[muhazz]

Hello Freespace 2 Community!

I am really impressed of your community work! I just bought Freespace 2 and installed the latest FSO release - very good documenting and a sensible structure made this very easy. Big compliments!
But there is still one thing that annoyy me. Unfortunately, I bought the German version of the game and that means, I am now stuck with the mediocre German synchronisation instead of the awesome English speakers. Is there anything I could do?

Best regards,
muhazz

[Phantom Hoover]

Did you buy the original CD release? If so the advice I'd like to give is against forum rules, but you can also always give GoG some more money for a game you already paid for a decade and a half ago in a different language.

[MatthTheGeek]

I do not believe it is in any way or shape against forum rules to direct people to the most reliable source where to buy legally retail FS2 from.

[Deepstar]

And i think that the German vasudans sounds lightyears better than the english ones  .

This vasudan translator device is rubbish in the original, you can not understand a whole sentence with it  .

But no, there is actually no possibility to get the english speech without the original version.

[Mongoose]

And i think that the German vasudans sounds lightyears better than the english ones  .

This vasudan translator device is rubbish in the original, you can not understand a whole sentence with it  .

I wonder if that's maybe a function of not being a native English speaker, because I think most of us who do have that as our primary language don't have any trouble understanding them.

But yeah, as far as legal advice that we can give on the forum goes, you'd basically have to purchase an English copy of the game, and then do some file-swapping...the only other option I think we could endorse is finding someone with the English version who'd be willing to send just the voice files to you, but it honestly might be easier to just buy the English version from GOG.com in the first place.

[Phantom Hoover]

you realise sending only the voice files is just as illegal under current copyright law as sending the entire game, right

[Mongoose]

Yes, I do, and while I'm not advising that anyone break the law, I'm much more concerned personally about the ethical concerns involved.  You'll remember (or perhaps not) that there was a time in the past when it was within HLP policy to direct new members to abandonware sites to acquire FS2, simply because the only legal way to do so was to pay extortion-level prices for used copies on eBay.  This became against the rules after the GOG.com release because the community greatly appreciated the fact that the game was available legally for a sane price again, and we wanted to give them as much support for doing so as possible.  In this specific case, muhazz did purchase a legal copy of the game, and while I do recommend the GOG.com route to get an English version, I'm not going to consider the suggestion of acquiring just the English voice files as completely verboten.

[muhazz]

Thanks guys for the quick replies!
It's sad that there is no other way than to buy the full English version - I honestly don't want to spend more money just to buy another version of the game. However, the gameplay is still great

Best regards,
muhazz

[Phantom Hoover]

Yes, it's a pity the laws requiring you to pay for the English version are so stringently enforced, well-designed and ethically justified.

[Mongoose]

Um, let's see less of that tone here.  There's nothing at all particularly "well-designed" about needing to purchase multiple distinct copies of a game in order to get access to a different language track, especially when said track is the original for the game.  It's as bad as the days when buying something like anime on home video meant that you had to choose between separate VHS releases of the original Japanese audio with subtitles, or a dub into your native language.  If this was a modern PC game release, muhazz wouldn't even have to worry about this, since the game would most likely either include all possible language tracks by default, or else allow for selecting which audio track to download.  (I'm not sure if games on services like Steam actually work like this, but let's run with it.)  It doesn't seem particularly fair to see someone who just purchased a legal copy of the game, and respond to that by telling them to turn around and buy a second copy of said game.

[Mebber]

^Agree with that. And it's especially annoying because the german dubbing is inferior in quantity, since the actual mission briefings aren't voiced (as they are in the original version, as far as i know).

[Sarkoth]

I had - and still have, for that matter - the original Freespace double pack back from 2003ish (in German). The first time I was scrounging around on HLP, which has to be quite a cpl of years ago, there were still dubious links floating around here that made me manage to grab a .vp file for English voice and briefings. Still, all tables not altered by the SCP, the main menu and the HUD where in German when I dug out my Freespace data about two weeks ago (I still had the 3_6_9 build, go figure out how old it was) and went over the routine again to get everything going. I still had the english voice files as well, but like then, everything else written and not modified, was still German. So just 3 days ago, I went to GoG and bought another copy, this time in full fledged english. Just to be able to copy some tables over.

About five bucks isn't the world. And if it is for the Freespace series, I would have gladly paid the retail price again just to support this software jewel. Well not necessarily gladly, because it would have been a ripoff, but I still would've bought it.

Long story short: Even if it is just a cpl of minor files, go and grab another copy. It would have been nicer if there was an official language- and voicepatch, but unfortunately, for such an old game (and for most other games, for that matter) there isn't.

[Phantom Hoover]

If this was a modern PC game release, muhazz wouldn't even have to worry about this, since the game would most likely either include all possible language tracks by default, or else allow for selecting which audio track to download.  (I'm not sure if games on services like Steam actually work like this, but let's run with it.)

They actually don't; I've seen a number of complaints from customers in eastern Europe that they can only buy an incomplete, language-locked version of some games on Steam. (I was being sarcastic in that post, by the way.)

[Mongoose]

That's disappointing to hear; you'd think that download-service technology would easily make these past issues obsolete.  And yeah, I whiffed on the sarcasm there.