Fallout 3: Voice Acting is Still WTFBBQ

[cannedpeahes]

It comes out on the 28th, so naturally, I was excited. The beginning of my prep routine was to play through Fallouts 1 and 2. The next step, of course, was to find promotional materials.

So I start watching these videos. Gameplay videos from the actual thing. Working my way through them slowly, sequentially. But what really irritates me you'll find if pay careful attention to a "Mister Burke" in videos 2+5. Remember that voice? If you played Oblivion, you do. And it's just as piss-poor and out-of-character as it was then. How many more games is it going to take for Betheseda to realize that using the same three actors to do everything in studio is NOT a good approach? I mean, maybe whoever this dude voiced in Oblivion (and probably Morrowind; I think it was the Guard/Gray Fox/Raiders) has some investment in the studio. He's probably a producer, and they think that giving him this role is rewarding his loyalty. But you can't do that shit at the expense of the game.

I'm still excited. And I'm still going to get it. Somehow. But... this dulls my enthusiasm just a little bit.

[Mission Difficult]

That's one of the things I was hoping they would be able to handle this time around. I guess audio just isn't a priority for them which is sad.  :'(

[CaffeinePowered]

I'm still excited. And I'm still going to get it. Somehow. But... this dulls my enthusiasm just a little bit.

For the love of god don't give bethesda your money

[Tricoden]

Please don't let this turn into another fallout 3 hate thread.

Although, you do prove a good point peaches, but it seems that every topic about F3 turns into how much it's going to suck.

[Eschatos]

I really don't mind.  That's the same guy who was Lucien Lachance, and I really liked Lucien Lachance.  What's wrong with the bad guy having a creepy voice?

[Tragic Hero]

Please don't let this turn into another fallout 3 hate thread.

Although, you do prove a good point peaches, but it seems that every topic about F3 turns into how much it's going to suck.

Hes right.  We should really stop doing that to these threads.

[cannedpeahes]

I really don't mind.  That's the same guy who was Lucien Lachance, and I really liked Lucien Lachance.  What's wrong with the bad guy having a creepy voice?

He has an okay voice with a lot of potential, but they've used it for UTTERLY the wrong character. Just take a look at the guy who this voice is supposed to belong to. Does he look like there's a bulimic's chance in a Weight Watchers meeting that the voice I'm hearing belongs to him? It's just weird.

And, personally, I'm excited about Fallout 3. Because the only reason I never played Fallout 1 and 2 'til now is because they've seemed so tedious - this isn't a world that's very friendly to turn-based combat. Bethesda has never made a tedious game, so they're naturally suited to make Fallout 3 tailored to the modern gamer. And it doesn't look like they'll be changing very much in principle; the mature content is still there, even richer, maybe, and the moral ambiguity still looks like something they're interested in preserving. The only thing that's changed is the combat, and that's not a game ruiner. Plus, it seems they've applied all the negative criticism that Oblivion got.

[CaffeinePowered]

tailored to the modern gamer. And it doesn't look like they'll be changing very much in principle; the mature content is still there, even richer, maybe, and the moral ambiguity still looks like something they're interested in preserving. The only thing that's changed is the combat, and that's not a game ruiner. Plus, it seems they've applied all the negative criticism that Oblivion got.

You do know most complaints about the game are about it being dumbed down on the moral and RPG end right, its not about the combat...

The combat is fine, its pause - play - pause like KoToR, which makes it effectively disguised turn-based. Its the fact that it is going to lack the mature themes, the moral choice, and such that make the original great.

Bethesda's writers couldn't write their way out of a paper bag. When a game has no demo, to me its a sign that they are either under-funded or have no confidence in their game. They haven't learned shit from Oblivion and from the PC Gamer review that I read, they haven't changed anything, or listened to anyone.

[cannedpeahes]

I don't know about that. Just watching the trailers on that link made me pretty impressed with their storytelling ability. Not to mention, there wasn't a lot about the dialogue and story of the first two Fallouts that was strikingly original. It was very well-penned and deeply characterized, yeah, and I loved the tongue-in-cheek humour, but it wasn't like it was anything new. And the videos seem to preserve some of the mature themes, which weren't really all that noticeable, anyways.

The only thing we're allowed to judge so far is the gameplay, that's all we've been allowed to see. I don't see what licenses people to hate something they haven't even looked at. When the reviews start popping up, most of the blowhards should feel inclined to give it a shot, and they'll be duly impressed, I think. I know I like the way it looks.

