天下制覇

Or a lack thereof.

I have no good news to share about any kind of translation work, official or otherwise, but especially in regards to Baldr Sky. Even leaving aside the appalling ways Sekai Project treated us for months, to suggest that no deal could be reached for any reason beside their terms being unreasonable and untenable is a lie. Full stop. No serious translator would accept them, or perhaps even could afford to. Furthermore, the inspiration in part must have been Catch-22; its terms couldn't be completed without simultaneously violating them. I had to deliver a very profanity-laden diatribe to some people on the importance of actually reading contracts, and taking the words therein literally, not naively expecting that the obligations required, demands stated, and threats promised are mere suggestions that don't actually mean anything.

Here's a couple bits of free advice that I wouldn't think need to be said. For God's sake, read and understand legal documents before signing them, and do not agree to anything you are not willing or able to do. And if you are ever asked to concede everything, and then you'll get a share of the Nigerian prince's riches a fair and equitable agreement can be discussed later, run like hell.

I will say that the attitudes of numerous prominent members of the translation community toward what happened with us, within my team and without, have been unpleasantly enlightening. I'm particularly disappointed in those who are happy to help Sekai Project, handing over perhaps not my core translation work, but using my knowledge about the game's inner workings, references, background, issues, translation and technical, and how to address them. Given Sekai's demonstrated lack of effort in so many their translations, they would never have had any idea many things existed, let alone what to do about them, and even less incentive to fix them, if they even have any now. It's not copying my essay, but it's certainly cribbing my notes, and it's inexplicable after being gaslighted for months. Not everyone I worked with, but enough.

Like I've said previously, it sucks for the game, a lot, but it's out of my hands. Sekai Project does not have permission to use my work, and I will not hesitate to take legal action if I need to in order to ensure that they do not in any form. On the other hand, if you've got an in with Giga, and want to release the game in English somewhere Sekai Project doesn't have it licensed, I know a guy. Real clever. Hard worker. Quick and cheap. Already mostly done. Probably even willing to hand it off and walk if you can demonstrate integrity and sufficient talent. Drop me a line.

Translation has been something I've enjoyed, but every time I think about resuming it, the stress of every problem with Baldr Sky, even before Sekai Project blew it up that come to mind, stress shared by Bunny Black 2 and quintuple that for Prism Ark. My motivation issues are entirely on me, but I certainly won't deny that I feel disillusioned about something I used to enjoy. I've made basically no time for translating for a year now, and the little I have has all been rife with the same problems as before, if not worse. I do look back over my past notes on some things, particularly the more passion projects like Duel Savior and Twilight Insanity/Refrain and feel nostalgic, but there's simply not a lot out there anymore that I'm passionate about. I've talked off and on with at least a person or two about looking into other translation work, but there's probably as much chance I translate anything major in the next year as there is I turn my scattered design notes into a comedy-drama RPG homage to 70s rock and the Stainless Steel Rat.

That's basically the long and short of it. There's nothing on my plate, nothing in the wings, and I'm not sure where I go from here with translating, if anywhere. I dislike saying anything with finality, but life's too short to spend it dealing with people who do not respect you, your time, or your work, official or otherwise. Go pet a dog instead. It's less likely to bite you.