300i Bitching Betty [discussion]

[Star Pilgrim]

I don't know if you realize that there is a heated discussion regarding this "issue", but let me break it down for you.

First of all, I find what they are trying to do, amazing while others are going crazy over this. but more about that later.

OK people have noticed that CIG has replaced,
THIS voice,
with THIS voice.
on the 300i series of ships

OK, at first glance, if you are an amateur casual gamer, you might say: "Awww, crap, Nooooooo, what are they doing. Put her back the way she was...." etc.

On the other hand, to the trained ear, you see what they are trying to do and acheive here. The tech freaks will know exactly what I mean by this point. (or they will scratch their head some more and pour themself another drink) :D

Explanation

You know how CIG is striving to make everything realistic for us, and that they have teased us by what they have in store for us concerning the Audio etc.

Problem:
How do you make it possible that your ship AI is interactive and is able to respond to you verbally without having to hire gazzilion actors doing gazzilion hour sessions to record every single sound and message ammounting to Gigs and Gigs of audio data?
Also you are very limited regarding what you can react on, what you can offer to the player in voice.
And all the missions will be blocks of text. Do we want that? No audio? (be realistic, voicing every single mission they will need to do, to be voiced,.. no freaking way)

Solution:
You implement a TTS engine.
Those still scratching your head right now, TTS stands for "Text to Speach".
A synthesized sound ala Siri and VoiceAttack SAPI5 Microsoft interface etc.

Now, the best TTS on the planet currently is made by Ivona.

Immagine having your ship sound speciffic and that you can change it at a whim from a geriatric english grandma to a butler voice like in Iron man. you just buy a ship AI pack and voila.

They are playing with this right now. BUT, you might say, it sounds so fake, so unlike a normal person.
Duh, it's a ship AI, a computer, it should sound different. (I would love Portal voice of GLaDOS computer: CAKE IS A LIE!!! ftw)

Mind you, they make some really passable TTS packs and this tech is only going to evolve now.
Every big corporation is making their own Siri right now (which voice I hate btw and is atually worse than most other TTS out there).

But immagine the potential.
Your ship talking to you. Up to date warnings, statuses, scans etc, etc,...

I leave you with a poll (can't have a proper discussion without one).
Let me hear your thoughts.

 

[Kersakov]

I voted indifference before reading but i've changed my mind. I'm all in favor of the TTS and I'd love to have a range of voices available (for in-game buy or pre-fitted). I have a 325A and I don't like the new voice that much but I'd take if they do a decent interactive AI I'll take any voice.

Also a big fan of a GLaDOS voiced ship.

 

[Jhonon1]

While I would enjoy having a properly voiced AI that would simply be ridiculous. Even if you had one actor do the lines for each major shipbuilder that's still at least a dozen, and the amount of lines needed is ungodly. With the TTS system though anything your ship might output as as text, ala sheilds at 50%, so I am more than okay with it.
Besides then it sounds like a computer and not a disembodied co-pilot. No need to imagine more than I already do.


Sneaky edit; Maybe they could make the initial greeting (the clips you linked) be real. It is a very lovely thing to hear when booting up

 

[Designated Drunk]

Before you vote, listen to a bit of history on the original Bitching Betty (from the voice herself):
http://traffic.libsyn.com/airspeed/AirspeedBettyWithPreRoll2.mp3
(start around 6:00)

 

[Star Pilgrim]

I voted indifference before reading but i've changed my mind. I'm all in favor of the TTS and I'd love to have a range of voices available (for in-game buy or pre-fitted). I have a 325A and I don't like the new voice that much but I'd take if they do a decent interactive AI I'll take any voice.

Also a big fan of a GLaDOS voiced ship.

I agree, It is a wall of text. And for that I apologize.
As I am not a native english speaker, the lack of vocabulary makes me write stretched out sentences etc.
:)

 

[Kersakov]

I agree, It is a wall of text. And for that I apologize.
As I am not a native english speaker, the lack of vocabulary makes me write stretched out sentences etc.
:)

Nah don't worry dude. It's just because the poll is above the text so dealt with that before scrolling down.

 

[Feral Oxide]

Tts would be so much more rocking. The simple fact that the ai can respond in a much larger range and vocab , not to mention languages and accent would be much better and immersive. I say that even though I am a stage actor and have many friends in the biz.

 

[WarrenPeace]

I use the Brian voice from Ivona with my Voice Attack setup. He is a *very* passible voice, with a decent intonation and not too man hangups. In addition, he also sounds like 95% of JARVIS, so he has a special place in my heart.

 

[RipVanDan]

I agree, It is a wall of text. And for that I apologize.
As I am not a native english speaker, the lack of vocabulary makes me write stretched out sentences etc.
:)

That is not something that only non native English speakers have to deal with. Your point was well made.

 

[Star Pilgrim]

I can live with TTS sounding as AI.
I do not need a totally convincing human sound.

I am more interested in usability so i do not have to read all the quest text and read ship status on the dials contantly.

 

[WhooptyWoo]

I agree, It is a wall of text. And for that I apologize.
As I am not a native english speaker, the lack of vocabulary makes me write stretched out sentences etc.
:)

It's not a wall of test. I am jsut lazy and hungover.

Your point is well made. The big problem everyone is having is that the original voice is just so damn sexy.