Shinobigami Update: Layout, Estimates, and Names
almost 7 years ago
– Sat, Jul 15, 2017 at 02:03:14 AM
Hi Team Shinobigami: Andy here with a brief update on the Shinobigami status.
First, apologies for the delay: As mentioned before, we're on a schedule of an update/progress report every 4-6 weeks until completion. Right at the 6 week mark (last week), my partner in crime Matt came to visit Japan for work. Over that week, we looked at what was outstanding for the project, and started moving on to the completion of the text of the second book. We also met with the Bouken (Shinobigami publisher in Japan) staff, including the author Kawashima-sensei. They've been reading the play reports that have appeared here and there on the net, and they're very excited to see us so close to our goal (and we're relieved to be nearing the finish line as well).
For the first book, layout continues onward. At one point we considered a second "full text drop" to relay to the backers, basically the more tightly edited version of the text we're currently working into the book's layout (text only). However, at this stage, we want to simply proceed with finishing up the PDF layout with the finished text. We think that the laid-out version will ultimately be easier to read when we do our last group editing before finalization.
We have confirmed the PDF for a summer release. We're aiming to have it complete within the next 8-10 weeks. When finalized, we plan on pushing forward with book production for both the regular and limited editions of the book. If everything lines up, we should see the book ship in the late fall: The only points that may cause pushback there are (A) the printer we are using tends to get pretty busy in the summer, so we may have to wait in the queue for a week or two even if we're ready, and (B) getting the print proofs sent to Japan and back will add an extra few days once we approve the book for printing. I can't be as concrete for a book release date at this time (I'll have this more settled once the PDF is complete, with a print/ship estimate there).
However, during those weeks of waiting for the books to print and ship to you, we'll be full speed into the editing of the second book for those who ordered it.
Lastly for now, I'll have one more update within the next two weeks: I will send out another update to all the backers and pre-order-ers, asking for the name they wish to use in the backer listing of the Shinobigami PDF. If you were here for the Ryuutama Kickstarter, it's much the same thing: Rather than ask you for that in the "final Kickstarter survey" where I ask you for your shipping address, it will go out in a Google Documents survey (I'll just ask you to confirm the name you want printed, plus your email for confirmation); and that survey link will be sent in a hidden update in the next 2 weeks.
As mentioned in the original campaign, the full backer list will be going only into the PDF version of the book. We'll reach out to make sure everyone is notified, but please be on the lookout for that update and direct message in the next two weeks: There will be a limited window of a few weeks to respond to get your name in the PDF as a backer.
That's all for now. We do have other secret stuff forming in the pipeline (think "extra limited edition gifts/rewards to the backers of the game, for your patience, which will be sent out with the physical books"); as it manifests we'll be sharing more.
Thanks again for your patience, team. Expect to see progress details and updates, including samples of the English book's layout, in the next monthly report.
-Andy
Shinobigami-ing Away...
about 7 years ago
– Mon, Apr 10, 2017 at 04:22:15 AM
Hey Team Shinobigami!
I just wanted to reach out and give folks a heads up: Things still on track: PDF layout and final editing (compiling both at the same time) is still in progress. Further, I'm going to be a bit better on status updates: I tend to bundle a lot of information together into huge, long update-blasts. Instead, I'm going to aim for an update consistently every 4-6 weeks until both books are complete and in your hands.
Not to leave you there, let me point out some of the bits we were wrestling with (these aren't huge sticking points that added delay or anything like that, just some little bits stuck in our head).
We've torn through the book with our localization, translating and localizing all terms, but when we go over the book from one end to the other, some bits stood out that we had to re-localize, or are fighting with.
For example, in the replay, one of the players digs deep and comes up with all this backstory for their character (stuff not in any rulebook, just starts creating stuff; it's pretty interesting). Anyway, his character is Kurama Shin clan, and he comes up with this whole sub-clan (The "Marudoku-tou"; again not in any book, and it's totally fine to do this as a character). Long story short, we try to keep the Japanese terms when they seem cool or when they're used as proper nouns, and only break it down to English when there's basically too much Japanese so as to be confusing on a casual reading. Long story short, we're waffling on calling it the "Marudoku-tou", the "Marudoku Faction/Clan/Order", or even translating Marudoku whole into English, etc. Currently the idea is Marudoku Order. Small things like that.
