# CLAUDE.md — Outer Wilds SK Translation Mod

Working context for Claude Code (and human contributors) in this repository.

## What this repo is

An **unofficial Slovak (slovenčina) translation mod for *Outer Wilds*** — base
game **and** the *Echoes of the Eye* DLC. It is primarily a **data/translation
project**, not a conventional codebase: the bulk of the work is one large XML file
of translated strings, wrapped in a thin C# mod shell.

- **Not affiliated with Mobius Digital / Annapurna.** Game text is © Mobius
  Digital, used under their Fan Content Policy. This project's own code and
  translation are MIT (see [`LICENSE`](LICENSE) and [`README.md`](README.md)).
- Roadmap and phase status live in [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md). Update it as phases land.

## How the mod works

It is an [OWML](https://github.com/ow-mods/owml) mod that depends on **xen-42's
Localization Utility / Interplanetary Polyglot** (`xen.LocalizationUtility`, MIT).
The utility does all the heavy lifting; this mod just:

1. Declares the dependency in `manifest.json`:
   `"dependencies": ["xen.LocalizationUtility"]`.
2. In its `ModBehaviour.Start()`, grabs the API and registers a new language:
   ```csharp
   var api = ModHelper.Interaction.TryGetModApi<ILocalizationAPI>("xen.LocalizationUtility");
   api.RegisterLanguage(this, "Slovenčina", "assets/Translation.xml");
   ```
3. Ships the translated strings in `assets/Translation.xml`.

**No game files are needed to build the mod.** The English source
`Translation.xml` is published by the utility repo and used as the template.

Slovak is a Latin-script language, so **no `AddLanguageFixer`** (that's for RTL
scripts) is needed. A custom font via `AddLanguageFont` (Unity **2019.4.27f1**
asset bundle) is only required if the stock game font is missing Slovak glyphs —
to be verified during in-game testing (Phase 6/7).

## Planned repo layout

```
Outer-Wilds-SK-Translation-Mod/
├── manifest.json              # OWML manifest (uniqueName, deps, entry DLL)
├── SlovakTranslation.cs       # ModBehaviour: registers the language
├── ILocalizationAPI.cs        # interface copied from the utility
├── SlovakTranslation.csproj   # build against OWML/game refs
├── SlovakTranslation.sln
├── assets/
│   └── Translation.xml        # THE translation (English keys, Slovak values)
├── docs/
│   └── glossary.md            # fixed SK terms for proper nouns
├── README.md  ·  CLAUDE.md  ·  PLAN.md  ·  LICENSE
```

Model the C#/manifest scaffold on the community Czech mod
([`shippy/outer-wilds-czech`](https://github.com/shippy/outer-wilds-czech)).

## Translation conventions (important)

`Translation.xml` is a **flat** `<TranslationTable_XML>` of repeated `<entry>`
blocks, each with a `<key>` and a `<value>`. Rules:

- **Never edit `<key>`.** It is the exact English source string the game matches
  on — changing it silently breaks that string's translation.
- **Translate only `<value>`.** Start from a copy of the English file (key == value)
  and replace each value with Slovak.
- **Preserve inline markup verbatim**, including XML-escaped tags:
  `&lt;color=orange&gt;…&lt;/color&gt;`, `&lt;i&gt;…&lt;/i&gt;`, `&lt;/color&gt;`,
  and raw entities `&lt; &gt; &amp;`. Translate the words, keep the tags.
- **Keep speaker prefixes** (e.g. `POKE:`, `CLARY:`) and any leading labels.
- **Use the glossary** (`docs/glossary.md`) for proper nouns and recurring terms so
  Nomai / the Eye / Ash Twin Project / etc. render identically everywhere.
- Watch text length: Nomai text walls and UI have limited space — prefer concise
  phrasings where the English is terse.

**Translation production:** machine-assisted first pass (clean-room, no third-party
text) followed by a Slovak-speaking review pass. Phase by category for shippable
increments: **UI/menus → dialogue/text walls → ship log**.

## Build & test

- Toolchain present locally: `dotnet 6.0.400`, `git`. **The game and the Outer
  Wilds Mod Manager are NOT installed on this machine** — in-game testing (Phase 7)
  requires installing *Outer Wilds* + Mod Manager + OWML first.
- Build: `dotnet build` (the `.csproj` references OWML/game DLLs — see the Czech
  mod for the exact reference setup).
- Test: load via the Mod Manager, select **Slovenčina**, and verify menus,
  dialogue, and the ship log render correctly (including diacritics
  á ä č ď é í ĺ ľ ň ó ô ŕ š ť ú ý ž).

## Repo / process notes

- This is a **standalone project repo** (Gitea `Homer/Outer-Wilds-SK-Translation-Mod`),
  independent of `~/Agent/Systems`. Changes here do **not** require a system
  changelog entry — unless we install system tooling (game, Mod Manager, a Unity
  version) to support it, in which case record that in `~/Agent` docs as usual.
- Commit as the Gitea identity (Homer <admin@ecoposta.sk>). Don't commit/push
  unless asked.