Modding MechCommander - Voices & Sound feature

Each warrior comes with a voice-pack file containing 43 single voice cuts. The sound format used by MechCommander is *.WAV - an old Windows Media Player Format.

Example:

1. pilot01.wav -> On my way (player gives movement commands)
2. pilot02.wav -> This is good as done! / On my way! (p. gives orders)
3. pilot03.wav -> You've got it! (warrior admits orders as good idea)
4. pilot04.wav -> High Ground Zero! (combat message / warrior is under attack)
5. pilot05.wav -> I'm out of ammo, my ammo is gone! (no ammo message)
6. pilot06.wav -> I'm getting pownded / My armor drops! (warrior lost mech integrity)
7. pilot07.wav -> I think i've lost all my armor! / Armor is gone! (mech has no armor anymore)
8. pilot08.wav -> Incoming fire! (warrior is under attack 2)
9. pilot09.wav -> Attacking from here/where i stand! (warrior attacks from position)
10. pilot10.wav -> "Pilotname" here / Here is "Pilotname"! (Warrior identifies himself with his name)
11. pilot11.wav -> This is "Pilotname"! (Warrior identifies himself 2)
12. pilot12.wav -> Enemy too close! (Warrior reports that enemy is to close for proper attack)
13. pilot13.wav -> Building captured! / Building clear! (Warrior conquered a building)
14. pilot14.wav -> Vehicle captured / I captured the vehicle (Warrior captured a vehicle)
15. pilot15.wav -> They never get me alive / Aaaaaaawwww (Warrior death message when s/he dies
16. pilot16.wav -> Death from above / Attempting DFA (Warrior announces airstrike attack)
17. pilot17.wav -> Ejecting! (Warrior ejects from his BattleMech)
18. pilot18.wav -> Minefield / I'm in a minefield! (Warrior is in a minefield)
19. pilot19.wav -> I can't do that / This is impossible! (Warrior reports orders given are not possible to do)
20. pilot20.wav -> Firing jumpjets! / Jumping as ordered! (Warrior announces using jumpjets)
21. pilot21.wav -> I've just lost a leg / My Mech got crippled (Warrior announces leg / heavy damage)
22. pilot22.wav -> That's just care of him / He will have headache in the morning (Warrior reports succesful enemy unit kill)
23. pilot23.wav -> Enemy Mech destroyed! (Warrior reports mech kill)
24. pilot24.wav -> You gotta get me outta there / My Mech is finished (Warrior reports critical emergency status)
25. pilot25.wav -> I've got a minelayer over here. (Warrior reports minelayer)
26. pilot26.wav -> I can't get through here! (Warrior reports he can not find a way to the ordered position)
27. pilot27.wav -> Enemy target destroyed! / Target is toast! (Warrior reports succesful target destroyed)
28. pilot28.wav -> I think i've broke something! / I need a medic! (Warrior got injured)
29. pilot29.wav -> Ramming speed! / Ramming is ordered! (Warrior reports he will try to ram the enemy)
30. pilot30.wav -> Moving to range! (Warrior will fire from destinated range by the p.)
31. pilot31.wav -> My refit is complete! / Mechanics did a good job! (Warrior's mech got repaired)
32. pilot32.wav -> My sensors have a new contact! / New sensors on screen! (Warrior reports enemy sensor radar contact)
33. pilot33.wav -> I'm picking up a new contact! (Warrior reports enemy sensor contact 2)
34. pilot34.wav -> Holding position! (Warrior admits stopping movements)
35. pilot35.wav -> Who wants some of it! / I will make this quick! (Warrior announces kill)
36. pilot36.wav -> I am engaging! / I'm going for a headshot! (Warrior admits engaging orders)
37. pilot37.wav -> Another one for the killboard! (Warrior announces killed enemy unit)
38. pilot38.wav -> I'm taking hits! / They are lighting me up (Warrrior gets hit by enemy weapon fire)
39. pilot39.wav -> I'm taking enemy fire! / I'm getting targetted! (Warrior is under attack 2 - harder)
40. pilot40.wav -> Enemy killed, who's next? / Woohaaa - i need a new target! (Warrior announces kill - harder)
41. pilot41.wav -> Enemy vehicle destroyed! (Warrior annonunces he killed an enemy vehicle unit)
42. pilot42.wav -> My weapons are almost useless! / My weapons are gone! (Warrior reports that is Mech is nearly disabled for combat)
43. pilot43.wav -> I'm out of weapons! / That was my last weapon! (Warrior reports being unarmed)

