Replacing dance instructor VO is seriously leaving me scratching my head.
What was the issue in the old VO? We've never seen non-SAG actors reflexively replaced before. See. Kurland, who's VO was just reused for the latest TFO. Party instructor Zero is a classic part of the event and to see her replaced seems...excessive at the very least. I don't think there's any quantifiable reason why the old VO didn't work, they've been a staple for so long and there's no plausible feedback that could have possible reached the team this year that the instructors had to be removed. There's also no data that could possibly point to replacing the VO as there's been no summer event without the classic dance instructors. There was no update of their lines either, no reason why they needed to get a new and SAG actor to rework the character for new lines or an expanded role. It's the exact same script.
And while the new female dance instructor actor is fine in her own right (haven't heard the male yet if he's even present), the voice direction seems very off. It's more *instruction* and less of a party atmosphere at the base of a tropical resort. Mechanically, it's far less energizing and that deficiency feeds into the functional slog of clicking on an extended series of emotes. So on top of the cultural angle of replacing a classic character there's the basic point, "This new VO doesn't work as well as previous." The audio quality might be more clear but that by far isn't the most important aspect of this bit of game design.
Overall, there's just a lot of confusion and mild disappointment here. It doesn't seem like the decision was plugged in either into the social context of replacing Zero, in particular (in the especially crass way of overwriting her custom tailored NPC) or the functional needs of the character (see. giving the actor flat direction, not getting what players need to make this activity fun). I really don't see what the team could have been thinking here even on low-probability points of speculation (ex. sudden SAG issues. Again, we *just* saw Kurland re-used).
Ie. some explanation would be nice (as this is perhaps the most baffling change Cryptic's made in years). But here's my two recommendations regardless:
1. Revert the dance instructor VO
2. Alternatively, give the instructors new character models. Overwriting personal representations of team members with new VO isn't the classiest way of handling this. Separating out the new VO to a new character is the way to go to make it not seem like you're treating their place in the community as non-meaningful. Keep the old character models around in the background, but introduce the new instructor VO as new people. Don't play at implications of disposability (especially for one of your highest profile female team members in STO history) and give your new actor the best chance possible at being accepted by the community (it's only fair for their work).
IKR? The older Dance Instructor voice actress sounded more alive and more... (like she had a soul), but this one sounds just...timid and absent.
Also, on topic: I was also reminded that Reman women are still glitched and have invisible lower halves if one attempts to put them in skirts, shorts, or bikinis. Are Remans simply forbidden from wearing less clothing or something?
They changed the voiceover for Flying High, too. I don't know about anyone else, but she sounds smarmy to me.
I preferred the original in both cases. Whatever her flaws, the old dance instructor was enthusiastic.
They changed the voiceover for Flying High, too. I don't know about anyone else, but she sounds smarmy to me.
I preferred the original in both cases. Whatever her flaws, the old dance instructor was enthusiastic.
There's a VO for that?
Haven't heard a word.
They added VO to the lines you get during the activity. I don't recall voiceover for flying high though, I think that was always text based. Hers is perfectly fine there but it seems very misplaced to revamp the dance instructor VO and fill out her NPC contact dialog for event explanation but then *don't* do the same for the flying high contact which is your central introduction to the event. She's also arguably most important silent Risan NPC to add VO to for (why on earth do the dance instructor first?) The new Flying High VO is only for the activity, not NPC interactions. She also sounds like its the same actor. So...what happened?
The best I can possibly guess is that due to a miscommunication they revamped the wrong NPC. The dance instructor lines were recorded with the Flying High actor (perhaps thinking they were the same) and the Flying High NPC's event explanations (still text only) were overlooked because the dance instructor NPC lines were covered. The new VO was then implemented but without rationalizing what the original intent was. Ergo: haphazard application of one actor across two NPC's. If not that or similar then: "what the hell happened?" (it's a really weird set of updates and not what any designer would strive for in deliberate application.)
There's an argument to make for needing a new actor if they want to add new lines but the application here seems all over the place and not upstanding with respect to a character that was both a fan favorite (as far as they can be articulated for STO) and one of the most prominent female members of the team who did a LOT of community building. Clarification and/or a reversion would be most appreciated. If it's a simple matter then that should be an easy conversation.
