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My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:15 am
by Dart00_Tech
Hey guys. I hope Im not bothering anyone... My names Shane McLafferty, I'm 23 years old and live in CA, USA. I run a small computer repair shop. But enough about me...

I had NO clue about anything with Orion in it till yesterday when I was looking for a new free windows game to play...In the list of dozens of free games from google was FreeOrion. I'm a HUGE RTS junkie lol. Iv played the Homeworld Series, StarWars Empire at War, Warzone 2100, Command and Conquer Series as well as UFO: AI and many more and this looks perfectly like another awesome title!

I was a bit sad when I noticed the last version from Sourceforge was from 2010-08-05 and nothing more recent but oh well. I don't know anything about SVN builds or compiling really so I'm not really sure how to get the most up-to-date version...I found the roadmap and it looks like the project is about half way done (and it looks great) and there are some very good goals in the future...but my question is I saw a trailer for space combat on Youtube from 2008 or so I think...and found out that it will be included in .4.x? How close is .4.x? I really would like to get my hands on it..just like everyone else i'm assuming.

I only know a bit about Python and am not really good at much more then fixing computers...but I did go though a phase in the past in a interest in 3D modeling...I downloaded Doga and used the pieces to make a few things like Legos and they came out pretty good...Maybe i could take another shot at it if anyone could recommend a free and easy to use 3D modeling program...maybe i could help develop some hulls (I can tell were gona need a lot)...or at least a base that people can modify texture and tweak...its at least a start.

But i also noticed there weren't any voiceovers, I'm aware the game is Turn based which makes voiceovers tricky for events cause you get hit with so many (or could be hit with so many) at the beginning of the turn and don't wana listen to a computer rail off everything that happened, but i read that the space combat would be real time so maybe theirs more luck there.

I spend about the last 6 hours with my old dusty mic recording my voice in Adacity and adding 18% pitch to it to make a decent female computer voice. I made a total of 138 voiceovers which I could see implemented in the game now (least .3.15) and some extras for down the road if someone needs any but that's up to the devs.

I usually have A LOT of free time on my hands and would gladly make more if any of the devs requested any. I have a slight speech problem so i was very determined to get these made lol. Some of them i redid over 20 times till I think it finally sounded good. I think they came out pretty well!. I hope someone here finds them useful or at least placeholders for better voiceovers if no one likes them. Im thinking it could be a good voice for a core computer system like Homeworld 2 but idk what exactly the devs have in mind.

The Voiceovers are in .wav format and may need volume normalization but i tried my best! :) I really wana see .4.x and will do anything i can to help get there!

I found this page: http://www.freeorion.org/index.php/Audio

And I'm giving them the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license for use in FreeOrion and any other projects that anyone could find a use for them for, just give me credit (Shane McLafferty).

Megauploading.com URL (~12MB .zip) : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=J6L3MS1S

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:25 am
by Geoff the Medio
Thanks for taking this initiative.

I general, I think we'd only have use for general statements, like "Research Added" and not "Adding Economics Research". Similarly, I think we'd be better with "Order Received" and not specific responses for each possible order or event in the combat. Consider the level of genericity in Starcraft adjutant combat comments, for example.

And, as you note, I'm not sure in what context many of the building, design or research clips would be used...

The sound files also need cleaning up in some cases, with ends clipped, or pops, breath, or microphone bumps being heard. Did you record on a headset microphone?

The enunciation is muted in general. Specifically, "We Are Under Attack" could be followed by "but whatever... no biggie". Others similarly lack excitement.

More emphasis on the stressed syllable of important words in some cases would help, like "Research Canceled" which starts lowish and ends low, but might be better with a strong-weak-strong-weak emphasis... The emphasis in "detected" in "civil war detected" seem a bit off, as well (and I could nitpick many others specifically, but don't want to spend the time now...).

Also in general, the statements should probably be faster for combat notes.

