how to make a mod that adds new voice types with unique VA?

[Jazwind]

so I wanna make a mod that adds unique and custom generic voice lines to certain races and their NPCs that lack a unique voice actor so there is more variety than the 6 or so voice types in the vanilla game. for instance, adding a unique voice actor for each of the 3 elf races rather than them sharing the same voice actor. While it'd be fairly easy to revoice and replace the unique dialogue/topics from quests, I have no idea how to create an entirely new voice type for a particular race/sex that includes custom VA for generic lines like greetings/rumors/combat that are sharred by all NPCs of that race/sex including modded ones. I looked at the file structure for Oblivion’s VA and while that seem to be arranged by race there aren’t any folders for dark/wood elf’s and other races that lack unique voice types. I also have no idea how the VA for characters with unique voice acting like Martin and Mankar Camoran is supposed to work

how would I go about doing this? Is the process of creating new voice types for different races just a matter of recreating all the generic voice lines for each race with unique VAs for the duplicates and putting them into a new folder corresponding with their race and sex? Is is there some work I'd have to do inside the CS for the generic lines for the voice types to work? because I haven't found any info on how to add custom voice acting to oblivion let alone new entire voice types. I have a few friends who are skilled in VA that I can get to re voice all of the generic and unique lines to use as new voice types but I have zero idea how to actually impliment it in the CS.

[Pellape]

Well first of all, you need a couple of voice actors or do you plan to do all voices your self? Maybe with your friends?

 

I did add voice to a mod I made 13-14 years ago, where me and my sister made some Nordic voice acting and it sure took time to get just a few lines right. I recorded them when Audacity and then transferred them to the right place but it is best to start making the base voice file inside the dialogue first as the CS will create the right file at the right spot and then I used that file in Audacity, edited it and saved it at the same spot when I was done.

 

Audacity is free

 

The reason there is only 6 voice types, is space. The Orch's and Nord's had to share Lynda's voice because of that the voice files took up half the DVD that was released. There where no space left. So do have that in mind that your voice files will take up lots of space for sure. I do like Lynda's voice really so I do not mind at all. It was planned that she would only do the Nord females from the beginning but she was also asked to do the Orch's later, which was a right decision.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Pellape

[JustChill]

Voice Lines need a specific MP3 format.

 

I use Audacity too, but maybe my "LAME.dll" for Audacity's MP3 conversion doesn't work properly.

I always use the right format for voice lines "64 kbit/s, 44 Hz, Mono" but it never works when I save them with Audacity.

So I finally use VLC Player to convert them into working MP3s with the very same format.

 

Could be the MP3 tags, as Audacity always ask me which Tag format I would prefer, while VLC simply converts the file.

[Pellape]

Well I had to fiddle a lot with the mp3 format to get it to work properly with Audacity if I recall right but I succeeded.

 

Jazzwind. Why do you wanna take on such a mega huge project anyway? It will take you years to complete for one single race I guess if you are not used to recording really, if I make a wild guess that is. There must be more appealing and productive modding you could do like making something completely new, like a new dungeon, quest mod or house and use your voice abilities there instead? :wink: Check out the tutorials at CS WIki

Edited March 4, 2021 by Pellape

[JustChill]

I still use Audacity for cutting audio, etc as i like how simple it is and it's for free.

 

But I never hear audio ingame, when saving it with Audacity. So I have to convert it again afterwards with VLC Media Player.

As I said, maybe my "LAME.dll" has issues or the MP3Tag format is weird.

 

So if someone has similar issues, using VLC Media Player to convert the MP3 again helps (at least in my case). ;)

[Jazwind]

 

so I wanna make a mod that adds unique and custom generic voice lines to certain races and their NPCs that lack a unique voice actor so there is more variety than the 6 or so voice types in the vanilla game. for instance, adding a unique voice actor for each of the 3 elf races rather than them sharing the same voice actor. While it'd be fairly easy to revoice and replace the unique dialogue/topics from quests, I have no idea how to create an entirely new voice type for a particular race/sex that includes custom VA for generic lines like greetings/rumors/combat that are sharred by all NPCs of that race/sex including modded ones. I looked at the file structure for Oblivion’s VA and while that seem to be arranged by race there aren’t any folders for dark/wood elf’s and other races that lack unique voice types. I also have no idea how the VA for characters with unique voice acting like Martin and Mankar Camoran is supposed to work

how would I go about doing this? Is the process of creating new voice types for different races just a matter of recreating all the generic voice lines for each race with unique VAs for the duplicates and putting them into a new folder corresponding with their race and sex? Is is there some work I'd have to do inside the CS for the generic lines for the voice types to work? because I haven't found any info on how to add custom voice acting to oblivion let alone new entire voice types. I have a few friends who are skilled in VA that I can get to re voice all of the generic and unique lines to use as new voice types but I have zero idea how to actually impliment it in the CS.

