Voice Work for Videos

[Zelknolf]

Also #ifs/#ifl/#not

[FoamBats4All]

I have the loot generator voice overs half-recorded. Unfortunately, my body thought it'd be super cool to spend all night throwing up. Seeing as I can't keep down water, my voice is all scratchy, and I'll have to wait until I recover to finish.

I can still do video recording, however. If someone gets me voice overs for Zelknolf's video, I can re-record it and do the intros/outros so everything looks uniform.

[FoamBats4All]

Anyone else make any progress here?

[Zelknolf]

Nothing came back to me. Looks like we have a couple scripts that nobody's sent back noises of?

[MaskedIllusion]

So where did we end up on this project?

Did we find someone to do the following?

Make the videos
Edit the videos
Voice the videos
Post the Videos
?

[FoamBats4All]

Everyone we contacted seemed to not follow up with us. Not unusual for a project.

I have a third video half done (DM Tutorial: Loot Generation), but have been busy with real life lately and have not finished it.

[Adanu]

I'll offer, but I do not have a voiceover friendly voice, so consider me a last resort.

[Ithildur]

I've been pretty busy so not an ideal time, but... been told during casual conversation once or twice that I might have a good voice for stuff like this (though that was some years ago!). What's funny is I've also been told that I need to work on projecting and not mumbling, etc. during regular conversation (though that's going even further back) ... so I donno, depends on day of the week? I've had some health issues so that might be a factor too; still recovering from the nasty bug I had a month or so ago (gross details withheld) but I may be willing if no one else steps up.

[Veilan]

I can only do convincing Brit (rp), Scot, French and (obviously) German accented English, and I figure you guys want "standard", i.e. accent-free American.

[Zelknolf]

Foam and I were talking, and part of our chat included the value of a diversity of voices in things. It would help communicate that we're a project built by many people, as one of ALFA's distinguishing traits is that its leadership is elected, powers are divided, and there is no single permanent overlord. We tend to speak of/ experience that in terms of the frustration of not being able to just sweepingly make stuff happen, but the alternative organization tends to be worse, and we might spin our plurality as a perk.

[CloudDancing]

I've been waiting for my script in the wings, thought I wasn't needed.

[kid]

If I'm expected to come up with stuff to say, then I likely won't have time.
I've a slight accent you may find annoying or charming, so if you want diversity...

Anyways, willing to give it a go and let you guys decide if to use it or not.

[Zelknolf]

I'll see if I can't write up some scripts for potential volunteers. We'll probably work it like a grab bag-- big pile of scripts, and whoever wants to take a crack at recording posts that they're taking it.

[Veilan]

I've a slight accent you may find annoying or charming

I just hope it'll be as sexy as the accent I imagine when reading your posts.

Also:

[Zelknolf]

Anyone who wants to claim this reading first (I'll hopefully be able to get a second one up soonish if there's a second person keen on voicing and available)...
(one thing I'd add, which folk who aren't in computers might not know, "GUI" is usually pronounced "gooee" -- like you're describing a toddler's face)

In Neverwinter Nights 2, the default system of creating combat challenges for players is fairly inflexible. You create and place 'encounters' with the toolset, or simply use the toolset to directly place monsters into areas, and these turn into fights when the players encounter them.

This isn't a very effective way to build a large multiplayer environment like we have in A Land Far Away, as these tend to be cleared out by players shortly after each server reset, which results in a very empty server. Most worlds respond to this by creating spawn systems, and ALFA is no exception to this. We have a spawn system that is strongly influenced by Neshke's Extendable Spawning System.

But these spawn systems have their own limitations. Typically, if a DM wishes to run some sort of event-- say, necromancers have gone mad and taken over the forest, leaving it all overrun with undead-- they would need to go to the toolset and change the spawns, then update the module and reset the module. And what's more is they are obligated to then return the spawns to their old state after the event is done, which more often than not lead our DMs to simply not changing the build. When zombies were running amok, the goblin forest continued to be full of goblins and no one was the wiser.

ALFA has a tool to solve this problem as well, which we call our 'infestations' system. In our example, it would manage the population of our rampaging undead hordes, note the territory that they hold, and severely hamper their ability to expand if the leading necromancers were ever slain.

The first step to running such an event is to go to an area where the infestation will start.

[pause for AT]

Once there, we'll open the infestations GUI. Getting to the infestations GUI is done through the ACR Creator, with the button for infestations being on the Creatures tab, but we'll leave the creator open because we'll need it too.

We can see from the GUI that there's no infestations currently in this area. We would see monsters listed here if there was. To get one started, we'll need to pick monsters to be the backbone of our infestation. Some common zombies and skeletons will do. Once they're spawned, I'll use the 'add monster' button on each, and we can see them appear on the GUI.

At this point, we could say we're done. This infestation won't be able to grow, so this one area will simply have skeletons and zombies instead of goblins in it.

But if we want the infestation to spread and get stronger, we'll need to pick leadership. In this case, we'll make it a couple necromancers. Same as with the zombies and skeletons, I spawn them, and then use the add boss button on each, and they appear on the top half of the GUI.

Now for as long as both of these necromancers live, this infestation will grow two 'points' worth per game day, with each point either strengthening an area already occupied or taking over a new area, and making sure that areas don't get too different in strength from the ones around it. If one of the necromancers was killed, then it would only grow by one point; if both are killed, then the infestation stops.

But in mentioning those points of growth, I should mention the tier column in the bottom half of the GUI here. An area can't have more points in it than there are tiers available in the infestation, so it we want any of our areas to get really thick with undead, and properly dangerous, we'd want to add some stronger monsters to the infestation. Let's say ghouls and shadows. As with the zombies and skeletons, we spawn them and add monster to each, but now we select each and increase the tier on each as well.

The result is skeletons and zombies in tier 1, and ghouls and shadows in tier 2. In the thickest areas, there will also be the necromancers leading the trouble, and we'll hope that the heroes of the region fight against this threat in our next video.