Native Languages: Imperials/Itialian , Nords/German , etc

[ZZZ02]

well, not about lore relativity but about the real world. Just because you are born one race and even if you where born in a specific area does not determine the language you speak. If I moved to Spain after I was born I would be speaking spanish not english even though I am american and was born in america. plus, I don't think may people will download this and on anothe issue I recall someone being banned for using Japanese localization voices or something like that on the English version due to some copyright issue.

[COLDNz1991]

Not interested in discussing lore relativity. Incentive for pointless contradicting quote comments and throwbacks. Anyone interested in offering their skills or advice in Helping me with this mod's creation are appreciated. I will update as developments follow...

[COLDNz1991]

Yeah, especially the Latin localization.

You think I can get Latin localization? That would supersede Italian in my book.

[TheFirstEnD]

Some voice type are used by multiple races in many cases.

[Sabenn]

Ah, thanks for putting this idea out there. It touches on a couple of ideas I've been pondering myself.

 

As to why you might do something like this.

 

1) The multiple audio packs are an amazing set of very under-utilised resources. Gigabytes of high quality voice performances. What's not to like?

2) English voice fatigue. Even though there is an amazing range of English voices to start, after playing a while you do start noticing the same voices being reused over and over again.

3) Audio richness. Imagine busy market-places with multiple languages going off. I think it could potentially bring a remarkable freshness to replaying the game.

4) Different styles of voice performance for major NPCs - there might be a tonal quality that are a better match for the character type even though it is in a different language. I wonder how Lydia comes across in Italian?

 

That being said, I do think it is potentially a bit much to overhaul all the different races to all speak in different languages, not to mention a potentially massive task for a first mod. As mentioned there are potentially a large number of technical and immersion challenges to changing that many NPC interactions. In some ways, it might be technically easy to do the basic idea with just swapping the right audio resources, but in practice you may find yourself with a messy, unsatisfying result.

 

Might I suggest you test the idea with a simple follower mod, and see if you can get only the follower speak in different language. I have seen this done with a couple of Japanese follower mods (thought without English subtitles), and it is quite an interesting effect. Certainly much better than having yet another follower who sounds like Lydia.

 

For my part, I have been wonder about the more technical challenges.

Like, how could you control the subtitle display so that it would only show up when an NPC used a different language audio file.

 

Behind this an idea for a Language Understanding system. First use some of these other audio voice packs in a context where they might make more sense - a newly discover race of beings, a new land, a different kind of creature. At first flush, there are no subtitles, and you need to "learn their language" - via magic or constant conversation or reading training books - until eventually the appropriate English subtitle starts appearing. The learning experience might be gradated by replacing the subtitle text with dots, and as you learning more, actual words are inserted. Language skill level 4, every four word in the subtitle is revealed. Level 8, every second word and so on.

 

It might also be fun to have characters who are dual language speakers. Imagine the snobbish sisters at Radiant Raiment, who would speak to you in English but then swap a couple of lines in French amongst themselves, just because they know you wont understand them and it will piss you off. Or talking with some slightly unsavoury characters, who swap language when they talk to each other because they don't want you to know what they are plotting. In these case, the lack of subtitles would add to the moment - but we are talking modifying NPC behaviours here.

 

But I do believe there a rich set of possibilities with these language packs, if used in the right way.

In fact, I may have a go at that foreign language follower idea myself, when I next rebuild my Skyrim base again.

 

Good luck with your ideas. I look forward to seeing how you progress.

[Sabenn]

Actually, instead of me raving about ideas, perhaps this might be more appropriate to your actual request.

 

I would caveat this with the caution, as noted by one of the previous responses here, that there may be serious copyright issues around using other voice packs. It might be kinda okay to quietly experiment for yourself, but if you want to upload something like this as a mod I would definitely check that it is legal to do so.

 

Anyway...

 

Look up the youtube video for setting up Skyrim to play with Japanese Audio with English subtitles.

 

Basically it is just swapping the audio resources in data/sound/voice/skyrim.esm

 

You might try just changing one of the voice sets. This may or may not work as I've not tried it myself.

Download the Skyrim - Voice BSA of the language of choice. (all 1.5 Gigabytes of it)

Then put back the English version of the file.

Unpack the foreign language version with something like BSAopt, so you get access to the individual files.

Then copy just one folder manually into you active data folder say the /sound/voice/skyrim.esm/femalenord

Play the game.

Either you will CTD because the file IDs are all different, or else you find a lot of nord female characters speaking another language.

