Voices

[Tamur]

The demo voices have received a lot of press in threads here but I'm wondering if anyone has noticed... all the voices we've heard so far have been American English.

Not saying I have anything against American English (I'm married to an American so I hear a lot of it), but I do wonder why a UK/Australia developer would choose to have voiceovers done by American actors when the previous products have all been in British English?

[ShellShock]

I suspect the voices in the demo were just placeholders, and not what will be in the final game. Let's hope so anyway, because they were so cheesy.

[Tamur]

The family intros that IGN posted today also have American voiceovers -- that was what triggered the question.

[Steppe Merc]

There should be no stinking English in the first place! Latin, Gallic, Phoencian etc. should be in there.
I hope that some of the guys in EU can voice record and speak those languages...

[ShellShock]

The family intros that IGN posted today also have American voiceovers -- that was what triggered the question.

That sounds really bad...perhaps CA farmed out the voices to Activision, to appeal to the American market.

What we need is Laurence Olivier as Crassus in Spartacus: "Rome is an eternal thought in the mind of God".

What we're going to get is John Wayne in The Greatest Story Ever Told: "Trooly, this man was the son of Gaaad".

Please note: this post is not aimed against American accents, but poor acting. And for any John Wayne fans - he was great on the back of a horse with a six shooter in each hand, but a fish out of water in a biblical epic.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I would really like the actual languages (with subtitles, or options for them). However, I doubt we will get that. I'm an American, but I think I would prefer British English if terrible voice-overs must be had!

Sounds more Romanesque, even if it is not actually Roman.

And no offense, but I get a kick out of strong English accents!

[biguth dickuth]

I'd prefer to have Greek, Latin, Gallic, German, Phoenician, Scythian e.t.c. but the problem with that is that if we wanted to stick to accuracy we'd have to recreate the versions of these languages that were spoken during that time and this is a very difficult, if not impossible thing to do. There is much we don't know about the form and the way those languages were spoken during the "hellenistic" era and that is basically more so with the languages who either had no alphabet of their own or the people who spoke them left very few (or none at all) written documents behind them.

Therefore, i wouldn't be so displeased by the use of english, if only there wasn't all this silly-accent-mimicking and bad acting. A decent, flat voiceover in english wouldn't be exciting but, at least, it would be far better than the one in the demo...

Especially the carthaginian voiceover freeks me out...: "Yur soldieers have crrrashhed thee eneemy..."

[Thoros of Myr]

I really don't care who does the voices as long as they sound good, and right now they don't. The mediocre writing doesent help either.

[SirGrotius]

I'd prefer to have Greek, Latin, Gallic, German, Phoenician, Scythian e.t.c. but the problem with that is that if we wanted to stick to accuracy we'd have to recreate the versions of these languages that were spoken during that time and this is a very difficult, if not impossible thing to do. There is much we don't know about the form and the way those languages were spoken during the "hellenistic" era and that is basically more so with the languages who either had no alphabet of their own or the people who spoke them left very few (or none at all) written documents behind them.

Therefore, i wouldn't be so displeased by the use of english, if only there wasn't all this silly-accent-mimicking and bad acting. A decent, flat voiceover in english wouldn't be exciting but, at least, it would be far better than the one in the demo...

Especially the carthaginian voiceover freeks me out...: "Yur soldieers have crrrashhed thee eneemy..."

While I sympathize w/ your cringing, I don't think even the more hardcore Total War audience would generally object to the voiceovers being done in our 21st-century understanding of what the accents, intonations, etc. of those ancient languages sounded like.

I think the real issue here is that CA has apparently caved in to the demands of a publisher who wanted to sell, sell, sell, and thought that having ancient languages in the game might make it less accessible to the general public. Allow me to suggest that war gaming transcends all bounds, as does religion (think The Passion of the Christ), and having authentic (or close to it) voiceovers lends realism and depth which even the laymen would appreciate. Don't misunderestimate the consumer.

[Colovion]

Ha - I laugh at your thinking that CA "caved in to the demands of a publisher who wanted to sell, sell, sell"

HAHAHAHA

Remember - Activision gave CA a whole extra year to work on teh game. It was ready last year but CA had some goodies on their wishlist that weren't ready for the date that it was due to be reviewed by Activision - Activision saw that they had a possibility of an awesome game and wanted it to be the best it could be so they gave CA an extra year to make it as good as possible. I say that deffinately shows Activision to have it in their minds not to rush the game. It's how CA wants it - they said in the interview at Gamespot that they got every item on their wishlist into the game thanks to that extra year. Props to Activision.

[The_Emperor]

Voiceovers could probably be done in native languages for Syrian arameic (sp?) and latin (the languages used in Passion of Christ) and Greek.

Latin and Greek of course were widely doumented and spoken and arameic is still spoken in some isolated parts of Syria.

But when we are dealing with the other factions we have no idea what many of their languages were. The Gauls, The Germanics, the Scythians, Carthage... For all of those factions we do not know what their language was so we can hardly be authentic. (I suppose Welsh is the closest language for the Britons)

The bottom line is we just do not know what everyone spoke to be able to make them all authentic.

Besides it would be a real waste if the General's speech function was all in a strange language! "err what did he say this time?,Gah! Who Cares!"

[Daevyll]

Oh come on, having the game voices in the 'original' languages is utterly ridiculous, get a grip.

