MMX4 was the first (and last) MMX game I played. It never really sat right with me, in large part because it seemed to be taking itself way too seriously compared to classic MM, which I enjoyed quite a lot... WHATAMIFIGHTINGFOR is what I associate with that sub-franchise more than anything else.
Do you think that translation is on track for completion? I'd like to try it someday, although I've never heard particularly good things about df2.
I'm doubtful it will be completed in the foreseeable future. There were never enough people interested in doing heavy lifting with the script translation in the first place. Gameplay-critical text is close to complete as is (and will probably be completed), non-story dialogue such as battle quotes and administration mode dialogue is mostly complete (and will probably be completed), but the script was only fully translated for one of the eight scenarios IIRC. There will probably eventually be a patch released for that; one of the reasons that it's been put off for so long is that the script dialogue kind of has to be an "all or nothing" thing. In order for the translated script to be displayed properly, you have to change how the game handles text for story scenes, and that fucks up the way Japanese text is displayed. (So, if a version is released with only 1 of the 8 scenarios translated, that scenario will play fine, but the other 7 will look like a garbled mess.) If you're familiar with how DF1 works (and probably even if you aren't), then the current version of DF2 is more than playable though.
Gameplay-wise, I enjoy DF2 for the most part. You just have to get past the initial shock of the artstyle shift and how the continent layout is completely different. You also can't exploit the battle AI in most of the same ways, but I view that mostly as a good thing... I just need to remember how to play it correctly, 'cause I'm getting way too many time overs and it's kind of annoying. I beat Highland's scenario once before and it seemed straightforward enough.
Every once in a while I get the urge to check and see where the project stands and maybe try to lend a hand to it again, only to just wince and groan when I realize how much clean-up actually has to be done... Most of the English dialogue is just rough right now. Tons of lines are translated just a bit too literally, and when you factor in that a lot of the appeal of DF1 was Working Designs' writing (it's definitely one of their better and more universally-appreciated works), it just makes the task seem that much more daunting.
I still kind of want to do what I can with it though, provided that I have enough free time. In particular, I could probably at least correct some HUD/message errors I've spotted and make the patching process itself a little more user-friendly. I've still got all my testing notes from the last time I played through it.
