SoD dialogue between Neera and Safana - Audio files from a different actor for Neera?

Nerfy

I'm not sure if this is a bug or just a product of dialogue being recorded at different times, but when Safana discusses how Neera's hair turned pink in SoD, Neera suddenly sounds wildly different, almost identical to Imoen's voice actress. I thought maybe it was an incorrect audio file used, from another VA used at some earlier stage.

I'll chalk it up to wild magic, just like her changing hair colour.

edit: When I reloaded the game, she had a discussion with Corwin where she once again had an entirely different voice, with a bit of an accent. These happen near the quartermaster in the final coalition camp.

JuliusBorisov

Tagging @Hurricane to check, just in case.

elminster

Hard to say. She's a local actress so its possible they were recorded at separate times (she sounds like she has a cold saying "Lavender" for instance). The only people who would know for sure probably haven't been at the company in 3 years.

BDBan060.bcs is the relevant script

Hurricane

I agree that Neera's voice in her banter with Safana and Corwin sounds a bit different from her usual voice, though I think "entirely different" is probably a bit of an exaggeration.

Neera was voiced by Nicola Elbro in BG:EE. There's some indication that both Elbro and Kendra Connor were originally considered as options for Neera in SoD, so it's possible that both of them ended up in the game, but this is only speculation on my part. I don't have any verifiable insight into what actually happened.

Ardanis

I'd say it is not very likely. Late in production several Neera's lines had been edited and the new audio had to be pieced together from her existing VO because Nicola wasn't available for additional recording. I doubt it would've happened had Kendra been greenlit for Neera.

PS Also maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure she sounds much different in the banter.

Nerfy

In isolation it might be not so noticeable, though if you listen to some of Neera's regular lines and then BD58936 & BD58938 they sound like different people to me, or maybe just recorded very far apart and in different circumstances. It's not a gamebreaker by any means, just surprised me a bit when suddenly Neera sounded so different. I never noticed it in a previous playthrough with her so it's perhaps very rare, and it's worth having the conversation even if she sounds different.