There's reasonable complaining (such as the runspeed issue), and there is nonsense. This falls into the latter category.

[Thoros of Myr]

Oh come on, having the game voices in the 'original' languages is utterly ridiculous, get a grip.

There's reasonable complaining (such as the runspeed issue), and there is nonsense. This falls into the latter category.

I take it you havent heard the Julii, Scipii, and Brutii introduction videos?
Sounds like they hired WWE wrestlers

[The_Emperor]

Well its gone Gold now so if these are the voices, then Tough Luck Chaps!

Further bickering is pointless.

[Orda Khan]

Yeh the voice overs are awful. For the sake that we can understand what's being said I can live with English and even an American accent ( if we really must ) but it would seem CA has found the worst possible American voices...the type that will have you turning off the speakers because they gRATE ON YOUR NERVES UNTIL YOU CAN STAND IT NO LONGER!!!!!!!!!!!!

.......Orda

[Daevyll]

I take it you havent heard the Julii, Scipii, and Brutii introduction videos?
Sounds like they hired WWE wrestlers

Dont get me wrong, I dislike them as much as anyone, but claiming CA has 'sold out' by not doing voiceovers in phoenician is just taking the piss.

[Thoros of Myr]

Dont get me wrong, I dislike them as much as anyone, but claiming CA has 'sold out' by not doing voiceovers in phoenician is just taking the piss.

Show me where I said that and I'll agree...now, as I said I don't really care who does them, and to make it clear for your sake, nor do I care in what language as long as they sound good...simply good, nothing more.

[biguth dickuth]

I take it you havent heard the Julii, Scipii, and Brutii introduction videos?
Sounds like they hired WWE wrestlers

Lol!!!

Faction: "The Hoganii"
"Hail to our noble leader, Hulkus Hoganius who will crash these barbarian scum under his boot! Ough!"

[Spartiate]

Actually in one of the earlier vids(the showing the Roman army disembarking from a fleet at Antioch)the actors voice was unmistakably English.Not American English now.In fact i thought i was detecting a slight London Eastend kinda accent.Could you imagine."You Parthians don't wanna do dat.Put down that bow and be good to yourself geezer".
Rumours of a new IRISH HEAD HURLER that sings Danny Boy as he attacks are greatly exaggerated.

[Tamur]

All right you lot, that wasn't my question!

But it's always fun to read through the silliness that ensues anyway

[Thoros of Myr]

Lol!!!

Faction: "The Hoganii"
"Hail to our noble leader, Hulkus Hoganius who will crash these barbarian scum under his boot! Ough!"

Atleast the voices are comical if nothing else

[Steppe Merc]

Oh come on, having the game voices in the 'original' languages is utterly ridiculous, get a grip.

Why? It adds realism, and it beats the current people. The other arguments about the complexities are far more convincing, but still... my Gallic soldiers sound like drunken Americans tryihg to do Scottish accents.

[Colovion]

worst two lines thus far:

1.
on Roman victory:

high-pitched pubescent boy: "THE DAY IS O(voice cracks)URS!!"

2.
victory as Carthage:

French/Scottish man: "ZE ENEMY ARE CRRRRRRrrRRRRrrUSSHED!!!"

[DisruptorX]

Of course, in MTW, the Russian/Byzantine annoucer sounded like someone doing a very bad impression of a the stereotypical frenchman, a la MP: Quest for the Holy Grail.

But then again, we didn't have to hear it every time we clicked on a unit...

[SirGrotius]

I don't see what's so ridiculous about trying to incorporate authentic languages into a historical strategy game. It's not as though there isn't considerable scholarly ink spilt on how these languages were spoken. There are even web sites (usually affiliated w/ universities) with sample pronunciations and readings in some of the period's languages. You'd think w/ all the quibbling over different unit names, weapons, mounts, etc., the pirate yelling, "barbarian mercenaries" might also be considered a gaming faux pas.

[Colovion]

I don't see what's so ridiculous about trying to incorporate authentic languages into a historical strategy game.

especially because the Age of Empires series did it already

you'd think it would be a no-brainer

[The_Emperor]

Look the game is FINISHED, so further bitching about it is just pointless as nothing is going to be changed...

Just as in MTW we had to live with that god awful Byzantine Accent, so to will we have to in this.

Going over this old argument about authentic languages is pointless and futile.

[Louis VI the Fat]

I'm quite impartial about American or UK English being used.

It is a bit odd though, considering CA is not American. Are they afraid the Americans will shy away from a game because of some non-US accents?

I'm happy though that they speak some form of English in the first place and not in all those incomprehensible ancient tongues. That would just be over the top and get tiresome really soon...

[Lord of the Isles]

Look the game is FINISHED, so further bitching about it is just pointless as nothing is going to be changed...

Just as in MTW we had to live with that god awful Byzantine Accent, so to will we have to in this.

Going over this old argument about authentic languages is pointless and futile.

Those articles were already posted. Moaning about them won't make them go away, so I guess what you're doing is pointless and futile too.

[The_Emperor]

Those articles were already posted. Moaning about them won't make them go away, so I guess what you're doing is pointless and futile too.

No by pointing out the patheticness of such whining, I can still effect people yet to post, so in that respect it could still have an effect on this thread and not be pointless and futile.

Bitching for the sake of bitching iabout something that cannot and will not be fixed in the game however is though.