OUR VOICE

[Niwashi]

I have a very good idea of what my character would sound like - I don't want her to have a random voice that may not even fit my own mental image of her.

Even if the budget allowed for it, this point is why they can't really add it part way into the game like this. It would be a different matter if the game had started out with voiced player characters. Then that voice would have been part of our image of our character from the outset. But in a game people have been playing for a long time and where we each have different ideas about how our characters should sound, there's no way for SE to match that.

[Kalise]

Frankly, while we're at it can we talk about how people from literally different continents have the exact same accents as each other? Eorzea and Doma are quite far apart from each other with different cultures... why do they all sound like they're from London?

I believe that's attributable to the Echo.

Our Echo allows us to understand all languages (Which is why we can walk into Doma and be able to speak with everyone despite never studying the Doman language)

It's possible that it will also translate other languages into specific accents too.

Kind of like the same reasoning used in Doctor Who with how the TARDIS automatically translates everything into a British accent.

[Kurando]

It Frankly, while we're at it can we talk about how people from literally different continents have the exact same accents as each other? Eorzea and Doma are quite far apart from each other with different cultures... why do they all sound like they're from London?

Some NPCs have varying accents that probably only a Brit themselves could distinguish where there are from, but definitely not all of them are from London. The capital doesn't have dibs on those kind of accents after all, usually just association.

[Seraph522]

I believe that's attributable to the Echo.

Our Echo allows us to understand all languages (Which is why we can walk into Doma and be able to speak with everyone despite never studying the Doman language)

It's possible that it will also translate other languages into specific accents too.

Kind of like the same reasoning used in Doctor Who with how the TARDIS automatically translates everything into a British accent.

I'm actually fairly certain the Echo isn't involved with translating Doman language; Lyse and Alisaie have no problems speaking to any Othardian people they encounter, and the Echo doesn't impart linguistic translation to nearby companions like the TARDIS. Moreover, Yugiri and Gosetsu similarly have no issues speaking to Eorzeans when they first arrive. I can't check the lorebook right now, but I think all the peoples at least speak 'the Common tongue' (probably not the right term) that's spoken throughout Eorzea and the Garlean Empire, presumably as a trade language and/or because of Garlean occupation.

In regards to the accent, Hien and Gosetsu at least have a slight tonal difference to their speech that suggests an East Asian accent, though I may just be hearing things. They probably didn't bother with outright East Asian accents because it might have come across as silly if they couldn't pull it off, and it's not like everyone sharing the same accent doesn't happen in other media works; I'm pretty sure none of the Japanese voice actors are effecting a British accent, for instance.

[Kalise]

I'm actually fairly certain the Echo isn't involved with translating Doman language; Lyse and Alisaie have no problems speaking to any Othardian people they encounter

Alisae specifically mentions that she actually studied the Doman language though.

It's only Lyse that is questionable in her ability to speak to the Othardians. However, one could pass it off as maybe Alisae taught her the basics of the language during the voyage over.

As far as Yugiri and Gosetsu go - Yugiri is one of the Shinobi, so it wouldn't be particularly out of the ordinary to have learned to speak other languages so as to better infiltrate and spy on enemies such as the Imperials (Who'd likely have Eorzean conscripts in their ranks so use a common Eorzean tongue). While Gosetsu worked directly for Lord Kaien whom may have occasionally used some Eorzean languages while dealing with the rebellion against the Imperials so Gosetsu may have picked up some (While not being particularly fluent, so using that stereotypical "Talk louder and hope people understand better" thing that tourists do)

Since, it's given in the lore that the Echo provides us with the ability to understand and speak all languages. Including that of the Ascians (Back in ARR there were times where the Ascians would use their native tongue and only us and Minfilia, whom have the Echo, could understand them)

[Seraph522]

Snip

Yeah, I think I phrased that incorrectly in my initial post. The Echo certainly translates Doman, Hingashi, etc. for us. That being said, from some digging on the lorebooks, Eorzean is at least spoken in Kugane (which makes sense, as Kugane is a major international trade port), though it isn't their native language. Doma is more questionable; Oboro and Tsubame from the Ninja job questline are able to speak Eorzean, but express lack of familiarity with it in the initial quests, suggesting that most Domans do not speak Eorzean (although they also hail from a somewhat isolated ninja tribe/clan, so who knows). Lyse being able to speak well with the Domans could definitely be explained away by Alisaie teaching her, though the real problem arises on the Azim Steppe, where everyone seems to be able to talk easily with one another despite the lore stating that the tribes mostly speak Auri and, presumably, are not as familiar with Eorzean. We can cheat with the Echo, but I don't think Alisaie ever learned Auri (though I could just be forgetting it).

The Garleans are where things get interesting: presumably, Eorzean is spoken rather widely due to the absorption of various provinces into the Empire and the high level of conscript forces, similar to how Greek remained a common trade language in the Eastern Roman Empire, but it's not clear if the Garlean elites still speak or even have their own native language (our lore on Garlemald is still somewhat lacking, probably intentionally so). Most languages in the three great continents are descended from Ancient Allagan anyways, but multiple millennia of divergence has no doubt allowed for significant linguistic differences to arise.

In general, though, the game glosses over a lot of linguistic differences in a lot of instances, no doubt for the sake of expedience in terms of storytelling.

[Kalise]

Lyse being able to speak well with the Domans could definitely be explained away by Alisaie teaching her, though the real problem arises on the Azim Steppe, where everyone seems to be able to talk easily with one another despite the lore stating that the tribes mostly speak Auri and, presumably, are not as familiar with Eorzean. We can cheat with the Echo, but I don't think Alisaie ever learned Auri (though I could just be forgetting it).

It's quite possible that on the Steppe, they all have rudimentary understanding of Doman. What with literally the capital city being not far away, as well as the fact that there are Domans and people from Isari whom come to Reunion to trade. Indicating that while the Qestir themselves don't care for learning languages, other tribes likely would in order to trade. Since, even though they like to show off that they don't care much for other tribes, many people do note how important Reunion is for allowing them access to necessary supplies.

Thus, if they knew Doman or some common language used within Hingashi/Othard, that would explain how all the Archons could communicate with those on the Steppe.

[Oopsy]

You can read the prompts aloud if you want to hear the voice.

You could even record it and submit it or stream it on twitch for others to hear.

[Laphael]

Please hire a general voice actor for male and female player characters its been years we waited everyone agrees its about time we stop nodding and start talking its not so hard to get 1 male 1 female per race and have them read lines the game is surely profitable enough. if a game like swtor can give us a voice then i see no reason a mega giant like square enix cant .

No.
I like my stoically quiet Character.

[Hysterior]

everyone agrees its about time

No.
/10char