Translate client text

Find the active language

For traditional Season 6 clients, start with Data\Local\Eng, Por, or Spn. Work on one copied language folder first.

• Close the client and back up the language folder and relevant server XML.
• Use a compatible BMD editor and Notepad++ for text files.
• Inspect LangSelection under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Webzen\Mu\Config to identify the legacy client language. Export that registry key before changing it.

Locate your release’s data folder

The current source loads scripts from Data\Scripts and language configuration from Data\Langs\LangBase.xml. In the older Season 6 layout, these are IGCData\Scripts and IGCData\IGC_LangBase.xml. Use the matching paths from your package, and keep the executable and data files together.

1. Prove the encoding first

1. Open a text BMD from the active folder with the release’s editor and its original encoding. Confirm the source text is readable.
2. Translate one visible entry containing accents or other target-language characters. Preserve its numeric ID.
3. Save a test copy in the target encoding supported by the client. Use Language display to match the code page and font.
4. Place the file in the active folder, restart the client, and locate the changed entry. Continue only after the sample displays correctly.

2. Translate in small batches

1. Translate player-facing strings in the relevant BMD tables, including item names and tooltips. Record completed files and ID ranges.
2. Preserve the count, order, and type of placeholders such as %s, %d, and %.2f. Keep escape sequences, IDs, columns, and field limits unchanged.
3. For server messages, inspect Data\Langs\LangBase.xml and edit the XML named by the target language entry. Preserve message IDs and XML structure; escape & as & in XML values.
4. If the release uses Lang.mpr, edit the text stored there with its matching archive tool and season preset. Do not add an archive workflow to a package that does not use it.

3. Enable and distribute

1. For a first legacy test, use an existing Eng, Por, or Spn folder. If your release supports an added folder, copy the complete source language and set LangSelection to its exact folder name.
2. Configure the appropriate enabled server language and default in LangBase.xml. Server language selection does not automatically select the client folder.
3. Restart the affected service and client. Test login text, NPC messages, tooltips, and a formatted message containing a number or name.
4. Package completed client files and language-selection instructions. Keep untranslated originals outside the player patch for comparison.

Fix display problems

• Old wording: verify the loaded folder and whether an archive overrides that string in this release.
• Question marks: restore the original and reopen with the correct encoding. Characters lost during saving cannot be recovered by changing the font.
• Boxes or blank characters: check font glyph coverage after verifying encoding.
• Crash on one message: compare its placeholders and ID with the original.

Continue

Next: Configure language display.

Reference: IGCN — Translation. These instructions use the Season 6 file layout; keep configuration files and tools from the same release.