Games to tap for voices?
chimeric
Member Posts: 1,163
I want to make a few minor NPC, and I need some basic voice-overs for them: attack, select, death gurgling, that sort of thing. Asking real people would probably be too much, so I think I'll hit the plagiarism mall and just take from other games that won't sound instantly familiar. Right now I need a big or dumb guy's voice and three women's voices, one more of an action-hero or villain type and two milder neutrals. This is approximate, it doesn't really matter what they say. Any suggestions? What games do you remember for their voices? The Diablos and Warcraft are probably too well-known. I'm thinking about angling for games other than fantasy, too, like Commandos or even Jagged Alliance from way back.
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It could be an RPG like e.g. Dragon Age, but it could also be an RTS.
Games like Neverwinter Nights... A little too obvious. Whoever has played Infinity Engine games probably knows NN too. But I've had some luck with voices from Warcraft 2. "We're not brainless anymore."
From what you described, you could easily salvage all you need from NWN alone. The game has loads of generic soundsets, and it's not like the game's characters are any memorable, with the exception of a few utter weirdos like Deekin. It's also set in the exact same old Forgotten Realms, which means you don't even need to waste time cutting out references to starships and such.
I for one used Sir Christopher Lee's voice many times with success, despite it being so very characteristic. It's not a problem for me if someone should recognize a line of his as that of Count Dooku, Count Dracula or even Lord Summerisle. Neither is it a problem for me if someone goes like: omg how cool, it's Saruman! When picking voices for a mod or game, the only concerns are whether recording quality is sufficient, whether it suits the character, and whether it blends in with the rest of the content. That's all there is to making a character speak, at a basic level.
If anything, using familiar voiceover lines will make people more attracted to your mod. Certainly much more than anything a volunteer without proper equipment could record in their bedroom. Trust me, few things are as immersion-breaking as a voiceover troubled by loud ambient hiss and the occasional meow of a cat in the background.
Just put in whatever you want so long as it is consistent enough, whether by the what the words are phrased or tone/timbre or what is being said. Not many people have the ear of Mozart or Beethoven...