, 450k copies is very impressive, isn't it?

[wolfing]

Maybe the problem this time is that the game has a lot more (full?) voice acting than the first, and that takes longer/costs more than the 'first sentence' approach of the first one?

[Thrasher]

More voice acting would explain it. If it were just text, a full year to do the translation wouldn't make sense.

Hell, I'd prefer just the English text without translated voiceacting myself, if I could get it now. :)

[Alrik Fassbauer]

There is actually a LOT of spoken text in it ! It sometimes surprises me myself !

[LuckyCarbon]

It sometimes surprises me myself !

Let's just hope Alrik isn't doing the English localisation. ;)

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Yes, I know. :lol:

Sometimes I have my "bad grammar days". ;)

[Corwin]

Oh, interesting you say this, because NORMAllY, it is vice versa !

I guess you feel good with ANY game as long as it remains in the English language - why bother with the small, unimportant, uninteresting, tiny language-islands of so small, really unimportant so-called "countries" like France, Spain, Poland, Germany, Hungary, or even ANY african languge ?

Why the agro? Nothing said here implies any issues with translating a game into many different languages. The issue is economy of scale. English IS the major language of gaming and thus one would expect a game to be released in that language as quickly as possible to engender SALES!! Working on other translations at the same time should also work; we're doing that with U6P for example. Many of the localisations are well underway by volunteers who are fluent in those languages. Our main world builder Alfie is french and he has nearly completed the french translation. If it can be done by a group of unpaid volunteers, then surely a professional company should be able to do it as well!!

[Myrthos]

DTP does not have a track record of handling international releases of their games very well, just look at Divinity 2, Venetica and DraSa.
Apparently they don't need the international releases to make a profit.

For Divinity 2 the English version was ready before or at the same time as the German version, still they managed to delay it for months because they were unable to get international publishers in time or maybe they wanted to proof it is selling well in Germany (which takes time) and thus score a better deal with the international publishers.

[guenthar]

From what I understand most developers and publishers in eastern Europe and the CIS have problems with getting international publishers and especially when it comes to publishing in English speaking countries. An example is Deep Shadow which came out with 2 games last year and it looks like their international publisher bailed out on them and now it is not sure if White Gold and Precursors are coming out in English.

[Corwin]

Glad you reminded me Myrthos, what is happeneing with an English version of Venetica? Haven't heard anything in quite awhile.

[Myrthos]

I've noticed it has been released in The Netherlands in English (so there is an English version). Dunno about other regions it has or has not been released in. Didn't buy the game though as I still haven't finished any of the games I bought in the last 12 months....

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Why the agro?

There are just some things that "trigger me". THEN I get emotional.

I've been angry about non-translated games for many, many years. The image the foreign language creates is not as direct as it would do in my own language.

Try to play a game in any language not ntive too you. Even though you might begin to think and dream in that language (I have no problems whatsoever thinking in English, in fact I do it any time I write a post here), it is [i]not hard-cded8/i].

It is like … software emulation. Not hardware, which is imho much faster, directly connected on he mainboard. The current just flows much, much, much faster than *any* software emulation could ever do.

It's because there's *always* a step between the parts . translating. It might be highl optimized, but it *never* is *actually* hardware. Native.

That's why I have developed my theory programmers with English as their *native* language using keywords in programming languages that are derived from the English language have a slight advantage over *any* foreign people - read: people who do *not* have English as their native language - already 10-15 years before today.

I still hold the belief that programming languages *should* be developed to contain words i the native languages. Because this would speed up the understanding, because the native language is coded "hardware-side" into out brains, so to say.

It is different to me if I say I want to use the keyword "print" or the keyword "druck".

Saying "print line 42" is much more natural to you, if you have English as your first language, than it would be if the needed keyword was "druck zeile 42". Or the same in Español.

Some say "but they re just keywords !", yes, but they re much easier to memorize for people with English as their first language than for foreigners.

And if they are "just keywords", then why don't programming languages use keywords from Esperanto, for example ?

To me, it's always a matter of use of the language, and the processing of it. Any foreign language is "software emulation" to me, which I not ble to create the same, *direct* images in my head than my own language would be able to.

Edit : JUst an example that occurred to me : The name of the current Microsoft Operating system.

It is just called Windows", but to non-English-speaking people it's just a word. Especially if they don't understan English at all.

Translated into the German languge, the OS should be called "Fenster", and the version of it before Number 7 should be called "Aussicht". Same goes for the "Explorer", which should be called "Erforscher". MS Office would be MS Büro", and MS Access would be "MS Zugriff".

