Connall

THIS IS NOT OFFICIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE INDIE STONE IN ANYWAY! THIS IS DONE BY ME ALONE!
 
Hello there, fellow zomboiders! How's it going? (Scratch out appropriate response) Good!/Sorry to hear.
 
 
I've been sitting on this idea for a couple of days now, shifting towards whether I did or didn't want to do it. Though after discussion with certain people I decided to go ahead with it and see how it does. So here it is! My name is Connall, I used to be an active member of the community before I took a leave of absence to focus on a very important couple of years in school (paid off, I'm at Uni now!) but returned after I heard there was a need for wiki editors. Anywho that's all irrelevant fluff really, what I'm actually here to talk about is a Project Zomboid giveaway. Free copies of the games being handed out onto the community. Monthly. Yes, monthly. Well technically every two weeks. For how long? For as long as I possibly can.
 
Basically, have you played the demo? Loved it? Excellent! Want it for free? Well now's your chance to get it for free if you lack the necessary funds.
 
So how do you enter into this magnificent deal. Well two things. 1. Post in this thread. Yes just post in this thread. 2. Though completely optional, it helps me out in the long run is join the Steam group: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/pzgiveaways
 
That's it. That's you entered to win. However, what if you want to sweeten your odds? Well it's pretty simple, are you the artistic type? Think you could draw something, maybe write a short story, a poem even about Project Zomboid? Perhaps you have more musical tastes? Maybe even a bit of a budding film director? Well why not create something focused around Project Zomboid? Wow me into going "This person definitely needs a copy of this game, STAT!" The thing you create must be Project Zomboid related AND NOT STOLEN! I will be doing checks before I announce or decide a winner to make sure it's a legitimately created thing (With images and videos a watermark or something would be kind of helpful.
 
So all that above was a bit scattered gun, so let me answer some questions I'm sure will come up.
 
Q: How do you decide a winner?
 
A: I try to take in as many factors as possible. Firstly, the person must not already own the game. We want to make sure the game is going towards someone who actually deserves it. I also take a look at what they submitted (if anything) and that will generally raise or lower my opinion of whether they should get a copy. I also check to see if they are somewhat active in the community. That doesn't mean constantly posting or anything, but at the very least a lurker or a visitor to the IRC (which I'm on constantly) Though being painfully obvious that you're only doing it for the giveaway will weaken your chances.
 
I want to stress, this is not randombility. It's basically just me picking someone I think should get the game. People who post nothing still have the chance to win, but keep in mind for now supplies are limited.
 
Q: Speaking of supplies how many/when will you hand out the games?
 
A: I will try and make it a set date with a regular schedule when I announce a winner. I won't be doing something where I give both games away at the beginning of the month, I'll be trying to drip feed it. As for how many copies? As of right now 2 each month (Except this one, November 2013) If the price goes up it could drop by one, this is mainly because I'm on a Student Budget and I've got to stay alive.
 
Q: Are you... promoting something?
 
A: The Game. Nothing else. No channel, stream, whatever. It's all about the game in this case.
 
Q: What if we're on the Steam Forums rather than Theindiestone.
 
A: Shocking that you aren't on there already, but don't worry it doesn't hurt your chances it just means you will have to post the fact you want to be entered into the prize draw in the group announcement page. If you are reading this on the TIS forums, I implore you to post in this thread and also say what your Steam ID is (going to be tying the two together, which will help with authentication if you were to ever win.)
 
Q: How will you contact winners?
 
A: After all the checks have been done, I will enter a final check with the user by adding them to my friends list (it's a bit more than that) where I will talk to them, pass over the prize then make sure they redeem it. Once redeemed I'll immediately post on the Steam Group page and most likely the forums (maybe.)
 
Q: You seem a bit paranoid.
 
A: Yeah, well two copies a month, I want to make sure they are going to the right people. 
 
Q: So is this sponsored by the indie-
 
A: NO!
 
I can't stress this enough. This is just me, done on my own dime. My money, my choices on who I give it to. They have no influence in who wins, or giving away copies to me. I made sure they were fine with this thread and that's it.
 
Q: So we can do whatever we want to increase our chances of winning?
 
A: Just about everything except bribery. If you do produce something for the giveaway to increase your chances please make it PZ related/themed. Do not try to suck up to me, or make some video or love song for me, because I will ignore it and will strike you from winning.
 
Q: Does the community have any say on who wins?
 
A: My money.. so... no. Well actually that's not true. Others can certainly rate peoples work if they want to, and I imagine how well the community perceives the thing will no doubt affect my decision making.
 
Q: I still have questions about this. Can I add you on Steam?
 
