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Generation Xth: Code Hazard [PC] Fan Translation

cj_iwakura

Member
gx.jpg


Are you tired of dungeon crawlers and fantasy RPGs that strictly focus on medieval/swords & sorcery settings?

Do you want more cyberpunk and tech-science than you do dungeons and dragons?

Well so do I.

Enter Generation Xth.

gx1.jpg


From the project lead, Shram:

Team Muramasa, to exaggerate slightly, are responsible for the resurgence of Wizardry-clones (old-school, first-person dungeon romps) in the East, and subsequently in the West. The popularity of their official Wizardry games, Xth and Xth 2 on the PS2, caused a flood of games like Elminage, Etrian Odyssey, Unchained Blades, and many more.

The Wizardry Xth games boasted a fairly open world, an extremely intuitive but in-depth crafting system, and many overall improvements to the Wizardry formula, particularly focusing on speed and efficiency of controls. They took that formula to the indie PC scene in 2007 and created the Generation Xth trilogy, the first entry of which, Code Hazard, is the reason why you are here now.

Team Muramasa continued after the Generation Xth trilogy to create Meikyu X Cross Blood, then Students of the Round, which was successful enough to warrant a 360 and PSP port, and now they're working on two new dungeon games for the PSVita and 360 under Kadokawa publishing, called Demon Gaze and The Stranger of the Town of the Blade (Tsurugi no Machi no Ihoujin).

Info website: http://www.exp-inc.jp/xth/

Hope you all find them as enjoyable as I do.


Generation Xth was the first in a trilogy. All three will be fan translated at some point, but the first is what's being worked on.

Here's some images of the pre-alpha demo.

gx2.jpg



This is a Wizardry-like in a futuristic city setting.

It's as awesome as it sounds.

gx3.jpg


gx4.jpg


gx5.jpg


gx6.jpg


gx7.jpg


gx8.jpg


gx9.jpg


gx10.jpg


gx11.jpg


gx12.jpg


gx13.jpg


gx14.jpg


Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I am.

Team Forum:

http://kudomuramasa.foramu.net/

There's a demo in the works, roughly 95% done.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
PSA: some devices may have trouble with full screen mode, it's kind of buggy. My laptop ran in fine in windowed mode, so let me know what you run into.
 

LegatoB

Member
It's an indie PC game, huh? Have you guys tried talking to the original developers to get their blessing, and maybe convince them to look into a legitimate foreign release?
 

KiTA

Member
It's an indie PC game, huh? Have you guys tried talking to the original developers to get their blessing, and maybe convince them to look into a legitimate foreign release?

It's not an indie PC game.

The company that made it went on to make Students of the Round and Demon Gaze. They have ported several of their games to 360 and PSP because they wanted to find a US localization partner for their stuff. I've been trying to entice vireland over in the Class of Heroes 2 threads about it, but he's stayin' mum for the moment. ;)

The "other half" of this company when they originally split up in the "Wizardry Xth" days went on to make Class of Heroes. The timing is about right that a few of the alumni could have probably went on to work on Elminage, too.
 

bede-x

Member
It would be nice if they could get stuff like this out on Gog or Steam. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but if it requires too much effort to get it to work, it'll need some glowing impressions before I invest the time. And $80 is too much.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
It would be nice if they could get stuff like this out on Gog or Steam. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but if it requires too much effort to get it to work, it'll need some glowing impressions before I invest the time. And $80 is too much.

The demo is free, you know.
 

LegatoB

Member
It's not an indie PC game.

The company that made it went on to make Students of the Round and Demon Gaze. They have ported several of their games to 360 and PSP because they wanted to find a US localization partner for their stuff. I've been trying to entice vireland over in the Class of Heroes 2 threads about it, but he's stayin' mum for the moment. ;)

The "other half" of this company when they originally split up in the "Wizardry Xth" days went on to make Class of Heroes. The timing is about right that a few of the alumni could have probably went on to work on Elminage, too.
Regular PC game, then? Cool. Course, that makes me want to see the translators partner with the original dev team to do an official foreign release even more. It feels super weird to me to do a fan translation for a game that's difficult or obscure to purchase for foreigners when the company who made it still exists and is still actively selling it. (Guess I'd have to pose that question on their board, though, I confused this translation project with one of the other ones that iwakura actually is on the project team for.)
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Regular PC game, then? Cool. Course, that makes me want to see the translators partner with the original dev team to do an official foreign release even more. It feels super weird to me to do a fan translation for a game that's difficult or obscure to purchase for foreigners when the company who made it still exists and is still actively selling it. (Guess I'd have to pose that question on their board, though, I confused this translation project with one of the other ones that iwakura actually is on the project team for.)

