Age/gender sense on the radio

[Surly]

I have encountered quite a bit of radio chatter since I came back to Cantr and one thing strikes me: every body sounds exactly the same. What we have are not radios, but a texting service.

To try and address this somewhat, I had this idea for when someone speaks:

1) "you hear a woman's/man's voice" - I feel you should be able to sense the gender of the voice through the radio. I know there are probably some people who will say "But my girl sounds like a guy" or somesuch. But I think the positives far outweigh the minor RP inconvenience.

2) More tricky to implement would be a sense of the characters age. I am aware that voices vary widely in real life, but these are Cantrians we're talking about. Cantrians where all people in their eighties are easily identified as such. What I would like to see would be a vague age bracket before the gender as detailed above: e.g. "you hear a young woman's voice/an old man's voice". These brackets shouldn't follow the twenties/thirties/fourties tags, but be more general (20-27, 28-43, 44-65, 65+ for example) to just give a general idea. It could also use the same blurring system I suggested here.

As usual, feedback is welcome. I think gender would be easier and less problematic to implement, but I'd like the whole thing in some way or other. Thoughts?

[Peanut]

I think both gender and age would be a perfect addition to radio broadcasts.

And that would give at least a hint of the person broadcasting as well. So no more effortless copycats.

[Chasing Dingoes]

I like this. Perhaps other variables could add to this. If someone is badly tired or badly injured this could carry in the voice.

Or if you know some one you would reconigise their voice.

[Piscator]

How about dynamic naming of voices that is independent from the general naming system? That way you could at least differentiate different speakers. (Although people would probably demand a way to disguise their voices if this got implemented.)

I agree that you should be able to identify the gender, but I'm less sure about the age. At least in real life that's a pretty hard task. There are radio host that apparently sound the same for thirty years. Of course it might be different in Cantr.

[Chasing Dingoes]

Instead of 'in their #0s' it would be 'a young man/woman' or 'a man/woman in their prime' or 'a old man/woman'

[Dudel]

How about dynamic naming of voices that is independent from the general naming system? That way you could at least differentiate different speakers. (Although people would probably demand a way to disguise their voices if this got implemented.

This was my exact thought. Including the people who want to "hide" their voices still.

I'm unsure if this would be a good or bad thing for Cantr. I do kinda like how people can imitate others and make people think one thing etc etc etc while the actual person is either dead, locked up or just not in the room... etc etc etc. At the same time I don't like it because it is to easy/simple to do.

[Rebma]

I like the idea of gender being recognizable, but age, not so much; not sure why, just doesn't seem right to me. I may be thinking in terms of realism, which I shouldn't but *shrugs*.

I also like the idea of at least being able to recognize someone's voice you know.

[Chasing Dingoes]

maybe just a 'man/woman' unless the person is in their 20s and it would be 'young man/woman' or the person is old enough for the estimated age not to be shown and then it be 'elderly/old man/woman'

I think it's too easy to imatate. Perhaps if we can reconigise voices we know 'disguse voice' could be a skill and depending on it's success can hide the speaker's identity, putting to the anonous setting of gender (and age).

[FiziKx]

I sort of like this. Perhaps an 'attempt to sound like someone else skill'

XD

[Elros]

I am definetly for being able to tell what the sex is, but age is not really something that I see to be realistic. That is too hard sometimes and realife and shouldn't be implemented.

However, the sex is definetly someting that I agree with!

[id]

Or maybe there should be something like this - you meet person, get to know him/her and once he or she broadcasts on the radio, you recognize (the voice of) that person.

[Chasing Dingoes]

Or maybe there should be something like this - you meet person, get to know him/her and once he or she broadcasts on the radio, you recognize (the voice of) that person.

i think that's realistic but i as for the game i don't see how it would work.

[id]

Hmm... I don't even know how to programm it but it should be one-way thing. I mean, you wouldn't be able to add name to a radio voice... if you know someones name - 'You hear ''name' is talking to the radio' (so that 'name' wouldn't be a link, only text) and if not - 'you hear a woman's/man's voice'

[Miri]

I am definetly for being able to tell what the sex is, but age is not really something that I see to be realistic. That is too hard sometimes and realife and shouldn't be implemented.

However, the sex is definetly someting that I agree with!

...and I don't agree with either

Me, myself, being definitely a female, non-smoking and non-drinking, happen sometimes to speak like an old smoker drunkyard, and just few secs later I can squeek like a fangirl. Usually it's not intentional, but I don't have problems with not-any-particular-persons-voice imitation at wish either, so...

[Chasing Dingoes]

Hmm... I don't even know how to programm it but it should be one-way thing. I mean, you wouldn't be able to add name to a radio voice... if you know someones name - 'You hear ''name' is talking to the radio' (so that 'name' wouldn't be a link, only text) and if not - 'you hear a woman's/man's voice'

Sometimes you only know someone's name because someone pointed and told you... i don't know if that should be overlooked for the sake of making it possible to programme. I think some mentioned before about being able to label the voices on the radio sperate to the current labelling. It does make a logic in realism as some people sound different on the phone or put on a phone voice in real life. Whether the characters/players are guilable to take someone's word could mean wrong labelling but it does pay in to the 'pretending to be someone else' hobby some have.