Dev Blog - Localization

http://maplestory.nexon.net/FunStuff/GMB...ageIndex=1

Greetings Maplers, and welcome to the first MapleStory dev blog entry! My name is Eurydice and I will be your regular host. You can expect to hear from me (or occasionally another dev) every couple of weeks on a wide range of topics concerning Global MapleStory. We hope that this blog provides you with insight into the world of making and maintaining MapleStory. To begin with, I’d like to talk about Global MapleStory and how we bring content from other versions into gMS.

Even if you’re new to the game, you are probably aware that MapleStory started out in South Korea. In the beginning, there was only one version of MapleStory, and you had to understand Korean to play. Pretty soon however, the developers realized that with a few changes the game could be popular around the world. Now there are 10 versions of MapleStory, but much more than just language separates them. Each version of MapleStory is a unique game, with its own code base, programmers, and designers. While all MapleStory developers work for Nexon in the same office, each version has a dedicated team that works on their game specifically for their players. This situation offers us a lot of flexibility so that gMS can run its own events, set its own game update dates, make changes to game balance, and on occasion, even create our own content.

With all these versions of MapleStory out there, a lot of content gets created. On the gMS team, we are always reviewing other versions’ content to find the coolest stuff to bring over to our players, as well as evaluating internal ideas for new content. A lot of new content comes from kMS (Korean MapleStory, the original), especially new classes, but we try to evaluate all content equally and bring over things we think you will enjoy the most. Once we choose which content to bring into gMS we must localize it. This process takes several months and includes translation of text, game balance changes, and code integration. Since each version of MapleStory is independent from the others, code integration is often the trickiest part. Sometimes content from other versions fits with gMS smoothly, but more often it’s like trying to push a square peg through a round hole. Modifications need to be made and a lot of testing has to be done to get the content working. Players often make guesses on the forums about how long it will take one piece of content to come to gMS based on its size, but the truth is, size is rarely a good indication of how complex content will be to localize.

Of course, localization isn’t all technical. We work hard to ensure that content retains its original personality while still being easy for our players to understand. Sometimes a story or character just doesn’t translate, and we have to rewrite from scratch, but our goal is always to retain the original intent. Regardless of where content comes from, we want as many Maplers as possible to enjoy it.

Thanks for reading our very first dev blog. We hope to use this blog to highlight even more insights on the work that goes into bring MapleStory to life. So keep your eyes peeled for more blog updates!

Eurydice
The MapleStory Team

Could this turn into something?

Read as "Big Bang will come, but it'll take a while, ktntx" to me.

Read as "Big Bang will come, but it'll take a while, ktntx" to me.

I read it more as: "The content you want will come just shut up and leave us be." Not really saying Big Bang.

It's always nice to hear something from the actual devs themselves than from GMs and the like. I wouldn't mind a weekly/monthly blog from the devs.

on occasion, even create our own content.

RIP Masteria. Seriously look at the wording of that clause. It's different than the rest in tone: local content creation is at the very bottom of priorities.




Honestly, I don't like their justification for taking so long with certain things. Not even video game ports require so much time, and the port teams are never that big. If certain content takes you months to do, it certainly doesn't sound like you're working on it from beginning to end all the time. Also, such an excuse can only go so far as the coding platform. I'm sure Maplestory is written on the same code base. This guy makes it sound like he's coding from C# to Python for sh!t's sake.

Let's put it another way. If hackers are able to turn the source code of the entire freaking game to Java to attempt to avoid a legal battle with Nexon in terms of private servers in SHORTER TIME than it takes you to code a patch, your team's got problems.

Feels like a potential come back to what happened a long time agora with Masteria and NxJoe.

It's always nice to hear something from the actual devs themselves than from GMs and the like. I wouldn't mind a weekly/monthly blog from the devs.

every couple of weeks

As I said, as much as the "Leave us alone about content" message this seems to be, if played right this could be amazing.

While all MapleStory developers work for Nexon in the same office, each version has a dedicated team that works on their game specifically for their players.

I suppose that office is situated in Korea?

Maybe the devs will finally have a line of communication with the player base.

I really like this idea. It's like the backstage of the development of gMS. I've always been curious about how things like those worked.
So wait, does it mean that some content from kMS will never come because they think we might not enjoy it? I mean, until now, we got almost EVERYTHING from kMS, but I've been wondering about why they still haven't released some things such as Ghost Ship Race or El Nath PQ yet.. I hope they will, sooner or later..
But yeah, I assumed that this 'localization' process wouldn't have been easier most of the times. I guess I was right.