A: No, please don't. If you have a question reply on the forums or the group page. I'm not trying to be mean I just don't want to be spammed with friend requests. I'm a bit of a recluse that way.
 
 
Few. Hopefully that answered some of your questions, but what about those who already own the game?
 
Q: Can we help?
 
A: YES! As you can see I don't have a magnificent amount of supplies, but I do want to increase the payout of the giveaway. Maybe every week? In that case, you could donate a copy to the giveaway. Now there are two ways you can do this. Just give the copy to me, and trust that I'll get it all scheduled and such and myself (or you) can pick the winner and I'll organise getting it sent to them.
 
Since this is in it's first weeks though, lets be honest. You won't do that. Don't worry, I'm not offended. *sniff* What I will do though, is give you access to a spreadsheet will all the information of participants for you to study and you can decide who you wish to give it to. The choice is your own to make and I will not influence you one way or the other. That way you can be comfortable with who you announce. At the very least I would appreciate it if you co-ordinated with me to have a set release date and be quick to post with who the winner is. That's the least I ask. However, whether the person is legit or not will be your responsibility in this case, not mine.
 
If this interests you, send me a PM over TIS forums. Again don't use Steam.
 
 
Finally, be wary. I have stated through these posts that I will not be adding you on Steam unless you are winner. This will only be done on the day of the announcement or a day before. IF I add you before then, be wary it could very well be an imposter! 
My verification questions will not ask for personal information or anything compromising. So if I do, it is again, an imposter.
 
 
Now I must sleep as this took much longer than I anticipated. This post was a bit scattergun and I apologise for that, I will amend the thread more in the morning when I have my senses back and will reply to any questions you might have. In the mean time if you want to enter just post in bright red or something that you are entering and whether or not you will be submitting any work (it will remind me to check your post every so often) post your steam name when you join the group:http://steamcommunity.com/groups/pzgiveaways
  
Now. Let's see how this goes.
 
23/11/2013 - I need a re-application every month on Steam. You don't need to reply to this thread every month, but you MUST be part of the Steam group to enter. I'm going to be finding a better way to do entrants next month.

As it turns out, a lot of the places that have Lua event listings, are either woefully out of date or have since disappeared from the internet. With that in mind, I have added a section to the pzwiki that lists all the Lua Events currently found in game, though fair warning some are now obsolete.
 
https://pzwiki.net/wiki/Modding:Lua_Event
 
I have created some pages for some of the events but more still needs to be done. Some pages haven't been created as of writing and the template used for the pages leaves much to be desired, but will hopefully still be helpful to those looking for a quick reference. It also has the added benefit of other people being able to update the listings or change descriptions based on what they find.
 
Any questions you can post here, or say something in the workshop_modding channel of Discord. I'm usually around there willing to answer questions.

"Suicide has been partially implemented" How's that? You can commit suicide but more indepth to come.

So I recently been poking around and speaking to modders on a fairly regular basis (shoutout to the workshop_modding channel on Discord) and recently it feels like I been finding out about certain issues, or wishes more through happenstance than actually seeing it brought up elsewhere. So this thread is being created for modders to make requests for changes that could greatly help them in the creation of mods.
 
With that in mind there are a couple of caveats and preemptive questions I feel I should perhaps address:
 
Q: When will my suggestion be implemented?
 
A: It may never go in. This is something I am going to be balancing with my other duties, such as the small suggestions thread and my bug hunting duties, so not everything will be implemented. Obviously, we'll try our best but no promises!
 
Q: WorldZed, TileZed etc could use feature X
 
A: I personally don't work on those tools, so I can't actually make changes to them. Some of the team members who work on those tools, are also rather busy folks so feel free to make a suggestion and I'll try and pass them along to the relevant people, but don't expect those sorts of changes to happen or if they do, to be quick.
 
Q: I want to load models, skin characters, or other questions about loading this stuff in.
 
A: I also don't really work on those systems. A change has been made that will be going out in the next build, which should help people in that regard. However, it's only supposed to tide people over until animations come out where these sorts of things will become a bit better supported.
 
Q: That seems like quite a few caveats.
 
A: I suppose it is. This really is to get a pulse on what modders are looking for and to perhaps help matters out slightly, but it's also important to note this won't be a main focus, but this gives a collective avenue for modders to make suggestions and potentially make things, just a little bit easier.
 
 
So! Suggest away!

"The modding community wept, for there were no more mods to create."

We have made it so that translation files are now hosted over at GitHub to have a centralised place for collaboration when it comes to Translations. It makes it, so we have it all in one location know when translators complete work on translations and more expediently get them placed into the game.
 
