(HELP) Translating New Heroes Legend and Editing DAT files

[apraxiumrum]

Soooo I said I'd start something and try it here. A TRANSLATION to Dragon Slayer VI remake on the PC, New Heroes Legend or 新英雄伝説.

(The Game just goes full screen so I can't take screenshots without mobile camera, sorry.)
Why translate this one when it was localized for the PCENGINE? I say: Why not!
Some more photos of the translation so far:







I started it in romhacking.net and found help from a pro with the name of mrrichard999, who worked a lot on the program text and let me pick up the work. I was lucky to have his help as I learned more while working it.
However, We've hit one MAJOR hurdle; our knowledge on Japanese language is not enough. All what you've seen here relied a lot on Google Translate, which is useless for translating names, conversations, and cutscenes (still images with text).
I am welcoming those who can take the task of translating text while I work on applying it to the files. Contact through Personal Messages.
I intends, should we succeed, on publishing the translation as separate pack of files for free, because you still can purchase the game on software websites. (Minus the CD music)
I'll take the moment to address a second problem I need help in. A technical problem.
So far, I've figured a way to translate the characters names in the game and the save files. But I need to change it in the HUD, Like this:

This a chinese translation of the game.
I figure we need a way to decrypt/decompress the image files related for the HUD, edit them, then encrypt/compress them again. But I can't find a way to do that! I am not familiar with decryption/decompression tools for that matter, or the opposite. We need someone with skills to build a program that can do it for all the graphical files (which are in DAT format).
For those who are interested: here is a link to the pic folder of the game:Here
I await your comments.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Cool. More than anything, I'd love a translation of LOH2 on the PC Engine/TurboGrafx.

[leesmapman]

Still one of my favorite games on my MSX2. Seeing the screenshots hits me with nostalgia.
I'd also love to see LoH2 translated. That's the only one not in English.

[apraxiumrum]

Oct 14, 2017 5:37:03 GMT -5 MP83 said:

Have you tried Falcom Data Archiver Conversion Tool by any chance?

www.romhacking.net/utilities/1231/

Tried it, didn't work.
It gives me for all the files (all are DAT format): Unknown format.
I could use a coding wizard right now.

[apraxiumrum]

I stumbled upon this while I was messing around the data/mons file with HxD editor. Now that I am looking at it, I think the issue isn't about decryption. Look at that!

Apparently the picture files are coordinates for colors. I think it closes a bit on the problem, but I still need some sort of tool to make the picture materializes in as an image file.

[flame]

No hackers here?
Anyway, a way to make an image that's used even today is called a bitmap and you can read about that at Wikipedia.

There's some different ways to do a bitmap but one of the most common is called "bitmap with color table", which is used generally when an image has 256 colors or less. I think the color table is sometimes called a palette. Anyway, once colors have been defined, usually by RGBA which is red, green, blue and alpha intensity, you just need one byte per pixel.

The ITP format used by Falcom games is a bitmap with color table format, they added compression (their own proprietary one) on top of that, and that's basically it. This game is really old and probably doesn't use ITP, but it looks like you have found some bitmap data.

I don't know a lot about how PCs draw images. You would need to speak with someone who does for some ideas to try regarding finding the color table.

[apraxiumrum]

We still don't have translators, but I am now focusing on something I want to take care of ASAP, and I want your opinions on it.
Just take a look at this screencap:

Yep! I've managed to change Selious' name to English in the HUD! and the 'EXP to go' symbol as well.
But here pops another problem: This method is really TIRESOME!! . I had to change about 23X109 of the hex values of the file associated with the HUD, having to run the game everytime to check if I am doing it right, for just ONE NAME!!
OK..OK, so I just have to do it only for the party members characters, which are 5 by the way, once. But I need to have a canonical/official/agreed upon names set. I really, really, really don't want to redo the process everytime someone points out a different interpretation of the names in English.
Sometimes I've seen other websites uses "Selios","Serious", "Celios". "Runan", "Ryunan", "Lou", "Ro", "Giles", "Gale".
Here are the names of the characters:
Name in Japanese     *Name in US     *My interpretation
セリオス     *Logan     *Selious
リュナン     *Ethan     *Runan
ロー     *Markus     *Lou
ゲイル     *Giles     *Gale
ソニア     *Sonia     *Sonia
Can you help me out here? I can change other things in the game easily as long as there in text, but these are a different story.
I await your suggestions.

[Ascended Mermaid]

Oof! It sounds like you have had to (guessing) change graphical pointers on a tile-by-tile basis. I'm not sure if that's right, but I feel your pain. I don't know that I will be of much help, but I will offer my advice on a purely instinctual level.

Celios
Runan
Ro, or as a runner-up, Lo. Based on instinct, I'm more focused on preserving the hard "O" sound.
Gale
Sonia

I also feel that "EP" could be the more commonly recognized "XP".

"NT" is a tricky one... I'm going to say it's good as-is. If you want to change it, "L" or "LT" for left, "NX" for next, or "NL" for next level.