Originally Posted by Niara
It's a nice dream, truly, but even today we don't have the appropriate tech to blend a recorded external sample into an existing pre-recorded voice line. It's another element that is just made 'easier' by having an element that binds the pc to the story, since it gives writers and out for referencing our character indirectly "Seems our shard-bearer has to go to neverwinter, like it or not... well, I want to see this through now, so I'm going with her." No, it's not entirely smooth or perfect, but it's another tool in the toolkit to handle a difficulty.

That aside, some of us use our hands to talk, so, recording our own barks and names isn't really an option anyway...

What's likely to come first, before that, would be the ability to give the game a phonetic translation of the name we want to use, within the context of a game that is already using functionally synthesised voice sets - these days, voice modulators can take a mic input, cancel it and convert it into something that sounds very much like a real voice, and yet entirely different - the good ones are getting harder and harder to tell apart from real humans. I could see, in the future, a game where this is done large scale, and so the game is actually equipped to read a phonetic description and place it into its existing dialogues for all characters smoothly... but I think it's still a little ways off.

And yes... fully immersive, fully tactile world experience D&D and video games of any sort is the thing I think many of us are looking towards as our generation's 'flying car' dream.

How legit would it be if they actually animated in Sign though? I mean for real! If they did a character with some faerun style ASL that would be so impressive. Back slaps and first bumps and military scouting type silent language is one thing and the game could start there in a general sort of way. But it should be treated like other languages as a skill that can be deployed for story purposes. The game has some fun with languages right now, with the Gith stuff, and with Gale's demonic philology digressions. I wish Druids and Dwarves had more secret language script or ogham etc. But doing sign would be pretty cool. I think it was positively received in Dune where they did up the hybrid futuristic version and subtitle. Something high fantasy like that might work, or a deaf/mute character like the gal in Dark to showcase. I mean doesn't have to be perfectly executed to still carry, since it'd be so novel
Haven't really seen it before. It'd be legit as a scout to deploy, even if it was just for flavor and flair. It could also be used in speak with animals, since that is common. They could have it with Scratch. Dogs know how to follow our eyes and simple signs, just like voice commands so that might be cool. Or speak with the dead just to give it more gravity. That's like a moonshot, but it could pay off with all characters, because whatever gestural stuff would be required to carry it would translate elsewhere down the line. Like for use in arcane or divine magic too, or combat hands with the monks and other dexterous types. I'll be curious to see what they do there, hopefully they're hiring some martial artist and motion cap'n it. But something on a more general level of animation, if it's good enough to sign then that would definitely up the game.