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:14 am
by Dart00_Tech
Well heres version 2... I fixed up a few of the old sounds and did some cleaning and added a few new ones (200 total). Im not sure what can be used or in what context so im kinda just making a "lot" for someone later to pick and choose which ones that want...im doing overkill on purpose to give the devs more flexibility....Ill write some documentaion when i get a sec for what i think what sounds would be appropriate. (Feel free to shoot them down lol)

I also applied volume leveling and normalization to the sounds so the sound a lot louder and consistent. :)

The voice is meant to be a female computer with a monotone voice, but ill look into adding slight emotion into some of the more intense ones.

After i get more made ill update all of them for a robotic voice.

I still have to do slight cleaning to the rest..ill dedicate tomorrow to fixing up and maybe rerecording some entirely.

VoiceOvers v2 (22MB): http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UH9N2URZ

Overall...I think v2 is better then v1 by leaps and bounds!

And maybe i should increase some of the more combat based ones by 10%....

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:09 pm
by Dart00_Tech
Alright...Iv been working all morning and have made a lot of progress.

Version 3.0 is ready, iv removed a duplicate sound, (199 voiceovers currently). Iv also individually analyzed every file and deleted slack space at the beginning and ends of each file and reduced some of the pauses. Iv also cleaned up a few pops and mic bumps as well as re-recorded a few of them. I notice have a hard time saying "s" and "t" and "ed" but I tried my best to clean them up. Iv also included a readme and adding a new file naming scheme as well as classified them in to "Combat", "Galaxy" and "Misc". Iv also speed up all "Combat" sounds by 10%

Ill be adding more this afternoon.

VoiceOvers v3 (~19MB):http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZNOO40WD

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:59 pm
by Dart00_Tech
Yay! Alright. Iv been working all morning and last night and I have version 4.0 out. I could barley sleep last night! :shock:

4.0 contains 240 voiceovers with a better readme and changlog. Im running out of ideas for new phrases so i think im goin to make my robot voices now. Iv also done many re-recordings and think iv removed the bulk of the bad ones. Iv also renamed a few and changed the wording for some.

But what I'm MOST happy about is that I have included in the read me my "KISS Recommendation" I tried to focus on simplicity, but in depth enough to be equivalent to a commercial game. The recommendation is included in the readme, but for download sake ill post it here:

Code: Select all

KISS RECOMMENDATION: ======================================================

These are my current recommendations for context and effectiveness of the 
voiceovers. Since Combat is not available yet for testing I am unable to give
any combat recommendations.

Galaxy Folder:

  - Galaxy Screen:
    - "Colonizing": When a player clicks the "Colonize" button on a planet.
    - "Colonizing_ Canceled":  When a player clicks the "Cancel Colonize" button on a planet.
    - "Planetary_Focus_Changed": When a player switches focus on a planet.
    - "Fleet_Underway": When they left click a planet to send a move order.
    - "Movement_Order_Canceled": If the player cancels a move command
    - "Fleet_Would_Be_Out_Of_Range_Of_Supply_Line": If they move a fleet out of a supply line plant as a warning.
    - "Situation_Report_Updated": After a turn has passed and the "SitRep" window pops up.
    - "Turn_Commencing": when the player clicks the "Turn" button to process the turn.
    - "Turn_Ready": When its the players turn again.
    - "Fleet_Modifying_Course": If you send a new move order before the fleet reaches its destination

  - Galaxy Fleet Screen
    - "Empty_Fleet_Dropped": When they remove all units out of the fleet and the fleet disappears.
    - "Fleet_Modified": When they move a unit into another fleet.
    - "Fleet_Reporting": When they click on the fleet icon by a planet (Usually opens the fleet window).
    - "New_Fleet_Established": When you create a new fleet.

  - Research Screen
    - "Adding_Research": When a player double clicks on a item to research to add to the list to be research.
    - "Adding_Research_Prerequisites": When a player double clicks on a technology that has 1 or more prerequisites that are added to the list.
    - "Research_Canceled": When they remove a item from the research list.   
    - "Research_Priorities_Modified": When they drag and drop a research item in the list changing the order of the list
    - "Research_Project_Underfunded": After they max out there RP and have underfunded projects.

