Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) Suggestions Voice acting!!

Something that bothered me about Beyond Divinity was the voice acting for the characters. *Cough*DEATHKNIGHT!*Cough* In fact, my game came to a halt when the posessed paladin practically said 'What are you doing?! Oh- but now I know better!' It may just be me, but awkward phrasing and too much emphasis in speech kills a game. I mean, it gets the point across... but couldn't they do it in a more realistic way..?

Some people complained about the voices in the demo (and a few complained a lot), particularly for the DK, so Larian had them redone for the full game. That triggered a new round of complaints from (mostly) different people (some of whom were previously silent on the matter) that the original voices were better.
In any case, the DK's voice gets better as the game progresses, and he does not talk that much after the first act.


Welcome to the forum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

I always thought that there should be a voice for the hero as well...a calm sort of voice..it would balance the speech of the DK nicely.

I don't know, I kind of like most of the voice acting. I thought most of it was well done, actually. Adds to the fantasy feel of things with some of the slight over-acting. The one that really grates on me is the Death Knight. Don't get me wrong, I think the actor did a fine job, all things considered, but the actor's voice itself...I don't know, it kind of sounds like an angry Jim Carey, or maybe Kermit the Frog on 'roids. For someone who is supposed to be serving the "Damned one", and is all evil, and so on, he sounds like a nice guy trying to sound mean, you know?



Woo Hoo!! With this post, I am no longer a "stranger"!! I am now an "apprentice"! Oohh, aaah...

Congrats on your apprenticeship <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

I must confess to never having found anybody who could act a terry pratchet (or in this case his daughter rhiana) type of character and get the voice right.... its a very difficult level of sarcasm, humour, wit and emotion to add into ONE voice.....

But thats my opinion...

I liked the voices.... the DK was supposed to work on your nerves in anycase....

I just started playing BD again, and I must say most of the voice acting is pretty horrible. Not the Death Knight though, he's ok.

Also, I'm very confident there isn't a single female voice actor in BD.

Anyway, I think the main reason the voices sound so bad is because they use alot of special effects. I know the intent was good, but the effects on the voices (especially imps) make the whole thing sound strange. There's a limit to how much you can digitally modify a persons voice before it starts to sound unnatural.

haven't heard any female voices, yet, either, but then again, I am only in Act I <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I still like the campy voices, it gives the game a fun feel. And as for the imps, I, personally, haven't ever heard an imp in real life, so I am not sure that the imps in BD don't sound like a real imp. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Ok ok, so the voices aren't "horrible". Most of the main characters have decent voices. Like the necromancer, and the demons. But alot of the less important characters have sub-par voice acting.

Oh, and I just got to a part in Act 3, in which the Death Knight has 2 lines in which he sounds completely different. I'm guessing this accedentally got left in somehow.

Or maybe he has split personality <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />!

Übereil

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> welcome back, Tovi!! haven't seen u for quite some time. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I got the impresson that 1 actor was voicing many others...

The necromancer and keeper of ranks sound awfully similar.....

Im wondering if Larian need vioce actors...i myself can do many accents. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The whole point of a professional voiceactor is that he can do different voices.

Take the simpsons for example. Don Castellaneta does the voices for Homer, Grampa, Barney, Krusty the Clown, Goundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Hans Moleman, Sideshow Mel, Itchy, Kodos, Gil, Bill Clinton and Burn's Lawyer.

In fact, all of the voices are done by about 8 people in that show, with the exception of guest voices who are usually celebrities voicing themselves.

Oh i can do that too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

You do realize that you'd have to prove yourself right? Cause no one believes you. Right?

Ok. Go for it. And if you want, I'll give you feedback, but I'm warning you, if you're not good, I'll tell you right away.

Still up for it?

Why would anyone beleive me? No-one knows me so of course i would have to prove myself. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Oh yes...how would i record my voice...would a tape and tape recorder do?

Yeah i know im in the stone age but what can i say.

I hope theres no time limit for this..i have some suff to do in RL.

Also once i finish..if the above method is acceptable where can i send it to?

Oh yes...but seriously dont you think that the keeper of the ranks and the necromacer was voiced by the same person with very similar accents and tones of voice?

I believe you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

The easiest way to record your voice would be to use a cheap microphone plugged into your sound card. A tape recorder would have to be plugged into the line in jack of a sound card to record from the tape to get into a format you could post. Either that or you could mail the tape to someone to verify.

As long as proof is an issue, how are you planning to prove it is your voice on the tape, and you didn't just go out and hire 15 people to read a couple lines each? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Your own voice is also "heard" through particular bones in your skull; that's partially the reason why the "real" voice often sounds so much different when heard through tapes.

By the way, I found the German accent of the skull early in Act I absolutely horrible, and it was definitively changed from the Demo. I still don't understand why.

Raze and Alrik raise intresting points.

For fun...i am going to do a couple of accents in the method i have described..hopefully in the same tone of voice...then i am going to (hopefully) vary the tones of voice. That may prove it hopefully. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />...i am going to copy the tape and send it to someone who is interested when im ready.

BTW: Thanks for the vote of confidence Raze!!!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

While Raze is right about the microphone/sound card thats just too technoically advanced for me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Alrik is right when he says then we hear different from otherrs when we speak.
That may prove my downfall cuase when i do accents/varying of vioce..i usualy do it to myself..yes i know im mad taking to myself but there you go <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The skull was a German/slightly Dutch/ type of accent..well in my view ad was a bit too high pitched.

The skull's voice was bad, and sounded like it was based on an Arnold Schwarzenegger imitation. Actually, IMO that was the main problem with some of the voice acting, that you could tell the voice was based on a specific person, character or (stereotyped) region.