I'm testing for it, and the hacker I worked with on Shiki is the hacker on this, so I'm tangentially connected.
 

honorless

We don't have "get out of jail free" cards, but if we did, she'd have one.
And $80 is too much.
Something about the price and the physical-only status stuck in my craw, so I did a little more looking. Turns out DLsite sells a digital version of Code Hazard for 1900 yen. (The other two games in the series are available for the same price.)

Not available from the English version of the site, but the Japanese side accepts foreign credit cards last I knew.

...I've posted a fair bit about the price and availability of this game, but uh...I wouldn't encourage anyone who doesn't know Japanese to buy it before this translation is finished. Just as a warning.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Something about the price and the physical-only status stuck in my craw, so I did a little more looking. Turns out DLsite sells a digital version of Code Hazard for 1900 yen. (The other two games in the series are available for the same price.)

Not available from the English version of the site, but the Japanese side accepts foreign credit cards last I knew.

...I've posted a fair bit about the price and availability of this game, but uh...I wouldn't encourage anyone who doesn't know Japanese to buy it before this translation is finished. Just as a warning.

Cool, this is more like it.
I'll try the demo next week.
 

Pepsiman

@iiotenki on Twitter!
Just tried out the demo a little while ago and finished it. I was expecting to be overwhelmed since I have next to no experience with Wizardry derivatives (the original games were several years before my time, alas), but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself liking what I played. I definitely had to consult the in-game manual multiple times to figure out a few mechanical things and it took me several minutes to realize that "Search" was a command you actually had to manually enact in dungeons after being told about it in-game, but other than that, I found it pretty approachable. I haven't wrapped my mind around quite everything yet, but it looks like the super granular stuff only matters later on in the game after the demo ends, so that's okay. I plan on doing a second run through the demo messing around with character creation stuff to better get to know the core stuff later.

Playing through it is definitely making me think about just picking up the Japanese version off DLSite since I already speak Japanese anyway. Definitely making me want to check out some other games like it at the very least, though.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
One problem is the company has piss poor customer support. I had an issue with one of their re-releases of Generation Xth and the damned thing wouldnt install. Contacted customer support via email and never got a response.

If the game works its all good, but if it doesnt install correctly expect to be on your own.

Still a fan of the company. Even though their games do have some bad bugs in it at times. Hell even Demon Gaze on the VITA crashes every now and then. So just be sure to save often lol
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Cleaning up the closet a bit pulled out all of this. Though cant find where my Cross Blood PC version went... D: I think I have the 360 version of Students of the Round somewhere too. Must be stuck in one of the taped up boxes...

yDafROg.jpg

You could say Im a fan of the series / company lol

The game on the upper right was the one with the installation problems that Ive gotten zero support from EXP with. :/ Doesnt really matter all that much now considering I have the PSP version. Still doesnt help knowing that particular version of the game is worth about as much as a coaster in its current state tho.
 

Alboreo

Member
This looks right up my alley. I was really turned off by the $80 price tag, but honorless finding a digital version for ~$20 USD got me right back on board. Downloading the demo~
 

Ramune

Member
Cleaning up the closet a bit pulled out all of this. Though cant find where my Cross Blood PC version went... D: I think I have the 360 version of Students of the Round somewhere too. Must be stuck in one of the taped up boxes...

yDafROg.jpg

You could say Im a fan of the series / company lol

The game on the upper right was the one with the installation problems that Ive gotten zero support from EXP with. :/ Doesnt really matter all that much now considering I have the PSP version. Still doesnt help knowing that particular version of the game is worth about as much as a coaster in its current state tho.

Mmmmmm, that physical goodness! If I can get this physically and still enjoy it, it's a win for me. Thanks for sharing this CJ. I saw Students of the Round when I looked at some random Japanese friend of a friend on Xbox Live and it looked interesting and have been following them since, but strangely, didn't think to dig up their past! o_O;
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Mmmmmm, that physical goodness! If I can get this physically and still enjoy it, it's a win for me. Thanks for sharing this CJ. I saw Students of the Round when I looked at some random Japanese friend of a friend on Xbox Live and it looked interesting and have been following them since, but strangely, didn't think to dig up their past! o_O;

Ive been following their company for quite some time. Its just nice to see that they have expanded away from the PC into the console and now into the handhelds.