Post edited by duncanidaho11 on
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Not only does the new female dance instructor sound like she should be wearing a business suit with her hair in a bun in a staff meeting somewhere instead of having fun and calling dance moves at a party, the new voice just does not sound right for her body type either, which is another disconnect. And the Flying High voice has an odd cadence to the way the lines are read that gives an impression of it being one of those home control box voices like Alexa where they try to sound natural but end up sounding clueless instead.
While the male dance instructor voice was annoying enough to warrant replacement (I haven't heard him yet this year so I don't know if they did it or not) the female one was spot on for the part and should be brought back. At the very least give any new voice actors some coffee or whatever so they wake up and sound like they want to be there.
The new visuals on the island like the roofs and whatnot are ok, btw, though i wonder if they may have increased lag a little since the Flying High gates are slower to appear than last year and I often had to guess where they were along the hud path (of course, that may just be because of the extra crowds on the first day or two).
My one complaint is that the increased detail on the palm trees hides the hoops you have to fly through for the aerial part of the Biathlon. Of course, nobody thought of that.
I and one of my fleetmates do not like the new VO for the Female Dance Instructor. He jokingly compared her to someone's mom or a Karen. Her voice is flat and lacks excitement.
As for the new VO for the previously unvoiced Event Coordinator, I actually like her voice. If the male Dance Instructor has been removed, I had no problem with him and I want him back. Though thinking of the new VO, if you get to the Dance Party before it starts you still hear the old VO from ZeroniusRex. That is a bug.
Cryptic, please add back the old VO from Zero and if you did take out the male Dance Instructor, please bring him back! I know there are SAG issues, but this an event that shows up during the summer and then disappears when it is done to come back for a new year, why can there not be an exception? Please do not change her voice during the Winter Event, I do not want a new precedent set here.
Also, noticed that the pop-in grass under Lighting 1.0 and a little under Lighting 2.0 is still present. Still prefer how Risa looks under Lighting 1.0, trying it in Lighting 2.0 and it looks drastically different, I am still exploring the island to see what it looks like. A lot of work I believe still needs to be done when it comes to Risa. Finally, the lag, FPS, and/or server issues need to be fixed for Risa and other maps that suffer from this. The first day of the event, I had to close the chat window in order not to have so much lag going on. Thanks.
One look I've been wanting to see as either a standard off-duty attire or summer clothing: crop-top forward-tied under the bust blouses with daisy duke shorts (frayed threads). The crop-top blouse could be either full-sleeve, rolled up sleeves, short sleeved, or sleeveless.
Preferably for all maps and not just on Risa.
Also note that there isn't a single baseball related activity in the entire game. Not on Risa, not on DS9's holo suites, not on earth. Nothing. But every year new baseball kits to wear on a beach.
If we were to get something sports related, why not water polo stuff? Archer was into water polo and we can at least step into water on Risa xD
^ Memory Alpha.org is not canon. It's a open wiki with arbitrary rules. Only what can be cited from an episode is. ^
"No. Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects... and claw at you." -Worf, son of Mogh
"A filthy, mangy beast, but in its bony breast beat the heart of a warrior" - "faithful" (...) "but ever-ready to follow the call of the wild." - Martok, about a Targ
"That pig smelled horrid. A sweet-sour, extremely pungent odor. I showered and showered, and it took me a week to get rid of it!" - Robert Justman, appreciating Emmy-Lou
I haven't worn any of the baseball outfits yet. I don't think I've even unlocked any of them. They don't really appeal to me as I don't care about baseball.
Although one of my toons does have the baseball device that you can throw to other players. More of that would actually be interesting. Why not add volleyball for example? Or Jiu Jitsu (add Spock's robe from ST IV for example for similar sports) and related kit modules.
...and here I am waiting for the full Kobali markings for the rest of Zhaan's body in her bathing suit (Alien Fed female with the Kobali Overall Pattern).
Welcome to my world. I've been up and down the whole Cryptic employee base about getting a full body skin for the LTS Borg. And that's a premium race. I've even managed to get Jack Emmert to say it but years later, still no full body skins for them.
Also note that there isn't a single baseball related activity in the entire game. Not on Risa, not on DS9's holo suites, not on earth. Nothing. But every year new baseball kits to wear on a beach.
