After playing the chanter throughout the backer beta, I was disappointed to find that no changes have been made to the lack of feedback while chanting. To Chant is to make Noise, and while the Chanter spells do have a vocalization, there is nothing to indicate that, in fact, the Chanter is chanting. Not even a mumble. 

 

This is a little bit immersion breaking for me. I would be satisfied with something small and unobtrusive, such as a whispered incantation or muttered tune.

 

Right now it's just pure silence.

Edited February 18, 201510 yr by Havelok

I'm not entirely sure but I heard that some of the sounds are not playing correctly. Like battle music and so on. Its possible that it wasn't in the BB but is live in the final version. Still, I understand your concerns.

There's a lot of 'incantation' in the VO files, but I didn't hear any for chants, specifically. They may have cut them in favor of more companion dialogue etc

Try and imagine how annoying this has the potential to be.

Try and imagine how annoying this has the potential to be.

 

I have, and that is why I specified something unobtrusive. It wouldn't quite be WOLOLOOOOO  .

Try and imagine how annoying this has the potential to be.

 

I remember asking Josh about whether chants would be voiced a while ago with that concern. I think they probably did an internal test with them and found them annoying so they didn't record them.

 

I think if they effectively stylized it (like some really creative sound design), it would have probably been pretty cool.

 

As current I don't even really like the spellcasting VO that much - it's too much like Neverwinter Nights - not enough post-processing, and not as attractive sounding phrases. However I wonder if that will be correctable. Might warrant making a post about it.

 

The IE incantations were done-up to sound like very 'powerful' voices - sounded cool. Not many other games have really been able to achieve that.

Edited February 18, 201510 yr by Sensuki

 

Try and imagine how annoying this has the potential to be.

 

I remember asking Josh about whether chants would be voiced a while ago with that concern. I think they probably did an internal test with them and found them annoying so they didn't record them.

 

I think if they effectively stylized it (like some really creative sound design), it would have probably been pretty cool.

 

 

This is something we are currently looking at. There are chant vocalizations in the current internal build, but Justin, Jorge and myself have found them to be a little... overbearing. We were just discussing this today. Since these fire when combat begins (which is often), they are going to need a little tweaking and Justin is looking into it. Not sure what the final result will be and it is possible they get cut if we can't find a happy medium of audio feedback without sounding too repetitive/annoying.

I would suggest looking into something like making the chant VO 'revolve' around the audio channels or something, so it's like a subtle echo-y background effect or something. That would probably take the emphasis off them a bit.

I'll see if I can find a suitable link with similar vocal effects when I get home.

 

 

 

Try and imagine how annoying this has the potential to be.

 

I remember asking Josh about whether chants would be voiced a while ago with that concern. I think they probably did an internal test with them and found them annoying so they didn't record them.

 

I think if they effectively stylized it (like some really creative sound design), it would have probably been pretty cool.

 

 

This is something we are currently looking at. There are chant vocalizations in the current internal build, but Justin, Jorge and myself have found them to be a little... overbearing. We were just discussing this today. Since these fire when combat begins (which is often), they are going to need a little tweaking and Justin is looking into it. Not sure what the final result will be and it is possible they get cut if we can't find a happy medium of audio feedback without sounding too repetitive/annoying.

 

 

I hope you find a way to get them in, even if, like Sensuki suggests, they are heavily processed to be unobtrusive. Something is far better than nothing at all. Thanks for the response.

 

the fun starts at 5:45  

 

 Illusion: "Veritas, Credo, Oculos" = "The truth, I believe, with my eyes"

 Alteration: "Praeses, Alia, Fero" = "Protecting, another, I bring this forth"

 

 

Edited February 18, 201510 yr by Grotesque

Something is far better than nothing at all.

 

It really isn't.

 

If Obsidian create something that works well then I have no objections, but I think the position of this idea on the "How difficult is it to make it work well?"/"How much will this improve the game?" axis makes it a non-attractive use of resources for me.

 

EDIT:

 

...

 

..."non-attractive"...

 

...

 

*left in as a monument to my idiocy*

Edited February 19, 201510 yr by Kjaamor

Hey now... it's the same number of syllables as "unattractive," and it's not as if the meaning isn't clear. "Whoa... What does the prefix 'non' mean?!"

