"Sound is 50 percent of the moviegoing experience, and I've always believed audiences are moved and excited by what they hear in my movies at least as much as by what they see.” – George Lucas
When you consider the legacy of Star Wars™, what you hear has indeed moved and excited its fans: the orchestral score, the Cantina music, Chewie’s roar, and the pew-pew of a blaster rifle instantly take us to a galaxy far, far away. Developing sound for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ requires that we bring together the talents of dialogue writers, cinematic designers, voice-over actors, musicians, engineers, and production teams at both LucasArts and BioWare. It’s our job to create an audio experience that enhances the emotional experience of the game and reaches the quality level expected of the Star Wars franchise. As fans and as game makers, we’re excited and privileged to breathe life into every planet, every weapon, and every creature that beeps, squawks, or just plain talks…and it’s not as easy as it, er, sounds.
Voice
Audio in The Old Republic, just as with the rest of the game, begins with the storytelling. As you all know by now, for the first time ever in an MMO, every quest and character will come to life fully voiced. This is a Star Wars saga that gives new meaning to the word ‘epic’: eight unique class storylines, thousands of hours of gameplay, and hundreds of thousands of dialogue lines. It is likely the largest voiceover project in entertainment history. BioWare’s Senior Director of Development Operations, Shauna Perry, remarked last year that it takes an army of people to pull this effort together, and we’ve only grown since then.
As you would imagine, all dialogue in the game begins with the writing team. They brainstorm storylines, characters, and quests, and then they hammer out the script. But that’s only the beginning. Every outline and every line of dialogue is reviewed and revised many times. Each piece has to deliver in terms of character, cinematics, storytelling, and Star Wars tone. It’s a long and thorough process, but that’s how we get to the quality level that LucasArts and BioWare are known for.
Then, after we’ve got all the dialogue nailed down, we’ve got to cast the actors, book the studios, and direct the voiceover recording. Fortunately, we benefit from some incredible experience on this, including Darragh O’Farrell, LucasArts’ Director of Audio and the voice director responsible for the both of the ‘Knights of the Old Republic’ (KOTOR) games. We also benefit greatly from LucasArts Voice Director Will Beckman—who has to date helmed over six hundred voice sessions on this project alone. They’ll tell you—this is an incredibly delicate process. These aren’t just lines of dialogue but vibrant characters that will become your friends, your enemies, and even your own alter ego as you live out your adventures. To cast the characters, we’ve scoured film, television, theater, and beyond to make these characters feel as unique and interesting as they deserve to be. We’ve also secured some of the best talent in the industry and fan favorites from previous BioWare and Star Wars titles. I’m excited every time I hear a clever companion character or assassin droid come to life for the first time. Once written, cast, recorded, edited, mastered, creatively processed (think about the electronic voice of C-3PO or Darth Vader), vetted for quality, implemented, and breathed to life by the animators, these characters will pass over a dozen desks, multiple state and country lines, and diligent play-testing. And that’s just in English…
Aliens
All this dialogue is dizzying, but some of the most memorable characters in Star Wars are known for more… unorthodox… speaking patterns. Part of the fun of a fully voiced Star Wars game is bringing life to the countless aliens that inhabit the galaxy: the Mos Eisley Cantina wouldn’t have been very fun if everyone had been from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Some of these species “speak” for themselves—we have a fair idea what Jawas sounds like, though it takes a skilled designer to craft conversational Wookiee roars—while others we’ve hardly heard. How do you negotiate in Ithorian? How about Drallish, Pak-Pak, or through the gas-bladder wheeze of a Gand? I’ve had the chance to help Will Beckman write out and conceptualize entire languages—coolest job ever—and for less-spoken languages, we’ve had talented improvisational actors “feel out” the bovine stylings of the Gran. With tens of thousands of lines of alien dialogue and over fifty different species pouring into the game, we’ve paid special attention to varying and hand-placing these exotic encounters and we’re confident this will be an experience that fans of Cantina flavor will appreciate.
