Why so little voice acting?

Quitch · Post by **Quitch** » Mon Feb 05, 2001 7:42 pm

Why is so much of the game still reliant on text? I found it surprising that the main characters did not speak more of their lines, since the atmosphere was always much better when they did. With the possible exception of that Avatar on the Cult of the Eyeless quest, who took soooooooo, looooooooong, toooooooo, saaaaaaaaay, hisssssssss, wordssssssssss.........

Obviously, I realise there's a lot to say, but then Outcast was a big game like BG2, with a big script like BG2, and it still managed it.

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Quitch
"Well since you asked, I would like to register a complaint. I want to kill a dragon. Right now. No, don't look. Go kill one now. Go find one and kill it. Right now. That would be SO cool" - Lilarcor

Bro'Drake · Post by **Bro'Drake** » Mon Feb 05, 2001 7:59 pm

VO work costs a considerable amount of cash, and with some of the big names they have in the VO Cast (such as Jim Cummings), a second of dialogue costs hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Hei_Mao · Post by **Hei_Mao** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 12:16 am

In some cases, I actually prefer the text to a VO. I get a little sick of hearing "You must gather your party before venturing forth." It was much nicer in Icewind Dale. You simply got a little text reminder... no voice.

Radek · Post by **Radek** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 4:34 am

One little detail: Not everybody on this planet is an Englishman, not everybody speaks English so well so that he can catch spoken English without any troubles. Thus, if you want to expand on foreign market then you MUST include text windows.

KN · Post by KN » Tue Feb 06, 2001 8:22 am

They also have to leave out a lot of it because of the fact that everyone's character has a different name. You will notice that during a dialogue that they have to cut it short whenever the npc mentions your characters name. I think its cool though because it gives the game a more personal feeling. Anyways a little reading never hurt anyone!

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"Four thousand throats may be cut in one night, by a running man."
- Klingon Crewman "Day of the Dove"

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 8:47 am

They could pioneeer a Stephen Hawking type of situation where it attempts to say your name

The most annoying VO is Gaelan Bayle, Coo!, i just ripped your..... the rest had to be edited for viewers psyche.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 9:21 am

I think there was a lot of surplus dialogue in BG1 - rather than leave it in BG2 they just replaced it with text, something they experimented with in IWD. It was pretty pointless when peasants had 2/3 lines of dialogue. Plus there is a lot more speech in some of the conversations in BG2.

Text on screen also serves to point out useful conversations. Very helpful

Quitch · Post by **Quitch** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 7:16 pm

I don't disagree with text, it certinally should be there, but I would have liked to see a little more VO to flesh it out.

Obviously the bits with your name would have required some work around, but then very often the VO and the text don't match.

Sorry if this is up more than once (damn line dropped and I don't know if this worked)

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Quitch
"Well since you asked, I would like to register a complaint. I want to kill a dragon. Right now. No, don't look. Go kill one now. Go find one and kill it. Right now. That would be SO cool" - Lilarcor

tigerone · Post by **tigerone** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 9:37 pm

Definitely all the script options that could be taken would render the process of complete voice overs a very expensive proposition. Moreover, BG II would have ended up a DVD-only rendition with all the storage required just for the voices alone. Imagine how much hard drive real estate a full install would demand! But I agree, the voices really do wonders for the game; but with the talent they hired it would have been very costly.

Heh, I remember when I first played this game I thought my sound card was broken/too old/or my computer was very old and needed an upgrade. After much thought, I realized my error.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 9:47 pm

I like the VO's and all, but I think Black Isle made the right choice with limiting the VO work. By doing so, they retained the true nature of what D&D was based on. The ability for one to read, and enjoy. If one reads the text, it allows one to picture the person speaking, and make them as elequint, or as artiqulate as you want. I know thats not much, but I also look at this from a writors point of veiw. I believe AD&D was meant to be read, not heard. Don't get me wrong though, I loved the VO in the game, I'm just saying what I feel, thats all...

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I am not what you think I am.
I am not what I think I am.
I am what you think I think I am...

(Ponder over that one for a bit...)

Agoth · Post by **Agoth** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 10:22 pm

Ahh, but imagination is the key to this type of game. They allow you to hear every main character's voice, so you know what they sound like. After I've heard the voice a few times, I can hear it as I read lines of text as clearly as if it had been spoken. Remember, an RPG is at it's heart an interactive book. They did an excellent job of imparting the "book" feeling.

Bro'Drake · Post by **Bro'Drake** » Tue Feb 06, 2001 11:36 pm

If they had the money, I wouldn't have minded more VO of the dialogue, but not an entire narration.

Possibly one out of three (maybe one out of four, or five) of the character dialogues could've had the VO treatment, just to keep things 'flowing' with the narrative. Some people don't read the entire body of text, and look to other sensory queues for the plot line.