Japanese HeroQuest: Rulebook Translation

[iKarith]

"Dark Warriors" sounds way less silly than "Dread Warriors" at least.

[HispaZargon]

Hi, thank you for your comments.

I am already preparing the "Intermediate Rules" chapter but I firstly corrected the existing pages according to your comments. Here are my answers, one by one:

Character boards is in the Rules of Play. Definitely character boards.

Ok, changes applied.

More edits. An oddity from inside the UK box cover is that "altar" from the furniture list of the Contents page is changed to "sorcerer's table." The JA ed. doesn't translate this difference, so "altar" it is for p.2 below. Similarly, "drawer", the literal translation of alchemist's bench, is unusable. On the other hand, instances of "rack" may be substituted with the literally translated "torture table" if you prefer. AerynB didn't choose this, but perhaps it would carry the literal Japanese feel better. (The p.1 furniture listing would also need changing.)

Ok, if I understood well, you think that using "sorcerer's table" is more correct than using "altar", so I will use the first one, isn't it? Please, correct me if I am wrong. About the rack, I prefer translating it as "torture table". About "drawer" I will not use it.

p.2
New edits based on the UK 2nd ed. box:
[list]"Be careful with the components with sharp points in order to avoid injuries." > Be careful of components with sharp points in order to avoid injuries.
2. "Assemble the gargoyle piece as follows:" > Assemble the gargoyle as follows:
"Attach the wings to the back as indicated." > Fit the wings to the
back as shown.
"Attach the head to the neck as indicated." > Fit the head to the neck as shown.
3. "Carefully punch out the information screen from the backing." > Carefully punch out the screen from the die-cast sheet.
4. ". . . Punch out the doors from the backing and attach to the base as shown in the picture. Assemble the open doors following the same way." > . . . Punch out the doors from the die-cast sheet and attach them to the bases as shown. Assemble the open doors in the same way.

Ok, changes applied.

5. "According to the illustrations on the back of the information screen, remove the tomb parts from the grey sprue, and remove the parts of the alchemist’s bench, cupboard, bookcases, and rack from the Brown sprue." > According to the illustrations on the back of the screen, remove the alchemist's bench, bookcases, cupboard, and rack from the brown plastic sprue and remove the tomb from the grey sprue.
*Also, punch out each of the paper parts from the backing. For each piece respectively, bend each paper part and insert it into the bottom of the plastic parts as shown in the picture > Also, detach the matching cards from the die-cast sheet. Bend the card parts and insert into the underside of the plastic tops, as shown.

Ok, changes applied but I have adapted them a little bit according to the available space and the rest of already mentioned changes (i.e. using "torture table" intead of "rack"). The explanation about the die-cast parts that is missing in the original japanese text, I think it can be treated as a errata of the original document so, no problem from my side to add it to the translated version.

6. "Remove the levers from the brown sprue and attach them to the sides of the rack as shown in the picture." > Remove the levers from the brown sprue and attach them to the sides of the torture table, as shown.
7. "Remove the bottles from the grey sprue and attach it to the right side of the top of the alchemist’s bench as shown in the picture." > Remove the bottles from the grey sprue and attach them to the top-right side of the alchemist’s bench, as shown.
*Also remove the scales from the brown sprue and place them on the left side of the alchemist’s bench, as shown.

Ok, changes applied but again, I have adapted them a little bit according to the available space. The sentence about the scales that is missing in the original japanese text, I think it can be treated as a errata of the original document so, no problem from my side to also add it to the translated version.

8. "Attach the rats of the brown sprue and the skulls of the white sprue wherever you like, such as into the holes of the torture rack, cupboard, etc." > Attach the rats from the brown runner and the skulls from the white runner as you like, such as in the holes of the cupboard and rack.

Ok, changes applied but I used word "sprue" instead of "runner".

9. ". . . Then, attach the two candles at holes. None cardboard part must be attached in the bottom of the altar. > . . . A card part isn't used for the altar. Carefully fit the two candles into the alter.

Right, changes applied but I used "sorcerer's table" instead of "altar".

