Wow, awesome voice acting greenwarden, thank you for helping DRG6520. Really really can't wait for the release.

DRG, you've done a great job giving Sydney a personality. I think the number of dialogue lines really improves that and the features help flesh that out as well. I'm busily working on Charon right now. He cannot ever be as complex as Sydney is, there just isn't the dialogue, but he can have more personality through using dialogue cleverly and some more backstory and I'm trying to remedy some of the things surrounding him that have always bothered me. I don't think everyone wants the same thing from a companion which leads to the reviews of companion mods being the way they are. It seems a lot of players are happy with a "Barbie." I actually really like Bittercup and she isn't very complex at all, but she is brimming with personality in her dialogue. She was a great character in the vanilla game and her modder did a great job of maintaining that and his design is very elegant. She makes a great "additional" companion. I think there are a few ways to go to make an enjoyable companion, but I think you have set the bar for making an exceptional one. I'm looking forward to trying Jason.

I agree, and that was part of my initial design philosophy, especially given that the biggest shortcoming with followers was how they get reduced to the same 20 or so lines after being hired, and that you never get the sense that they really react to anything beyond combat.



I'll be very interested to see that once it's finished -- I'm assuming it's just dialogue expansion mod, or are there other elements as well? One thing that might be fun to add is a counter to his "I don't like the look of this place" line, and after it gets played enough times, have the player be able to ask if he happens to like the look of any place. I practically do that in real life, might as well let the PC indulge in that as well.



Bittercup was a very fun character, indeed. So much so that I was going to have Sydney tease the player about hooking up with her as part of one of my future dialogue updates. Now that you mention it, I did enjoy the original version of the mod -- nothing too complex, but the author was pretty creative with his voiced lines (for all his follower mods, at that), and it felt overall like a natural part of the game.



Thank you.

Okay, MAJOR update that contains both good news and bad news, depending on your levels of patience and excitement for this mod to be released.

I've experienced one of those moments where I just woke up one day and thought; I'm doing it all wrong. That and I think going back to Fallout 3 after DA:O kind've left me wanting in a few areas.

I'm scrapping what I've currently done and starting anew. The difference though is that I'll actually be finding someone to voice Jason instead of using pre-existing voice files. In order to ensure that I minimize the time I've squandered, I'll put my old work towards converting a vanilla NPC into a companion, depending on which one of that voice-type I find to be the most likeable.

The reason I'm doing this is because, while I was writing player responses to work around my improvised voice splices, I realized that I really wasn't really running with the idea to its fullest. This would've been the chance to not only give more perspective to the concepts of living in a Vault and being exposed to a hostile environment after being so used to a sterile one, but also to allow the player to fully express his/her views on the matter. The vanilla game doesn't really let you do this; you can never really convey how it feels to leave your life behind -- the closest you get is whining to Dr.Li/Three Dog/whoever about how much you miss your Dad.

I wrote up a test conversation, in which Jason confides how uncomfortable it feels to contemplate how vast both the sky and the world truly after being so used to the confined limits of the Vault, and then let it evolve to the point where you as the player could express just how your character felt upon leaving the vault (freedom, horror, awe, etc.) and compare it to how he felt. After finishing it and going through it a few times, I realized that I liked this far more than I did any attempts at conversation I made with splices. It gave a chance for expressing how both the player and his/her companion actually felt about their sudden turn in life, and accomplished a lot more bonding than any exchange between the player and Dad ever did.

Another (related) issue was that, since Jason is a character with you from the beginning, he would have to be elevated to main character status in story-terms, with an even more active role than NPC's like Dad, Lyons, Moira, and Dr. Li since he sticks with you most of the game. There needs to be enough content so that he stays "fresh" over the course of an entire play through. I realized that if I really wanted to convey that feeling, I couldn't just stick with 500 or so spliced voiceovers (which is what I estimate the project would've eventually evened out to, not counting anything of Linda's). I imagine many would've been satisfied with even 200, but frankly, I do mod for myself first-and-foremost, and I doubt I would've been satisfied with myself if I followed through with my current plan, where I'd be deliberately limiting myself just to avoid the hassle of getting a voice actor.

