How to get the .ast / .asb files

The most stable way to translate an Artemis game is to work from the real script files. In many projects, story text is stored inside .ast or .asb files.

Direct-overwrite workflow

The Artemis translator rewrites only the extracted dialog strings inside the original file. Starting from clean source scripts makes it much easier to preserve structure safely.

What you should have

The original script files or a clean, legally obtained extraction of the game script folder.
Permission to translate and modify the project if you are not the developer.
A backup of the full script folder before you export translations.

Where Artemis scripts usually live

Folder names vary by title, but script files often live in directories such as script/, scenario/, data/script/, or another unpacked resource directory.

MyArtemisGame/
  script/
    prologue.ast
    route_a.ast
    route_b.asb
    common.ast
  image/
  sound/
  system/
  data/

Path / file	What it usually contains	Translate?
script/*.ast	Scenario structure, dialogue-bearing attributes, route flow	Usually yes
script/*.asb	Related script blocks or compiled-like text resources depending on the project	Sometimes
common / system scripts	Menus, labels, utility blocks, reusable text	Sometimes
binaries / archives	Packed resources or non-text data	No

What Artemis formatting must stay intact

Field names such as text=, name=, title=, and selection arrays should stay structurally valid.
Braces, commas, brackets, and quotes must remain balanced.
Control keys, command values, and non-dialog data should not be translated.
Escapes like or engine-specific placeholders should remain valid.

Good vs risky edits

// Good: visible text translated, structure preserved
text="I will stay here."
name="Airi"

// Risky: field names or syntax changed
translated_text="I will stay here."
name="Airi"

Encoding notes

Some projects are UTF-8, while others may expect UTF-16 or a legacy encoding. If you are unsure, keep the original encoding first and test a single file before batch translation.

Test direct overwrite early

Because Artemis scripts can be structurally sensitive, always translate one small file first, export it, and launch the game before processing the rest.

If you only have packed resources

Some builds store scripts inside archives or bundle formats instead of loose files. If you cannot find readable .ast or .asb files, ask for a translation-friendly source package.

Legal / safety note

This guide does not cover bypassing protections or extracting content you do not own. Always respect the game license and the developer's terms.

Quick checklist

You are working from real .ast / .asb files.
The files open as readable text in an editor.
Field names, braces, and syntax are preserved.
You test the output in-engine after export.