We Need a PA Announcer!!!

[DDD113]

Hello to the dev team and fellow SSGX pilots. Today I would like to propose the idea of having a PA announcer at every track, someone that announces "Welcome to Cassandra" at the start of the race, and then has their words blend into background noise blaring over every fan section on each track. I got this idea from sitting on the grid in NFS Shift 2, listening to the unintelligible yet very present PA announcer firmly address the grandstands, and I think along with the welcome greeting, it would be a great addition to SSGX (along with louder crowd noise, see WipEout Pure! ;))

Also, don't get me wrong, I like Blocky, but I think it would be to everyone's benefit if her voice and phrases were more assertive. Right now, she sounds very quiet and passive, sort of like "listen to me if you want, but you might not hear me anyway!" I like the assertiveness of the WOHD countdowns, perfect lap, final lap sayings, etc. (also I've noticed there is no "perfect lap" phrase in SSGX), but anyway, I think that would add to the seriousness of an ARC-150 racing event.

[docfo4r]

Hm I don't quite understand you... You want another announcer welcoming you to the track?
I don't think we should add too many different voices. After all it is a racing game. You already have Charlie describing the track [and teams later on] as well as Blocky for in-race commentary. Also don't forget that there is Carlos aswell and he won't only appear on the tutorial.
Next is on tracks like Nazca Remains, there is no crowd, and also no other announcement system. Even the Blocky countdown screen is nothing very professional, but a short and rusty solution to have the official mascot [Blocky] in the desert...

[Oryx Crake]

doc if I can interject I think what he means is someone who talks to the stands essentially, I think we could describe it as track atmosphere, something that gives the track itself a feeling of being "alive"

[docfo4r]

Oh, ok. Well if that was the case, then I'm totally fine with it since it counts up towards the ambience.... Or spoken in Unity language, it would be a 3D sound while Blocky & Hellfire are 2D :D

[DDD113]

Yeah Theo has got it, just someone in the background that you can't really here throughout the whole race, but before Hellfire starts talking, the PA announcer could make a clear "Welcome to X Track" announcement, and then begin the muffled ambient speaking.

[docfo4r]

Alright, I think that would work. But then we'd need a different voice for each track... Some spanish accent for Cassandra, japanese voice for Alphard, german-ish for DC and no voice for Nazca :D

[keg_11]

What would be the technical requirements of volunteering to v-o (mics, software etc). I might if there is space for an Australian accent.

[Ace3000]

Unless you went the way of WipEout Pulse and have one VA say "Welcome to <track>", then have the spoken track info.

Like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAKKIgbLLDo

-----------------------------------
The VA that says "Welcome to The Amphiseum" in this video is the exact same one used in all tracks, it's just a generic, yet noticable VA.

[TheXTR09]

I would want to make myself useful. Downloading the game for free makes me feel criminal.
Asian male voices is the one I could do.

[Ace3000]

Technically it's not finished yet, so you're beta testing, like all of us.

[Jonny]

About the topic: How about some simple phrases and a pre-race introduction and information about the current championship like in GRID Autosport?
Pre-Race would be for example:
"It's a short championship, but this doesn't means it is boring."
"Is there anything that could stop the current №1 from winning this championship?"

In-race commentry would be:
"It seems like the athmosphere on the track is quiet aggressive."
"That was a hard hit, probably not easy to recover from that one."
"Someone left the track, that costs a lot of time."
"Another driver is out of the race."

Classically the two commentators are an expert and a former driver, it is probably obvious that Hellfire would play the role of the former pilot. ;)

[blackwiggle]

The best female voice over I've ever heard in ANY game was from the first G-Police- PSone game [ironically a Psygnosis/ SL game from 1997]
None threatening, clear, concise, both instructive & directive at the same time, while remaining softly alluring.

Worth buying the PSone download version just to hear what I'm talking about.......I've never heard better.

I suppose you could get a voice actor in the general voice range that you want, to record the phrases needed, then use some vocodar software to alter that to your "Ideal Voice".
It never seems to come out quite right IMHO when trying to do this, but unless you find the perfect voice, it's your best shot.

[dreadofmondays]

Downloading the game for free makes me feel criminal.

You could always send in a donation for unity pro.. ;)

[Mitchemous]

I would be willing to be the American announcer, I've been told a quite few times I have a "talk radio voice" lol

[blackwiggle]

What do you want?
Who are you used to listening to?

It's changed a lot over the years.

Murry Walker?
James Hunt?


I prefer Clive James [OLD : circa 2010] calling it with humor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shKpKLjSCSM

To each their own.