Vocal script: Average Jack

The "Average Jack" vocal script for male characters.

Tone and Attitude

The Dark Mod strives to have a somewhat dark, gritty, and believable tone. Characters should avoid dramatic clichés and dialogue that sounds like sitcom humour. Characters should react with genuine emotion and in ways that make sense given their personality and education level.

Dialogue should be generally modern English, but with a slight renaissance flavour. The more educated the character, the more renaissance-speak is appropriate. Avoid modern-sounding words and phrases (eg, "What's up?" "See you later" or "I'm going to kick your ass"). But at the same time, this isn't Shakespeare--the dialogue has to sound fairly natural to modern English speakers.

AI characters: "Average Jack"

"Average Jack" – this is a generic character meant to be a default voice for commoners. He is a bit of a complainer, but should not be played with an overabundance of personality.

AI Non-Alert States

These AI are basically talking to themselves, so the lines should be delivered quietly. Just like when people think out loud, the beginning and end of their dialogue will often trail off into muttering.

State: Idle

Relaxed: You're either not working or aren’t expecting any trouble. You’re relaxed, bored, and not thinking about anything in particular.
Number of Wavs: 9

idle_1 humming a mindless tune x3
Idle_2 generic cough, clearing throat x3
Idle_3 bored sighs (it’s been a long day) x3
idle_4 simple whistling x2
idle_5 "She’s not going to be happy about this, that’s for sure..."
Idle_6 "Well, maybe I’d get more done if you didn’t nag me all the time … that’s what I should’ve said."
Idle_7 "... no point in me bringing it up ... they never listen to me anyway..."
Idle_8 "Can’t blame that one on me ... I wasn’t even there."
Idle_9 "...too lazy ... that’s the problem. Doesn’t anyone do an honest day’s work anymore?"

Idle_workman_1: "What does she expect? Can’t make a decent living working with broken tools all day long."
Idle_workman_2 "...and now they want to raise taxes again? They’re going to drive all the honest men out of work."

Idle_merchant_1 "3 orders at 6 shillings apiece … he’s not going to get a better deal than that."
Idle_merchant_2 "shipment was late … who does he think he’s fooling? ... just an excuse to raise the price again..."

Idle_cook_1 "...bloody keg leaking all over the place again ... it’s a waste of good ale."
Idle_cook_2 "...of course the stew isn’t fresh … if you want some fresh meat in the stew, then somebody’s got to pay for it."

Alert_idle: You are back at your post but you know there’s an intruder around.

Alert_idle01 "How is an honest man supposed to feel safe with thugs around every corner?"
Alert_idle02 "I don’t want any trouble … hopefully he’s gone for good."
Alert_idle03 "I knew tonight was going to be a bad night."

AI Alert States

To Alert 1/1.5: You notice something subtle but aren’t sure what it is. You are mostly talking to yourself, so you should not be particularly loud and may trail off.
Number of Wavs: 3

to_alert1_1 "Huh?"
to_alert1_2 "What was that?"
to_alert1_3 "Did something--?"

To Alert 1/1.5 + Heard: Same as above, only this one means you notice something auditory.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_alert1_sound_1 "Was that a noise?"
to_alert1_sound_2 "I thought I heard something..."
to_alert1_sound_3 "Huh? A noise?"

To Alert 1/1.5 + Saw: Same as above, only you notice something with your sight.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_alert1_saw_1 "Did I see somethin’?"
to_alert1_saw_2 "Do I see...?"
to_alert1_saw_3 "Something moving?"

To Alert 2: You notice something, and it caught your attention enough to warrant checking it out. You're more certain that what you saw was suspicious, so deliver the lines with more confidence than the above.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_alert2_1 "Huh, what was that?"
to_alert2_2 "What? What’s that?"
to_alert2_3 "What’s going on?"

To Alert 2 + Heard: You hear something loud which you should investigate. Same as above only now it's specific to hearing.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_alert2_sound_1 "What was that noise?"
to_alert2_sound_2 "I heard something."
to_alert2_sound_3 “I hear that.”

To Alert 2 + Saw: You saw something in the shadows which you should investigate. Same as above, only now specific to seeing.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_alert2_saw_1 "Hey, I see that!"
to_alert2_saw_2 "Huh? Who's over there?"
to_alert2_saw_3 "I see something moving."