11. ". . . Also, punch out the remaining cardboard parts.. . ." > . . . Also, punch out their cards from the die-cast sheet.. . .
a. "Throne: Insert the two pins and the folded cardboard part between both sides of the throne." > Throne: Insert the two pins into the sides of the throne, trapping the folded card between them.
b. "Tables: Insert the one long pin and the folded cardboard between both sides of the table." > Tables: Insert the long, single pin into both sides of the table, trapping the folded card between them.
c. "Treasure Chests: Using your finger, bend the cardboard part to fit the curve of the chest. Then insert one pin and the curved cardboard between both sides of the chest." > Using your finger, bend the card to fit the curve of the treasure chest. Insert the pin into both sides of the treasure chest, trapping the card between them.
d. "Bend the cardboard part to match the plastic base, then insert." > Fireplace: Bend the card to match the plastic base, then insert.
12. "Punch out the remaining cardboard parts from the backing." > Punch out the remaining card parts from the die-cast sheet.

Ok, changes applied. I think that title "Fireplace:" was missing in original japanese text but again I think it can be treated as an error of the original text so, Ok the addition of this word from my side.

Ah yes the Dark Warriors (not to be confused with the Dark Warriors of Advanced Quest which was never released in Japan), and Monolizards (one eye... Fimir!). The Sorcerer's Table does look very much like an Altar (sacrificial table).

"Dark Warriors" sounds way less silly than "Dread Warriors" at least.

Yes, definitely I prefer "Dark Warriors" than "Dread Warriors"... About "Monolizards" well, you are right in order to be consequent with the rest of the japanese translation I think it should be also interesting to use such term. The same occur with the Chaos Warlock... The two japanese characters used in the original rulebook means "Evil" and "God" so,... due to the same reason, I have also changed "Chaos Warlock" words to "Evil God" in page 1. I know, those terms could be hated by purists but, I think we should be as much closer as posible to the original meaning given in japanese in order to preserve the charm, as I already explained here. I think "Chaos Warlock" corresponds with an invented westernized description since it seems that none of the japanese characters shown in page 1 below the chaos warlock miniature means that and, as far as I know, the japanese Quest Book also defines the bad boss as some kind of Evil God, not exactly like a "sorcerer" so, for the moment, I think it is a correct idea to call it "Evil God". What do you think?

Again, about the "altar / sorcerer's table" discussion, as I told above, I choose the second option but, of course it can be changed one more time if you think "altar" could fit better.

Finally, here you have again the first 11 pages of the draft with the last changes applied:

Edited message: Attached file HQ_Japanese_Rulebook_in_English_Pages_01-11_v2.pdf has an updated version in this post.

I will try to include all the "Intermediate Rules" pages in the next version.

Best Regards,

[iKarith]

Given that the chaos warlock is used, when it is used for an enemy, as the Witch Lord/Lichemaster in The Gathering Storm, "evil god" seems quite appropriate to me. What else would you call such a being?

Translation is a funny thing like that. There isn't always a direct equivalence. I think from a copy of Wired of all things someone once read to me the best backtranslation I'd ever heard.

Day of the daytime star, the clouds are filled with dread and forced to flee!

Someone translated the theme song to Sesame Street into Klingon because it is actually a real language, and then back. And that's how it goes. I dunno about you, but if you translated it to Klingon and back, I might have to start watching muppets educate toddlers.

[Kurgan]

The evil god, false god, chaos god... that's the final badguy if I'm not mistaken. For a little bit some of us were confused that Grimdead himself was called a "god" (which wouldn't be inappropriate in the setting I suppose) but he's simply the Demon King, while the "god" is the final boss. Such "evil gods" have precedence in the Warhammer fantasy lore that influenced the original game edition of course.

And to be fair "dread warrior"* (as a descriptive term, rather than an official title) was applied to Chaos Warriors in the back of the quest book. Dark Warriors, Monolizards, Warriors, Magicians, evil gods, this game has it all!


*They are still Chaos Warriors to me, regardless of the remake says, dangit!

[HispaZargon]

Ooook.... 'Intermediate Rules' chapter finished. Here is the draft of the first 18 pages of the rule book for your comments. Pages with Expert Rules, empty gameboard, index and map are the only pending ones.