Music
Speaking of the Cantina, as memorable as its customers are, there’s also the entertainment. There are few original songs in movie history as memorable as John Williams’ “Cantina Band” and we’re happy to say there is original Cantina music in The Old Republic. Star Wars veteran Peter McConnell, from Bay Area Sound, has worked crafted songs that will sound familiar to fans of the original trilogy while playing with the idea that we’ve got three thousand years before A New Hope and the Modal Nodes. My particular favorites are vocalized cabaret songs that you might hear in dim Imperial bars on worlds like Dromund Kaas: imagine an off-duty Imperial officer kicking up his feet with a Corellian Brandy, watching his troops whoop it up to a Twi’lek Dietrich, one wary eye on the Mandalorian sitting in the back. That’s the iconic atmosphere we want to create.
No Star Wars game would be complete without orchestral music, of course, and LucasArts Music Supervisor Jesse Harlin has pulled together an impressive score, the largest we’ve ever done. He, Mark Griskey, and our team of composers have written five hours of new fully orchestrated score for the game. Recorded with a full 80-piece symphony orchestra at Skywalker Ranch, all of the music in the game combined is enough content to fill an entire new trilogy of Star Wars films. Observant fans will note that some of our recent materials—like the “Hope” cinematic trailer—benefit from the inclusion of some of these new pieces and we’re so far thrilled with the results. It’s not all about quantity, though. Guided by BioWare’s Director of Audio, Todd Davies, one of the coolest things we’ve developed for the game is a music system that ensures every scene is dramatically—but tastefully—scored. Our audio designers work together to decide when a moment needs musical emphasis or even simply a beat of silence to let a scene breathe. We’ve also been careful on both sides to ensure that each class has their own distinct themes to accompany their stories—you won’t hear Han and Leia’s theme in an Old Republic class story, but you will hear a new Bounty Hunter theme that brings your adventures its own flair and subtly introduce your presence to group mates.
Sound
Understanding that combat is really the bread and butter of any MMO, we’ve been focusing on bringing choreographed, action-packed Star Wars combat to The Old Republic. All eight of our character classes allow players to fill the boots of a different Star Wars archetype and, as such, there are hundreds of weapons in the game ranging from lightsabers to blaster rifles to cannons, even flamethrowers. As rewards and character progression are tied so closely to the gear that you’re picking up, it’s vital that an early-level weapon sound substantially different from a punchier later-level version of the same. The sheer volume of different items and the player demand for weapons that will stand out from the pack has also given us the creative freedom to augment our traditional “pew pew” blaster rifles with more outside-the box variants that will surprise players and intimidate their foes. Lightsabers in particular are a great chance for exploration with every flavor of traditional “vwooooms” combining with truly unique and bass-heavy sabers that will give a terrifying Sith Warrior a rush of power. We’re taking traditional sound effects and then tweaking them in dozens of different ways, pulling the most out of the source material provided by KOTOR veteran Julian Kwasneski and taking the sound variety to a new level. As these weapons combine with sizzling Force powers like Force Lightning and crunching specials like Stock Strike, the resulting sound combinations are as dynamic and varied as any weapon system I’ve heard in an MMO.
To that end, the worlds you’ll be exploring are wild and dangerous places, filled with creatures both fierce and friendly. Every creature type is being individually scored to ensure that you’re not hearing the same Tuk’ata snarl over and over again. You’ll hear gundarks come to life, feel yourself tense as a nexu catches your scent, and wince as an acklay lays into you with a vicious critical hit. It’s important that we be smart about not only what player does hear, but also what the player doesn’t: you’ll hear lightning in the distant skies of Dromund Kaas and the squish of swamp beneath your feet, but the audio will never drown out ambience or tension.
Conclusion
Whether you’re smuggling for a vile Hutt, addressing your Jedi or Sith Masters, plotting your next bounty over a drink in a Cantina, or dodging the jaws of a snarling rancor, the teams at BioWare and LucasArts have worked to bring you a world that feels and sounds like Star Wars. The Old Republic will be exciting and immersive, filled with places you’ll be thrilled to explore for the first time…and excited to return to again and again.