  - Production Screen:
    - "Structure_Added": When a player adds a structure to the list to be produced.
    - "Unit_Added": When a player adds a unit to the list to be produced
    - "Construction_Canceled": when a player removes a item from the list to be produced.
    - "Construction_Project_Underfunded": After they max out there PP and have underfunded projects.
    - "Construction_Priorities_Modified": When they drag and drop a construction item in the list changing the order of the list
    - "Selected_Planet_Can_Not_Produce_Unit": If they attempt to build a unit on a planet that is not equipt to produce that unit.
    - "Structure_Unavailable": If they try to build a unavailable stricture.
    - "Unit_Unavailable": If they try to build a unavailable Unit.

  - Design Screen:
    - "Design_Committed": When they click the "Save Custom Design" button. (Only if its a new design)
    - "Design_Deleted": when they delete a design.
    - "Design_Scrapped": When they click the "Clear Design Parts" button.
    - "Design_Modified": If the player makes any modifications to existing designs and commits the changes.
    - "Empty_Hulls": If they click on the "Empty Hulls" tab.
    - "Finished_Designs": If they click the "Finished Designs" tab.
    - "Incompatible_Component": If they player for example puts a X item in a Diamond Slot.

Misc Folder:

  - Other:
    - "Error": If the player does something that causes a error.
    - "We_Are_Victorious": When you win the game.
 
  -  Menu:
    - "Design": If the player clicks the "Design" Button.
    - "Done": If the player clicks the "Done" button.
    - "Galaxy": If the player closes any window and goes back to the galaxy. (Except site report or pedia)
    - "Game_Loaded": If the player loads a saved game.
    - "Game_Over": If the player looses the game.
    - "Game_Saved": If a player saves the game
    - "Menu": If the player Clicks the "Menu" button.
    - "Options": If the player clicks the "Options" button.
    - "Pedia": If the player clicks the "Pedia" button.
    - "Production": If the player clicks the "Production" button.
    - "Research": If the player clicks the "Research" button
    - "Resigning": If the player clicks the "Resign button.
    - "Situation_Report": If the player clicks the "SitRep" button.
    - "Welcome_Commander": When the player starts a new game.
I hope these recommendations get reviewed and accepted and commited to the SVN. I cant wait to test it. :D If there are any issues please speak up so we can get them resolved.

My combat recommendation will be released when the combat demo is released.

I was thinking these would work for the Trith species since they are the only thing we got programmed that has any relation to human...just because they are telepathic does not mean they dont have vocal cords?

Voiceovers v4 (~23MB): http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7Q775USU

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 11:39 pm
by Geoff the Medio
As mentioned above, I'm not really fond of the idea of giving a voiced response to every order the player issues or event that occurs, particularly on the galaxy map screen... That would seem very annoying after the first few times. Are there any turn based games that give that sort of feedback?

A more appropriate place for voice notifications would be in a combat view, to inform the player of events that might be happening off screen.

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 11:52 pm
by Dart00_Tech
Geoff the Medio wrote: A more appropriate place for voice notifications would be in a combat view, to inform the player of events that might be happening off screen.
I did try to reduce it but your right...Ill wait till the combat system to be released then ill work on it more.

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 2:45 am
by neuro
This is awesome. Thank you for taking the initiative and putting in all the work on this. Wow.

Re: My Intro and a 138 Voiceovers contribution. :)

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 3:44 am
by Dart00_Tech
neuro wrote:This is awesome. Thank you for taking the initiative and putting in all the work on this. Wow.
Thanks neuro, all the support helps a lot. They took a lot of time and i wanted to do more but Im not exsactly sure how any of its going to get implemented though...Hopefully it will thrive in the combat system since that will be more real-time'ish which I think these voiceovers were designed for.....I play too many Time based RTS's then Turn base and am still trying to get used to it.