This boggles my mind : V - Skyrim

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:29 am

Yes, it seemed that Beth did have alot of VA's who only did a couple of voices, or even one, but let me say how I think this is actually good on some parts. Some of the more famous VA's would have to be payed alot to do extra NPC dialogue, and even more for gaurd dialogue. Also, would it not make those charicters less intreasting if you heard thier voices somewhere else before? Like Delphine, Esbern, Cicero and most of the daedra (In particular Clavicus and Sheogorath), Thier voices makes up alot of thier charicter and uniqueness, And all that would be ruined should common townsfolk and guards sport the same voice actors.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:43 am

Common townsfolk probably could have been voiced, with some coaching, by Bethesda's own employees. Talk about putting a personal mark on a game you were a part of making.

Important NPCs, as has been said, should definitely have a unique voices.

Uldred

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 11:00 am

i'd personally have no voice actors, and have more money in the budget for more in game features.

» Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:40 pm

Why couldn't these VA change how they sounded for the different characters? These people get payed for their voice, and they cant change it up? Hire me Beth.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:32 am

Common townsfolk probably could have been voiced, with some coaching, by Bethesda's own employees. Talk about putting a personal mark on a game you were a part of making.

Important NPCs, as has been said, should definitely have a unique voices.

Uldred

I was thinking something simular, but then I remembered that Beth is an American company with mostly American voice actors. The germanic voices of the gaurds (and seemingly kind of neutral voiceacting for some of the others walking around town? Ofcourse not all of them) fit rather well, but I ask if you've joined the leigeon. One of the only seemingly 3 voice actors for them is the same person who did Fenris in DA2. His voice sticks out like a sour thumb, and his 3/4 Brittish 1/4 American voice is nice, before you hear it 50 odd times. Also the American child voices that they kept in from after FA3 drive me mad! Clavicus and Barbas both fit the game however, as if you never heard of a brooklyn accent and you were before a talking dog or statue, knowing how mad some of the deadra can be, you would find this voice very.. strange.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:46 am

Hire 10 VAs? Fans complain. Hire 70? Fans still complain.

Maybe they didn't want to throw away any more money.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:59 am

Hire 10 VAs? Fans complain. Hire 70? Fans still complain.

Maybe they didn't want to throw away any more money.

this is such a bogus response. (and all the people just quoting this and adding nothing to the discussion - good job, btw). i don't think anyone here necessarily wants them to spend more money on voices actors. what everybody seems to be complaining about, including me, is that they spend it wrong. of course important npcs need their own voices actors or at least a distincitve enough voice. if an actor is able to not sound like himself, then by all means more work to him.

but, and that is the problem, they completely neglected the problem everybody had with oblivion - everybody you meet on a daily basis sounds the same. oblivion had, i think, 10 actors for the different races, male and female and 2 plot voices, picard and boromir. now we have like 12 voices for the races, and apparently 58 for plot npcs and that is just not a good use of the voice actor resource.

don't just make this about the never-ever-satisfied fanbase, when there is clearly problem you can point to.

» Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:34 pm

with skyim bethesda has proven that no matter what their resources they have no idea how to properly implement voice acting into a game like this. they have so many more voice actors, but do absolutely nothing different with them. we still hear the same voices over and over and over because they had all of them record the same generic lines then recorded unique lines that repeat infinitely. the game is also 90% nords yet they only have like 3 different actors for them. having the game be 90% nord was a mistake to begin with because it really reduces the variety no matter how many actors you have for them; i dont care how "realistic" it is, the game needs more racial diversity so we dont hear the same people so often. they have also enhanced the issue of NPCs running their mouth incessantly whenever you are within 10ft of them which makes them get old fast.

all the voice actors in the world dont matter if you have no idea what to do with them or how to implement the dialogue. you know i think bethesda really wishes they could go back to text-based dialogue but know that theyve shot themselves in the foot by creating this expectation and now they are stuck with this overwhelming task they are ill suited for.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:33 am

well that shut up my point a little, lol. although i guess now im more confused that they had so many voice actors but didn't spice it up a little more. oh well, none of this will stop me from enjoying one of the best games i've ever played though.

List of Voice Actors for Skyrim............... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1814884/fullcredits#cast

» Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:18 pm

Just more lines, and not everybody telling you their life story in the same exact way when you happen to walk by them.

Nazeem, I do not care whatsoever on your opinion of my frequency of traveling through the Cloud District.

EDIT: I just figured out that the guy who plays Esbern is the priest from the Exorcist. I remember Todd and the others freaking out that they got him to do some voice overs, but I had no clue who he is.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 10:23 am

Hehe, good point, LC! Lol, maybe they DID hire 1000 Voice Actors.....but the bus the recordings were on crashed into the ocean, therefor destroying all those unique voices!

hahaha, this is what I tell myself.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 8:25 am

they definitely needed more voices for the generic population. you just keep hearing the same ones over and over - doesn't help that they all start talking as sooon as you are anywhere near them.

also, doesn't help that you somewhat distinctive voices. actors i hear on a lot of characters:
- claudia christensen (ivanova from b5) once i recognized her, i heard her everywhere. she is the smith in whirerun, the jarl in rifen and at least half the generic nord women you meet.
- pretty much all the nord guys are one voice too, including ralof and hakon. it's paul ganus (i keep thinking he sounds like bratac from sg1, but it's not the same guy, just similar voice). if you join the stormcloaks, you will hear his voice (and the guy who voices ulfric) almost exclusively during that quest line.
- all the male dark elves i have heard are keith szarabajk (looked up the spelling :smile:

. the vampire hunter guy who tormented angel during season 3. you hear him a lot in other games and in animation too.
- lani minella is all the female dark elves and several named npcs too. she has a really recognizable voice too. i remember her from a lot of fantasy games, but the only one i can think of atm is dungeon siege.
- heard linda carter (wonder woman) again, she used to be all the nords and orcs in oblivion, now she's just a few people though. i think she was azura too.
- heard the oblivion guard guy again, wes johnston. not only sheogorath, but several other places too.

if they really had 70 actors, they definitely underused them.

Quite an interesting post, but one thing i will say - you have to get out more. lol

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:36 am

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Voice_Actors

There are a ton of important NPCs out there for various quests, keep in mind that there are a lot of one-off voices because, lets face it, if you heard the Archmage as a Smith in Markarth you'd be pretty mad. Most VA's do multiple roles, the reason you think everyone sounds the same is because generic NPCs say the same thing, just in different voices. This makes things a bit muddled and has nothing to do with the VA's, it has everything to do with Bethesda's writing.

this is such a bogus response. (and all the people just quoting this and adding nothing to the discussion - good job, btw).

Is that better :glare:

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:25 am

Being I think about 5 people did 80% of the va, and we are talking using the same voice, I think Bethesda was just as poor in this aspect as they were in oblivion. When a poor redguard merchant has the exact same voice as the Whiterun blacksmith, it's bad. I'd rather have text tbh.

» Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:06 am

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Voice_Actors

There are a ton of important NPCs out there for various quests, keep in mind that there are a lot of one-off voices because, lets face it, if you heard the Archmage as a Smith in Markarth you'd be pretty mad. Most VA's do multiple roles, the reason you think everyone sounds the same is because generic NPCs say the same thing, just in different voices. This makes things a bit muddled and has nothing to do with the VA's, it has everything to do with Bethesda's writing.

False. Same exact voices are often used for quests and scripted speeches. We don't even need to get into the repetitive dialog issue.

» Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:14 pm

mjols voice is sixyness dipped in honey