Tribute video of what I'm talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG8OjKiGAvE

Dark Elves shouldn't sound like they did in Oblivion. That's Wood Elf voice. While on the subject Altimers should have more nose up voice as well, sort of an imperial sound to it, but I digress, this is another topic about Jeff Baker, the voice actor of Dark Elf males in Redguard and Morrowind.

Arguments against:
But they don't breathe the ashy volcano air of Morrowind, they shouldn't sound like they drank 300 gallons of whiskey and smoked every cigarette they could find.
- There were characters in Oblivion who were from Vvardenfell, more specifically characters who were in Morrowind who didn't have that rough voice. All the dunmer of Oblivion sounded the same.
That was because they were so far away from Red Mountain.
- The Dunmer henchman in Redguard was even more far away from red mountain than Dunmer of Cyrodiil. Yet he still had that specific voice.
Bethesda can't afford more voices
- They can, and they should enlist more voices. It's not like Jeff Baker is the most expensive voice actor. I'd happily drop out Nicholas Gage from the voice acting role and hire 4 lesser known actors to do more voices.
Doing that voice for many characters can make one lose their voice for a long time
- They can also hire other actors who do that voice. It's not like Jeff did the voice for every ghoul in the new Fallouts.
The actor died
- He did voice for Oblivions expansion and Fallout 3. He is not dead.

I agree.

I always shot down this arguement by saying how come all the human races who lived under the Ash Cloud didn't have the same voice? They grew up under the cloud, why don't they talk like they need a Strepsil? I for one argue to have the gravel voice back seeing it as a more genetic trait from having lived under the cloud the Dunmer voice box is mutated from birth. Perhaps those who don't live under the cloud anymore aren't so badly effected but retain some raspiness?

I did not realize that you knew bethesdas financial plan, what else are you hiding from us?

I think one can assume, based off the sales of Oblivion and Fallout 3, that they have the money to hire voice actors for all the races and then some.

I support this motion. It should be possible, especially now that they won't need to have a complete dialog set for every character anymore.

I would rather see unknown actors in the roles, IMO there is no point dropping big bucks just to get Hollywood hotshots to say a few lines in a mic, when you can hire a bunch of less popular actors for the same price.
And as for the original post, I agree, Jeff Baker is an awesome Dunmer voice and he should return.

Best news about Skyrim so far! And I mean that in a non-doomsayer way. That's what I get for having multiple windows open.

Anyway, Yeah Dunmer (All mer and men) should have their own unique voice. Given what we've seen in FO3, I think we can at least assume that much. And I can't think of a more iconic voice than Jeff Baker for the Dunmer. He's pretty much established the sound of the race.

I don't know, it was kind of annoying that male Dunmer really couldn't shout or have any particular emotion in their voice.

They did. If you have morrowind listen through the dunmer voices. A lot of the voices you hear in the game are of course are hateful, you are outlander n'wah after all who is hated by many natives.
But the ones where they like you like "Warm greeting to you friend" sounds very positive just from the tone. Even in the video the clips where Ordinator was bribed to like you 100/100 the ordinator sounded happy to see you. And that's coming a lot from guards who mostly say they are watching you... SCUM!
It really comes down to the voice actor and the direction he is given. Looking at Jeff Bakers work I think he can do fantastic job with the voice.

sixy

YES!!
As the video shows, the dunmer voice worked on Desmond in Point Lookout, so why not Skyrim?

Damn straight he should be back (or someone with an equal style).

I've been reading everyone's posts here in the old Dunmer voice. It's funny.



But yes, I'd like at least that sort of voice back, even if not Jeff himself, although I'd be happy with him as well. The oblivion male elf voice fit the High Elves and almost fits the Bosmer, but it never really sounded right from a Dunmer. The female one was almost the same, and sounded ok for all of them.

definetly agree with using lesser or unknown voice actors for the roles, looking at fable 3 they had some big names (well if your english) do some of the major voices e.g Bernard Hill (king theoden) as Walter .. and Stephen Fry as Reaver .. and these characters were voiced well, yet there was so little effort into choosing other voices that it gave a very uneven cast..
by using more but of lesser known people then at least you get a more consistent voice which could work well, some films with previously unknown/lower market actors can be a hugely succesful..

however i think having Max von Sydow on board was a great decision, great actor with a great voice

Haha, I approve of this message.

"Move along, outlander!"

I agree. The dialogue that was recorded for the male Dunmer has all kinds of emotions. They shout angrily, they welcome you warmly or they rant about how that guar dropped something on their boots. And during the opening video, Jiub wakes you up so carefully and worried, it's heart-warming

Also damn, "Redguard" was just crammed with badass characters, wasn't it?

When they don't have to do loud sounds it usually works fine, like the scum comments, I thought they were nice, but I don't think I've ever heard a dunmer male make any real attempt at shouting, which of course makes sense, since their voice is like a loud whispering. I don't mind it being rough, but they need some other form of sounding rough in voice.

This. He or someone who does an equally good job at it.

No thank you,actually i just realize that the russian version of Morrowind had better voice actors then the original IMO.
Check this out.HE says "we are wathing you...scum."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewhuLU4GPwQ

I agree, now that is a real voice, but unlike the original, it still has this "sound" in it, unlike a whisper.

Man, I totally forgot about Desmond from Point Lookout, and now I remember what made that DLC so awesome, Morrowind Flashbacks! Oh, and that segment where you're trippin balls on the local Firewater.

all I can do is add my support. +1

I really wouldn't want anyone other than Jeff Baker's sardonic voice for the male Dunmer. I had doubts at first considering how "forced" the Dunmer voice in the E3 demo of Oblivion was (I don't think it was even him to be honestly, presumably a placeholder like the guards in Kvatch), but as Desmond the voice again seems only natural. There should be at least two or three actors for each racial/gender combination in Skyrim, and I wouldn't mind perhaps one being akin to the westernized Oblivion voice, but it's really a must to have at least one raspy voice.

I myself have always felt that even Dunmer who lived on mainland Morrowind and nowhere near Red Mountain's ash storms should still speak with a heavy, contemptuous tone. I never even considered the raspiness being biological until opponents of the Morrowind voice began to voice (pun intended lolol) themselves on this forum: the Dunmer seem to have a very prideful sense of machismo and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them deliberately tried to speak "tough" around the other mer.

They were supposed to sound like this in Oblivion. In the earlier vids you heard it. IT was also Oblivion Dialogue, so it's not just filler put in from Morrowind.