156 replies to this topic

[Datum]

I remember back when playing Mechwarrior 2 one of the coolest things was the mech's startup at the beginning of each mission. Besides being dropped off and hearing the whole thing slowly spool up, there was a lovely computer lady calmly stating little details as your mech whirred to life.

It was one of the best touches the game had, and they made it perfect.
The voice was the most elusive thing ever- it had a relaxed side to it, as if it wasn't bothered by anything, kept things short, and subtly changed tone depending on the subject.
Later iterations never quite got the same feel to it, I don't know if its on purpose or not, but they always sounded stern and uptight and kinda nerdy (I don't need to know the reactor's temp in kelvin, just tell me it's hot!).
Please add a good computer voice! It was one of my favorite parts of driving a mech.

[C0VVB3LL]

AGREED nothing worse than bad voice acting. Not just for the on board status voice but for lance mates as well. Remember on MW4 how repetitive they got... sad thing is that it wouldn't have been as bad if they wouldn't have tried to make them unique. Just have them say "yes sir" or "no sir" and offer contact and situation reports. If you wanna make them gender or even geographic/ethnic specific sounding that's fine but don't give each lance mate 3 individual ways to say "affirmative". Nothing made me cringe more in MW4 mercs than hearing that one pilot say "target frickin eliminated" over and over!

[Orzorn]

100% agreed. The Mechwarrior 2 computer voice is, in my opinion, THE perfect computer voice. Its cool, tells you exactly what you needed to know, but still sounds like a computer (something the other games didn't get right).

[Dlardrageth]

PGI could ask Betty White for the voice-acting part...

*runs and hides*

[MuffinTop]

I can lend my voice for the game for free or a small fee, or some other special arrangement. I have a dark and deep voice, that turns on most women and scares many children and intimidates some men.

[Duke Pitt]

Honestly if I could have Christopher Walken as my computer voice I'd be happy till the day I die.

[John Clavell]

I'd like something like the MW2 voice, just a little more 'sexy'. Let's try not to have SIRI, you'd think the Clans with all their advanced optical computers could at least make computer voice sound better than what we have on an iPhone.

[Xhaleon]

Wat.

Why is there never any love for MW3 srsbusinesswoman computer? Remind you too much of Star Trek or something?

[elitewolverine]

agreed i think the voices in mechwarrior 2 were awesome, especially the opening sequence, when all **** was going to hell, there was this calm nice lady giving updates...

LOVED IT

[IxxxI]

Good point. I'd like to add my 2 cents: I think, that 'Mechs produced on different factories should have different System's Voice sets, though MechWarriors shoudl have an option to flash the firmware and change the voice (+ anything, what doesnt change the combat abilities). I'd rate this as a nice to have micro-transaction option.

Edited by IxxxI, 04 January 2012 - 12:15 AM.

[Adridos]

Xhaleon, on 03 January 2012 - 11:57 PM, said:

Wat.

Why is there never any love for MW3 srsbusinesswoman computer? Remind you too much of Star Trek or something?

She's not a Clan, that's why.

[Nik Van Rhijn]

When you overide your heat limiter and start to melt down - have Alan Rickman tell you in his most supercilious manner - "I suggest you eject, before you fry *****"

Edit; wont even let me use I dio t some censor

Edited by Nik Van Rhijn, 04 January 2012 - 07:57 AM.

[T0RC4ED]

Red VS Blue anyone "Dude! I told you we could pick up chicks in a tank" ...Sheila... Seriously though, I liked the voice from MW4 mercs. Calm and collected, even when my mech was about to turn into a ball of plasma.

[C0VVB3LL]

WOW Had an idea and it hurt. PGI could sell custom or even celeb computer voices like you can get on voice nav GPS units!
Lois Griffin anyone?

[Webclaw]

... Could you imagine Morgan Freeman being your computer voice?

[Omigir]

MuffinTop, on 03 January 2012 - 11:22 PM, said:

I can lend my voice for the game for free or a small fee, or some other special arrangement. I have a dark and deep voice, that turns on most women and scares many children and intimidates some men.

+ 1 for muffintop aftermarket voice plug in.

[C0VVB3LL]

Webclaw, on 04 January 2012 - 06:07 PM, said:

... Could you imagine Morgan Freeman being your computer voice?

But he has to do it all Shawshank style.

ohh what about Samuel L Jackson

[Gemini]

I don't say much around here, but this time I definitely have to say that having a good computer voice is crucial to the immersion factor of any simulation game. The computer voices in MW2, MW2:Mercs, MW3 and MW4 were respectively: Awesome, Lame, *shrugs* and Passable.

A good computer voice needs to first of all sound like a computer. If it doesn't, it feels like a lancemate is talking to you (MW2:Mercs and MW3). It also needs to be fast and get the point across. If it's too slow (MW2:Mercs) then voice messages queue up and don't get their critical information over to you fast enough to be helpful.

One effect that's usually missed though when anyone does a computer voice is that it should resonate throughout the area it's broadcast within. The best moment I can think of is one when the computer says something (I forget the line) on the bridge in Star Trek: Nemesis. All I could think of when I heard that line in that movie was, "THAT is what a computer sounds like!"

Granted, a mech cockpit is kinda tiny compared to a giant starship bridge, but there still needs to be a tiny bit of reverb and centre positioning on a surround sound system to get the point across that, "This is the computer talking; Pay attention or die!"

[CaveMan]

Webclaw, on 04 January 2012 - 06:07 PM, said:

... Could you imagine Morgan Freeman being your computer voice?

You either get busy alpha-strikin', or get busy dying...

[T0RC4ED]

I have to agree with Gemini on the reverb part. Anyone thats ever heard a millitary speaker like an Anger or used a H250 hand set will know.... they are tactical and the sound like garbage. I doubt that will change between now and 3050

Edited by T0RC4ED, 04 January 2012 - 10:19 PM.