Want to see something interesting? (well, to language nerds like us anyway) Here's our localization paper/list:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sYmMsrbgWX3QU5FwwAUKIJKN4lbgBF9jodOw7YA55Y0/edit?usp=sharing
One thing that we realized early on is that we would agree to a term (like "Hey, for term X in Japanese, let's stop using Y in English, let's use Z instead!"), and both agree to it... but then forget which was the one we finally agreed on. Basically we would be independently writing, see the term "Z" pop up in the document, and say, "Oh wait, we agreed that the term should be Y, right? Yeah, I think that was it. Even though Z seems cool, I think we agreed on Y..." and flip the words back and forth. After the third such vocabulary bloodbath, we created this document where we listed all of the terms in the book, posted the terms we came up with, posted our own translations/preferences for the terms (middle tabs), and then finally merged them in one final showdown piece (the top tab).
Most large translation projects have these kinds of documents; and translation agencies that work regularly within a certain field (IT, Medical, Patent) etc will quickly establish this kind of document structure. However, we thought, since this was a "fun game", we wouldn't have to ratchet ourselves up to that level of professionalism. Yeah, it turns out it's not a matter of professionalism or not, it's a matter of braining yourself on your keyboard after realizing you accidentally wrote the wrong localized term... for the fourth time... that hour. A brain prosthesis. :-)
Anyway, back to the topic: Final corrections are happening on the first wave of scenarios, and we should have them soon.
Speaking of which, my Cyberpunk scenario series is coming along. I didn't consider it at the time, but I realized how much I was inspired by the "Legacy" board game series when putting the ideas for this scenario together: Basically a series of scenarios linked thematically, but also played in order to tell an overall grand story.
For example (no spoilers): One of the characters carries a memetic virus: Connect to their brain, and you become infected. Perhaps in the session, you maneuver yourself into a position where you get to see one of the other character's Secrets. They hand you the secret, you read it, and after the typical backstory secret is revealed ("You're in love with X"; "Your secret mission is actually Y", etc), it says: "Now, anyone who reads this secret: On your character sheet, write the character for spirit/soul (精), and draw a hexagon around it."
...why? Why indeed. You'll find out when you play the second scenario in the 3-part set, which will build off the actions, decisions, wins and losses of the previous scenario, where you won't know the full meaning or consequences until they're revealed in the next scenario!
I'll likely be asking for folks to help playtest this series when it's ready, since it's kind of a new concept for Shinobigami scenarios and I'd like blind feedback to see how it works.
Anyway, thanks for your patience with the process. As mentioned above, I'll be posting regular updates every 4-6 weeks until the books are out. Thanks!
-Andy
Quick Status Update
about 7 years ago
– Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 08:20:29 AM
Hi Shinobigami Team!
Just wanted to drop a quick update for you all:
Layout is in process now. Still adjusting a few pieces of text on the fly, but instead of a "complete beta text" you'll see the finished text more-or-less laid out when it is ready.
Further, we're pulling together the Shinobigami scenarios that our gust contributors have written: I have to say, some of these are truly incredible: There are cross-cultural scenarios about both Korea and The Philippines (developed by authors from those countries!) that bridge the two cultures and complicated histories together in a rich, deep way. There's a great scenario that looks (critically an humorously) at the... complicated... history of the promotion of ninjutsu outside Japan in Hollywood and the like, with very recognizable characters serving as analogues to real people and actors in a tongue-in-cheek format. There's even a lighthearted scenario about a lost ramen recipe! I can't wait to make these all available.
This month I expect to have some of the scenarios finalized and available, as well as a sample of what the Limited Edition book will look like.
Sorry about the sparse details: I just wanted to check in to make sure folks knew that we're still at it in the new year (I intended to post in January, but unfortunately was taken out for a week with bronchitis, just getting over it now). The next update will have some downloadable material and extras, so stay tuned.
Thanks!
-Andy