Translation Files Here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations
 
If you want access to the repo as a contributor leave a message here with your username or email for GitHub (or PM me) (what language you want to contribute for) and I'll get you added. Alternatively, you can fork the repo as a means of contributing.
 
We have also created a translations channel on Discord where Translators can discuss changes and such, it will also be a location where we notify of any changes to the English side of the files so you can be more up to date on when the changes happen. You can also follow the forum thread, if you prefer, here: https://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/23807-translation-files-update-notifications/
 
Translators can get the translator role on Discord which will mean you get notifications when updates for translations are released.
 
Completely new to GitHub? Give this guide a read: https://guides.github.com/activities/hello-world/ I also suggest getting the GitHub desktop client for beginners, to make things a bit easier: https://desktop.github.com/
 
Contributing to translations is voluntary and abides by the Project Zomboid Terms and Conditions

Once vehicles is done, it will probably come in Build 39 I'm afraid. Gonna have to wait until then, or opt into the vehicles branch.

"The modding community wept, for there were no more mods to create."

https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/releases/tag/0.6
 
New update, search box and fixes.

I will be looking into implementing it.

Fixed in 0.4 available here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/releases/tag/0.4
 
It should fix the issue, you should delete the cache file in your languages translation folder since it might cause strings to be marked as modified when they have not been.

What I suggest:
 
A Search bar. Select... where Key or Value (depending what dropdown item is selected) like `%SearchString%`.
This would make things much easier to check inconsistencias of items between files.
 
EDIT: and preferably make the list auto-refresh at each keypress
 

When the tool is loading and binding the key/value table, it's ignoring initial and last whitespaces (like it is using Trim)
 
Example:
 ContextMenu_From_Ingredient = "de ",
ContextMenu_EvolvedRecipe_Spice = " como Tempero",
 
Then I save and exit the tool. When I open the tool again, it's only "de". So I have to everytime remember the values that needs a space in the end and fixing it, to prevent this:


 

EN/IG_UI_EN.txt
EN/Moveables_EN.txt
EN/Tooltip_EN.txt
EN/UI_EN.txt
 
To see specific changes go here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/commit/3cd30db3475d18b7b79bbcf7017d8c31247260f3
 

I'm not super familiar with the GitHub web interface, however the first option merges it to master in your fork. The second option would create a new branch in your fork and make a pull request to get merged into your forks master. Nothing you do from a fork can make it's way to TheIndieStone repository, without creating a pull request specifically for that repo and even then any changes would need to be approved by me, so not like it's going to slip in there by accident. So experiment to your hearts content.

For a bit, I have been working on a tool to try and make Translating Project Zomboid a little bit easier. The tool provides a couple of conveniences that users may find quite nice.
 
1. A Visual String Editor
 
The tool parses through all files that are in a "key = value" format (this means that location description files are not supported at this time) then sorts them into tables that can be edited by the user. It also checks the English files for what the current state of translations are and shows what strings have been added (green) and removed (red). After one use of the tool, a cache file is created in the language folder, which will then keep track of when English files have been modified and will show what strings have been modified (orange/yellow). Hovering over strings will allow you to see what the original version of the string was and what the updated version is, so you can decide whether it's necessary to update those translations.
 
2. Consistent Character Encodings
 
One problem that comes up surprisingly often is translation files having their character encodings changed when users saved files. This can cause problems with how languages would get rendered in game, or create problems for other translators down the road. As such this program makes sure that each language is using a consistent character encoding that will work in the game. These can be overridden should the user choose, if you believe they are in error.
 
3. Item and Recipe Translation File Generator
 
Items are ever changing, however there is no English file with item names and in fact, they are derived from the scripts in which the items are declared (this will be changing soon) as such it is often required for myself to generate a file with all the names so that users can see if there's any difference. I have now taken it out of my hands (partially at least) and have created a part of the tool that allows you to create translation files for recipes and item names quickly and easily so you can fix these problems yourself.
 
4. Unified Editor & Publisher (Coming Soon)
 
The aim of the tool is also to allow users to edit translation files but also be able to publish these changes to the Translation repository where are translations are held. This negating the need for a Git tool, or to even completely understand how git tools work, since it is one of the biggest roadblocks for people contributing. I was going to release this with this version originally, but have chosen instead to hold off. Purely because I want this to be right and used correctly from the get go, rather than changes coming in later on and causing issues.
 
If you're interested in try the tool out and providing feedback, you can find it over here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/releases
 
Translation files here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations
 
TranslationZed User Guide: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/wiki/TranslationZed-User-Guide

For a bit, I have been working on a tool to try and make Translating Project Zomboid a little bit easier. The tool provides a couple of conveniences that users may find quite nice.
 
