What do you want to see translated?

Visual novels tend to be a pretty niche thing, and most of the releases that aren't blatant porn seem to be fan translations due to the small market. Since they're fan translations, they tend to be the games that most people want to see. However, there are only so many translators out there, meaning a lot of interesting stuff still hasn't been picked up.

So, what stuff do you want to see translated that isn't being translated now? Projects that have obviously stalled like Air count, but not stuff like Little Busters which will probably have a release relatively soon. Personally, I was thinking I want to see Amagami SS, but since that doesn't have a PC port it seems pretty unlikely.

Possibly It's A Wonderful Life. I don't know a lot of visual novels. Although Fate/hollow ataraxia never seems to make much progress no matter how many times I check on it, so even though it's been picked up and is part of the perenially popular Nasuverse, it's something I'm desiring most to see fully translated.

There's also a somewhat tangential issue about how visual novels even get popular. I've never seen much interest even with the most popular ones with the possible saving grace of anime adaptations. Really, it's either that or word-of-mouth where I find what is generally considered interesting, so I don't really know much of other untranslated works which many people will find interesting.

Rather than that, how does one find something interesting if you can't understand it in the first place?

edited 17th Oct '11 2:06:26 AM by Thrombin

Umineko.

Amagami is currently PS 2 and PSP only. Some fans have tried to translate PSP games, with just a little success so far. Idolmaster SP is a work in progress, but the people striving to translate some licensed PSP games — Oreimo, Haruhi, Toradora — haven't made much progress.

If I could have just one translation get done and released... I'd probably say Sakura Wars 3. It's been said to be the high point of the series, It was first on Dreamcast, and later it was ported to PC. It has both gameplay and narrative. Nothing obscene, and a mix of drama and comedy. There's an OAV or two based on it, but the only way to appreciate it in English is a walkthrough or two on Game FA Qs.

One troper asked, "...how does one find something interesting if you can't understand it in the first place?"

Adaptations, art, fan works, and fan-generated hype. There's many untranslated games which have professionally translated anime and manga spinoffs. Some fans get into untranslated games just because they like the CG images. Other fans pay attention to untranslated games because someone creates an amusing fangame like Nanaca Crash, or a humorous meme like Carameldansen (from Popotan). And then there's a small number of fans who actually read Japanese, and start talking in positive terms about what they enjoy.

Everything. Every single one so I can figure out what the good ones are.

Fate Hollow Ataraxia actually is making decent progress. They're at 65% translated now. A month ago they probably had less than 60%. Okay, yeah, still doing to take forever, but at least someone is working on it.

I suppose it can be taken for granted that Rewrite will be picked up, but since it hasn't been yet and it's from Key VA I'll mention that too.

...Woah, shit, the writers that did Cross Channel and Higurashi were involved? I definitely have to see this thing.

edited 17th Oct '11 11:00:24 AM by Arha

Holyshit, what?! Must... check out!

I'm personally most excited that TAM is in the project.

That guy is pretty good.

Inraku No Ketsuzoku and its sequel, Bloods: Inraku No Ketsuzoku 2.

Yandere (Yes, there is a visual novel called that.)... for obvious reasons. It's a Guilty Pleasure, but there just isn't enough Yandere eroge around.

I heard Baldr Sky was good, so I would like to see that translated as well.

Akai Ito. If it's even half as good as Aoi Shiro, count me in.

Encrypted 12345 mentioned a VN simply called Yandere. I think this is the one: http://vndb.org/v1303 At least one person is trying to fan translate it, but there's no website, forum, or wiki for the project.

Every now and then, there's talk that a Rumbling Hearts translation will happen. Fan groups have had very little success with it. The last I heard, people at Mangagamer are talking with people at Age, but nothing's been clarified. (Would it sell a sufficient number of copies? I don't know.)

It's been a couple years now since Jast talked about the possibility of translating Sekai de Ichiban Dame na Koi or Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no. Nothing's come of that, and the company is quite busy with a number of other projects. Anyway, both of these visual novels are harem stories. What makes them different? The former features an adult main character who's trying to put his life back together. Read more about it in Yandere Translations' review at http://yandere.gray7.com/?p=1347 . And while the latter doesn't exactly sound inventive, Eroge Review had some good things to say about it at http://www.erogereview.com/2008/05/13/haruka-ni-aogi-uruwashino

"Every now and then, there's talk that a Rumbling Hearts translation will happen. Fan groups have had very little success with it. The last I heard, people at Mangagamer are talking with people at Age, but nothing's been clarified."

The major reason for fangroups' failure is due to lack of a hacker proficient enough to reverse age's game engine. A partial patch covering the prologue i.e. up to Haruka's accident has been put out, but only for the original Kimi Nozo release and not for the latest, wide-screen one. And yeah, latest news from Mangagamer is that "Negotiations with age are still in progress."

Now, as for what I want... since Full Metal Daemon Muramasa is being translated at a decent pace I would want someone else to pick up the Baldr Sky duo of games. The latest news of it has a.f.k.'s translator Strato having completed only 6% after almost two years.

Someone picking up AIR would be nice too.

edited 19th Oct '11 11:21:01 PM by HithertoAnIPAddress

Air is perpetually half translated. I wish someone would just finish the thing up already, but whenever anyone says they've picked it up they never do anything with it and then it's declared dropped again.

Gore Screaming Show. Or on that note, anything by Black Cyc.

Seconding Akai Ito and Yandere.

Yosuga no Sora's translation has been stalled forever.I want my twincest already... and yeah,I wish Air could have been finished too...

Shuffle Essence+, if only because Shuffle without a Mayumi route seems incomplete. Having three extra routes (Kareha and two new characters, if Wikipedia is to be believed) on top of that helps too.