Seems to me that a lot of people seem to be wearing cuddly, fuzzy nostalgia goggles. I just played the first game this week (loved it, mind you), so I get to be free of that.

[ScottyGrayskull]

Bethesda's writers couldn't write their way out of a paper bag.

Which is funny, as I thought the opposite when I played Call of Cthulhu: DCotE. Very well written game with complete crap gameplay.

[CaffeinePowered]

[quote author=CaffeinePowered link=topic=1628.msg45505#msg45505 date=1224734712]
Bethesda's writers couldn't write their way out of a paper bag.

Which is funny, as I thought the opposite when I played Call of Cthulhu: DCotE. Very well written game with complete crap gameplay.
[/quote]

Its all right, they issued an apology and sacked all of the writers 

[Tragic Hero]

I actually thought Morrowind had some decent writing.  It seemed that Bethesda used their imaginations on this one and actually made a pretty intriguing storyline.

I will agree that Oblivions story was a total *yawn* fest

[Eschatos]

[quote author=CaffeinePowered link=topic=1628.msg45505#msg45505 date=1224734712]
Bethesda's writers couldn't write their way out of a paper bag.

Which is funny, as I thought the opposite when I played Call of Cthulhu: DCotE. Very well written game with complete crap gameplay.
[/quote]

Agreed, though I thought the gameplay was decent.

Also everything Peaches said.

[Surf314]

You know what, playing Fable 2 I realized something.  Molyneux makes an amazing game.  I mean as far as the layout and the story and the options and everything that gets written.  He also has great art direction.  But actually putting a game together nuts and bolts wise he's shit.  The tech and programming in the game are pretty meh I mean at this point it should be alot better.  So like I was thinking of Oblivion.  I still think that the game was designed really well under the hood.  But the writing and art was shit.

So from this I've come to two conclusions.  Molyneux needs to partner up with some amazing programmer to make his next game.  You know someone that will really innovate the tech and programming side.  And the second thing is that if Bethesda had some really great writing and art they could make an amazing game.  So maybe this could be a good thing.

[CaffeinePowered]

You know what, playing Fable 2 I realized something.  Molyneux makes an amazing game.  I mean as far as the layout and the story and the options and everything that gets written.  He also has great art direction.  But actually putting a game together nuts and bolts wise he's shit.  The tech and programming in the game are pretty meh I mean at this point it should be alot better.  So like I was thinking of Oblivion.  I still think that the game was designed really well under the hood.  But the writing and art was shit.

So from this I've come to two conclusions.  Molyneux needs to partner up with some amazing programmer to make his next game.  You know someone that will really innovate the tech and programming side.  And the second thing is that if Bethesda had some really great writing and art they could make an amazing game.  So maybe this could be a good thing.

Molyneux is an amazing designer and artist, he just knows diddly squat about programing and tends to run his mouth about what his games are going to feature. Then when they come out with half of what he promised we end up dissapointed (ref Black and White 1 & 2 as well as fable).

Not that any of his games are overly bad, the just don't meet the expectations he paints for them.

[Surf314]

[quote author=Surf314 link=topic=1628.msg45737#msg45737 date=1224892198]
You know what, playing Fable 2 I realized something.  Molyneux makes an amazing game.  I mean as far as the layout and the story and the options and everything that gets written.  He also has great art direction.  But actually putting a game together nuts and bolts wise he's shit.  The tech and programming in the game are pretty meh I mean at this point it should be alot better.  So like I was thinking of Oblivion.  I still think that the game was designed really well under the hood.  But the writing and art was shit.

So from this I've come to two conclusions.  Molyneux needs to partner up with some amazing programmer to make his next game.  You know someone that will really innovate the tech and programming side.  And the second thing is that if Bethesda had some really great writing and art they could make an amazing game.  So maybe this could be a good thing.

Molyneux is an amazing designer and artist, he just knows diddly squat about programing and tends to run his mouth about what his games are going to feature. Then when they come out with half of what he promised we end up dissapointed (ref Black and White 1 & 2 as well as fable).

Not that any of his games are overly bad, the just don't meet the expectations he paints for them.
[/quote]

Trust me Fable 2 is well worth it, the game isn't amazing from a programming perspective but there is nothing that really detracts from the good stuff, at least enough to rage quit.  He really needs a partner though, someone that can manage the programming and try and push the envelope on the tech side as well.