With how Demon Gaze still seems to be selling, do hope thats positive reinforcement for them to continue on making more games for the consoles / portable systems. Also the PSP Students of the Round sold well and has gotten positive reviews. Really am looking forward to the Cross Blood game on the Vita in april.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Heres a trailer from the series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rhHAoqpqT4

Id record gameplay footage for you guys from the PC version of the cross blood game, though problem is I dont have time currently. Unfortunately am just killing time as am waiting for laundry to finish. Need to take off suddenly due to an emergency so will be out of area for a week or more. D:
 
The "other half" of this company when they originally split up in the "Wizardry Xth" days went on to make Class of Heroes. The timing is about right that a few of the alumni could have probably went on to work on Elminage, too.
Interesting. I was reading something about there apparently being a bunch drama about Class of Heroes 1 being a literal rip-off of one of the Wizardry Xth games, right down to map designs and item descriptions.

As for Elminage, its developer, Starfish, made six official Wizardry games before they started their own franchise. I suspect the timing had more to do with the rights to Wizardry being sold to a Japanese company in 06, who I guess became more stringent with the license, and developers were forced to make clones instead.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Interesting. I was reading something about there apparently being a bunch drama about Class of Heroes 1 being a literal rip-off of one of the Wizardry Xth games, right down to map designs and item descriptions.

As for Elminage, its developer, Starfish, made six official Wizardry games before they started their own franchise. I suspect the timing had more to do with the rights to Wizardry being sold to a Japanese company in 06, who I guess became more stringent with the license, and developers were forced to make clones instead.

Funny thing is that the Starfish made Wizardry games were held in higher regard than the mess (2 titles with official name) that came out on the DS.

Elminage seems to be doing pretty good on its own also.

Yeah the class of heroes 1 and Wizardry xth games the dungeons did look quite familiar. And the whole setting, but still got to start somewhere really. I still have my copy of Wizardry Xth boxed up somewhere along with all of the Class of Heroes games. Including the latest one which was a total pile of shit. Though that game was designed away from the Wizardry style.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Funny thing is that the Starfish made Wizardry games were held in higher regard than the mess (2 titles with official name) that came out on the DS.

Elminage seems to be doing pretty good on its own also.

Yeah the class of heroes 1 and Wizardry xth games the dungeons did look quite familiar. And the whole setting, but still got to start somewhere really. I still have my copy of Wizardry Xth boxed up somewhere along with all of the Class of Heroes games. Including the latest one which was a total pile of shit. Though that game was designed away from the Wizardry style.

Elminage PSP is worlds better than Wizardry PS3, oddly enough. Shame Wizardry got the great localization team(XSeed) and Elminage got the hacks(UFO).
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Elminage PSP is worlds better than Wizardry PS3, oddly enough. Shame Wizardry got the great localization team(XSeed) and Elminage got the hacks(UFO).

I could have sworn that the Wizardry game was a collaboration project with various wizardry devs. Which is why it has reused resources from previous games. My buddy knows all the details of this as hes a serious hardcore Wizardry game fan over here in Japan. But its what I heard from him. The same was for those 2 weird DS games also.

I wouldnt say its better its just different.

Though truthfully Elminage is more attuned to the original Wizardry than the PS3 Wizardry just due to how the mechanics work. Though both are good Wizardry games in their own respect.

Elminage just has a higher bar of entry vs other Wizardry types of games as its designed more for veterans of the series, rather than trying to bring new players into the fold. Which other games have done with their simplified, more forgiving mechanics / gameplay design

Interesting forums died for a sec when had updated this post.

Anyways also for example Generation Xth itself the game is not very deep when it comes to gameplay or mechanics. Same goes for the combat in general. Sure the classes are different from what one is normally used too, but the game itself gets fairly simple once you get enough resources for the upgrades and kit yourself out with insanely upgraded equipment. Similar to what you could do in the Class of Heroes game, which would break it pretty fast when done. Though overall its still an enjoyable game besides that and being not too long in length when in comparison with other games in the same genre.

I suppose why the PS3 team got the good localization team is more potential sales on the PS3 than the PSP. Quite an unfortunate event. If only Starfish had made a PSN downloadable version of Elminage (the original PS2 version) which then perhaps it would have been seen as a more viable purchase than the PSP in the West. I remember reading your OT about the western elminage version and just how much stuff was fucked up apparently... damned shame indeed.

Always fun having 3 versions of Elminage. PS2, DS, PSP.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
I could have sworn that the Wizardry game was a collaboration project with various wizardry devs. Which is why it has reused resources from previous games. My buddy knows all the details of this as hes a serious hardcore Wizardry game fan over here in Japan. But its what I heard from him. The same was for those 2 weird DS games also.

I wouldnt say its better its just different.

Though truthfully Elminage is more attuned to the original Wizardry than the PS3 Wizardry just due to how the mechanics work. Though both are good Wizardry games in their own respect.