If we were to get something sports related, why not water polo stuff? Archer was into water polo and we can at least step into water on Risa xD
If only they could make some KDF-exclusive gear available for Fed characters. I made Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan as my first Federation character, but the only attire that resembled her Season 1 and 2 gear is the TOS Klingon uniform (with chain sleeve attachments and collar); I made her as a KDF BOFF for my other KDF captains, and saw this set work for her.
I and one of my fleetmates do not like the new VO for the Female Dance Instructor. He jokingly compared her to someone's mom or a Karen. As for the new VO for the previously unvoiced Event Coordinator, I actually like her voice. If the male Dance Instructor has been removed, I had no problem with him and I want him back. Though thinking of the new VO, if you get to the Dance Party before it starts you still hear the old VO from ZeroniusRex. That is a bug.
Cryptic, please add back the old VO from Zero and if you did take out the male Dance Instructor, please bring him back! Also, noticed that the pop-in grass under Lighting 1.0 and a little under Lighting 2.0 is still present. Still prefer how Risa looks under Lighting 1.0, trying it in Lighting 2.0 and it looks drastically different, I am still exploring the island to see what it looks like. A lot of work I believe still needs to be done when it comes to Risa. Finally, the lag, FPS, and/or server issues need to be fixed for Risa and other maps that suffer from this. The first day of the event, I had to close the chat window in order not to have so much lag going on. Thanks.
The former one had a more sexier and younger voice. I tend to agree.
with the move to SAG only voice actors she won't be back. and I doubt they will hire yet another actress to replace this one, so I'd consider it a dead horse. I would like them to fix the artifact hunt. the scanner does not work well, and half the time you "find the artifact" it's not readily found, especially if it's on a path and not a beach. it's location should be far more prominent once you are close enough to trip the "found it" comment
I wish they could make this event longer. I know perhaps boring for some but can't get enough of some of the events. I dislike the Artifact Scavenger Hunt games but the others not so bad. Makes you forget of the reality of the current world to include high gas and inflation for a while.
^ Memory Alpha.org is not canon. It's a open wiki with arbitrary rules. Only what can be cited from an episode is. ^
"No. Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects... and claw at you." -Worf, son of Mogh
"A filthy, mangy beast, but in its bony breast beat the heart of a warrior" - "faithful" (...) "but ever-ready to follow the call of the wild." - Martok, about a Targ
"That pig smelled horrid. A sweet-sour, extremely pungent odor. I showered and showered, and it took me a week to get rid of it!" - Robert Justman, appreciating Emmy-Lou
I wish they could make this event longer. I know perhaps boring for some but can't get enough of some of the events. I dislike the Artifact Scavenger Hunt games but the others not so bad. Makes you forget of the reality of the current world to include high gas and inflation for a while.
There is a trick to the Artifact Scavenger Hunt. One trick I found that makes the hunt easier is for me to go to Sovak's Camp BEFORE I accept the scavenger hunt mission, calibrate the scanner, and do 2 preliminary scans at Sovak's Camp, and I would reference the area of coverage to the guide in this link.
I have some friends that would rather start the scavenger hunt inside the volcano instead of Sovaks' Camp, but for me it's easier to start at Sovak's Camp because the transporter pad is right there.
Some of the new voice-overs are neat, but why did the Dance Instructor for the Dance Off have to change? The old one had more emotion and excitement to her, and the new one is just... not as good. If the old voice-over files aren't deleted, pretty please bring back the old Dance Instructor voice. The new one sounds so dead inside. :-(
They decided to add voice-overs to some lines of dialogue that didn't have them before, and since the previous voice actress (I think it was actually a former dev?) was not a SAG member they had to recast.
I agree, the dance instructor has no pep in her tone, Zeronius rex did a much better job of it..
As for the voiceover during the Flying High daily, that one is really annoying and was not really needed..
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New dance VO is sharply inferior to old VO imo. I have seen not one comment in this thread or in in-game chat that prefers the new VO. There's bound to be one since I don't play 24-7, but it appears to be a landslide loss for the new VO. As for the other dance caller, he needed improvement, again imo, not missing him except --- he was also Better than the new girl VO.
Why not have the former VO person join SAG, if that is the problem, for whatever the minimum level required that would be necessary to clear that hurdle, and restore the old VO. Her performance certainly exceeds the new one by a margin sufficient to warrant consideration as a VO pro. Or just get somebody better, and better directed, and replace it again. We can pretend she had throat cancer, and the third version is post-surgery and rehab, but with a return to a happier attitude and enthusiastic party feel.