1. A Visual String Editor
 
The tool parses through all files that are in a "key = value" format (this means that location description files are not supported at this time) then sorts them into tables that can be edited by the user. It also checks the English files for what the current state of translations are and shows what strings have been added (green) and removed (red). After one use of the tool, a cache file is created in the language folder, which will then keep track of when English files have been modified and will show what strings have been modified (orange/yellow). Hovering over strings will allow you to see what the original version of the string was and what the updated version is, so you can decide whether it's necessary to update those translations.
 
2. Consistent Character Encodings
 
One problem that comes up surprisingly often is translation files having their character encodings changed when users saved files. This can cause problems with how languages would get rendered in game, or create problems for other translators down the road. As such this program makes sure that each language is using a consistent character encoding that will work in the game. These can be overridden should the user choose, if you believe they are in error.
 
3. Item and Recipe Translation File Generator
 
Items are ever changing, however there is no English file with item names and in fact, they are derived from the scripts in which the items are declared (this will be changing soon) as such it is often required for myself to generate a file with all the names so that users can see if there's any difference. I have now taken it out of my hands (partially at least) and have created a part of the tool that allows you to create translation files for recipes and item names quickly and easily so you can fix these problems yourself.
 
4. Unified Editor & Publisher (Coming Soon)
 
The aim of the tool is also to allow users to edit translation files but also be able to publish these changes to the Translation repository where are translations are held. This negating the need for a Git tool, or to even completely understand how git tools work, since it is one of the biggest roadblocks for people contributing. I was going to release this with this version originally, but have chosen instead to hold off. Purely because I want this to be right and used correctly from the get go, rather than changes coming in later on and causing issues.
 
If you're interested in try the tool out and providing feedback, you can find it over here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/releases
 
Translation files here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations
 
TranslationZed User Guide: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/wiki/TranslationZed-User-Guide

For a bit, I have been working on a tool to try and make Translating Project Zomboid a little bit easier. The tool provides a couple of conveniences that users may find quite nice.
 
1. A Visual String Editor
 
The tool parses through all files that are in a "key = value" format (this means that location description files are not supported at this time) then sorts them into tables that can be edited by the user. It also checks the English files for what the current state of translations are and shows what strings have been added (green) and removed (red). After one use of the tool, a cache file is created in the language folder, which will then keep track of when English files have been modified and will show what strings have been modified (orange/yellow). Hovering over strings will allow you to see what the original version of the string was and what the updated version is, so you can decide whether it's necessary to update those translations.
 
2. Consistent Character Encodings
 
One problem that comes up surprisingly often is translation files having their character encodings changed when users saved files. This can cause problems with how languages would get rendered in game, or create problems for other translators down the road. As such this program makes sure that each language is using a consistent character encoding that will work in the game. These can be overridden should the user choose, if you believe they are in error.
 
3. Item and Recipe Translation File Generator
 
Items are ever changing, however there is no English file with item names and in fact, they are derived from the scripts in which the items are declared (this will be changing soon) as such it is often required for myself to generate a file with all the names so that users can see if there's any difference. I have now taken it out of my hands (partially at least) and have created a part of the tool that allows you to create translation files for recipes and item names quickly and easily so you can fix these problems yourself.
 
4. Unified Editor & Publisher (Coming Soon)
 
The aim of the tool is also to allow users to edit translation files but also be able to publish these changes to the Translation repository where are translations are held. This negating the need for a Git tool, or to even completely understand how git tools work, since it is one of the biggest roadblocks for people contributing. I was going to release this with this version originally, but have chosen instead to hold off. Purely because I want this to be right and used correctly from the get go, rather than changes coming in later on and causing issues.
 
If you're interested in try the tool out and providing feedback, you can find it over here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/releases
 
Translation files here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations
 
TranslationZed User Guide: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/wiki/TranslationZed-User-Guide

English Translation Update:
 
EN/Challenge_EN.txt | +6 −0
EN/ContextMenu_EN.txt | +10 −4
EN/IG_UI_EN.txt | +7 −0
EN/ItemName_EN.txt | +0 −1
EN/Tooltip_EN.txt | +5 −0
EN/UI_EN.txt | +1,246 −534
Items_empty.txt | +274 −0
Recipe_empty.txt
 
To see specific changes go here: https://github.com/TheIndieStone/ProjectZomboidTranslations/commit/2826e12208ca484891fd5a32896748682d3d2ff0

That's a pretty cool idea.

That's a pretty cool idea.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.