Needing some german help

[murillokb]

So I noticed there are lots of germans on this forum and i'm needing some help.

I'm gonna have a presentation (in german) about a game i'm gonna develop but i'm not sure when I should use game related words in english or in german (I also don't know the right translation for most of them). Things like "real time strategy", "crafting system", "ingame events", "survival", "sci-fi" etc.

I would be very happy if someone could help me translate those and/or point me the right direction

Thanks!

[SWSe]

I'm not sure what kind of presentation you mean (And why we are writing in english right now), but I guess: If you present it to someone who has just a little clue about the topic, they should have no problems understanding everything you mentioned.

Real Time Strategie = Echtzeitstrategie (einige müssten auch "RTS" verstehen)
Crafting System - I don't think there's an official translation for this. Either say it in English or say samething like
"Herstellungssystem", or just paraphrase it.
ingame events - Most people should understand this, or you just translate it somehow. (There's no common translation here, I think)
Sci-Fi = Science-Fiction. This is common, shouldn't be a problem.

If you present it in front of people who might not know anything about video games, you should consider explaining any terms when first mentioning them, if they aren't self-explanatory. I hope I could help you.

[Calico]

I agree with SWSe. As long as your audience is somewhat familar with the suject, you shouldn't have any problems. Some words like "event" or "sci-fi" are beeing used in advertising on a broad scale anyways, 90% of the germans know what they mean even without any englisch learning. You should be fine, i think.

[murillokb]

Thank you, guys!

this mostly solves my problems.
My main concern was using to many english expressions, but seems like it won't be a problem after all

I apreciate the help

[SHarper]

So...I am german, all those expressions should be common in german language but Stillt there are some
translations you could use:

Real Time Strategie = Echtzeitstrategie (einige müssten auch "RTS" verstehen) (stimmt so)

Crafting System - Handwerk / Handwerks-System (This translation is also Used by German Game-Media e.g "Gamestar")
ingame events - (pretty hard to translate) possible: "Spiel-Ereignisse", "In-Game Ereignisse"
Sci-Fi = Science-Fiction. (This is also the German Word)

If you need anymore Help just ask, happy to help you out.

[ssilk]

Well, I need to say also a bit. The above terms are common... If you are a gamer!!

Not a hardcore gamer, but quite familiar. And young enough. If the targeted audience is a bit older (there is for a example a vast group of older gamers over 40, which like strategy games) or do nothing have to do with games at all, those terms will produce total denial.

So it depends on your targeted group.

[Phillip_Lynx]

Not a hardcore gamer, but quite familiar. And young enough. If the targeted audience is a bit older (there is for a example a vast group of older gamers over 40, which like strategy games) or do nothing have to do with games at all, those terms will produce total denial.

THIS I will deny!

I am a 49 year old german player and I know all the expressions (and some more )

[drs9999]

Actually I'm pretty unsure if I would understand that "Handwerkssystem" or "Herstellungssystem" means crafting-system without any further explanations.

[ssilk]

I talked to some 40 years ald and said "SeiFei" (SciFi) and all what I got was

I have more reasons: it is uncommon not to translate for example real-time-strategy, cause everybody translates it, cause the German word is in this case shorter. It is common to translate crafting system, cause "to craft" is not a verb which you use often, when you learn English. And so on.

And besides that I don't like to read Denglisch (for the others: mixture of Deutsch and Englisch), that looks just ugly.
For example: the English "I have downloaded" needs to be conjugated in German: "ich habe gedownloadet". Otherwise (without conjunction) it sounds purely wrong.
How ugly is that? I think even a non-German speaker sees that. How much nicer is the correct German translation "ich habe heruntergeladen" ...

Many Germans don't care about it, but there is a strong minority, which will. My opinion: either completely in German or English or if a mixture is really needed (crafting system) then try to use it consequently or search for a better translation.

@drs9999: Handwerkssystem is quite common and I understand both.

[SWSe]

The above terms are common... If you are a gamer!!

Well, I already said in my first reply that each of those terms should be explained if the audience doesn't know much about games.

I'd just assume it's more likely someone already has at least some basic knowledge if they attend a presentation about video game development. But maybe they are from a video game company, maybe the audience will be a school class, maybe they are from a retirement home, we don't know.

So I agree that no matter who the audience is, there might always be people who don't know some words. I guess it is never a bad idea to explain terms in presentations anyway, just keep it short and simple!

Although, in a video game company, it'd be unnecessary I guess.

[Phillip_Lynx]

The above terms are common... If you are a gamer!!

Well, I already said in my first reply that each of those terms should be explained if the audience doesn't know much about games.

Also not really true.

My wife (she is also 49) will understand this terms. She doesnt know english well but we have 4 sons wich plays all sort of games. This teaches even a mother with no gaming- or english-skills.

But to set the things rigth, my wife would have understand such phrases even if we have no kids.

OK, massive denglisch (see definition above) is also 'not my thing' but what some denglisch haters define as denglisch isnt denglisch. It is migrated into the german language-pool and to be found in famous german dictionarys.

Sorry for OT but sometimes I have an urge to answer to statements

[SWSe]

It's gonna be alright if you don't explain it. But if 90% of your audience know what you're talking about, there's still 10% who don't... (That's just a made up number, of course)

You and your wife know these words, probably most people do. I can't tell.
Even if everyone understand you, it's often okay if you explain things in just one short sentence so it doesn't take longer than a few seconds. This way you stay on the safe side.

And: I think it's no problem to use English words if they are established. Like genres as "RTS", "Survival" or "Science-Fiction", or words that are just easier to use. It's getting ridiculus if you translate pop-up as "aufklappendes Fenster" like Computer Bild. Words like "Download" should be known to most/many grand parents by now, I guess

[murillokb]

Just for the sake of clarity: this interview is for my aplication for game design in the Design Hochschule Schwerin then my "audience" should be well aware of gaming words like those, right?

ok, Denglisch is uncool. noted. I like where this discussion went