U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Forum rules
NOTICE: This forum is archived as read only.
Please use the Github Discussions at https://github.com/exult/exult/discussions
NOTICE: This forum is archived as read only.
Please use the Github Discussions at https://github.com/exult/exult/discussions
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Ok I know I'm going out on a limb here but I was wondering would it "ever" be possible to put voiced dialog for when you talk to NPC's it would be fricking amazing if it was possible.......
---------------------Dark Avatar
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
sure, you *only* need good voice actors and I'm sure it could be implemented.
--
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
sweet if I was to record some ppl's voices for it what format would I have to save it as?
---------------------Dark Avatar
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
since it isn't implemented, save it as big and as lossless as possible
As I wrote "it could" be implemented
As I wrote "it could" be implemented
--
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1310
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
or use Festival or MBROLA.
Artaxerxes
Artaxerxes
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
so it doesn't have to be in a certain format? so WAV format is alright? if it is I'll see who I can get to do the voices for this.....
---------------------Dark Avatar
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Me! Me! No...the urge to make it...over the top...too strong...must not...do...Tegan Jovanka impression...
On second thought, you probably won't want me to do it. However, I do play the autoharp, so um...wait, I don't think those were around in Britannia, either...
On second thought, you probably won't want me to do it. However, I do play the autoharp, so um...wait, I don't think those were around in Britannia, either...
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
I think I'll start with the minor NPCs first but I don't know if I should start SI first or BG......
and any help would be greatly appreiciated!!!!
and any help would be greatly appreiciated!!!!
---------------------Dark Avatar
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Yup, as long as there is no support for additional voices just save what you make lossless, as it can be easily converted to whatever format someone decides it should be.so it doesn't have to be in a certain format? so WAV format is alright?
Just be aware that none of the actual devs have commented on it, so wether it will ever be supported is something I can't say
--
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
I think it would be feasable to implement, but it would also require rewriting all of the dialog in usecode (the spoken text would have to be replaced with a "playSound" function and the path to the sound file or something).
And considering the HUGE amount of dialog involved, this would make quite a download...
And considering the HUGE amount of dialog involved, this would make quite a download...
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
And sometimes the dialog is cut in the half for it's to long. And getting the voice to finish without you having read it would not be ok. So the best would be the dialog follow the speed of the voice.
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
I think we could come up with a way to make this work without changing any usecode. Every string has a unique offset in the strings table within the function that it's in, so we could identify speech sections that way.
But we're talking about an awfully large amount of speech here.
But we're talking about an awfully large amount of speech here.
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
That would, of course, cause troubles with mods which have to reimplement dialogs to fix usecode bugs (such as SI Fixes) -- it is likely that the new usecode will not have the exact same offsets as the original usecode.Every string has a unique offset in the strings table within the function that it's in, so we could identify speech sections that way.
------
Marzo Sette Torres Junior
aka Geometrodynamic Dragon
[url=http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html]How To Ask Questions The Smart Way[/url]
Marzo Sette Torres Junior
aka Geometrodynamic Dragon
[url=http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html]How To Ask Questions The Smart Way[/url]
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 731
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
The way Ultima 8 (and Pentagram) implements speech is whenever anything says anything we do a check to see if that object has a speech flex and if it does we do string compares between what is being said and the list of speech files in the flex. If a match is found the speech is played.
This could work in U7 as well. You would use something like the number of the face being shown and if that matches a speech flex file, do a string match with the text being displayed and the contents of the flex.
This could work in U7 as well. You would use something like the number of the face being shown and if that matches a speech flex file, do a string match with the text being displayed and the contents of the flex.
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Marzo: You're right; that would be a problem.
Colourless: That would be the way to go.
Still, I wonder how we'd handle text that's built up from pieces, like when Iolo tells you how much money you have.
Colourless: That would be the way to go.
Still, I wonder how we'd handle text that's built up from pieces, like when Iolo tells you how much money you have.
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Ok i haven't been able to get anything done I was on vacation all week so I'll start working on it this week.... U know one Thing I realized that would be hard is when The NPC's say your name....so that would also complicate things....or maybe I could have them say "Avatar" instead of like "Bill" or "Ted"......
---------------------Dark Avatar
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Anyone have played Ultima VI for the FM towns? they try to maintain a neutral gender, and don´t call you by the name. Maybe that would make the speech a bit less interesting, but imho, Ultima VI for the FMtowns is done really great.
there is a page somewhere where there are some extracts of dialog (chuckles and someone else I think), but I don´t remember the site
there is a page somewhere where there are some extracts of dialog (chuckles and someone else I think), but I don´t remember the site
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Sounds like a fun idea
Perhaps you shouldn't all think in those really LARGE dimensions. Think more like Planescape:Torment or Baldur's Gate. Start with the really important sequences. And sentences you hear really often, general npc chat.
Also I would vote for SI
Perhaps you shouldn't all think in those really LARGE dimensions. Think more like Planescape:Torment or Baldur's Gate. Start with the really important sequences. And sentences you hear really often, general npc chat.
Also I would vote for SI
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
You can use flac to conserve space.
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
thanks so much for all of the suggestions and comments so far I was thinking that maybe it could be released as an additional file? so who ever doesn't want it doesn't have to have it so that would take care of a large release file..... another problem is I can't remember half of the dialog in BG or SI lol......
---------------------Dark Avatar
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
omg...I went through the forum and found this...I totally forgot about this and please forgive me...my computer has been through A LOT of crap...so I lost all that I have been working on... and then I forgot about it over time...but I'm willing to start this back up...so don't kill me because I forgot lol....
