This post pertains more to production than dialogue translation, but let me inform those who are following BH that I finally opened the miscellaneous file package Ritchie sent me last week and discovered a pleasant surprise. Instead of updates to just the file that covers the special battle formations of all eight characters, I quickly deducted that Ritchie had reviewed all seventeen miscellaneous files and updated and/or translated all of the strings, as necessary.
For those not familiar with the structure of our work, the translation phase generally falls into three broad categories: (1) dialogue or story blocks - also called the script, (2) blocks of miscellaneous files that contain items, weapons, battle messages, and generally everything that displays on menu structures, and (3) graphics and special category hacks such as title pages, beginning and ending credits, and occasionally screen displays that depict floor numbers, time factors, and game status. Particularly helpful in Ritchie's miscellaneous package is a full translation of a file called "BH_MenuText7.txt". Therein, we had previously extrapolated only a few of the easier battle messages, identifying most of the strings with hex addresses so we could insert rudimentary menu support into our working ROM.
With Ritchie's refinements, we can continue production with much better support, not only in the mentioned battle messages and formations, but also - I just noticed - with majorly refined monster names! It will take me a while to go through all seventeen files and enter the data, because I need to build these changes into the existing miscellaneous structure where I have already added hundreds of needed commands including the [2Line] code.
Thanks, Ritchie! I was expecting just the battle formation file to be in there - not all seventeen. Now, I have lots of work to do again before Ritchie starts sending new dialogue blocks our way. The only drawback to these refined and new translations is that we are still very restricted on menu space. If we could find room to have two-line battle messages instead of just one down the road, this would really pep up the drama and excitement of the action in BH!
For example, we could write, "You've learned a new hot-blooded burning attack!!" instead of "New Hot Blood!" and, "And, Chocolate turned into a star!" instead of, "Shok defeated!"