Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

So I've noticed a number of recent holds that have been really excellent in plot and layout and design and puzzles...and yet they grate on my nerves when I play them, because the grammar and spelling are so bad.

I know not everyone here is a perfect speller, and I don't fault anyone for it. (My wife's a terrible speller, too.) And I know English isn't everyone's native language, so I can hardly fault many people for their lack of perfect grammar; rest assured, your English is far better than my French/Italian/Russian/etc.

All the same, text is part of holds, and bad text can be just as irritating as bad puzzles, bad graphics, or bad anything else. Fortunately, I'm not just here to gripe; I'm here to help.

I'd like to volunteer to proofread--not playtest--your hold, preferably before it gets sent to the HAs for eventual posting on the Holds board. I don't have time to playtest holds in general, but I can certainly read through your text and offer spelling corrections and grammatical improvements. And, fortunately, it's not hard for an architect to collect all the text (scrolls, level starts, scripted speech, etc.) into a single file: just go into your drod.ini and, under "[Localization]", set "ExportText=1" (or: press "enter" to bring up the console in-game, and type "~Localization:ExportText=1"). Then, when you export your hold, you'll be offered the chance to export all of the text as well, which will save it into a file.

I can't look at everyone's hold. But if you ask, I may be able to; PM me, and if I have time, I can tell you where to send your text file. Hopefully, other people will volunteer here to do the same. (But I beg you, please only volunteer if you have extreme confidence in your proofreading ability! If your own spelling isn't very good, or if you know your writing isn't terrific, seriously, don't volunteer; having an incapable proofreader is just as bad as having none at all.) With enough volunteers, I could conceivably coordinate a Proofreaders' Brigade: set up a mailing list, or perhaps a [fake] Beta Board, where I could post work that needed doing, and people could volunteer to do it.

For now, though: please, please, have your text proofread. You wouldn't send a hold to the HAs if some of the puzzles might be broken; why not take the same care for your text?

kie
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 222
Registered: 02-26-2005
IP: Logged

I would be happy to volunteer for the Proofreaders' Brigade, Tahnan.

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cheers, kie

Elfstone
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1285
Registered: 03-01-2006
IP: Logged

A subject matter dear to my heart - I will volunteer.

____________________________
Winner of: Novice Architect Excellence 2006.
FAPCA - Technical Design Excellence in Layout and Aesthetics

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3692
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

I happily volunteer - I am a native speaker of English, and I believe I can control the language well enough in order to proofread hold texts.

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Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

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[Last edited by Chaco at 12-22-2007 04:34 PM]

hartleyhair
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 307
Registered: 08-05-2007
IP: Logged

I'd be happy to sign up.

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I'm currently working on Jerrik's Dungeon, an oldschool Hold for TCB.

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

The more I think about it, the more I'd love a private board, so that people could send me texts and I could post that I had them. (This could be used for other texts as well--unofficial contests, for instance.) Strictly confidential, only myself and the volunteering proofreader would see the text file, etc. etc.

Do y'all think that makes the most sense, rather than having someone in need of proofreading just mail all volunteers? If so, anyone know who I'd contact?

Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1842
Registered: 07-31-2005
IP: Logged

I could proofread.

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DROD has some really great music.
Make your pressure plates 3.0 style!
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Monkey
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 190
Registered: 03-21-2006
IP: Logged

I can be a proofreader.

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lurking

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[Last edited by Monkey at 12-24-2007 02:43 AM]

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2362
Registered: 06-14-2005
IP: Logged

I would also be willing to join the proofreader brigade.

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3170
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

I'm not offering to join the brigade, as proofreading is something I do already as part of beta testing. But... I'd like to point all you generous volunteers to a hold that would be greatly improved with your help.

Rust7 - Chapter 1: The Magi's Anomaly is a large hold. It does have monsters, but the most interesting aspects of this hold are exploration and story. The story is unintentionally funny, as it seems that English is not Rust7's first language.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is:
* Convince Rust7 to accept your help. (I've already suggested this to him on the HA board.)
* Help him export text from his JtRH hold.
* Proofread! (Most errors are in word choice, so you may need to actually play the hold to see the context.)

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

I need a volunteer.

Is there someone here who would like to have their hold used as a proofreading exercise, and who suspects their hold is very much in need of it? In exchange, I'll proofread your hold. Just send me, or point me to, an anyone-edit copy of your hold.

slimm tom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1252
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

Do you still need one? I am currently working on a nice TCB hold (Which I started in JTRH, about one year ago) and I wrote most of the dialogue when I wasn't as good at speaking English as now. I'll attach it to a private beta-board in a few hours, because I don't really feel confortable with posting the hold right here. I'll send you an invite as soon it's ready.

bobkberg
Level: Goblin

Rank Points: 20
Registered: 11-27-2006
IP: Logged

Judging by the posting dates - this is somewhat of an old thread...

Anyway - I'm also available to proofread (not playtest) anyone's text. And - as the original poster pointed out, I am VERY confident of my proofreading/grammar/spelling abilities in English. My abilities in German, Spanish and Greek fall far short of ideal - so don't ask me about those. :-)

Bob