Simplified Chinese Typo/Display Text Errors

[Lil_Mouse17]

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to inquire about the translation process for Stardew Valley. As an avid fan and active member of the community, I am eager to understand how translation workflows are managed and explore opportunities for community involvement.

As observed in recent incidents, translations managed without direct player involvement have led to significant dissatisfaction among the community. I would like to offer some humble advice on this matter.

I believe that involving the community could significantly improve the quality of translations. Therefore, I wonder if there is a possibility to officially host the language files on a platform like GitHub. This approach would allow players to directly contribute to translations and assist in identifying and correcting errors, ensuring a more accurate and enjoyable experience for everyone.
If there is no such official plan, may I inquire whether the original text could be hosted on GitHub for the creation of unofficial language packages, and under what license, if any?

Thank you for your time and all the hard work you put into making Stardew Valley accessible and enjoyable. I look forward to your response and am hopeful for a positive consideration of this community-collaborative approach.

Is GitHub accessible in China?

I think you can host .json files to gather suggestions from the community.

As far as I know, there is still room for improvement in Chinese localization, but due to recent problems, new changes may be met with cold reaction.

The main controversy was about changing a large portion of item names without a valid reason (mainly no typos / incorrect meanings, but the translator's preferences). But there also was a portion of genuinely useful fixes which eventually were rollbacked. So I think the files that contain item names, such as Objects.zh-CN.json, BigCraftables.zh-CN.json, and Weapons.zh-CN.json, should be the main targets for community review.

Other stuff like dialogues and UI are less risky and can be fixed or harmonized relatively easily by a new translator if they will be hired (especially in tems of just fixing the typos). But the community should participate in the reviewing the item names, as many of them are still incorrect.

So basically, you can host these three files for editing on GitHub or conduct a series of polls on any Chinese social platform and see what feedback people have. But you'll need to attract as many players as possible to collect their ideas.

 

[NextXander]

Forwarding a report from another user:

During my exploration of Stardew Valley, I discovered an issue. In the attached image, Hayley's dialogue is translated as "Gaoxin" in Chinese, which I believe does not convey the true meaning

 

[NextXander]

Forwarding a report from another user:

Is the name Penny spelled wrong?Why is it Penny?
I am a loyal Stardew Valley player from China.
Penny has always been my first choice。
Is there something wrong with the Chinese localization。
Penny’s name is entered as 佩妮.Perhaps the problem is on my end.
But I still would like to make an inquiry.

 

[NextXander]

Forwarding a report from another user:

Subject: Report on Inconsistent Simplified Chinese Translation in Stardew Valley

Hello,
I am playing the latest official Simplified Chinese version of Stardew Valley on Steam (Windows platform, no mods installed, pure vanilla game). I found an inconsistent name translation for the NPC Gus, and the details are as follows:

1. Location of the error: A random quest on the "Help Wanted" board outside the farmhouse (the quest where Gus, the Stardrop Saloon owner, requests a Red Snapper)

2. Issue description: Two different translated names appear for the same NPC in a single quest, which is inconsistent:

◦ The signature at the end of the quest body is "盖斯 (Gài sī)"

◦ The quest reward description uses "格斯会很感激 (Gé sī will be very grateful)"
The standard official Simplified Chinese name for this NPC is "格斯", and this inconsistency will confuse players.

3. Full incorrect Simplified Chinese text of the quest: 嗨！我需要红鲷鱼来做我的新开胃菜。只要放一个在酒吧，我就会非常感激的。—盖斯

4. Fix suggestion: Change the signature "盖斯" at the end of the quest text to "格斯", to align with the official standard translation and the reward description in the same quest.

A screenshot of the in-game error is attached for reference. Thank you for your time and work.