PDA

View Full Version : Shadows of Esteren RPG looking for contributors



JBento
2012-01-28, 01:17 PM
Hello all.

Some time ago, a representative of a company who publishes a french RPG called Shadows of Esteren came on these forums asking for colaborators for its translating into English. I hopped on board, and am now reviewing the translation of Book I.

However, there's an upcoming gaming convention in March, and they wanted to take that opportunity to present the game's Book 0 (the introduction/quickstart rules).
So, if you want to help, one of their representatives will be monitoring this thread (as soon as I finish posting it and link it to him, of course). You can post your questions here, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to answer.

If you have ever wondered what an RPG writer actually MEANT with some of the confusing, ambivalent stuff they wrote (and, in occasion, what the hell were their smoking :smallconfused:) here's your chance to prevent that from happening here. :smallsmile:

So join up and let's give the folks an easy hand, eh?

Krazylec
2012-01-28, 08:44 PM
Hello everyone,

I am the aforementioned representative, and more precisely one of the series's translators. As JBento said, he has so far been working on Book I (the core one), and I am pleased to be able to announce that thanks to his efforts, as well as those of the other proofreaders of our team, the translation process is now in its final steps! Currently, we're in the middle of the copy editing phase, everyone is working hard so that the first copies of Shadows of Esteren may be released soon in the United States.

However, we also plan to release what we call Book 0 (as JBento explained), and for that, we need more volunteers! As hard-working as everyone may be, there's only so much that a single person can do. Therefore, if you feel like you've got the skills and motivation necessary to lend a hand, don't hesitate!

I can say that, so far, all of our proofreaders have been enthusiastically taking part in this project, and that everybody is working out of genuine interest, and not because they're coerced into always doing more. It would be a joy for all of us to have more people included in this thrilling adventure.

To apply, just answer on this thread or send me a Private Message. I'll make sure to give you a reply on short notice!

Manateee
2012-01-28, 09:21 PM
So all I'm seeing from Google is that it's Gothic, medieval and French.

Could we at least get a pitch?

What the game is about/how it works/why I should play it instead of a different system/the usual stuff.

Daremonai
2012-01-29, 07:31 AM
I'm confused as to what it is that you're looking for.

Are you looking for writers to help fill your Book 0 with content?
Perhaps you're looking for people to ask questions about the system (which we haven't seen because you haven't released it yet)?
Or maybe you just want people to ask generic questions like "why will your system be awesome"?

What I'm trying to say here, is that your request lacks sufficient context to figure out what it is that you're requesting. I understand that you've got a freshly translated RPG - that's great. I understand that you'll be bringing out a quickstart book soon - good for you! What I don't understand is what you want from us - any chance of a hint?

Krazylec
2012-01-29, 09:07 AM
My apologies for not making myself clearer. I'll presently give you a more detailed rundown, so that you may know what this is about:


Regarding what we'd need people for precisely, we're looking for copy editors; people with sufficient time, literary skills and motivation to be able to proofread the freshly translated texts and correct grammatical mistakes, typos, unidiomatic sentences, etc.

Concretely, copy editors are entrusted with a .doc file of a given chapter of our book, and are expected to be able to send it back within three days with the corrections they deemed appropriate. Note that although the "three days" schedule makes for an optimal work pace for us, you can be given more time if necessary.

Also, this is almost entirely formal work: Book 0 has already been released in France, and therefore, no fundamental changes are expected in the translation process. It's just about making sure the whole book is written in proper English; not remaking it.

I know such a task may seem somewhat demeaning, but rest assured we value highly the work of such people. Unfortunately, as we are but a modest society, we cannot afford to pay our copy editors, so you would be part of the team as volunteers. However, your name will of course be included in the credits, and once the book will be released, we'll be more than happy to send you a free copy to thank you for your participation.

I guess that sums things up!


Now, regarding the game in itself, to put it in a nutshell, it is set in a medieval-horrific universe; something like a medieval Call of Cthulhu, to give you a reference. No heroic-fantasy there, but medieval fantasy with a realistic setting, in a dark universe, in which man is constantly threatened, be it by nature, by hostile supernatural forces, or simply by all-too-human neighbors.

The game is strongly influenced by Celtic myths, and is set in a peninsula called Tri-Kazel, where three kingdoms cohabit with growing difficulty. Indeed, each one of them has its own dominant convictions and beliefs, which conflict with their neighbors'. Taol-Kaer, the largest and most traditionalist one, places its trust in Demorthèn (druidic sages), while Reizh shows growing interest for Magience, a strange and mysterious science based on the use of a substance called Flux (a petrol-like fluid). Finally, Gwidre has embraced a religion called the Temple, which claims the existence of a One God, whom humanity should fervently pray to in order to reach salvation.

To get a more illustrative glimpse of the universe, I encourage you to check out the official website (http://esteren.org/), or the Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/esteren) page. Of course, it's in French, but you can still take a look at the illustrations, and listen to samples of the Original Soundtrack.

System-wise, Shadows of Esteren uses a simple, entirely original system that only uses d10s. It is a game of atmosphere where immersion and interactions between the players have priority over any kind of simulative gameplay. For this reason, the guiding principle is to favor the creation and evolution of deep, three-dimensional characters, and to create a captivating mood during gaming sessions. Our aim is truly to make playing Shadows of Esteren a storytelling experience, where statistics and rolls are secondary over roleplaying... or rather, are designed to support it.

I have personally been part of several sessions of the game, and I can say that it is worth the time. For players who enjoy making lifelike characters and focusing on their personalities and psyches, Shadows of Esteren can be a unique and engrossing moment.


There you have it then! I've tried to be as informative as possible while remaining concise. I hope this will encourage you to join us, or at least give it a go. And if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask; I'll do my best to bring you satisfying answers.

Lionheart
2012-01-29, 10:43 AM
Hii! I'd love to be a part of this.
I'm currently unemployed other than similar work for online companies so i've got plenty of spare time.
PM me if you need any details or whatever.
Thanks.

Siegel
2012-01-29, 10:43 AM
This sounds intruiging i have to confess but i would be a better help in a german translation.

Krazylec
2012-01-29, 10:54 AM
Lionheart: Well, we'll gladly welcome you on board! Send me a PM with an email address at which I can take contact with you, and we'll get started.

Siegel: Who knows? Maybe one day, we'll make a German translation of the game! However, for now, we're focusing on an English one, so it's up to you to see whether you would deem yourself capable of providing an educated opinion on an English translation. At any rate, thank you for your interest.

Grinner
2012-01-29, 12:58 PM
Out of curiosity, how long is the book? Also, is there some sort of compensation planned?

I'm interested in helping out regardless.

Krazylec
2012-01-29, 05:31 PM
Book 0 amounts to 80 pages. Of course, all proofreaders are not expected to read the entirety of the book, although they are obviously welcome to do so if they want to! Most of the time, volunteers progress chapter by chapter, seeing whether they feel like continuing, taking a break, or even simply stopping, as the copy editing process goes on.


As I said, we unfortunately don't have the means to give monetary rewards to proofreaders. Truly, Shadows of Esteren was and is a labor of love in the sense that everyone involved participates because of a passion for roleplaying games (or simply storytelling), and not in the hope of making loads of money out of it.

However, what we can do is include your name in the book's Credits, and send you a free copy of the book for your work. Not to forget you'll have the satisfaction of being part of what I think is truly a high-quality roleplaying game.


As for applying, as I said to Lionheart, just send me a PM with an email address at which I may take contact with you, and I'll write to you to fill you in, then begin the proofreading process per se.