So for the new version, all of the game play features will remain intact --- virtually everything I've mentioned on the main list, plus more. For those holding out for a romance element, this means that I actually WILL be able to put one in without making it sound overly stilted.

For dialogue, I don't want to make any promises about how much I'll deliver. My PERSONAL goal will be over 1000 lines, with in-depth conversations and scenario-related one-liners both, but I don't know what's within my limits at this point. I guess this would make me even more crazy than before, but it's something I want to see through to the end. I'm not going to set a release date though, because given what I've seen with several modding projects, that's just begging for disaster.

I DO know that, finding voice actors aside (got Jason's sister, Linda, covered assuming Greenwarden is still interesting in participating), progress will be MUCH faster since I won't be wasting so much time trying to make the content fit around the voice, rather than the voice around the content. Also, the mod will no longer require Operation:Anchorage, though I am considering adding dialogue to accomodate the DLC's.

As for the old project, I'm going to tie up a few loose ends in the programming, and then I'll send a copy to anyone that wants to play around with it. Nothing too glorious -- it dumps him just inside the entrance to Vault 101, and then he tags along with you from there. His overall backstory has not been implemented, nor really discussed, and anything I've done for the Vault 101 content will not show up. Just send me a PM if you're interested. Note that, since I'm still without my desktop, I can't check if it actually WORKS yet, so I probably won't be able to send it until probably a week. I'm not going to put it up on Nexus since A ) I'd hate to have this project's name besmirched by a discarded version, and B ) I won't be supporting this version and don't want to have to deal with anyone who complains about it.


Also, naturally, will be looking for voice actors for Jason, both as a 10-year-old and a 19-year-old. Much sooner for the 10-year-old than the 19-year-old, since I'll be covering the Vault content FIRST, and then the companion dialogue second, unlike before where I was working backward so I could put off the voicing issues for as long as possible. I might need more for NPC's once I reach the quest component, but those 2 are the ones I'm most concerned about now.

The child version should sound a bit shy and reserved. He's pretty much in the same boat as the PC (ostracized to an extent) for story reasons.

The advlt version should be friendly and rather laid-back, yet can express a wide range of tones from anger to jealousy to honest-to-God sympathy. Should have that "fun best guy friend" quality to it without sounding like an over-the-top crack addict. Frankly, it'd be easier if it sounded remotely similar to the original one I'd used, so if you sound anything remotely like Craig Sechler (or at least his voices for Pronto, Timebomb, and Alex Dargon -- not as gruff as Harkness and Sgt. Montgomery or as high pitched as Sticky or Butch), that'll probably be the easiest for me to transition into. Also, you DO have to be comfortable with the idea of doing several hundred lines of dialogue.


Edit: Yeesh, I just now realized how much of a rant I wrote. I've gotta stop doing that.

Woah! This just got a lot more interesting. I was already looking forward to Jason and have been watching the thread since you started it. You did such a nice job with Sydney. My mind is dancing in circles thinking of what you'll do with voice actors at your command. Can't wait!

Simply WOW. With the major update, does it mean that it'll take more months until it's complete?

It's kind've a mixed bag. I do have to recreate all the gameplay and scripts, but that's hardly an issue. The real reason it was taking so long is because I was spending most of the time trying to splice voiceovers to fit into the mod. Without having to focus on that, I can breeze through dialogue at a lightning-fast pace (or as fast as I can think of it and type it, anyway), since I don't have to worry about whether or not I can actually get the character to say that. Voiceovers by other NPC's will still need to be spliced, but since one of the talkers will always have custom dialogue, it makes adding them in much simpler.

On the other hand, it all comes down to whether or not I can get a voice actor that could deal with the projected workload. Not to mention I still have to run everything through TES Construction Set for lip-sync, since the G.E.C.K.'s generator is broken, and convert all of the related *.wav sound files into *.ogg files so the thing doesn't take up a crapload of memory.

So yeah, it'll probably take a couple more months at least. On the bright side though, the time that I would've wasted splicing voiceovers for Jason I can use to continually update Sydney -- she won't hold a candle to him once he's finished, but I can certainly TRY to bridge the gap. They'll have plenty to say to each other as well. As will most of the vanilla companions, if I get my way. I've got some fun ones already made for if Jason tries talking to Clover.



