Basic Fantasy Core Rules auf Deutsch - German Translation

[lars_alexander]

Thank you, for your interest! And welcome to the forum!

The complete translation has been available as a tablet-friendly version for some time. And I'm glad the Core Rules have been published on the Download page, recently, as well.

Regarding the suggestions, you have provided a partial list of what I thought some readers (not necessarily players) might find irksome. I pondered and decided to use the chosen words, and I like them better than the others.
None of the chosen words are wrong, nor is their usage breaking the game, nor do they make the game inaccessible.
If players notice the difference (first-time role-players will probably not) then there's a talking point, and people can relay an anecdote about the translator and his peculiar ways of using words quite inappropriately.

Also, there are many decisions to be made while translating a text, a few decisions might delight some while bother they do others.

This translation is one of many possible German translations of the Basic Fantasy Core Rules. It is not based on existing German translations of other old school games, and was not intended to be similar to such translations. None of the other translations can be considered the source. Only the English source text is.

If this was the first ever German translation of an old school role-playing game, then I would not want others to cling to every single translated word, be it correct, poetically beautiful, misinterpreted or the opposite of the original English meaning. If this becomes a quibble about words, I'm not interested.

At least, Tolkien is still there, because the giant tree creatures are said to be shepherds of trees, thus the German Baumhirte. Trent sounds like a cheap knock-off to me. I never liked it.

This being an open-source project, contributions are considered - and I will consider them -, but not all suggestions will be implemented.

You're free to download the odt-file and replace words with alternatives you like better. That's the point of an open source! Read it, modify it, make it run for your group.

From what I gather, people are asking for German adventure modules. If you're interested then pick one of the modules, or a single adventure and begin the translation. It will be much appreciated!

[Guennarr]

Hello Lars-Alexander,

I wasn't aware that there was some kind of "democratic process" involved in defining German rules terms. Of course every translator has some "liberties" in her/his translation. I am just curious why you decided to deviate from existing standards with some of the most basic rules terms.

Open Source and OSR are actually about sharing, about combining and evolving. One of the main strengths of BFRPG in English is the compatibility to a lot of old adventure material. And there is also quite some adventure material in German, too.
Using an image: If you created a new version of an open source office program (e.g. Libre Office, forked from Open Office): Would you start by renaming the file menu?

I am a huge fan of compatibility between games, facilitating using and combining different material. This is not a quibble of words (I omitted a lot of those cases which deviate, yet are identified easily enough). This is about deviations which make using e.g. German (A)D&D adventures with Basic Fantasy Rules unnecessarily difficult. It's like needing a German/German translation help again and again while using (A)D&D adventures.

I don't intend to start a fight. Nor is my intention to criticize your huge effort. I can imagine how much effort you put into the translation, especially considering the rule term discussions you hinted at. I experienced similar discussions and I know that this can be quite a strenuous experience.

I'd be interested in translating some of the adventures. I am deeply entrenched in official D&D vocabulary, though. I am not sure that this would be welcome by you, you apparently being the editor of the German BFRPG line?

Thanks for pointing to the possiblity to create my own gaming table version. But this is not what I am interested in. I'd be interested in this game being usable by a bigger audience: not just by RPG newbies, but also by experienced RPG players interested in a really free and interoperable version of our favourite game.

Cheers,
Günther

[lars_alexander]

There is no editor of the German Basic Fantasy RPG line. I chose to translate the Basic Fantasy Core Rules, and I did.

If you decided to translate an adventure module, do so. HeptorColeslaw picked several of the rules supplements to translate, and he did. And it is much appreciated.

As to the module conversion: Modules of other old school games would have to be modified here and there, anyway.

Anyone with decades of experience with old school fantasy roleplaying games would undoubtedly be able to not bother with these minor details and just run the game with GM's fiat.

[Guennarr]

Thanks for your patient replies.
Lets agree to not agree.
I wouldn‘t like this discussion to deteriorate into nitpicking.
I could imagine to translate an adventure using expressions like „Trent (auch Baumhirte genannt)“. I admit that I’d have a considerably harder time with the ability „Kraft“, though.
But for better of worse, you defined the rules lingo with the rules book. So be it.

Call me interested in the english rules and the german adventures.

[HeptorColeslaw]

Hi Lars_Alexander,
it's done. I have completely finished the proofreading of Basic-Fantasy-RPG-Rules-R107-ger15.
I will sent you the document shortly via dropbox.

Regards
Heptor

[chiisu81]

Do you and Lars not already have access to the Translation folder in Dropbox/Projects?

[lars_alexander]

Hi, chiisu81!

No, I don't have access to a Basic Fantasy dropbox folder. I usually share the files with Solomoriah via my Google drive.

[Solomoriah]

If you want, I'll allocate a Dropbox folder for you guys.

[lars_alexander]

@Solomoriah and @HeptorColeslaw:

I just finished updating the German translation of the Core rules, and sent you the link via PM.

********
I updated the tablet/digest version in my Showcase area, accordingly.
https://www.basicfantasy.org/showcase.cgi?sid=118

Thank you, HeptorColeslaw! Your suggestions and proof-reading is much appreciated!

Take care, and all the best to all of you!

[lars_alexander]

I forgot to apply the new file naming rules...
So, the file is supposed to be called: Basic-Fantasy-RPG-Rules-r107-de17

Anyway, enjoy the game!