@rayhovite: I agree. As you said, all MapleStory versions should run on the same codebase, so that excuse is really stupid. Though, the code doesn't always mesh perfectly, because gMS might have some changes in the code which kMS doesn't have and vice-versa, so it might take more time than expected.

But yeah, I'm pretty sure that if they were actually working on Masteria they'd have said it on that announcement. Since they haven't, plus they referred to exclusive content with 'occasional', that probably means there's nothing on the pipe right now.

Its no Q&A with NxProse, but its a step in the right direction.
Lets hope its not like the old GM blogs where it updates twice a year.

I really like this idea. It's like the backstage of the development of gMS. I've always been curious about how things like those worked.
So wait, does it mean that some content from kMS will never come because they think we might not enjoy it? I mean, until now, we got almost EVERYTHING from kMS, but I've been wondering about why they still haven't released some things such as Ghost Ship Race or El Nath PQ yet.. I hope they will, sooner or later..
But yeah, I assumed that this 'localization' process wouldn't have been easier most of the times. I guess I was right.

The Hob King PQ will come I'm positive of that because of just the pure amount of data it has in our version. If Ghost Ship doesn't come its no harm no foul. I also don't think thats what they're trying to say, I think its more on the lines of they try and give what the players what they want oppose to what they don't want.

"we are always reviewing other versions’ content to find the coolest stuff to bring over to our players"

Because Neo City is SO cool.

"we are always reviewing other versions’ content to find the coolest stuff to bring over to our players"

Because Neo City is SO cool.

Trust me, dying every 5 seconds as a non-HP washed ranged class on normal mobs at Neo Tokyo, having to hunt them for HOURS on 4x drop to find an item for a quest and not even having a chance on any of the last bosses without HB and a good amount of HP washing isn't cool either.

As someone else already said, the story of Neo City sucks but the mobs and the quests (except the piece of papers one) are hella easy, vice-versa for Neo Tokyo.

Nothing will ever get localized because the korean version is eliminating everything, god da'mn it. There's nothing "good" we can get because of the korean version. They've assimilated everything and ruined it in the process.


And at above, that wasn't a huge problem in JMS. People did it all the time. And if you couldn't kill something, people were nice enough to let you sit around and get the kill. We won't get the best boss in the game, now. Also, if it wasn't a problem in JMS, why would it be a problem in GMS? It's the most broken version in all the versions.

Trust me, dying every 5 seconds as a non-HP washed ranged class on normal mobs at Neo Tokyo, having to hunt them for HOURS on 4x drop to find an item for a quest and not even having a chance on any of the last bosses without HB and a good amount of HP washing isn't cool either.

I'd rather have nothing, actually.

Nothing will ever get localized because the korean version is eliminating everything, god da'mn it. There's nothing "good" we can get because of the korean version. They've assimilated everything and ruined it in the process.

Let's hope Nexon finds Ulu City cool and releases it.

Nothing will ever get localized because the korean version is eliminating everything, god da'mn it. There's nothing "good" we can get because of the korean version. They've assimilated everything and ruined it in the process.


And at above, that wasn't a huge problem in JMS. People did it all the time. And if you couldn't kill something, people were nice enough to let you sit around and get the kill. We won't get the best boss in the game, now. Also, if it wasn't a problem in JMS, why would it be a problem in GMS? It's the most broken version in all the versions.

Having to rely on other people for many of the quests isn't really the best.

I'd rather have nothing, actually.

F'ucking QFT.

As I said, as much as the "Leave us alone about content" message this seems to be, if played right this could be amazing.

I hope they meant this blog as a "leave us alone" message, because that means we have their attention.

And if we have their attention, we need to up the ante. And not stop until they put investment in more programmers for GMS content. Obviously not on a big scale as a game studio (because they just closed the one in Canuck land), but large enough to have a dedicated team bigger than whatever small team they have now.

Having to rely on other people for many of the quests isn't really the best.

Then don't do the quests and level your ass up. You have no real argument for neo tokyo being hard now that potential is out.

I wonder if the gMS team is the laughing stock of the whole office.

"Oh look at gMS over there, we make all the content and they can't even port it over!"

Then don't do the quests and level your ass up. You have no real argument for neo tokyo being hard now that potential is out.

Other than the HP. But I guess that Big Bang will resolve that 'problem'.

Also, let me guess: Neo City was one of the things which 'didn't translate' so they had their awesome new storyline writers rewrite the quests from scratch.

That'd SURELY explain many things, haha.