Orion Kellogg
Audio Producer, LucasArts
COMMENTS
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hello guys. we are a guild called" The Almighty sith lords guild " and we except all class like sith warriors,sith inquisitors, bounty hunters, And imperial agent. Also we got videos,ranks, chat rooms, and more. Join us and we will put an end to the republic, also we will rid the disease of the jedis. Also i put ranks for bounty hunters so i hope you guys join. |
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Speaking of sound in movies, my biggest pet peeve is not being able to hear the movie dialog because the music over plays the voice of the actors... This is also a standard in most television shows to date, yet when I went back to work by Lucas or his studios they all let the voice carry over the music quite well :D |
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THE REPUBLIC SOVEREIGNTY is now Recruiting Jedi who can wield a Blade, Soldiers who can hold a Blaster, and Smugglers who can do Dirty Work! Join one of our growing Divisions and Rank up to become one of our Officers! |
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You've all got it under control! I was humming that Mos Eisley Cantina song earlier today hah :) |
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yeah, music is incredebly important, there was once when I was playing a game..... (that did suck pretty mutch) I didn't dare to wlk around a cornenr in a sunny and friendly city because of that they had the absolutely wrong music for it... I was expecting some one to assasinate me or something.... I didn't get past that point... I stopped playing it right away.... |
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I agree George Lucas about how important the music actually is in the movies and in my experience all of the Star Wars games. To me it just isnt Star Wars without dramatic music to set the scene. |
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in combat to republic trooper 77 i come from sunsfan he is superheading an empire guild for bounty hunters and sith come and rule! |
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SW music is always EPIC! P.S I am starting a guild... only ONE member allowed... ME! lmao... Guild mongrels... (rolling my eyes) |
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I'd do it the other way and declare myself the King of all non guild recruitment forums, and say that everyone posting here would be a member of my guild? That way I can say that if any of my subjects are so inconsiderate as to ignore me and recruit here will be summarily ignored in the game. |
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Amazing I just want to give my appreciation to everyone at Bioware and Lucas Arts for your time, talent and love, you have given us all something that will surely last for generations |
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I could never understand why people make guilds to be on a low rank, Why put yourself at the lowest rank on someones guild? I will walk, fight, die with my own strength, wisdom, knowledge, power, love. Not Yours! |
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hey i've heard that this game comes out next year in spring..but is that spring in america or what??? and how much?? if anyone knows please reply |
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that is awsome |
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This game is going to be THE best game there has EVER been made, It sounds like all it needs now is Ineracive envIroment |
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"I’ve had the chance to help Will Beckman write out and conceptualize entire languages—coolest job ever—and for less-spoken languages, we’ve had talented improvisational actors “feel out” the bovine stylings of the Gran. With tens of thousands of lines of alien dialogue and over fifty different species pouring into the game," In other words: Aliens won't be as annoyingly repetetive as they were in Kotor. "Chuba paka baka?!" "Grrrrrrwooool!" and "Beep beep bop" are a thing of the past? Awesome. |
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Probably the only time I'll ever pay for a lifetime sub. |
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yeah me 2 |
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A question about Character voices. Will every, say, human male Sith Warrior sound the same? For instance, in ME2, all male Sheps had the same voice actor, so I'm wondering how that will play out in SWTOR. What if you have a group with 2 bounty hunters, will they have the same voice and inflection? The amount of VO must be overwhelming! Assuming 8 classes, and 2 genders, that means they'll have 16 actors voicing these characters. That's not counting alien versions of those classes. I can't wait to see / hear the results! |
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Professional voice actors can do more than 1 voice... 16 voices could probably be done with about 4-6 good actors. |
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TBH im lost for words, i always loved the dialogue/sound in Kotor, Kotor 2. I would play the game different ways just to hear how it dialogue/sounds, so im gona spend alot of time listening to any an everythink. Drools :D |
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This just makes me more and more excited about this game. |
