I've been playing this game on and off since 2011 and the main feature I'd always wanted to have put in since the beginning would be an option to have different voices eg all classes have 6 different options for voices or so.

It's just always felt awkward going into fps and even though you are a twi'lek and there's a sith pureblood and ur both sith warriors, you both have the EXACT same voice.

I've been playing this game on and off since 2011 and the main feature I'd always wanted to have put in since the beginning would be an option to have different voices eg all classes have 6 different options for voices or so.

It's just always felt awkward going into fps and even though you are a twi'lek and there's a sith pureblood and ur both sith warriors, you both have the EXACT same voice.

TLDR: If budget wasn't a factor, It would be safe to assume we'd have more voice options.

Interesting. I agree to an extent, but we first have to commend the quality of the choice of actor and their performance. All 16 did stellar jobs. The voice fits the character. Both male and female versions work well. Trooper had that sort of patriotic tone, Smuggler sounded like it was skootching with people, BH's was gruff. IA's was obedient. etc. Now that all worked well if you played them like that. When you take into account the different species and like you mentioned, multiple people with the same class with distinctly different looks sounding exactly alike, then you just have to suspend reality for moment and just let it slide. Although you have a choice of character appearance customization, think of it like you're playing the movie version of what Bioware wants it to be.

Let's play a lil and pretend that every single storyline was done with every voice actor, then I'd make an Imperial Agent with the male smuggler voice. Does it fit the class? Meh, maybe not, but I love that voice though. I'm American so I'm partial to that sound, accent, and delivery of it. Empire classes have that British English tone to them which is unnatural to my ears because I'm not as accustomed to it. Lore wise, that accent is native to the core worlds. It's also associated with the upper class. (Jyn Urso; Rogue One as reference) Behind the scenes, George Lucas gave the Empire elements of 1940's Nazi party. Then again, this is a few thousand years before the trilogies so Bioware has artistic liberties when designing their time periods.

This is something I though about myself and me having audio editing and sound designing skills realy helped to produce a reasonable cost free solution to have this enabled.

swtor's sound team can assign pitch slider modulation to the voices as slider presets (kinda like you select eye color and hairstyle) The pitch modulation would make your voice more husky or lighter. This is actualy very helpful when building a character that is either body type 1 or 3-4. It enables you to give them a matching voice for thier build.

here's an example

This is something I though about myself and me having audio editing and sound designing skills realy helped to produce a reasonable cost free solution to have this enabled.

 

swtor's sound team can assign pitch slider modulation to the voices as slider presets (kinda like you select eye color and hairstyle) The pitch modulation would make your voice more husky or lighter. This is actualy very helpful when building a character that is either body type 1 or 3-4. It enables you to give them a matching voice for thier build.

 

here's an example

That sounds awesome! Really gives it a different tone/feel.

This is something I though about myself and me having audio editing and sound designing skills realy helped to produce a reasonable cost free solution to have this enabled.

 

swtor's sound team can assign pitch slider modulation to the voices as slider presets (kinda like you select eye color and hairstyle) The pitch modulation would make your voice more husky or lighter. This is actualy very helpful when building a character that is either body type 1 or 3-4. It enables you to give them a matching voice for thier build.

 

here's an example

Wow, the slight change made a big difference. I'd like to add that our voices change when we wear some helmets. Leads me to believe they can tweek voices if they wanted to.

Wow, the slight change made a big difference. I'd like to add that our voices change when we wear some helmets. Leads me to believe they can tweek voices if they wanted to.

They can attach a pitch modulator in the same way they attach helmet voice modulator or holo talk.

So they don't even have to rerecord anything.

They can attach a pitch modulator in the same way they attach helmet voice modulator or holo talk.

So they don't even have to rerecord anything.

They should hire you! At the very least try PMing Eric with your demo. Doesn't hurt to bring attention to it. Who knows? We may all end up being in your debt for creating something this ingenious.

This is something I though about myself and me having audio editing and sound designing skills realy helped to produce a reasonable cost free solution to have this enabled.

 

swtor's sound team can assign pitch slider modulation to the voices as slider presets (kinda like you select eye color and hairstyle) The pitch modulation would make your voice more husky or lighter. This is actualy very helpful when building a character that is either body type 1 or 3-4. It enables you to give them a matching voice for thier build.