The new denser foliage was hard to get used to and is, and will continue to be, a pain for some events. I can and have adapted to it. It will be a problem for new or less experienced players that don't have the routes and gates pretty much memorized. I have not tried dialing back graphics to remove some detail. Does anybody know if that would work for people having difficulty?
New SWIMWEAR. I love baseball, used to have season tickets. Enough with the baseball, or NEW SWIMWEAR in addition to a , singular, baseball item. It is a Beach Resort! I have never ever in real life seen someone surfing in a Baseball Uniform. I saw some baseball uniforms the first year. A few. I have seen ZERO baseball outfits in game this year. I have never seen anyone in a casino in a baseball uniform. Not Vegas, not Shreveport, not New Mexico, not Oklahoma. In fact, if any actual pro player was seen in uniform in a real casino the player would probably be suspended and fined. So, no baseball at the Dabo table either.
I have to suppose people are buying these uniforms for some reason or you would not keep making them since you need favor sinks, but seriously NEW SWIMWEAR. BEACH ATTIRE. ANYTHING BUT BASEBALL.
A lot of the fun of my favorite annual grind has been shot in the foot by the changes. Sorry to have to down vote the overall change.
Won't beat the dead horse of having to get new impulsive gear. New alt only and yes you have to have it to actually be competitive in some races depending on the random competition. the added challenge of drifting is ok.
I tried to do one dance. one. got there, heard Get out on the dance floor, then nothing. could not hear the dances called, so it was TRIBBLE it time nd I just did the flying high thing. no sandcastles, the audio for dancing Borked, can't wait for this grind to be over
Comments
IKR? The older Dance Instructor voice actress sounded more alive and more... (like she had a soul), but this one sounds just...timid and absent.
Also, on topic: I was also reminded that Reman women are still glitched and have invisible lower halves if one attempts to put them in skirts, shorts, or bikinis. Are Remans simply forbidden from wearing less clothing or something?
There's a VO for that?
Haven't heard a word.
They added VO to the lines you get during the activity. I don't recall voiceover for flying high though, I think that was always text based. Hers is perfectly fine there but it seems very misplaced to revamp the dance instructor VO and fill out her NPC contact dialog for event explanation but then *don't* do the same for the flying high contact which is your central introduction to the event. She's also arguably most important silent Risan NPC to add VO to for (why on earth do the dance instructor first?) The new Flying High VO is only for the activity, not NPC interactions. She also sounds like its the same actor. So...what happened?
The best I can possibly guess is that due to a miscommunication they revamped the wrong NPC. The dance instructor lines were recorded with the Flying High actor (perhaps thinking they were the same) and the Flying High NPC's event explanations (still text only) were overlooked because the dance instructor NPC lines were covered. The new VO was then implemented but without rationalizing what the original intent was. Ergo: haphazard application of one actor across two NPC's. If not that or similar then: "what the hell happened?" (it's a really weird set of updates and not what any designer would strive for in deliberate application.)
There's an argument to make for needing a new actor if they want to add new lines but the application here seems all over the place and not upstanding with respect to a character that was both a fan favorite (as far as they can be articulated for STO) and one of the most prominent female members of the team who did a LOT of community building. Clarification and/or a reversion would be most appreciated. If it's a simple matter then that should be an easy conversation.
Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
While the male dance instructor voice was annoying enough to warrant replacement (I haven't heard him yet this year so I don't know if they did it or not) the female one was spot on for the part and should be brought back. At the very least give any new voice actors some coffee or whatever so they wake up and sound like they want to be there.
The new visuals on the island like the roofs and whatnot are ok, btw, though i wonder if they may have increased lag a little since the Flying High gates are slower to appear than last year and I often had to guess where they were along the hud path (of course, that may just be because of the extra crowds on the first day or two).
The big problem with the palm trees is so many of them are completely obscuring many of the Flying High pathing and the Biathalon floater trail.
I don't like the increased foliage and I don't like the new Dance Instructor voicing.
Performance does seem to be better though, but I think that pre-dates the map changes.
Would rather see more things that need fixing fixed, than tinkering with something that was already fine.
As for the new VO for the previously unvoiced Event Coordinator, I actually like her voice. If the male Dance Instructor has been removed, I had no problem with him and I want him back. Though thinking of the new VO, if you get to the Dance Party before it starts you still hear the old VO from ZeroniusRex. That is a bug.
