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What should an elf sound like?

Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
I just started a new run through of BG1 and created an elven Kensai:



But when I came to choosing a voice for her none of the options seemed appropriate. I ended up using the same one I always use 'Female: Streetwise' but she doesn't sound much like an elf to me. Then again I don't have any idea what an elf should sound like.

To me Jaheira sounds vaguely east European but is that an elvish accent or a Tethyrian one?

So what do you think - is there a voice set that says 'elf' to you?

Comments

  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811
    I don’t think there is a stereotypical elf sound set like there is for Dwarves (bad Scottish) and gnomes (high pitched frantic).

    Look at all the elves Kivan, Xan, Fenthick (NWN) or Aribeth (NWN), Aerie, Viconia and there isn’t much comparison between them.

    You can gravitate to a more noble/proper sounding voice set as that may fit everyone but Kivan, but that may also have to do with upbringing than actual elven genetics.
    Permidion_StarkThacoBelllolienAerakar
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Any snobbish soundset should do the trick.






    ... or a French one. :p
    Permidion_StarkDev6Balrog99
  • Dev6Dev6 Member Posts: 719
    @Kamigoroshi and now the thought of an Elf screaming "OMELLETTE DU FROMAGE!!!!" at the top of his lungs as he rushes his enemies will be forever burned in my mind.
    KamigoroshiThacoBellsemiticgoddessMontresor_SP
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    edited October 2018
    French? My English teacher always said two things in that language.

    Quel Dumbass
    Qu'est-ce que f*ck
    Both are surprisingly effective.

    Then again, whenever he wanted bread with cheese he said.

    Je suis une baguette et je suis also une fromage.


    On topic, i like the second and last ones in the original list of default+3.
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    I like the idea of elves speaking French. I've actually got a French version of BG1 and BG2 on disc. If I could just work out a way of extracting the soundsets my problems would be solved.
  • QuickbladeQuickblade Member Posts: 957
    Dev6 said:

    @Kamigoroshi and now the thought of an Elf screaming "OMELLETTE DU FROMAGE!!!!" at the top of his lungs as he rushes his enemies will be forever burned in my mind.

    ThacoBellsemiticgoddessDev6
  • ChroniclerChronicler Member Posts: 1,391
    I don't think elves have like special voices in the realms.

    Some of them might have regional accents, but you grew up in Candlekeep either way.
    ThacoBell
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861

    @Permidion_Stark - BGEE/SoD comes with non-English language files. Just go into the "lang/fr_FR/sounds" directory and you'll find all the french character sounds.

    Excellent. I shall have French elves from now on.
    lroumen
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Nice!
    Permidion_Stark
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Also, Kingdom's of Amalur did it right: Roman gnomes!

    So... we got Scottish dwarves, French elves and Italian gnomes now. The rest would probably be Dutch halflings, Belgian half-elves, German tieflings, Polish half-orcs and Czech vampires.
    ThacoBellPermidion_StarkCabal82
  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811
    edited October 2018
    lroumen said:

    French? My English teacher always said two things in that language.

    Quel Dumbass
    Qu'est-ce que f*ck

    The response to the second one is "something that doesn't like clubbing."
    as phoque pronounced f*ck is the French word for seal (the animal).
    lroumenDev6
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    @AstroBryGuy

    My attempt to create a French elf has so far resulted in failure. I found the "lang/fr_FR/sounds" directory and renamed the first soundset by changing the names from Female1a.wav to Female11a.wav. I renumbered the whole set and then copied it into en_US folder. However, no new character sound options turn up at character creation. Have I done something wrong?
  • AstroBryGuyAstroBryGuy Member Posts: 3,437
    The sound filenames can only be 8 characters (not counting the wav extension). Female11a is 9 characters.
    Permidion_Starkloliensemiticgoddess[Deleted User]
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    @AstroBryGuy

    Merci beaucoup. I will try again.
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    edited October 2018
    Hurrah it worked! My elf is French and she definitely sounds more elfy to me.

    If you go by Tolkien, a High Elf should sound Finnish and a Grey Elf should sound Welsh, since Quenya and Sindarin were inspired by those languages. :smile:

    I'm guessing my elf is a gold elf (just judging by her colouring).
    Montresor_SPAerakar
  • JoenSoJoenSo Member Posts: 910

    I don't think elves have like special voices in the realms.

    Some of them might have regional accents, but you grew up in Candlekeep either way.

