'Sup all.
I heard that in JAs SP game, you're given the option of creating your own character. You can change gender, species, etc. Do you name your character as well? If so, what do other characters call the player? Just "hey you!" or what? How is the player characters dialogue handled? Are the lines read by male, a female, and where necessary an 'other' sounding voice? Or does your character just not talk (which would suck)?
Anyone heard anything about that or have any ideas?
The name is fixed, you cannot change it (not for dialog, but maybe you can have multiple characters with different names). Some are upset about this, but I'm happy to see it. It makes it so you can have actual dialog involving the character, and there can be a lot more character development. Elite Force is probably the best example. You don't choose your race, but you do choose male or female. The result is either Alex or Alexandria Munro, and dialog is excellent for both. Seeing as how Elite Force was done by Raven, I'm willing to bet they have employed the same technique for JA.
Originally posted by Emon
The name is fixed, you cannot change it (not for dialog, but maybe you can have multiple characters with different names). Some are upset about this, but I'm happy to see it. It makes it so you can have actual dialog involving the character, and there can be a lot more character development. Elite Force is probably the best example. You don't choose your race, but you do choose male or female. The result is either Alex or Alexandria Munro, and dialog is excellent for both. Seeing as how Elite Force was done by Raven, I'm willing to bet they have employed the same technique for JA. I suspect that it will be based on your race and gender.
I was one of those who was upset at first about not being able to shoose your own name. But in hindsight, like Emon said, it is not that big a deal.
I,m 99.9% sure you can script your own name at least in subtitles (if you want it in audio too, you can record some mp3's).
That only if JA is as friendly as JO, just pick wordpad+winzip and done!
Originally posted by Emon
Some are upset about this, but I'm happy to see it. It makes it so you can have actual dialog involving the character, and there can be a lot more character development.
Yeh totally agree. They have to work within realistic boundaries. I'll be interested to see if they vary responses to you based upon gender, race etc, like they plan to for gender in DX2.
Originally posted by Emon
The name is fixed, you cannot change it
Is it not a random name generator? I remember reading that somewhere.:confused:
Anyways, the reason you can't change your is probably for a more realistic 'Star Wars' feel. But I would imagine you create your own name in MP.
Im going to guess its done by Race and Gender as Prime said. It sounds much better that way. But please...have different female sounds this time. Sariss, Tavion, and Bastilla ( all Star Wars games) all have that same sort of sound and I really don't want it on my female character, not to mention it's getting quite old after all these years.
That being said, I really don't see any other way. Not that im angry about it, so I don't get to choose a name? It's not a terribly big deal. Your taking the role of a padawan, and you have to have some form of a past. If they are making that up, then you might as well take the name.
Im all up for taking a name out of drop list, but I don't want to speak into my mic and actually say it. Who needs that obvious pause before your name and the obvious sound disruption from the background of your home whenever your name is said? It would get quite stupid at times.
There is one game I remember where you would just type in your name. The audio would just kind of skip it in the dialogue, but it would be dropped into the subtitles. It worked pretty good - but this is a pretty small thing to me - I don't really care one way or the other. If they do have different dialogues and interactions for a character it would increase the replay value. It might also explain the limitations on the number of races/genders available.
Originally posted by Reprehence
There is one game I remember where you would just type in your name. The audio would just kind of skip it in the dialogue, but it would be dropped into the subtitles.
Neverwinter Nights does that. You pick a name, and see it in the dialogue boxes, but your name is not spoken during the game.
The same kind of thing could be utilised in JO IMHO. Allowing for the customisations of your character and saber is great, so disallowing your own choice of name seems a bit odd. As for your character having a past...it would have to be very general anyway, seeing as different races come from different planets, and have different customs etc.
the name thing doesn't bother me, infact it will probably lead to better cutscenes, and hence a better plot.
the fact that you can only choose one gender for some of the races seems pretty stupid though...
Originally posted by toms
the fact that you can only choose one gender for some of the races seems pretty stupid though... That is a little odd, isn't it...
I can see a possible problem with Plo Koons race, but Rodians, Twi-leks, and Mauls race ( I forget the name :D!) , shouldn't be a problem gender wise. Dual genders are seen in the movies for Rodians and Twi-leks, and they've got Lord Maul in TPM, so why include only his race for the female gender?
Doesn't make sense :\
Doesn't make sense :\
It does if they're creating unique content for each character. Doubling up on the genders could mean doubling up on the needed voice work (and perhaps some cutscenes) - which would mean doubling up on the $$.
Of course if they're just going to use two voices - male and female - it does seem odd.
Well, some of the races just don't have male/female distinctions specified, although all of the races from the game seem to.
Anyway, if you can't choose your name, then it would be possible to have an actual character behind the player. In games where you can choose a name, you make the character, but if the name is fixed, it would be quite possible for Raven/LEC to make up a new character for each race, although this likely won't happen. I'm a tad disappointed that you can't choose a name. How much actual dialogue is in the game? It is unlikely that JA would have a different voice for each race/gender anyway, as most of the SW races (human, twi'lek, zabrak) could speak Basic no problem and have no real discernible anatomic differences as far as voice is concerned. Darth Maul had no accent, neither did Oola, so I don't see why these races couldn't share voices. Rodians could likely speak basic with an accent, so really the whole voice issue shouldn't have anything to do with name selection, IMO. Now when NPCs say your name, that could pose a problem, but look at JO, only Jan, Luke and Desann actually seemed to know Kyle's name (okay, a few more, but it's not important). Is it really necessary to have a new dialogue for every possible name? That would take some doing, it would be easier for Raven/LEC to just not mention the player's name, like in so many other games.
In the end, though, it is pretty damn unimportant.