 

 

There are far worse blunders to be had.

 

The IE incantations were done-up to sound like very 'powerful' voices - sounded cool. Not many other games have really been able to achieve that.

 

 

This ! I really miss those powerful "ARGH" and stuff like that from Baldurs gate. It sounded so harsh and crude. Noone makes sounds like that nowadays. Shame ! Overally I'm really dissapointed when it comes to sound effects in this game, I think that combat lacks intensivity because of that. Incantations are bearly hearable in poe. Spell sound effects are like "bziuuum", animation is still going on and there is no sound left. You can't tell that the spell you cast is powerful. 

Liberal use of (often over-the-top) voice acting in the IE games was something I think really helped make the battles feel more engaging.

 

"YEEEEEAAAARRRHHHHH!!" "On my way" "UGGHHH "To battle! With no regrets!" "My-my spell cast has been interrupted" "I... Require healing..."

 

Constant battle chants sound like a great idea to me. Then again, I also have a pretty high tolerance for repetition and poor VO, so maybe I shouldn't get an opinion.

This is something we are currently looking at. There are chant vocalizations in the current internal build, but Justin, Jorge and myself have found them to be a little... overbearing. We were just discussing this today. Since these fire when combat begins (which is often), they are going to need a little tweaking and Justin is looking into it. Not sure what the final result will be and it is possible they get cut if we can't find a happy medium of audio feedback without sounding too repetitive/annoying.

 

 

 

 

Oh please please please, find the balance ! :D.

That's something I asked a few time already, it would add so much to immersion and to the chanter's charism.

I also prefer "something" even if there is some repetitions, but maybe the possibility to disable it would be nice just in case (for people who really don't like it).

A chanter without chants sounds is like a dead body without a lit candle.

Yeah, I don't mind repetitions either, just some kind of sound effect for chants is a must. As it's now most of the time you even don't notice the chants are turned on.

 

In addition to being subtle, the chants could be coming in waves? As the chant is structured, or every time the chant is restarted? Might make it a little less intrusive and repetitive than a continuous chanting VO.

I understand both sides of this debate and think it's probably something that should go in, but with a toggle for "chant sounds enabled yes/no?"

On a similar note, the incantation sound effects (and wizard spells too) are really quiet and weedy you can barely notice them. It's a bit of a letdown after Baldur's Gate with Vita, Mortis, Careo etc you definitely know someone is casting a spell and you'd better stop them right now!

^ One reason I always loved that D&D Feat that allowed you to cast spells with a verbal component silently. At least I think that was a feat. I know there was one that let you bypass the somatic component. I might be imagining a bypass to the verbal component. *shrug*

I understand both sides of this debate and think it's probably something that should go in, but with a toggle for "chant sounds enabled yes/no?"

 

Unfortunately we won't be getting any more toggles, as they take too much dev time. 

 

Anyway my question was answered directly by a Dev, so Mods can lock this thread if they like. 

Edited February 26, 201510 yr by Havelok

Although I loved the incantations of spellcasting in BG2 and IWD and I'd really love to see stuff like this in Pillars, I don't want to be implemented if the team doesen't feel they've made it right. Also, the combat is so fast I don't even know if there is enough time to chant untill the spell is cast! Unless the voiced are "ho!" or "ungh!" or something like that that I wouldn't like to hear

 

Also, about Grotesque's 2nd video of BG1 incantations...  I haven't played BG1 and had no idea the incantations were different that of those in later IE games. Man, those BG1 incantation sound so... 80's cheesy! Don't liked them at all

^ One reason I always loved that D&D Feat that allowed you to cast spells with a verbal component silently. At least I think that was a feat. I know there was one that let you bypass the somatic component. I might be imagining a bypass to the verbal component. *shrug*

In 3rd edition you could get 'Silent Spell' feat and 'Still Spell' feat - enabling you to cast without verbal / somatic components respectively.

Silent Spell was awesome for a sorceror - didn't need to prep in advance - "Oh, I've been silenced...have a lvl3 fireball instead "

I thought so, but couldn't remember off the top of my head, and forgot Google existed.