    I always liked that comment by... a noblewoman in Waukeen's promenade I think? Who can tell that Charname isn't from Amn because of their northern dialect.
    Permidion_StarkMontresor_SPAerakarChronicler
  • MonoCanallaMonoCanalla Member Posts: 291
    edited October 2018

    If you go by Tolkien, a High Elf should sound Finnish and a Grey Elf should sound Welsh, since Quenya and Sindarin were inspired by those languages. :smile:

    This. I think Elvish doesn’t sound French at all (with all respects to French).

    PS: Although as. Spanish native, Swedish, German and English (from England) all sound very plausible Elvish to me. With special mention to Swedish: when you read botanic vocabulary in that language, that’s Elvish!

    Montresor_SPJoenSo
  • ProbablyNotANumberProbablyNotANumber Member Posts: 26
    edited October 2018
    This is Gygax' universe, not Tolkien's, even if the latter is an influence.

    Out of the blue, I couldn't possibly fathom the Elves speaking common English or even German. It feels like the language would need roots different from Commoner, which is probably a Germanic language like English.

    But I don't care. From my point of view, Commoner is my language which is a Romance one and so it doesn't matter if Elvish takes a Germanic accent or not. It's not like there's only one, just pick one that sounds foreign and kind of gives a refined vibe and I'll be fine, which I think is what OP actually did.

    Can't be one of the Asian, African or Middle Eastern ones though, since there are other places in Aber-Toril that better fit the vibe these give IMO.
    Post edited by ProbablyNotANumber on
  • JoenSoJoenSo Member Posts: 910
    edited October 2018

    If you go by Tolkien, a High Elf should sound Finnish and a Grey Elf should sound Welsh, since Quenya and Sindarin were inspired by those languages. :smile:

    This. I think Elvish doesn’t sound French at all (with all respects to French).

    PS: Although as. Spanish native, Swedish, German and English (from England) all sound very plausible Elvish to me. With special mention to Swedish: when you read botanic vocabulary in that language, that’s Elvish!

    Tvåhjärtbladiga gömfröväxter och gulgröna maskrosor <-- for those of you who want an example of this curiously specific kind of Elvish
    Montresor_SPThacoBell
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    JoenSo said:

    If you go by Tolkien, a High Elf should sound Finnish and a Grey Elf should sound Welsh, since Quenya and Sindarin were inspired by those languages. :smile:

    This. I think Elvish doesn’t sound French at all (with all respects to French).

    PS: Although as. Spanish native, Swedish, German and English (from England) all sound very plausible Elvish to me. With special mention to Swedish: when you read botanic vocabulary in that language, that’s Elvish!

    Tvåhjärtbladiga gömfröväxter och gulgröna maskrosor <-- for those of you who want an example of this curiously specific kind of Elvish</p>
    Now we need to start campaigning for Beamdog to include this in the new voice sets.
    Montresor_SPJoenSoThacoBell
  • Montresor_SPMontresor_SP Member Posts: 2,208
    They can allways just nick a few lines from this guy!



    *awaits angry replies from across the Öresund* :mrgreen:
    JoenSoThacoBell
  • JoenSoJoenSo Member Posts: 910
    Now why would I leave an angry reply when this chef speaks my native language so fluently? (I would actually love a Swedish chef voice set)
    Montresor_SPThacoBell
  • Cabal82Cabal82 Member Posts: 76
    edited October 2018

    Also, Kingdom's of Amalur did it right: Roman gnomes!

    So... we got Scottish dwarves, French elves and Italian gnomes now. The rest would probably be Dutch halflings, Belgian half-elves, German tieflings, Polish half-orcs and Czech vampires.

    Czech vampires, really? ? Its upír or vampýr in Czech. We are beer drinkers not blood drinkers you know, so halflings are obviously a better choice. Just look ať the pictures of dobrý voják Svejk, our hero. ? By the way, Amalur was suprisingly good game with huge world and great lore and history. It is sad that it was the first and the last one..
    ThacoBell
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Cabal82 said:

    Amalur was suprisingly good game with huge world and great lore and history. It is sad that it was the first and the last one..

    Tsk, tsk, tsk. @Cabal82 you've gotta update your journal more often: THQ Nordic bought the rights to the Kingdoms of Amalur IP. ;)
  • Cabal82Cabal82 Member Posts: 76
    Shane on me then. Great news! If you ever visit Czech republic, beer is on me of course!
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