The Beast Sound-PAK file is the only file that contains a clear naming procedure for voice cuts. This procedure is the same in any Sound.pak file for MechWarriors - BUT not on Beasts files. That's why i put the usual order into a numbered list above. The sound file 43 - is always "I'm out of weapons" or something similar - the 31 is "My refit is complete!", the 15 "Death message" for all MechWarriors.

So when you create new sound files for MechCommander i recommend you use Beast's list above and create the wave files just with numbered names. For example:

PilotA01, PilotA02, PilotA03...

Important for the game (remind yourself the game itself ALWAYS reads file content in folders and libraries in alphabetical numeric order. So the game doesn't have the need for any NAMED files at all - all what it needs is sound files in this order.

We need voices for twenty (20) additional MechWarriors. Right now we have only their names and avatar pictures. The avatar pictures will replace the smacker videos of other MechWarriors ingame - but atleast we need NEW VOICES. And this is where our voice actors come handy.

An overview for ALL MechWarriors you can find here.

New Warrior Names:

Cleopatra (shouted name CLEO)

Available in Original Mission 3


Hera

Available in Original Mission 2


Leya

Available in Original Mission 2


Alexandra (Alex for friends)

Available in Original Mission 7


Fox Devil Wilde (shout name FOX)

Available in Original Mission 14


Black Mamba

Available in Original Mission 14


Michawn

Available in Original Mission 7


Barbarianna

Available in Original Mission 28 (Op2Mis8 )


Boris

Available in Original Mission 40 (Op3Mis1)


Eagle Eye (EAGLE)

Available in Original Mission 33 (Op2Mis13)


Hanso

Available in Original Mission 28 (Op2Mis8 )


C3Powned (shout name C3)

Available in Original Mission 45 (Op3Mis6)


Magic

Available in Original Mission 56 (Op4Mis1) from battlefield.


Ilka (German accent?)



RizZen

Available in Original Mission 21 (Op2Mis1)

Ace Hunter (NOT SEANLANG - SHOUTNAME: ACE!!!)

Available in Original Mission 33 (Op2Mis13)

Note: For purging all MechCommander content i have deleted SeanLang out of MechCommander. This pilot is replaced by ACE HUNTER!!!


The Summon3r (Summoner)

Available in Original Mission 45 (Op3Mis6)


Timberwolf (WOLF)

Available in Original Mission 55 (Op3Mis16)


Toxic aka Poison (both are used as shout names)

Available in Original (campaign merge) Mission 12


Wolfman-X (WOLFMAN)

Available in Original Mission 10

I need voices for ALL of those 20 new MechWarriors.

Sound files in MechCommander have the *.WAV file extension. So they are Wave file format. Here the technical details:

BitRate: ~100 kb/s
DataSize: 8 bit
DataRate: ~12 kHz
Format: Mono (PCM)
Max Length: 1-3 seconds per file/message

But at all this is not a big deal. When you only can afford *.mp3 files - i'll take them either even if it means i would have to convert all the stuff before being able to use it for the game.

Here is an example soundpackage for you to download. This package contains only Beast and Baron's voice packages. Beasts filelist you can already see above - Barons files are named as numbers - but when you open the wave files you will see that the order and meaning of sound files stays the same on any warrior.

For MechCommander modders i have created an article that explains how to technically implement voice packages succesful here.

The rest is just speaking some text lines in and give the names a caracter by good voice acting. I could write down any lines now - but i would like you "Voice Actors" to have the freedom of an artist. My experience shows that creators of content create the best content when they are free to realize their ideas and visions ... - so well, here we are, have fun voice acting, that's an order!