If it works, it may quickly give you an idea of how broadly that file set is used across the game.

 

Hmm.... now I'm kinda curious now...

Edited August 20, 2015 by Sabenn

[scrivener07]

Lets just put the legality thing to rest, of course its legal. Bethesda Game Studios said this about the subject in a forum post. See answer 2A

My rule of thumb is usually: if you can scavenge it for our archives, and then make a mod out of it that you don't charge money for, then you're probably safe.

[Pegorino]

What Scrivener said is what I wanted to say.

[COLDNz1991]

Ah, thanks for putting this idea out there. It touches on a couple of ideas I've been pondering myself.

 

As to why you might do something like this.

 

1) The multiple audio packs are an amazing set of very under-utilised resources. Gigabytes of high quality voice performances. What's not to like?

2) English voice fatigue. Even though there is an amazing range of English voices to start, after playing a while you do start noticing the same voices being reused over and over again.

3) Audio richness. Imagine busy market-places with multiple languages going off. I think it could potentially bring a remarkable freshness to replaying the game.

4) Different styles of voice performance for major NPCs - there might be a tonal quality that are a better match for the character type even though it is in a different language. I wonder how Lydia comes across in Italian?

 

That being said, I do think it is potentially a bit much to overhaul all the different races to all speak in different languages, not to mention a potentially massive task for a first mod. As mentioned there are potentially a large number of technical and immersion challenges to changing that many NPC interactions. In some ways, it might be technically easy to do the basic idea with just swapping the right audio resources, but in practice you may find yourself with a messy, unsatisfying result.

 

Might I suggest you test the idea with a simple follower mod, and see if you can get only the follower speak in different language. I have seen this done with a couple of Japanese follower mods (thought without English subtitles), and it is quite an interesting effect. Certainly much better than having yet another follower who sounds like Lydia.

 

For my part, I have been wonder about the more technical challenges.

Like, how could you control the subtitle display so that it would only show up when an NPC used a different language audio file.

 

Behind this an idea for a Language Understanding system. First use some of these other audio voice packs in a context where they might make more sense - a newly discover race of beings, a new land, a different kind of creature. At first flush, there are no subtitles, and you need to "learn their language" - via magic or constant conversation or reading training books - until eventually the appropriate English subtitle starts appearing. The learning experience might be gradated by replacing the subtitle text with dots, and as you learning more, actual words are inserted. Language skill level 4, every four word in the subtitle is revealed. Level 8, every second word and so on.

 

It might also be fun to have characters who are dual language speakers. Imagine the snobbish sisters at Radiant Raiment, who would speak to you in English but then swap a couple of lines in French amongst themselves, just because they know you wont understand them and it will piss you off. Or talking with some slightly unsavoury characters, who swap language when they talk to each other because they don't want you to know what they are plotting. In these case, the lack of subtitles would add to the moment - but we are talking modifying NPC behaviours here.

 

But I do believe there a rich set of possibilities with these language packs, if used in the right way.

In fact, I may have a go at that foreign language follower idea myself, when I next rebuild my Skyrim base again.

 

Good luck with your ideas. I look forward to seeing how you progress.

Good reflection. However I will not be including any of the content regarding learning languages or multi language characters etc. Regarding your point about subtitles, the subtitles will be turned on default, from the settings menu 'in-game'.

[COLDNz1991]

Actually, instead of me raving about ideas, perhaps this might be more appropriate to your actual request.

 

I would caveat this with the caution, as noted by one of the previous responses here, that there may be serious copyright issues around using other voice packs. It might be kinda okay to quietly experiment for yourself, but if you want to upload something like this as a mod I would definitely check that it is legal to do so.

 

Anyway...

 

Look up the youtube video for setting up Skyrim to play with Japanese Audio with English subtitles.

 

Basically it is just swapping the audio resources in data/sound/voice/skyrim.esm

 

You might try just changing one of the voice sets. This may or may not work as I've not tried it myself.

Download the Skyrim - Voice BSA of the language of choice. (all 1.5 Gigabytes of it)

Then put back the English version of the file.

Unpack the foreign language version with something like BSAopt, so you get access to the individual files.

Then copy just one folder manually into you active data folder say the /sound/voice/skyrim.esm/femalenord

Play the game.

Either you will CTD because the file IDs are all different, or else you find a lot of nord female characters speaking another language.

If it works, it may quickly give you an idea of how broadly that file set is used across the game.

 

Hmm.... now I'm kinda curious now...

I will try this and let you know.