A Bilingual Localization for Pillars of Eternity (EN and ZH)

4 days ago

The author shares their personal journey of creating a bilingual localization for Pillars of Eternity, driven by their love for the game and the complexities of language.
They highlight the challenges of translating literary English, especially in CRPGs, where tone and subtext are crucial to gameplay immersion.
The bilingual format serves dual purposes: providing a safety net for translation accuracy and acting as a language-learning tool by comparing English and Chinese side by side.
AI tools like Codex and Claude played a significant role in scaling the project and boosting the author's confidence in their translations.
The project distinguishes between story text (bilingual for immersion) and UI text (Chinese-only for readability), optimizing the player experience.
The author emphasizes the importance of context in translation, which AI alone cannot grasp, and shares examples where nuanced meanings were lost in translation.
The project evolved into a deeply personal endeavor, enhancing the author's appreciation for the game's writing and leaving a more precise version for others to enjoy.

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