Cryptic, please add back the old VO from Zero and if you did take out the male Dance Instructor, please bring him back! I know there are SAG issues, but this an event that shows up during the summer and then disappears when it is done to come back for a new year, why can there not be an exception? Please do not change her voice during the Winter Event, I do not want a new precedent set here.
Also, noticed that the pop-in grass under Lighting 1.0 and a little under Lighting 2.0 is still present. Still prefer how Risa looks under Lighting 1.0, trying it in Lighting 2.0 and it looks drastically different, I am still exploring the island to see what it looks like. A lot of work I believe still needs to be done when it comes to Risa. Finally, the lag, FPS, and/or server issues need to be fixed for Risa and other maps that suffer from this. The first day of the event, I had to close the chat window in order not to have so much lag going on. Thanks.
Preferably for all maps and not just on Risa.
Your positivity is infectious. Thank you.
If we were to get something sports related, why not water polo stuff? Archer was into water polo and we can at least step into water on Risa xD
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Although one of my toons does have the baseball device that you can throw to other players. More of that would actually be interesting. Why not add volleyball for example? Or Jiu Jitsu (add Spock's robe from ST IV for example for similar sports) and related kit modules.
Welcome to my world. I've been up and down the whole Cryptic employee base about getting a full body skin for the LTS Borg. And that's a premium race. I've even managed to get Jack Emmert to say it but years later, still no full body skins for them.
Agreed, please put the old one back
If only they could make some KDF-exclusive gear available for Fed characters. I made Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan as my first Federation character, but the only attire that resembled her Season 1 and 2 gear is the TOS Klingon uniform (with chain sleeve attachments and collar); I made her as a KDF BOFF for my other KDF captains, and saw this set work for her.
The former one had a more sexier and younger voice. I tend to agree.
I notice that the boardwalk that has long hosted the, how shall we say, "Specialty" Role Players has seemingly blown out to sea.
Original STO beta tester.
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There is a trick to the Artifact Scavenger Hunt. One trick I found that makes the hunt easier is for me to go to Sovak's Camp BEFORE I accept the scavenger hunt mission, calibrate the scanner, and do 2 preliminary scans at Sovak's Camp, and I would reference the area of coverage to the guide in this link.
I have some friends that would rather start the scavenger hunt inside the volcano instead of Sovaks' Camp, but for me it's easier to start at Sovak's Camp because the transporter pad is right there.
As for the voiceover during the Flying High daily, that one is really annoying and was not really needed..
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Why not have the former VO person join SAG, if that is the problem, for whatever the minimum level required that would be necessary to clear that hurdle, and restore the old VO. Her performance certainly exceeds the new one by a margin sufficient to warrant consideration as a VO pro. Or just get somebody better, and better directed, and replace it again. We can pretend she had throat cancer, and the third version is post-surgery and rehab, but with a return to a happier attitude and enthusiastic party feel.
The new denser foliage was hard to get used to and is, and will continue to be, a pain for some events. I can and have adapted to it. It will be a problem for new or less experienced players that don't have the routes and gates pretty much memorized. I have not tried dialing back graphics to remove some detail. Does anybody know if that would work for people having difficulty?
New SWIMWEAR. I love baseball, used to have season tickets. Enough with the baseball, or NEW SWIMWEAR in addition to a , singular, baseball item. It is a Beach Resort! I have never ever in real life seen someone surfing in a Baseball Uniform. I saw some baseball uniforms the first year. A few. I have seen ZERO baseball outfits in game this year. I have never seen anyone in a casino in a baseball uniform. Not Vegas, not Shreveport, not New Mexico, not Oklahoma. In fact, if any actual pro player was seen in uniform in a real casino the player would probably be suspended and fined. So, no baseball at the Dabo table either.
I have to suppose people are buying these uniforms for some reason or you would not keep making them since you need favor sinks, but seriously NEW SWIMWEAR. BEACH ATTIRE. ANYTHING BUT BASEBALL.
A lot of the fun of my favorite annual grind has been shot in the foot by the changes. Sorry to have to down vote the overall change.
Won't beat the dead horse of having to get new impulsive gear. New alt only and yes you have to have it to actually be competitive in some races depending on the random competition. the added challenge of drifting is ok.