Hard Light Productions Forums

Hosted Projects - Standalone => The Babylon Project => Topic started by: Gryffon on January 28, 2011, 02:59:18 pm

Title: Couple of small launcher issues
Post by: Gryffon on January 28, 2011, 02:59:18 pm

Hi, just dl'ing & installing TBP. Been all over the place finding bits here & bits there (there I go, sounding like Marcus Cole).
Got TBP DVD1 & Zathras. Also, updated to 3.6.12 inf and the 5.5g launcher.

Anyway, seems to be working, except....

I tried the 5.5b launcher that came with the DVD1, and now the 5.5g and there are a couple of things with both that are not huge, but might be worth attending to.
1)- The 'Read Me' button on the Welcome screen of the Launcher takes me to the FreeSpace Wiki Homepage. Is that what was intended?
2)- The reason that I was looking for the Read me is that under 'Speech' in the launcher, I was hoping to load a different Sim Speech. Now, on the release page for DVD1, it mentioned providing alternate voices (with 'the hard to find Anna', being the best). I have been unable to find where these voice files are, or how to install. The launcher drop-down only lists 'Microsoft Sam', and the 'Get Additional Voices' button takes me to the Microsoft Download site for 'Speech SDK 5.1'. That didn't seem to be what I was after.
3)- The prime motivator behind the desire for SimSpeech is that in several campaigns that I have tried, there is NO voice track - only printed conversation tracks. Is this correct, that there is no speech audio tracks for some of these in-game campaigns or briefings?

Thanks

(PS I know the DVD intro page says to ask questions on another thread, but its been dormant for months. Hope here is OK.)

Title: Re: Couple of small launcher issues
Post by: General Battuta on January 28, 2011, 04:09:35 pm

Most campaigns are not voice acted as quality voice acting is extremely time consuming.

Title: Re: Couple of small launcher issues
Post by: Gryffon on February 01, 2011, 04:09:34 pm

Thanks, General, the voice acting thing I really appreciate! I was looking at the voice actor call for Blue 2 - no wonder BP 1 sounds so incredibly cinematic. The team obviously have set yourselves professional level standards and beyond! (I was having a muck-around with Aquanox the other day - quite a fun little distopian post-apocalyptic tale - and paid particular attention to the voice-acting after your comments. The story line is great, and the main character is great, but the rest of the voice cast are imbeciles with put-on silly voices and accents. S, please stick to your guns re-quality!)

Any one able to answer my question about how to load Anna's SIM voice for the mean time?

Thanks

Title: Re: Couple of small launcher issues
Post by: Zacam on February 07, 2011, 01:50:20 am

On Widows 7, Anna -is- the default voice. For WinXP, the only way I know of it being possible is by laboriously strip-mining it out of Microsoft's 'Streets & Trips' software, otherwise it just doesn't exist.

Title: Re: Couple of small launcher issues
Post by: Gryffon on February 07, 2011, 09:52:40 am

Thanks for the reply, Zacam.
I guess the head-scratch is that in the release notes, it says that additional voices, including 'Anna', ARE included in the package. If that is correct, I don't know how to locate the file, or how to install/activate it once found.
Certainly there appears to be a facility within the launcher to select alternate voices, but it would appear that they would need to be in the right folder or in the right file format. This must have been the intention, otherwise, why mention it on the release notes for DVD1 (but then not provide a way to access them, thus creating an excuse for me to harass people that have better things to do than deal with trifles like this)?