Localisation Spotlight: Will aka LordKruidvat

Join us as we shine a light on the entire team who work behind the scenes to bring all the aspects of Conqueror’s Blade to life. We’ve already spoken with the talented voice actors, director, and others who worked behind the scenes to bring localised voices to the game, as well as German Localisation Editor Christiane Müller, but now the spotlight lands on Will, the English Localisation Editor for Conqueror's Blade!

We caught up with Will and talked about everything from his day-to-day role, to writing immersive lore, his favourite part of the job, and more.

Q: Hi Will! Talk us through your role on Conqueror’s Blade. 

A: I edit the English translation of the in-game texts for a native-speaker audience. I also write Unit voiceovers, and in partnership with BT have invented names and lore for just about everything in the game.

Q: You’re responsible for naming all sorts of things in Conqueror’s Blade, from items to Units to Maps. Where do you draw inspiration from? 

A: As far as possible I draw on academic scholarship on the subject period or place, so there’s a lot of time spent reading papers on medieval and military history. Since Conqueror’s Blade has a fictional setting, my intention is that Unit names generally refer obliquely to their real-world inspirations while still working as in-universe names in their own right.

Q: What is the piece of lore you’re most proud of writing? 

A: It’s a tie between the material culture of the Kingdom of Empyros and the Horse Seller’s equine puns. For better or worse, “It’s just not your day, is it?” is the closest I’ve come to creating a meme.

Q: What is a common misconception about your job? 

A: That localisation and translation are the same thing. Localisation is more about approximate meanings than a 1:1 adherence to the original text. Ideally, a finished, localised text should feel to a native speaker like it was written in their language in the first place.

Q: How did you come to decide on this career path? What were your previous roles? 

A: It was an ideal role for me as it matched my interests (gaming, medieval history) and skills (I was learning to be a scriptwriter). Before that, I worked in academic publishing and bookselling, so words, either my own or other people’s, have always been my business.

Q: What’s your favourite part of your role? 

A: Writing Unit voiceover scripts – the Units of Conqueror’s Blade are a window into the setting so it is a chance to give them their own character. Also, I have a soft spot for writing awful puns and there are more than a few in there.

Q: What was the first game you ever played? 

A: I should probably mention here a cool or culturally significant game that influenced me as a writer in later years, but in truth, I think the first game I ever played was Clowns & Balloons on the Atari 800XL. 

Q: Outside of writing and gaming, what are some of your other hobbies? 

A: To get away from the screens I also paint landscapes, read a lot of fiction, and back during lockdown I got into woodcarving – I still have a homemade chess set to finish.

Q: If you could enter the world of Conqueror's Blade, what would be the first thing you’d do?

A: I’d go to the Royal Falcon tavern in Turul Város and see if they have a pub quiz.

Stay tuned for future Localisation Spotlights!