Unit voices in AI War 2

[qipoi]

Even if it is too expensive to hire voice actors, can we have some kind of voice acting or functionality to add voice acting for the units? Or even just get the devs to do some voice lines for the fun of it. I always find it jarring when games have no unit lines, its hard to imagine I am commnading an army instead of a faceless blob of ships. I think my favorite lines for a space game has to go to the homeworld series, for their ice-cool professional soldier lines, really makes the game come alive, feel like you are commanding a fleet.

Even if you just provided the functionality, make it modifiable, that then let the players slot in the voice lines, that would be amazing.

That said you only really need lines for the core ship types+one set for buildings and one for the mothership, you don't the sub-types, which I think is only like 6 or so sets of voice lines.

What do you guys think?

[BadgerBadger]

Well, they will be getting in voice actors for the Taunts, so it might be doable to get them to do some unit voices. I agree it would be cool!

[x4000]

We typically do sounds for the orders, rather than voice lines.  It wouldn't be super expensive to do lines for them, but I guess I worry about it becoming repetitive.

[BadgerBadger]

Why don't we revisit this in a few months when you are closer to getting voice actors in, and see what folks think once the game is more developed?

[qipoi]

We typically do sounds for the orders, rather than voice lines.  It wouldn't be super expensive to do lines for them, but I guess I worry about it becoming repetitive.

I rather like the Homeworld voice lines for that exact reason. They are short, professional sounding, and to the point, thus don't really get repetitive. Thats my opinion of it, anyway. Thanks for the reply, by the way.

Would it be possible for you to make the lines in such a way that we can mod voice packs for them, like the way XCOM 2 coded the voice sets? Some of the fan content produced for xcom 2 was top notch.

https://youtu.be/MMd3xmGG9DM?t=524 Homeworld and its voice lines, for comparison. Short, to the point, professional. Not as wild and characterised as starcraft, or as gritty as company of heroes, but I think it sets the theme right, isn't too distracting, and is as short as possible to convey the message to the player without too much noise.

[qipoi]

Just thought I would add this, another touch I liked is that the units would refer to themselves by the hotkey group/fleet group you put them in.

EG: (Ctrl-1) 1+move there "Group 1 copies." (1, attack this) "Group 1 engaging" 1 under attack "Group 1 under attack". They say all of this quite deadpan so it isn't distracting. Unlike say, the marines from SC constantly screeching "I NEED BACKUP!" whenever they got attacked by 1 zergling.

[Dominus Arbitrationis]

Just thought I would add this, another touch I liked is that the units would refer to themselves by the hotkey group/fleet group you put them in.

EG: (Ctrl-1) 1+move there "Group 1 copies." (1, attack this) "Group 1 engaging" 1 under attack "Group 1 under attack". They say all of this quite deadpan so it isn't distracting. Unlike say, the marines from SC constantly screeching "I NEED BACKUP!" whenever they got attacked by 1 zergling.

What do they say when they aren't in a group? Do they just say "Moving" or "Under attack"?

I do worry that could get annoying, especially if someone clicks multiple times, which isn't super likely, but in AIWC I've done that a few times. If they kept saying "Moving" they would repeat themselves a lot and be fairly annoying.

[qipoi]

What do they say when they aren't in a group? Do they just say "Moving" or "Under attack"?

I do worry that could get annoying, especially if someone clicks multiple times, which isn't super likely, but in AIWC I've done that a few times. If they kept saying "Moving" they would repeat themselves a lot and be fairly annoying.

Two things here: I would imagine that it would be modular. Most well planned strategy games let you tweak what your units notify you about. EG: Only voice notify under attack if in group. Or never voice notify under attack. Secondly In addition, you havea 10 second cooldown between the same phrase or between any phrase. The same selected group (or maybe globally) only say "moving" every 10 seconds, even if you clicked multiple times. The rest of the lines don't get said.

I have seen games that give you a huge amount of control over unit notifications as well, the conditions as well as the timings.

EDIT: I'd like to take this opportunity to further shill home worlds sound design.
You can strategically use light radio static type effects to make the sounds of unit lines less sharp, so that they are easier on the ears and less distracting.

Sorry, to answer your first question: Alternatively you could have them just notify you of the sector they are in, instead of that they are under attack. "Sector 5, under attack" for when taking damage. Again this should be an option that can be toggled to voice or notification/beep only. The bloat of number of lines required is kept to a minimum, moreso if you use ARMA style sectional dialogue.

Sector (5) under attack.

OR when sector 50 is under attack.

Sector (Five, Zero) is under attack. Or Group (five, zero) is under attack. All you have to record is the main phrase (sector under attack) and the numbers 1-9, and you have infinite sector and unit dialogue that doesn't take up space or take too long to record.

[BadgerBadger]

What about adding some other voiceover things; like maybe to go with whatever other queues we have for incoming waves, or CPAs, the AI will also taunt you; "The attack on Murdoch will break your foolish defenses." "This CPA will finish you."   Or if a wave fails the attack, it could say "I have learned much about how to crush you."

Using menacing voiceovers along with your other queues would allow the enemy to take on more personality.

[qipoi]

Really though as long as I get the basics I am fine (moving, attacking.) I really just want my units to feel human, at least when I give them orders, anyway. Any extra lines, like units acknowledging they are in a group, is all gravy, just helps me understand which units and battlegroups I am commanding. Perhaps basic lines are good for ships, but 'Under attack' is best left to notificatitons, even then you could still give the option to turn that on or off.

[Draco18s]

[quote author=Dominus Arbitrationis link=topic=19682.msg214505#msg214505 date=1492193032What do they say when they aren't in a group? Do they just say "Moving" or "Under attack"?

I do worry that could get annoying, especially if someone clicks multiple times, which isn't super likely, but in AIWC I've done that a few times. If they kept saying "Moving" they would repeat themselves a lot and be fairly annoying.
[/quote]

Generally quips are time-limited, i.e only one every ten seconds or so.

[x4000]

All of this sort of thing would be moddable, so at worst that could be added in belatedly.  I'll see what we can do, but there was never budget set aside for something like this.

[qipoi]

What about adding some other voiceover things; like maybe to go with whatever other queues we have for incoming waves, or CPAs, the AI will also taunt you; "The attack on Murdoch will break your foolish defenses." "This CPA will finish you."   Or if a wave fails the attack, it could say "I have learned much about how to crush you."

Using menacing voiceovers along with your other queues would allow the enemy to take on more personality.

Bonus points if the super ships , uniques(like uh golems?) you can rebuild have slightly unique, more active voice sets, especially when they die. "Mayday, mayday!"(BOOM)

AI: "Ha. Ha. Ha."

[qipoi]

All of this sort of thing would be moddable, so at worst that could be added in belatedly.  I'll see what we can do, but there was never budget set aside for something like this.

No worries man, I figured as much. I was mainly trying to make a case for you to provide the modding functionality/slots for us to add our own lines , but it looks like you were into that already.

Can't wait to add some Armada I or II Picard lines to the starship, or the calming homeworld mothership lines to the HQ ship. Can I get a vague confirmation that player made unit lines will probably maybe a thing? I Might go record some when I'm bored, or rally some people who I know have sexy voices.

[x4000]

Player made unit lines definitely will be possible to mod in, yes.

Might want to throw it on mantis just so I don't overlook it, but it's not a problem whatsoever to add it.