Oh, not necessarily addressing anyone in general, but some of the content I'm adding might require me to bailout on that cheat menu thing for those past the prologue. Reason being that he now talks a good deal about past events (filling in the interludes between prologue sequences as it were), and it extrapolates based on A ) Your skills during those sequences and B ) some of your more specific actions --- whether or not you piss off Butch by insulting his mom or by spitting on the sweetroll is not specificed, for example, just that you pissed him off. I'd need to make those choices flip certain variables for certain dialogue lines at their source, which obviously can't be done if you're past those parts. I could force you to answer those as well on the setup menu, but IMO it's just much more fulfilling if you're discussing those memories while they're still fresh in your mind.

Come on guys, help DRG6520 out and give us (lots of us wanting to use this mod) your voice :hugs: This is a great opportunity!

@DRG6520, I am about to send you that pm I am still highly supporting your work cause I really like your ideas and I know you set high standards for yourself in your work. This will easily be the #1 companion mod when it is finished. I know you will have tons or requests for a female version as well!

@greenwarden, thank you for offering to do the sisters voice I see lots more voice acting in your future!

What equipments would you need in order to do voice acting? Just a simple mic and sound editing software like Audicity? For the kiddie voice, I think any willing advlt can do that, just need to tune the pitch higher so that he/she sounds like more of a kid.

That and at least decent voice acting ability. I'd do it myself were it not for three things; I don't have a mic, it's pretty noisy at my dorm, and I hate my voice.

Anyway, I'm in talks for one potential voice actor for the advlt Jason right now, so assuming it works out with my current candidates that just leaves someone to voice a 10-year-old child for the whole one scene he appears in. A simple pitch-shift might work, but I'd prefer if the actor was simply capable of sounding childlike to begin with.

Now just gotta churn out all the dialogue. Up to nearly 300 lines so far (a combination of Jason, Linda, and a few other NPC's like Dad), and more steadily coming.

Could you show us an example sentence for 10 year old Jason? I would like to give it a try. I'll try tweaking around with pitch and speed and see how it sounds.

Edit:
Done some recordings and tried to tweak around to sound like a kid, I can tell you that it sounds freakishly disturbing, pitch shifting isn't a good choice.

can't wait to hear a sample!

Hello DRG6520

I wanted to also give you a compliment on what looks to be an excellent companion mod. I love the idea of exploring the wastes with my best bud and my other companions.

I think it's a shame that after accomplishing so much you realized you would prefer to rework the mod in another direction but ultimately you should do whatever you think works best for your mod. I hope you can find a reliable voice actor, I realize how difficult it is to find those, and I hope he's up to the caliber that will do your mod justice.

In any case good luck and I'll certainly be one of the many Vault Dwellers who will have Jason tagging along once he's finished. :foodndrink:

I can do the little kids voice, I am turning 14 so I might sound a bit older,I will be happy to do the kid though p.m me if interested or make a note at the top of the page.

Slower progress now, since I've got college work picking up again, and still no desktop computer to work on, so it'll be a week before I can really build up some momentum. Right now I've got about 4 complex conversations about 2/3 finished each and are now just kind've sitting in limbo until I get back to them. Also, one feature is an added dialogue choice just above "Wait here" in his dialogue menu in which you can ask him for his opinions on the current location or quest (often requiring you to be in a relevant location). There are still going to be several lines that he'll use as greetings when you try interacting with him, and there will be conversations that he'll automatically start up with you, assuming I can work out adequate trigger conditions so that he doesn't try chatting in terribly inconvenient places like Enclave-overrun Project Purity.



As soon as I get a confirmed voice actor, I'll be sure to upload a progress video onto Youtube. I figured that would be a little better than screenshots of dialogue, where it's simply assumed that I'm good on my word



Yeah, in retrospect is kind've hard for me to toss out 3 months of work (everything but the face and basic concept), but ultimately I think it will be better off overall if I'm not wasting countless hours trying to squeeze a few more lines here an there out of the vanilla game, which is what the old version was starting to degenerate into.



If you've got quality recording equipment, I'm willing to give it a shot. I'll send you a PM once I actually get the dialogue written for that part. My focus has been more on Linda than 10-year-old Jason ATM.