Elminage just has a higher bar of entry vs other Wizardry types of games as its designed more for veterans of the series, rather than trying to bring new players into the fold. Which other games have done with their simplified, more forgiving mechanics / gameplay design

Elminage has multiple dungeons and lots and lots of NPCs, Wizardry PS3 only has two, and a handful of them.

They're both great games, but Elminage is way meatier.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Yeah elminage does indeed have a lot of content. Not to mention the dungeons are a bit more interesting in general with the design, though a lot more brutal too. I still say fuck the swamps to that game to this day. lol

Though at the same time the PS3 Wizardry was designed more as a piecemeal experience rather than a full out title. Even if they did sell physical versions along side digital of the game itself. Got all of those too somewhere here.

Im just glad to see various companies producing games for the genre really. Since it breeds competition and keeps interest in the genre too. Since it would be a huge shame if this genre ever dies off. As its one of the classical RPGs we can still enjoy these days.

One thing about Elminage too in general is that it is a lot harder to get your party overpowered as the game balance is quite well done. Where as a lot of other games the balance is not looked at as well and the only thing you really have to fear is getting your rows reversed, insta-killed or crit hits.

This was one problem with the most recent addition to the genre Demon Gaze on the VITA. Its easy to become so overpowered that all you have to worry about is rows reversed, crits or insta-kill moves. Everything else is just hold down the circle button lol Still do enjoy the game though, just wished they had added a bit more substance to the story itself even if it is amusing so far. Since they have some great characters. Also unfortunate is the pre-set party members dont seem to have any VA work done with them too, which I was expecting if you had decided to keep the pre-set party members that fill the empty rooms, when you purchase more in the inn. Similar to how the Atlus / Racjin title Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land the pre-set characters would have their own personality and added to the story with that so to speak.

One thing bout Elminage is really do think the game got easier when they brought it to the portable level. Reason being is that seems like they had to slightly reduce the amount of monsters that you could fight at once. Am pretty sure that is what seems to have happened. Due to the smaller screen it seems that they are designed to have less monsters than titles on consoles. Though am glad that they didnt get rid of the row system, since with that you still can have some pretty epic battles regardless. But dear god were some of the fights on the PS2 impossible due to how many monsters and rows would just keep showing up. Esp the dungeon with the roaches...
 

water_wendi

Water is not wet!
Looks awesome. Problem is now finding the game for a price i can afford.

Every once in a while ill look at the latest Japanese Wizardry offerings or other dungeon crawlers. im glad the genre is healthy somewhere.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
On Amazon Japan (granted they dont ship internationally I do believe) there is one copy of the original game presented here going for around 3000 yen. Though add in shipping and tax to the overall cost and would imagine it would hit around 5000 yen depending on ones location.

Its a little difficult to find the original version. Wonder if the team is using the original or the reboot version. Since its quite hard to get a physical copy of the original anymore. Though still can pick up copies of reboot.

Heres the link to the digital version of the game through the JP site DLsite. No idea if you can do international purchases though.

http://www.dlsite.com/soft/work/=/product_id/VJ004741.html

Link for the other titles available by the company Experience.
http://www.dlsite.com/soft/circle/profile/=/maker_id/VG01661.html
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
CJ you might as well be that teams official spokesperson for within gaf for them lol.

Would be neat if you did something like turnipfritters SMT play by play log with this game to show folks a bit more about it.
 
Thinking about it, we need more threads about Japanese PC games in general (minus anything in the eroge categories unless some people are interested in that >_>). It's an area I've always had an interest in but really had no clue how to find them >_>
 

KiTA

Member
On Amazon Japan (granted they dont ship internationally I do believe) there is one copy of the original game presented here going for around 3000 yen. Though add in shipping and tax to the overall cost and would imagine it would hit around 5000 yen depending on ones location.

Its a little difficult to find the original version. Wonder if the team is using the original or the reboot version. Since its quite hard to get a physical copy of the original anymore. Though still can pick up copies of reboot.

Heres the link to the digital version of the game through the JP site DLsite. No idea if you can do international purchases though.

http://www.dlsite.com/soft/work/=/product_id/VJ004741.html

Link for the other titles available by the company Experience.
http://www.dlsite.com/soft/circle/profile/=/maker_id/VG01661.html

Looking at DLSite, it does not mention the DRM that makes getting games from DLSite Japan somewhat hard.

Other than that, yes, DLSite Japan takes US credit cards just fine.

Edit 3/28/2013: Recently tried to use my CC on DLSite Japan, and it refused to go through. So they may have blocked them.

Random thought: Someone could ask Experience if they'd want to sell the game on English DLSite, perhaps with the finalized translation patch bundled.
 
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