I've not finished this yet and I'm not trying to be mean but if you change anything please let it be Ambrosia's voice. D=
Viewing post in Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces) Demo Beta Ver. 2 comments
Hi, Pixel! Glad to hear you're checking out demo ver. 2.
Let's see...Ambrosia is meant to sound gentle and soft-spoken, with a hint of an "exotic" sort of accent (a psuedo one). Characters in the game will have varying reactions to it - some will like it, some will dislike it, and some just won't care. In real life, you're not always fond of the voice of the one you're speaking with and so it is here. (Ambrosia is known for her beauty but, well...just try to barter with Viktor and see what she says after you choose to sing him a song!)
That said, I don't suppose you would mind sharing what bothers you about the voice? The team's very open to feedback and I trust in their abilities, so it would help us to know what changes you think might improve it. (For instance, is it her delivery? Too strong of an accent? Just keep in mind that what I said above is our target description!)
By the way, if you're worried about it sounding mean, you could privately e-mail us your thoughts here: poisonappletales(at)gmail(dot)com
There's also a survey in-game, which you can answer anonymously. However, if you rather comment here with your thoughts, that's perfectly acceptable as well! I'm just laying out all the options. The team can handle constructive feedback, and as long as your heart's in the right place, then we won't be upset. In fact, we'll thank you for helping us to achieve our full potential!
I believe in the Poison Apple Tales team, and I hope you can, too. Thanks again for playing the demo, and I hope you enjoy the rest of it!
Merry Christmas, Pixel!
I'll poke around, I can't promise I'll remember to get around to all the other stuff though. Just that the accent sounds like Elmer Fudd to me, it doesn't sound like an exotic accent, it sounds like a speech impediment which is why I don't want to be mean or sound judgemental or anything. I've muted Ambrosia but there are still parts where I can hear it and without being like "Ugh, that voice really annoys me" or "I don't think it sounds elegant like Ambrosia is intended to be" it just takes me a minute to process specific words simply because they don't sound right to me? Like at the beginning she says her name "Ambwosa" and then the monologue bit "spiwit"it was really distracting for me, is all. It's a small thing that for some reason bothers me more than it should. I mean I could easily play with all the sound completely muted. I'm really curious about the story so it's probably what I'll end up doing when the game is released. xD
Oh my goodness! Elmer Fudd. That definitely isn't the intended effect, but I'm sure Ambrosia's voice actress will get a good-humored kick out of the comparison. When we were going over it with her, I believe she was trying to make it both English and oriental. (Some oriental accents touch on the r's, but since we wanted her to make up the accent, she must have adjusted it and made it sound more like a speech impediment unintentionally.)
We'll definitely let her know to touch up the accent, so that it's not giving off Elmer Fudd vibes. Of course, if the changes still come off as unappealing, there is actually an option to mute the voices in the Preferences screen. This way, you'll be able to enjoy the story without worrying about it.
I hope you have a Happy New Year, Pixel!