---------------------Dark Avatar
-
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
On a technical side, I don't think that UCC currently has a provision for playing back voices.
---------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
---------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
Cheers, Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
I think it would be hilarious to solicit random exult users to do the voices. I don't think we need "high quality" voice actors here just look at Richard Garriott's oscar winning lines of "put it on the table" and "stand back!" in the SI intro (I'm glad he kept his day job!)...
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
ok I have a week off...so I'm going to start to organize a couple of my buds to help me out for the voices for the first part of SI...(I like SI better....lol) then I'll work on it from there....
---------------------Dark Avatar
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
And as for "keeping neutral" suggestions, one recent example would be Neverwinter Nights and the official campaigns/mods (and a couple of fan mods, like Elegia Eternum series). They do a good job dodging the player's name, gender, and other dialogue tokens in the speech.
Of course, the dialogue writers in those games *knew* the characters in question had full speech, so they could write accordingly. Might be a big problem in games like U7 that constantly refers to player's name and gender.
And yes, there's massive amounts of spoken lines, but this could be incremental. Or partial. Having dialogue for Companions, LB, Alagner, Time Lord, Caine (?), Horance (? I'm going deep into the fan-wish-priority territory here) and Frank the Fox (Okay, I'd better quit while I'm still coherent) would be a good start.
As for technical suggestions, I suggest devs to consider Speex, which seems interesting. Not tried it too much yet, but it's probably crunching speech smaller than Vorbis.
Of course, the dialogue writers in those games *knew* the characters in question had full speech, so they could write accordingly. Might be a big problem in games like U7 that constantly refers to player's name and gender.
And yes, there's massive amounts of spoken lines, but this could be incremental. Or partial. Having dialogue for Companions, LB, Alagner, Time Lord, Caine (?), Horance (? I'm going deep into the fan-wish-priority territory here) and Frank the Fox (Okay, I'd better quit while I'm still coherent) would be a good start.
As for technical suggestions, I suggest devs to consider Speex, which seems interesting. Not tried it too much yet, but it's probably crunching speech smaller than Vorbis.
- Weyfour WWWWolf, a lupine technomancer from the cold north
[a.k.a.: Hoki-Aamrel the Cherry-Red Dragon -==(UDIC)==- ]
[a.k.a.: Hoki-Aamrel the Cherry-Red Dragon -==(UDIC)==- ]
-
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Vorbis would be feasible because there is already OGG vorbis support built into Exult. In fact, you could hack the current support to have OGG speech - just record the tracks as trackxx.ogg, put them in the Exult data directory, and then call play_music(xx) where the dialog is supposed to be.
----------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
----------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
Cheers, Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1310
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
how about not voicing the Avatar at all? After all, since each and everyone of us IS the avatar when we play, anything other than our OWN voice would break the spell of role-playing.
Thus, all you would do is to voice the NPCs, as we don't identify with them.
Artaxerxes
Thus, all you would do is to voice the NPCs, as we don't identify with them.
Artaxerxes
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Agreed, Artaxerxes - an example of this working out badly (along with the fact that all of the voice acting was terrible and everyone sounded clearly and strongly American) is the pitied Ultima IX!
I enjoyed jumping around the mountains and going walkabout, but combat was completely unbelievable (and unbelievably inconsistent) and the voice acting was cringeworthy.
If it's going to be done, it should be done really well - if it's going to be done badly it's better left undone...
I enjoyed jumping around the mountains and going walkabout, but combat was completely unbelievable (and unbelievably inconsistent) and the voice acting was cringeworthy.
If it's going to be done, it should be done really well - if it's going to be done badly it's better left undone...
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
those are some good points....yeah I might get a mob after me if I have the avatar voiced wrong...so yeah I'll probably leave it alone...for BG...I can have the people doing the voices imatate a british accent..so it would sound unique and not with that american accent that every one seems to loathe.... but for SI... I don't know.. because they clearly aren't british.. so I might not do the accent for them.... and I can riddle out one voice already...the Guardian has already been done so I don't have to worry about him...but what brings a thought in my head is what about good ol' Lord British? I don't know if I can get some one to imatate his voice the same as the opening on SI... but I'll figure it out...
---------------------Dark Avatar
-
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
You could always ask Garriot himself.
--------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
--------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
Cheers, Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
I can provide South African British-English with German/Spanish accent 8-|
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
yeah that would be awesome...but he probably doesn't have time to do everything us fans ask him to do.... but there is no harm trying...If I can get in touch with him that is...
---------------------Dark Avatar
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
you probably just have to track him down on Lineag or whatever that thing is called.
--
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
Read the documentation and the FAQ! There is no excuse for not reading them! RTFM
Read the Rules!
We do not support Piracy/Abandonware/Warez!
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
While you could add voices to new Usecode function you write, we'd have to add support for using voices in the original game. I'm going to try installing Festival so I can play around with this a bit in the next week or two.
-
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
Just float around at a RPG or gaming convention of any considerable size and Garriot will be around. E3 and GenCon for sure. I myself have met him at GenCon before ^_^
--------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer,
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
--------
Peter M Dodge aka Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer,
Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
Cheers, Wizardry Dragon
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
Lead Designer, Ultima VII: The Feudal Lands
www.thefeudallands.ca
-
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 1:34 pm
Re: U7 voiced NPC dialog?
well maybe E3 in may my friend and I might go to it if he gets the tickets soon....
---------------------Dark Avatar