Our feedback please: Technical (only?) suggestions for Japanese authors publishing on DLSITE

[CobraPL]

F95zone mirror/sister thread

Ladies and gentlemen, let's prepare good practices pointing most common mistakes. My first proposals are below, but I ask you to contribute as much as you can:

1. Avoid using WAV files for sound and music. Encode it to Opus (best solution for RPG Maker MV/MZ) or at least Ogg Vorbis (commonly supported by multiple game engines). If you bought files already encoded to mp3/ogg or other lossy format, do not re-encode unless ~128kbps files are far smaller.
2. Avoid using BMP files for any graphics (unless game engine you use is outdated and enforces such format). Use WebP (best solution for RPG Maker MV/MZ) or at least PNG.
3. For RPG MAKER VX ACE or newer you can make PNGs and JPGs smaller with tools like PINGa (lossless/pixel-identical option available). For other/older engines try playing game with optimized assets.
4. Avoid putting Japanese text on pictures (hard-coded text) since (auto)translators can't translate such text easily. Use normal text positioned over the pictures and/or use English (hard-coded) text even in Japanese games.
5. Do not use ZIP for distribution, since non-Japanese customers/players may have problems with extracting Japanese characters in file/folder-names. Use RAR (paid) or 7z (free 7-zip program) format instead.
6. Ask all devs and/or check yourself to declare what game engine and which engine's version each game uses. Maintain up to date list of engines supported by auto translators like mtool. So English customer could know if (auto)translation is possible. Some engines are not supported!
7. In case of KiriKiri engine, for completed games (development and patching cycle ended) ask DEVs to merge all patches (all *.xp3 files) into one file.
8. Use different colored text when indicating important person, places, materials, steps, etc.
9. Use symbols instead of Japanese text for places description. Like a castle to indicate the royal palace, a fortress to indicate a kingdom, a small gathered hut to indicate a village, a full house to indicate a home, etc.
10. No more 4:3 resolution, everything must be 16:9.
11. Allow changing text speed, especially enabling instant text.
12. Make quest related item sparky, save time on interacting with everything.
13. DLSITE - allow creating and sharing lists and blacklists, Allow hiding/blacklisting any game or studio from search feed. So if any dev is known from low-quality games, I could filter them completely. Or I tested the game in e.g. 2017 and now I see that is was poor game and no need to check again. Allow leaving own comments for any game. Such comment or blacklist/ignore will be for specific account only, for own usage.

EDIT: For now I collect loose ideas. I'll completely re-write this post, dividing into two parts - suggestions for game authors and suggestion for dl-site.

 

[CrownLustre]

The above are more oriented to the use of programs as well as ease of translations, so nothing much I can suggest on since I'm not good with machines.
So my suggestion might be off, but for someone who would only play what was presented (like me), I'd suggest to use visual aids as much as possible
1. like using different colored text when indicating important person, places, materials, steps, etc. (addition of roman characters might be a good suggestion too if they would go that extra miles)
2. Using symbol like a castle to indicate the royal palace, a fortress to indicate a kingdom, a small gathered hut to indicate a village, a full house to indicate a home, etc.

 

[johndoe1545]

1. no more 4:3 resolution, everything must be 16:9
2. text speed option is a must, text skip button implement as shift/ctrl
3. make quest related item sparky, save time on interacting with everything.

 

[skini151]

Limit the usage of plugins. Especially when plugins are duplicating functionality. (EX. after battle text, displaying once using the plugin and once more using the standard message box). Also, lots of text in plugins is not easy to translate or hidden inside .js and .json files.

Higher resolution images and preferably 16:9 ratio.

DLsite to provide a source for developers, that contains tips, best practices and helpful software. Because a good portion of those developers have scarce knowledge in Computer Science and game design.

DLsite to create a way for volunteer translators and developers to work together.

Work with the MTool developer and promote their software for quick MTLs. This will help when someone wants to download and play the demo before buying the game. Or play the game until a better translation comes.

 

[CobraPL]

First post edited based on initial feedback. I'll paste this thread and forward it to DLSITE after more feedback.