Proposal Discussion NPC Pilot Voices

Ramireza

Banned
Ramireza
I think it would be very immersive if the NPC Pilots realy talking to you, not just the Text Messages. I am pretty sure that this sholdnt be this expansive because they dont have to tell you long stories, taunting like "I kill you" or "Hand over your cargo!" or messages like "You will be scanned now Commander" should be enough. I mean, even Games like X-Wing, Privateer, Wing Commander and Freelancer had this feature.

With modern audio technics that could distort and modify this voices variety should be a big deal. Well, maybe its enough if Frontier ask us to make this voices, for this we didnt need talented voice actors.
 
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Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
Robert Maynard
Ramireza said:
I think it would be very immersive if the NPC Pilots realy talking to you, not just the Text Messages. I am pretty sure that this sholdnt be this expansive because they dont have to tell you long stories, taunting like "I kill you" or "Hand over your cargo!" or messages like "You will be scanned now Commander" should be enough. I mean, even Games like X-Wing, Privateer, Wing Commander and Freelancer had this feature.
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Nice idea but we will quickly get used to the "same old" few discrete voices used by untold millions of NPCs.
 

eleanorsbee

E
then there is the bizareity of them all speaking in English ... you need at least "I kill you" recorded in 2 billion different languages to make it realistic
 

FoxTwo

FoxTwo
eleanorsbee said:
then there is the bizareity of them all speaking in English ... you need at least "I kill you" recorded in 2 billion different languages to make it realistic
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If our cockpit has tech to give us sounds in space, it can also automatically translate 2 billion different languages into English :p

Think "Universal Translator" (Star Trek) or "Babel Fish" (HHGTTG).

:D
 

Ramireza

Banned
Ramireza
eleanorsbee said:
then there is the bizareity of them all speaking in English ... you need at least "I kill you" recorded in 2 billion different languages to make it realistic
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No, why? Do you think the Station announcements will be translated? Further even today the comnunications between Airplanes and Groundbases are 100% English. There is no need for translations.
 

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
Robert Maynard
Ramireza said:
No, why? Do you think the Station announcements will be translated? Further even today the comnunications between Airplanes and Groundbases are 100% English. There is no need for translation.
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.... but this is a game rather than a safety critical system for controlling non-military aircraft. The game is already being localised - translation into Deutsch was shown in a recent newsletter. Not all players will have any English language ability.
 

Ramireza

Banned
Ramireza
Robert Maynard said:
.... but this is a game rather than a safety critical system for controlling non-military aircraft. The game is already being localised - translation into Deutsch was shown in a recent newsletter. Not all players will have any English language ability.
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Again : The Station anouncers also talking english, even if i switch to german (i am german) :) The Text can stay translated of course.
 

torc

torc
Robert Maynard said:
.... but this is a game rather than a safety critical system for controlling non-military aircraft. The game is already being localised - translation into Deutsch was shown in a recent newsletter. Not all players will have any English language ability.
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That's why SUBTITLES exsists :)
Messages in english and subs in german or whatever you want.
Problem solved.
 

Cmdr Andy B

Cmdr Andy B
FoxTwo said:
If our cockpit has tech to give us sounds in space, it can also automatically translate 2 billion different languages into English :p

Think "Universal Translator" (Star Trek) or "Babel Fish" (HHGTTG).

:D
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or everyone who pilots a ship speaks galactic standard, and that can be localised to the user just like the HUD and station interface.

and here we see the snag as for every localisation you would have the added expense of a whole bucket load of audio that needed both rerecording and multiple passes though the desk to give some noticeable variations to it.

saying that it is something i'd like to see, but unless its already in the roadmap i dont see it being included in the release.

it may even come as part of an 'immersion pack' DLC that could include things like voice coms from stations in answer to docking requests, scan warnings from police, bounty hunters telling you that if your clean you have nothing to worry about and declarations of piracy, your cargo or your life.

I can see it being popular if done that way, it has the side benefit that it reduces the pressure of localisation as FD could roll them out a language at a time.
 
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Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
Robert Maynard
Ramireza said:
Again : The Station anouncers also talking english, even if i switch to german (i am german) :) The Text can stay translated of course.
Click to expand...

Didn't know that the station announcers were only voiced in English - apologies for that.

torc said:
That's why SUBTITLES exsists :)
Messages in english and subs in german or whatever you want.
Problem solved.
Click to expand...

Expending time and effort to voice NPCs only to have to revert to text translations for non-English speakers seems a bit of a wasted effort.
 

eleanorsbee

E
Ramireza said:
even today the comnunications between Airplanes and Groundbases are 100% English. There is no need for translations.
Click to expand...

only the standard call - response are in english ie "AL-296 cleared for take off" .... if you flew up behind an African pilot and said," open the cargo doors you scum or i'll blow your doors off and then kill you" - chances are he wont understand a word of that .... unless Piracy and threats are put in to IATA ?

As much as there should be honour amoungst Pirates etc, including Pirating speak in official flight controls would never happen
 

Winterwalker

Winterwalker
It's an interesting idea in the OP for sure. Let's face it, cool if NPC's DID talk. Don't think text to speech readers are the way to go though, they always sound robotic ..

I wonder if it might be poss to have a small set of recorded voices, giving the order to surrender or whatever, and "randomise" them (so they don't sound the same each time) by running through a couple of filters ; pitch? speed? light phasing? procedural parameters?

Not sure if it would work but this (kind of) filter is being used, to put squelch on the player communications already.

Bells and whistles though .. in no way priority .. but cool.
 

W4rSkuLL

W4rSkuLL
Ramireza said:
I think it would be very immersive if the NPC Pilots realy talking to you, not just the Text Messages. I am pretty sure that this sholdnt be this expansive because they dont have to tell you long stories, taunting like "I kill you" or "Hand over your cargo!" or messages like "You will be scanned now Commander" should be enough. I mean, even Games like X-Wing, Privateer, Wing Commander and Freelancer had this feature.

With modern audio technics that could distort and modify this voices variety should be a big deal. Well, maybe its enough if Frontier ask us to make this voices, for this we didnt need talented voice actors.
Click to expand...

I agree. With todays voice technology, it shouldnt be hard to make voice packs for the NPCs ships. It would be a lot more immersive and atmospheric than just looking at the COMs chatter box.
 

Skizomeuh

Skizomeuh
NPC voices would be great! I tend to forget to look at the comm panel easily, relying mostly on ships' behaviour. So yes, hearing them talk would be great and make the experience really immersive. I don't mind if there's repetition.

And yes, this TTS sample works really great !
 
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