It's a bit like "Drakensang": It is almost an "tell-tale" name in the German language, but English-speaking people wouldn't quite understand it - or even ask themselves what this game has to do with drakes ? (You know, the animal otherwise known as a "duck". ;) )

Second Edit : And the word "Ent" just sounds to Germans like a shortened form of "Ente", which means "duck". ;)

[crpgnut]

When I first saw the title Drakensang, I mentally translated it to Dragon Song. I thought we were getting an opera sung by Dragons! j/k

[Grandor Dragon]

*offers Alrik some gulmond tea*

[Arhu]

When I first saw the title Drakensang, I mentally translated it to Dragon Song. I thought we were getting an opera sung by Dragons! j/k
Heh, that would be awesome. Image Ride of the Valkyries (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mmpcdNNMos) with the booming voices of Dragons instead of Valkyries.

[Siran]

There are just some things that "trigger me". THEN I get emotional.

I've been angry about non-translated games for many, many years. The image the foreign language creates is not as direct as it would do in my own language.

And what exactly are you attacking me for? I never said that you shouldn't translate games. I only said that it is stupid to expect developers to stop developing the next game while it is being translated into other languages.

Short OT to programming languages: In my company there are working people from all over the world on the same code. How would that work if the language wasn't the same for everybody? Besides: Think of all the code snippets you find on the internet. You wouldn't be able to use the code of a person that doesn't speak your language because you would have to translate the code before you could use it. Bad idea, really bad idea. And almost nobody in the world speaks Esperanto while most people speak at least bad English.

And before you jump down my throat this time: English is not my mother language at all. I started learning it in fifth grade probably the same time you started.

[LuckyCarbon]

When I first saw the title Drakensang, I mentally translated it to Dragon Song. I thought we were getting an opera sung by Dragons! j/k

I thought it meant Dragon Song too, is that incorrect? I could never figure out what the title had anything to do with the game, even after beating it.

Would someone please enlighten me? What does it really translate to?

[Gorath]

It's the name of the mountain the final battle took place on.

'dragon song' isn't that far away, I think. Although it's not 100% precise.

[Thrasher]

Is "Dragon Sung" closer?

[Alrik Fassbauer]

The word "Sang" appears to me like the shortened form of a "Gesang", which is a work that has been sung - or been performed in a similar fashion towards an audience.

Example : The Iliad, The Odyssey - but also the original "Nibelungenlied".

A "Gesang" ist - down to he basics - the "Singing".

But the Nibelungenlied was performed as some kind of ... well, a kind of mdiaval predecessor to modern "Singing".

So, a "Gesang" is then a kind of "huge story", a bit like the "Silmarillion". Or at least the first few chapers of what Christopher olkien publihed as what we know as the "Silmarillion" (J.R.R. would have liked it to consists of a few other parts, I guess).

Or the Story of Húrin and his Children.

So - the Term "Gesang" refers to a huge story", containing all kinds of Drama.

But - it also contains the past time form of the German "singing" : "Er sang" means "he sang" or "he has ben singing at one point in the past".

So, the term "drakensang" has several layers of meaning, actually. One is a "big, huge story about Dragons", which might "have been 'sung' at one point" (preferrable in the past, but given that the term "Gesang" in the meaning of the "Nibelungenlied" also means a work of literature, this is not a forced meaning).
The other meaning is the "singing of the dragons themelves", which sounds good, but is without any facts. At least I know of none.
Another aspect could be odf "oher people singing about dragons".
And keep in mind that "singing" always has the second meaning of performing a big, huge story" like the Iliad.

The "big, huge story" has already been published, by the way. (Edit: Only 2 out the 3 books.) It is actually a three-book pen & paper campain about Dragons. I know almost nothing of it, because a) it's expensive (25 Euros for each of the 3 books) and b) I'm not that much interested in it so far, because I'm an inactive player.

The video game of Drakensang is set to be some kind of "prelude" to it.

[Thrasher]

Thanks for the nice explanation Alrik.

[Alrik Fassbauer]

I did everything I could. ;)

But I'm not perfect. ;)

Now, back to my bed. I've been playing Drakensang 2 again for far too much time now - it's 3 in the morning ! O_O

[Thrasher]

Don't you hate it when you look up the clock and it's 2am, while you're SO snorts "unbelievable". Must be a good game. :)

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Yeah, totally right !!! :D

[Arhu]

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