 

recording the voice lines isn't the problem here: I already have some close friends skilled in VA who can do all that already.

 

 

the problem I'm curious about is how I'd actually go about implementing the new VA as generic lines shared by all NPCs of a particular race. I know you can just replace the MP3 files for unique bits of quest dialogue for specific NPCs, but as of now I'm concerned with adding custom VA for generic lines such as greetings/rumors/combat that are shared by all NPCs of a particular race including custom ones so each race and sex has it's own unique voice actor.

 

I've already extracted the games voice files and noticed that there aren't folders to contain the MP3s for every race and sex. for instance, all of the dark elf/high elf/wood elf lines are contained in a single folder because they share a single voice actor. I've since added custom folders for the races that I intend on adding new unique VAs for such as Khajiit and Orcs. To get the generic lines for these new races to work in game, would it be a matter of just placing my newly voiced MP3 files for those lines with the right names inside the folders for their respective races? or is there some implementation i'd have to do inside the CS to get these revoiced generic lines working for races that previously lacked a unique voice type?

[Pellape]

Well what you need to do is add new lines into the topic, one exact copy or nearly exact the same for each race and add a condition for each race. As it is a new line of text and you start the recording button for it, a new voice file will be created. The paths to the voice files is nothing we can change as CS generate the paths for each new response you add. So in the case of the 3 elves, you need to add the text 3 times, and add different conditions:

GetIsRace Bosmer == 1.00 AND

And all other other conditions required of course, all those that is originally required and you can mark all conditions, right click at them, copy and paste to a new response. It is described here how to do it.

 

I do suggest that you do this whole tutorial, to get a good feeling about how topics and quests works, as they are bound together. You cant add new topics for instance without making a quest for it first but you do not want to make new quests notr new topics, just add new responces with new conditions but do it anyway to practice it and to get a feeling about how dialogues in CS works. The quest could be just empty and pointless or not, as it does not matter in this case. But when you do it, you will say: AHA!!! So this is how it works. So do it immediately. ;)

[Pellape]

Well I am wrong or almost wrong at least as it works do to the way that I did describe but I took a look in one of the sections you will edit, the GREETING. I looked at the response "What?" and this is what it looks like in CSE and I bet it looks the same in CS:



So you record the Voice file here, for each race and set the conditions to it here as well for each race and gender. You see each voice file for each race and gender at this screenshot and how to set each flag. Well do the tutorial that I linked to, which is the absolute best way you can learn this so you learn the right way as we can teach you the wrong way, obviously.... :wink:

Edited March 5, 2021 by Pellape

[Jazwind]

Well what you need to do is add new lines into the topic, one exact copy or nearly exact the same for each race and add a condition for each race. As it is a new line of text and you start the recording button for it, a new voice file will be created. The paths to the voice files is nothing we can change as CS generate the paths for each new response you add. So in the case of the 3 elves, you need to add the text 3 times, and add different conditions:

GetIsRace Bosmer == 1.00 AND

And all other other conditions required of course, all those that is originally required and you can mark all conditions, right click at them, copy and paste to a new response. It is described here how to do it.

 

I do suggest that you do this whole tutorial, to get a good feeling about how topics and quests works, as they are bound together. You cant add new topics for instance without making a quest for it first but you do not want to make new quests notr new topics, just add new responces with new conditions but do it anyway to practice it and to get a feeling about how dialogues in CS works. The quest could be just empty and pointless or not, as it does not matter in this case. But when you do it, you will say: AHA!!! So this is how it works. So do it immediately. :wink:

can you tell me how to access that menu? because whenever I try to click on any of the responses in the dialogue menu my CS immediately crashes.

[qwertyasdfgh]

 

I've already extracted the games voice files and noticed that there aren't folders to contain the MP3s for every race and sex. for instance, all of the dark elf/high elf/wood elf lines are contained in a single folder because they share a single voice actor. I've since added custom folders for the races that I intend on adding new unique VAs for such as Khajiit and Orcs. To get the generic lines for these new races to work in game, would it be a matter of just placing my newly voiced MP3 files for those lines with the right names inside the folders for their respective races? or is there some implementation i'd have to do inside the CS to get these revoiced generic lines working for races that previously lacked a unique voice type?

 

Simply creating new folders won't be enough. You'll need to use the CS to change race voice type. Go into Character -> Race menu, find the race you're interested in and change "Male Voice" and/or "Female Voice".

After that all you need to do is record thousands of new voice lines and put them into appropriate folder.