 

here's an example

I haven't listened to the sample, but is it something that can be done in real-time, as the sound is playing, without causing a significant delay? (Note: I'm willing to believe that it is, but it's worth asking the question.)

I haven't listened to the sample, but is it something that can be done in real-time, as the sound is playing, without causing a significant delay? (Note: I'm willing to believe that it is, but it's worth asking the question.)

Pitching has a very vast spectrum but don't worry, the spectrum we want for the voices is right at the middle where the default pitch is and lenght not yet affected (well not on noticeable levels at least)

Pitching has a very vast spectrum but don't worry, the spectrum we want for the voices is right at the middle where the default pitch is and lenght not yet affected (well not on noticeable levels at least)

That's not what I asked. Can it be done "on the fly" as the sound is being played?

That's not what I asked. Can it be done "on the fly" as the sound is being played?

Yes, it would be implemented in the same way helmet voice changes and holocall disortion effects work in coversations with the main difference that these would be optional and bound to character customisation preset slots

Yes, it would be implemented in the same way helmet voice changes and holocall disortion effects work in coversations with the main difference that these would be optional and bound to character customisation preset slots

Not what I asked. Let me try again. Can the frequency-shift calculations be done fast enough to keep up as the sound plays? Does it take more or less than ten seconds to calculate the frequency shift for ten seconds of audio? As I said, I expect that they can, but I want you to confirm or deny it.

Not what I asked. Let me try again. Can the frequency-shift calculations be done fast enough to keep up as the sound plays? Does it take more or less than ten seconds to calculate the frequency shift for ten seconds of audio? As I said, I expect that they can, but I want you to confirm or deny it.

If you expect that they can, why don’t you just have faith in yourself, broski? Why do you want someone else to confirm something you already know?

???

Not what I asked. Let me try again. Can the frequency-shift calculations be done fast enough to keep up as the sound plays? Does it take more or less than ten seconds to calculate the frequency shift for ten seconds of audio? As I said, I expect that they can, but I want you to confirm or deny it.

There won't be any calculations, the chosen frequency for the desired pitch/voice preset will be locked into each preset.The modulation would be then always ON and the voice change effect is instant, there is no preloading, precalculating and no delay, once the modulation is on the effect works instantly, because its a modulation/effect by nature. It's just the sound designer applying alittle squeeze on the throat

There won't be any calculations, the chosen frequency for the desired pitch/voice preset will be locked into each preset.The modulation would be then always ON and the voice change effect is instant, there is no preloading, precalculating and no delay, once the modulation is on the effect works instantly, because its a modulation/effect by nature. It's just the sound designer applying alittle squeeze on the throat

So we have to download N copies of each player voice?

So we have to download N copies of each player voice?

Since as I have previously mentioned, it will work the same way as helmet voice changers and holo talk effects/modulators, it will not alter the recorded voice liness in anyway that would require a change in file sizes, its only an effect that stacks on top of the sound, altering it.

Since as I have previously mentioned, it will work the same way as helmet voice changers and holo talk effects/modulators, it will not alter the recorded voice liness in anyway that would require a change in file sizes, its only an effect that stacks on top of the sound, altering it.

How do you propose to alter the sounds without calculations?

How do you propose to alter the sounds without calculations?

What kind of calculations?

How do you propose to alter the sounds without calculations?

I believe you are thinking of this like re-encoding a music or video file. This is not what is happening.

Think of it like putting a mute in a musical instrument, or changing the synth on an electric keyboard. You are simply applying a filter to the data, which is practically free by modern computational standards.

I could see issues with VA contracts if there is an alteration like this to their recording. This isn't the same type of modulation as with a helmet or transmission, its a fundamental alteration to the original pitch and tone of the original sound generated by the VA. Its expected if the VA is recording for "Alvin and the Chipmunks," but not necessarily for something like this.

Its an interesting idea though, and certainly a lot less work and money than recording multiple voices per gender per class.

How do you propose to alter the sounds without calculations?

In fact, you don't need any major calculations for the pitch change. There are analogue plug-ins that change the pitch of your voice or your instrument in real time. And these are around since 60's i believe.

Computer equivalents were implemented in late 90's and now they are developed to the point that the process takes zero time and about 0.01% of your PC's RAM.

How the process could be implemented into game engine is another question.