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all you must do is trust your feelings my old old friend, Just like the time that we fought those two humongous black men back on Danthar IIV... i digress, I am not the man i used to be my friend, when we were sepparated back on snanthzu dokuba with nothing but the carcuses and farfaraz (god those are nasty). I was found by a Jedi Master To'tut Lo Carzick, I was trained in the Jedi ways but what is relevant is what my humble master was investigating. He was investigating a slave distress call by no other than the force itself, it turns out that there were not one but two force sensitive people on the planet one man and one child, as i understand it both the man and the child have been dead for some time now, The man died under the conditions of his training by Master Kolk Sin Gunzac, The boy turned to the darkside fast after the Man died for the events on the Planet were so intense and so great they formed a force sensitive bond that set the boy off, you may be asking why i said he died, thats because he is not the man he used to be he is only a master of evil darth, and now i need your help to stop him, what do ya say? wanna help me save the galaxy, one, last time??? |
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Every post that comes out for this game makes me that much more anxious to get my hands on this game. Can't wait till release. |
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i'm speachless |
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must be why you spelled speechless wrong... |
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best release we've got right now is a 2011 Spring release...that's the official word from E3. This game is so beautiful in every way possible. Every time I visit the site my keyboard gets a little more soaked... |
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does anyone know when the game is coming out |
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I'm hoping that there won't be any, I can't wait any longer! |
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yeah spring of 2011 and its only $45!!!!!!!!! |
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Spring 2011, but I'd count on delays |
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The sounds in this game are really cool. I have listened to them in the trailers and this game i think is going to have alot to do with sound. If u didnt have sound there is no point in playing at all thats my opion. Oh and does anyone now the date that the game is officaly coming out? |
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wow is not a word i could use to describe this game, I'ld have to make one up to. Its Biotastic! |
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Great Work :D |
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Amazing. Just truly amazing work and effort going into the heart of this game. |
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Really glad to see all the effort and attention to detail going into the front end of the game. That being said... I swear if all the servers crash on day one because of too many Mellons... I might have to kick someone in the nuts over at bioware lol |
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When they talk about the sounds people remember from the movies, why don't they mention the scream that that one stormtrooper on the death star makes? It's a classic! |
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The willhelm-scream you're talking about outdates star wars by decades.It first appearance was in the 1951 movie "Distant Drums", it's been used extensively (in over 200 films and videogames) ever since. |
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As usual, stunned by bioware's staunch stance on quality. |
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Back to the main subject though, Bioware is top notch. I can't name a single game from Bioware that wasn't groundbreaking! |
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I love how the game isn't even out and travech is already hated by the community. Hilarious! |
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wow... I am not one to insult because I feel it is very low... but you make it so easy lol... umm one, go back to school and learn to spell/grammar, and two, you might want to lay off the role playing on a non roleplaying forum... and maybe get a girlfriend... but that would require getting out of mom and dads basement. |
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you say leave me alone trooper, when your in a bounty hunter guild, with a sith warrior picture... yeah... thats all I got, I dont think I can say anything more, its all right infront of everyones face... good day sir |
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You got FLAGGED! once more. =) Have a nice day... |
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yes! i love the little things in games, especially background noises. Hearin the NPC's miscellaneous noises make the game more realistic, like your actually hearing the star wars universe. |
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Well I'm glad to hear some variation and thought is going into the more background noises. It really is a bit of a distraction when creatures and NPCs make the same three sounds set on a loop. Of course now I'm expecting a game buffed to an eye blazing shine, you sure that's a good thing? ;) -Gift. |
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When I sat down to read this article, the first thing that came to mind was the awesome theme that played while in the menu screen for KOTOR. |
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Man, I was already hyped about this game, but now that I read this... |
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Jeremy Soule scored the music for KOTOR 1 and 2...I hope they bring him back for this |
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lol cant wait for this game to come out. Ill switch from wow to this when it comes out. :B |
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Triarah
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Through the bad and good of the movies, the music of Star Wars has always had a certain resonance with me. Every once in a blue moon I listen to WoW music, but the loops are way close together, and being in one wing of Icecrown wears on the mind. Video and this Dev post have me optimistic about the sounds of this game. |
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