snwl

I forgot to mention that there are "maintainers" for each language too. This maintainer is not only a translator but also a leader and representative for the translators of a particular language, he collects po files from translators in the team and send them to the translation manager on a regular basis. IMO the translation manager doesn't have to be very dedicated, he just has to check the email everyday and time to commit po files. Atleast that's what The Battle for Wesnoth is doing now. Having said that, I agree that an online translation platform like transifex or launchpad is very handy, especially the ability to collaborate with other translators without the need for a language group. It's just that offline editors offer many advanced features (Lokalize's features are awesome!) that I'm sure I will miss upon moving to an online solution.

When I was a kid, my favorite games was Red Alert II, Warcraft II and later Warcraft III. Now I don't play RTS as frequently as before but a mix of many genres instead.Now I play the Battle for Middle-earth II, a solid game, but IMHO not as good as The Battle for Middle-earth I.

Hundreds and hundreds of translators will disagree. We could have a "translation manager" with svn access, this person will oversee the translation process and provide instructions and notices as nessesarry. The translators will email this person the po file they are working on, the translation manager will then compile .po files into .mo ones commit to the source.

Nice! Especially the WIPs on the performance front, here's hoping that the issues will be fixed in the next alpha(s)

Hello. I just want to chime in that I vote for the existing method of translation, namely the po file. Beside saving you the added work of making our own solution, po files and po editors are great ways to translate software with advanced features and easy to use. I did some translating for The Battle for Wesnoth game in the past, and I can say that the po file translation have many advantages: 1. Source comment: The developers can use comments to inform translators about the context of the string they are translating. Translators can use comments to indirectly communicate with each other about the translation. 2. Translation memory: Po file editor allows you to create "translation memory" with the source language and its translation. The editor will memorize your translation and if a non-translated string matchs its memory, it will suggest you the relevant translation. This means greatly to translators as they can agree on the correct words to use in various strings for a more standardized and consistent translation. 3. Efficient update: When a new language file comes out, it's easy to update the translation. The editor will automatically add the new strings and remove obseleted ones, allow a more up-to-date translation in tandem with translation memory. 4. Simplification: I'm not a developer myself so I can't quite talk about this but a lot of errors come from the translator having to work with the source, po files eliminates this problem (mostly). In conclusion, po files will save the developers and translators alot of works. Do use it please Regards, snwl