[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [PATCH] Each nation having different monetary unit

[Jason Dorje Short <jshort@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Raimar Falke wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 20, 2001 at 07:51:34AM -0400, Jason Dorje Short wrote:

> > However, customization can definitely be done here.  The code should be
> > the same, but the currency names put into the rulesets should be the
> > translation of "gold" into each particular language.  This should give
> > just as good a feel to the game, but it's not at all controversial or
> > inaccurate.  Unfortunately, I don't know "gold" in any language but my
> > own...the currency would remain "gold" for both the Americans and the
> > English while changing for all (or most) others.

> Currently the string "gold" in a message is translated just like every
> normal string. Only depending on the language the player choose. You
> would like to make this also depending additionally on the nation the
> player chooses?

I would make it depend only on the nation the player chooses, ignoring
the current language (locale?) entirely.

>  In this case all but Dunedain or Mordors would use "gold"?!

Yes, but in different languages.

I play in English.  When I played the Americans or English, the string
would be "gold".  When I played any other nation, the string would be
the translation of "gold" into that nation's language (as set in the
nation's ruleset).  The rest of my strings would continue to be in
English.  Thus it all becomes a translation issue.

Of course, "gold" probably shouldn't be used since that's not really
what it means.  A specialty word like "currency?gold" (that's the syntax
freeciv uses, right?) will give more flexibility, allowing it to be
translated into whatever you want - even an actual currency, if that's
what's desired.  The infrastructure for this is already in place, so
once the string is set up to be translated it'll automatically be sent
to the translators to be handled.

As far as I can tell, this gives more flexibility at less cost.  Once
the language option is added to the ruleset, it can be used for other
translations as well.  It could even be made an option that you play
entirely in the language of your nation (ignoring your regular language
entirely).

Best of all, I should be allowed to become the main translator for the
Dunedain language (whatever it's called) :-)

The only drawback that I see is that for each nation's language an
entire translation file will (I think) be created to fill in one entry. 
In the long run, this shouldn't be a problem for any "real" language
since it will eventually be filled in (or so we hope).

jason