[SPECULATION TIME] Now, about that new NPC voice system

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

For starters, I just quote changelog for these entries from 2.4 beta 1

• Radio chatter – The radio chatter system works differently under the hood now, enabling us to do cool magic chatter based things in the future. Existing chatter lines should function the same as before (around star ports and planet ports)
• Flight controllers – This system also works differently now to be far more flexible and pave the way for future awesomes. Again the player experience should be the same as before for now

For long time there has been ongoing discussion how awesome it would be for ED to have voiced NPCs. Due of PG nature it is hard to do pre-recorded NPC voices and not to having repeat at nauseum. There have been mentions of voice synth here and there, we know David owned stake at voice synth company - later sold to Google.

However when I though how voice synth could work with available tools and know how within FD, I came to conclusion that FD still can do relatively solid voice synth using both voice actors and just regular people with interesting voices, applying modulation on the fly and changing according to sentence requirements.

As we all love to speculate about these things, I raise theory that these lines means FD have something like this in works, and we might see NPC comms sooner than later - voiced comms nevertheless.

Ok, 3...2...1...speculation time!

 

[Winterwalker]

Seems to me the Flight Controller could access player journal, congratulate you on coming in the top 10% of the Community Goal .. or tell you what time it is, now you're returning to base. Though I hope she doesn't end up sounding like my Mum! (because the Manchester controller, does a bit already and 'nagging' might only be hilarious, the once!).

 

[CMDR ANCALAGON]

If by "voiced NPCs" you mean "Samuel Jackson" then consider me all-in!

 

[IndigoWyrd]

For starters, I just quote changelog for these entries from 2.4 beta 1

• Radio chatter – The radio chatter system works differently under the hood now, enabling us to do cool magic chatter based things in the future. Existing chatter lines should function the same as before (around star ports and planet ports)
• Flight controllers – This system also works differently now to be far more flexible and pave the way for future awesomes. Again the player experience should be the same as before for now

For long time there has been ongoing discussion how awesome it would be for ED to have voiced NPCs. Due of PG nature it is hard to do pre-recorded NPC voices and not to having repeat at nauseum. There have been mentions of voice synth here and there, we know David owned stake at voice synth company - later sold to Google.

However when I though how voice synth could work with available tools and know how within FD, I came to conclusion that FD still can do relatively solid voice synth using both voice actors and just regular people with interesting voices, applying modulation on the fly and changing according to sentence requirements.

As we all love to speculate about these things, I raise theory that these lines means FD have something like this in works, and we might see NPC comms sooner than later - voiced comms nevertheless.

Ok, 3...2...1...speculation time!

I speculate, that somewhere in that vast new headquarters complex is a hot tub time machine, so that they can "do cool magic chatter based things in the future".

 

[13A]

It's so that the Thargoids can tell you that they've come a long way for all that lovely cargo

 

[Vasco Sapien]

Flight controllers calling me by my name... my ships name or my ships CN.

maybe.

 

[Spacecat]

They'll have random audio ads for paint jobs.

 

[Zeeman]

Would be nice if those hot sounding imperial flight control girls would at least politely decline my requests for a date at the Star Bar™...

Z..

 

[Brett C]

There are some rather neat auto magics in play for 2.4. Will let you guys find those all in due time however.

 

[Habu2u]

There are some rather neat auto magics in play for 2.4. Will let you guys find those all in due time however.

That sounds very intriguing! Looking forward to finding some of those.

 

[Jenner]

Very interesting! And welcome! I love the audio chatter already, so I'm stoked!

 

[Valethar]

There are some rather neat auto magics in play for 2.4. Will let you guys find those all in due time however.

Already found the best one in the Beta.

When you hit the rebuy screen, the Imperial Flight Control tells you it's all TJ's fault.

I'd crash sidewinders all day just to LOL at that.

 

[Infidel Deity]

There are some rather neat auto magics in play for 2.4. Will let you guys find those all in due time however.

Good show! [yesnod]

 

[Jack Shaftoe]

Currently I use the G19 Companion App, it has a setting to read all of those NPC comms out loud with randomized (and adjusted) TTS voices that are on your computer. It works very well!

 

[FoxTwo]

I use the TTS offered in this thread:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...ech-synthesis-add-on-TTS4ED?highlight=NPC+TTS

Works well enough 90% of the time. Sometimes it picks voices not suited to speak English, so I don't understand what the heck he/she is saying until I read the text