This comment is for English players, written by a Chinese player.
***If you are playing the game with English translation, you are playing a garbage due to CULTURE SHOCKS/CHOKES in translation.***
***Short explain***
Precise translation is impossible for the game. Plus, Chinese language is the only alive pristine language, logography language with its own writing system. Not other syllabary language or alphabet language or their equivalents. Most common Chinese characters/letters have their own meaning respectively, so the phrases and sentences could greatly compress information. For a few specialized areas, there will be metaphor and terms, making it a little extra harder for foreigners and amateurs to learn. But for most modern scientific area, medical, chemistry, physics, programming area, common folks don't have to learn weird terms. Especially for medical area, even a 6-8 year old kid could easily understand what's in it. Most modern Chinese phrase well explain their own meaning.
The game contains lots ancient/classic Chinese terms, involve classic culture(folklores), philosophy, religions (and the fusion of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism ), medicals, ancient techs, etc topics. Lots ancient Chinese books have been poorly translated due to old translation ideology, they all failed in building English version terms and context in translated books.(If you guys don't believe me, just google 太乙金华宗旨, or The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life, Internet Achieve offers free English pdf copy. The translation simply is not precise, since it ignored too many ideas in philosophy Tao, religion Tao and many other things in cultivation and philosophy) How could you expect a game developer gives better English translation for similar topics?
Another example, 虚室生白 is a phrase consists of four Chinese characters from The Book of Zhuangzi(庄子). But even AI tools can't gives a precise translation, because there is no English terms for those characters/phrase, there is Taoism philosophy context and cultivation meaning in the whole book. If ask me, I 'd say "The emptied vessel shines/glows/illuminates." is a better translation because I use the metaphorical resources of the English language and culture, or let's say, the Bible.
It is common for outsiders try to learn other cultures, often for 2 categories of reasons in long term history. One category is getting better benefit for themselves, another one is satisfying curiosity. The formal reason may for trading/business, war and enslaving. Another one is just for personal interests. Most translated material are made for the first category reasons, won't build good context without making enough profit or culture influence. Most individuals won't be interested in a weak cultures too. Before 19th century, westerner still considered China as a lovely country, because China, or Serec, sold silk to ancient Rome in the 1st and 2nd century. But after 19th century, the European Chinese impression totally collapsed until recent decade. Western impressions of China have never been a straight line; rather, they form a pendulum swinging between "romanticized imagination, arrogance and prejudice, interest alignment, and strategic wariness." So, this game's English translation cannot solve all translation problems and huge culture gap. My suggestion is, if player really like the game, Chinese culture, and may get economic benefit from learning Chinese language, try to learn it. English translation will always be shabby, even with further polish.
1. Depth.
Pros:
Good game depth.
Cons:
Too deep. the core creator has built too many small gameplay in the game, making it time consuming and attention drifting. And just like other games, there is limited freedom without applying mods. Very hard to make and maintain a Hunyuan attribute Qi.
2. Freedom
Pros:
High freedom. You may do anything you want. Become a badass bandit robbing others, kill other NPC to get their belongings, keeping romance relationship with many NPC, being a gay, being a lesbian, or to be bisexual just be like ancient Romans, or create lots high tire items.
Cons:
Freedom ceiling exists. Hard to learn high tire martial arts and fine arts at the beginning, because, it is hard to acquire high tire material, maintain good relationships with high tire NPC. Unless player learn lots in cooking. However, to do so, player has to spend lots time on acquiring raw food material, buying cooking tools, learning cooking skills. Additionally, player won't perform well with low transcendent/cultivation level (no enough combat buffs, and Qi ceiling applies at each cultivation level). Player can't train for primary attributes. (Darn it, just give player character a pair of dumb bells, enough protein, then do strength training just like what we do in real life. Or do some labor work could help developing strength too.)
3. Culture depth.
Pros:
Easy to understand for common native Chinese who has some interests in traditional culture. (but not weird English translation in the game.)
Con:
***Bad for foreigners, English translation is too weird and too shabby.*** 奇门兵器Exotic Weapons is wrong translation. Better translation is Unconventional/Untraditional Weapons. 鸳鸯连环脚Feet of The Mandarin Duck is another ♥♥♥♥♥♥ translation. The game developer should have better knowledge in European culture. Why Mandarin Ducks? Why don't we call it Swan Kick? Both swans and mandarin ducks tend to have one fixed mate in life. 元山弹腿Yuanshan Tan Tui is another bad example. The explain in description could say what is Tan Tui/Springing Leg, otherwise, most foreigner won't get the point. And the English translation fails in explaining what is Yuanshan元山。There are too many Chinese words share same pronunciation. At least, In some where of the game, there must explain for Yuanshan. Just a mountain called Yuan, or Yuan Mt.. However, only Qiezi(game developer, eggplant) knows why he names the mountain Yuan.
4. Combat
Pros:
Another dungeon crawler game with much more miniature tactical choices.
Cons:
Only one to one combat, team mates cannot help much.
For the instrument weapon arts, I 'd say they are useless against deaf people, or the defending person needs a pair of ear shields/muffs. Lack of firearm, which is common in 10th century, if marital art can't kill someone, bullets, fire and crude oil can do the rest job. Oh, firearms are expensive? Come on, make a short crossbow or repeating crossbow, you gonna like it. Material arts in the Scroll of Taiwu are too soft and weak. A ninja or any common bandit, wielding a short blade, carrying several egg shells stuffed with quicklime powder or pepper powder could easily kill everyone in The Scroll of Taiwu, because there is only one to one fight.
So, if you accept Taiwu's concept design with some loopholes and accept poor English translation, have enough time to figure out wired words, this is still a good game for English speakers.
Otherwise, keep your money for additional chicken wings.