The big dilemma now is whether or not I can write decent dialogue. I don't profess to be a great writer or anything, so I'm hoping everyone can tolerate my current abilities. For those who wanted to see samples of the dialogue that I'm actually including, here are a few excerpts; the first is part of one of the "main conversations" that Jason will automatically initiate with you --- you can either indulge his questions or say that "now's not a good time" and put it off for a bit. The second two are a couple examples of follower-follower conversations (with the vanilla companions' lines fully voiced as of now), where both are in sandbox mode.

All subject to editting and revision, of course. This is mostly first draft;

Lol, funny dialogues, reminds me so much of Dragon Age Origins.

I really, really hope a male VA comes through for you, DRG. This mod needs to happen! After reading the dialog you posted, I couldn't help but read Clover's lines aloud in imitation, which is always a good sign to me. I'm cheering this on, for sure.

And many thanks to Heyy Adrian and Miss Sparkle for their supportive words regarding my participation. I hope I can deliver!

The new version of the mod IS partially inspired by Bioware's RPG's, so that's good that you think so. The current plan is to get a few randomized conversations going for every vanilla follower, plus Sydney. Technically I could get him to recognize vanilla-NPC's turned followers like Autumn, Amata, Lucy, Bittercup, etc. since they either have unique voicetypes or retain their old NPC refs, but I don't want to get too ahead of myself.



Thanks. Yeah, here's hoping for that VA as well -- Miss Sparkle was generous enough to find someone who'd be willing, so I'm gonna see if things work out with him. Still in the process of writing Linda's dialogue (who might actually end up playing a bigger role overall than I'd first planned), but I'll get some good samples to you ASAP. Sorry for the wait, but school's starting to make this project slow going again, and I want to make sure I'm satisfied with the character before I commit to the dialogue.


Oh, and I still will be taking suggestions and ideas into account, if anyone has any. Better to have them now when I'm still laying the foundations than toss them on top once I'm finished.

I am australian so I have a slight Aussie accent, I can't sound american but I can try to remove my accent.

Edit: i did a test recording to see about the quality of my mic, its pretty good but it is a bit to sensitive so you can hear a slight buzzing caused by mushed together noise, i might have to find a dead quite spot in the house to record.

P.S i don't sound to australian

It's okay if it's a little noisy. You can remove the noise with a proper sound recording program.

thing is i am only 13 so i am not so good with sound editing

suggestions?

It's okay. I bet DRG can remove the noise for you. Good luck with the recordings, I hope everything works well and smoothly.

Can I? I'm not so sure myself -- I'd think that Vegas would have something I could use. If not maybe Audacity would? Never actually tried it before. But there's probably something. But trying to find a dead spot to record in would be much more effective in the long run.



Not much to report an update on otherwise. Just kind've trudging along. Got a few more conversations going for Charon and Sydney, with lines fully spliced for both -- fun stuff if you listen in on the Jason-Sydney exchanges and then do something yourself that turns the status quo in Jason's favor. Started working on Dad's (a few that would be used during the Project Purity sequence). For as much as some people complain about how Liam Neeson mostly uses one tone of voice for his character, I happen to LOVE that since it makes my job ridiculously easy.

Started working on a few cool features, but given that the last hype train I built up came to a crashing halt when I started the revision, it's probably best if I don't go into extreme detail about every little thing I do.


Oh, also posted two more VA requests on the first page. The first is for a new wastelander named Sylvester, the other is for Jason and Linda's father. The former is minor NPC with decent amount of the dialogue -- the other would be for just a few holotapes.

http://www.geeks.com/techtips/2006/techtips-10dec06.htm

For prospective VAs who want to polish their takes, the information found under "Removing Noise" is very helpful. That 60 cycle "hum" can be eliminated completely, and without doing too much damage to your work.

That could be good to know in the future. Thanks for posting.



Anyway, since it's really the only form of tangible update I can give at this time, a few more dialogue snippets. They all assume the player character to be female. Dunno if it's even remotely necessary to put spoiler tags up, since nothing her really pertains to the backstory, but w/e. All subject to revision before I hand them in to the VA.