Edited message: Previously attached file HQ_Japanese_Rulebook_in_English_Pages_01-18.pdf has an updated version in this post.

[cornixt]

The evil god, false god, chaos god... that's the final badguy if I'm not mistaken. For a little bit some of us were confused that Grimdead himself was called a "god" (which wouldn't be inappropriate in the setting I suppose) but he's simply the Demon King, while the "god" is the final boss. Such "evil gods" have precedence in the Warhammer fantasy lore that influenced the original game edition of course.

Japanese culture has gods on a much smaller scale than westerner cultures see them. "Demons" would be closer in our interpretation but they aren't necessarily evil, "spirits" might also work but they tend to be associated with dead people or have ethereal qualities. There is a lack of a word in English better than "god" for a supernatural being with powers.

[Kurgan]

Yeah, kami... closer to the old pagan polytheistic gods (good, evil... tricksters or neutral) than either angelic/demonic or divine Being as in the Abrahamic faiths but also including beings associated with departed ancestors and places, like all of our western mythological beings rolled together (goblins, elves, sprites, dwarfs, fairies, dragons, etc). The greco-roman world into Christian times had their daemons (spirits), but like you said, not an exact correspondence. I like podcaster Jimmy Akin's categorization of "1st, 2nd, 3rd (etc) order beings" counting down from ultimate/supreme deity to human or sub-human creatures, but probably too complex to unpack here (and dodging the religious debate taboo).

Even "immortal" doesn't quite translate because you might start thinking about Highlander or Forever Knight or something (long-lived physical beings who are just harder to kill).

Maybe "super being" comes close. The Chaos Sorcerer tends to be used to represent some tougher than average character, in a world where we regularly encounter badass barbarians, wizards, elf mages and dwarf warriors, etc.

We call that skull-face grey figure decked out in "Chaos" gear the "Chaos Warlock" even though not every character he represents is even (or ever) an actual Warlock.

[Kurgan]

Ooook.... 'Intermediate Rules' chapter finished. Here is the draft of the first 18 pages of the rule book for your comments. Pages with Expert Rules, empty gameboard, index and map are the only pending ones.

HQ_Japanese_Rulebook_in_English_Pages_01-18.pdf

Looking good so far. I noticed a small correction on page 6 "the Demon King reads the Adventure" (instead of just "read"). I didn't scan the whole thing, that just jumped out, so there may be others.

[iKarith]

The evil god, false god, chaos god... that's the final badguy if I'm not mistaken. For a little bit some of us were confused that Grimdead himself was called a "god" (which wouldn't be inappropriate in the setting I suppose) but he's simply the Demon King, while the "god" is the final boss. Such "evil gods" have precedence in the Warhammer fantasy lore that influenced the original game edition of course.

Japanese culture has gods on a much smaller scale than westerner cultures see them. "Demons" would be closer in our interpretation but they aren't necessarily evil, "spirits" might also work but they tend to be associated with dead people or have ethereal qualities. There is a lack of a word in English better than "god" for a supernatural being with powers.

"Shinigami" (grim reaper) being translated literally as "death god", for an example anime watchers might recognize. Demons, devils, angels, gods, monsters … loosely all fit the same general category as I understand it. They may be good or evil in nature and have whatever hierarchies, but whatever those are, we lowly mortal humans are at the bottom of it and should not lightly meddle in their affairs. Meddle not in the affairs of wizards for they are subtle and quick to anger. And meddle not in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. Good life advice, both.

[HispaZargon]

Ooook.... 'Intermediate Rules' chapter finished. Here is the draft of the first 18 pages of the rule book for your comments. Pages with Expert Rules, empty gameboard, index and map are the only pending ones.

HQ_Japanese_Rulebook_in_English_Pages_01-18.pdf

Looking good so far. I noticed a small correction on page 6 "the Demon King reads the Adventure" (instead of just "read"). I didn't scan the whole thing, that just jumped out, so there may be others.

Hi, yes, you are right. I will check all the text until the next draft upload. Thank you.