To Alert 2 + Company + Heard: You notice something auditory with your buddy and invite him/her to help you investigate.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

to_alert2_soundx2_1 "Did you hear something?"
to_alert2_soundx2_2 "I heard something … what should we do?"

To Alert 2 + Company + Saw: You notice something visually amiss and double check with your friend.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

to_alert2_sawx2_1 "Did you see something too?"
to_alert2_sawx2_2 "I saw something strange over there.”

Returning to Alert 0, generic: You saw or heard something suspicious, but you can't find any evidence of anything serious. It was probably nothing. This bark will often accompany an animation of the AI putting his hands on his hips and looking around.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_0_1 "Hmm... nothing anymore..."
to_0_2 "Huh. Nothing after all."
to_0_3 "I guess I was wrong."

Returning to Alert 0, hearing: As above, but you thought you'd heard something.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_0_sound_1 "It’s all quiet now."
to_0_sound_2 "Maybe it was a rat."
to_0_sound_3 "Must be gone now."

Returning to Alert 0, sight: As above, but you thought you'd seen something. Number of Wavs: 3 per character

to_0_saw_1 "I guess I imagined it."
to_0_saw_2 "I don’t see anything now."
to_0_saw_3 "Maybe it was just a shadow."

To Alert 3: You see or hear something that makes it seem that there's someone there, but you don't know exactly who or where they are.
Number of Wavs: 5 per character

to_alert3_1 "Huh?... Is there somebody there?"
to_alert3_2 "That sounds like somebody. Hullo?"
to_alert3_3 "Hullo? Anyone there?!"
to_alert3_4 "What’s that?"
to_alert3_5 "Hey, come out and show yourself."

Returning to Alert 0 after search: Even though you're certain you saw a figure, you've searched around and can't find anyone. This bark is played as you give up the search.
Number of Wavs: 5 per character

to_0_search_1 "I know I saw someone..."
to_0_search_2 "Well, I can’t find anyone now... must be gone."
to_0_search_3 "Somebody playing around, I guess."
to_0_search_4 "Probably some kids up to no good."
to_0_search_5 "There’s nowhere else they could hide."

Return to Alert 1: You have confirmed there is an intruder but he's given you the slip. You've searched for him, but haven't been able to find him. What more can you do?
Number of Wavs: 5 per character

to_0_spotted_1 "Well, I’ve looked everywhere. He’s got to be gone."
to_0_spotted_2 "I give up. He probably ran away."
to_0_spotted_3 "He’s probably far away by now."
to_0_spotted_4 "He musta got away by now."
to_0_spotted_5 "Maybe I’ll get him next time."

Return with help, spot player: You have run away from the player, gotten help, and returned. The player is still there, so you call out excitedly.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

gotten_help_1 "See?"
gotten_help_2 "There he is!"

Return with help, lost player: You have returned with help but the player is no longer visible.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

gotten_help_gone_1 "Uh... he was here, I promise."
gotten_help_gone_2 "I guess he left.”

Recently Saw Player: You just saw the player not too long ago, but the player escaped. Now, you're telling your comrade that there is an intruder and that you have seen him.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

saw_playerx2_1 "I saw an intruder, so be careful."
saw_playerx2_2 "Watch yourself. We got a thief in here somewhere."
saw_playerx2_3 "Have you seen the intruder?"

Suspicious, warn friend: You have seen non-specific evidence of an intruder, and are warning a friend about it.

warn_friend01 "I think something might be wrong."
warn_friend02 "I’ve got a bad feeling that there’s an intruder lurking about."
warn_friend03 "I think somebody is messing around."

AI Searching

You are actively looking for the intruder, and are either muttering to yourself or taunting them.

Investigate Alert 3: You're wandering around looking for some kind of intruder, but you're not 100% sure there is one. There is still a slight edge of uncertainty to your voice.
Number of Wavs: 5 per character

search3_1 "Come on out now, let’s get this over with."
search3_2 "So, where are you hiding?"
search3_3 "Come on out."
search3_4 "If you’re there, you better come out."
search3_5 "Ok, I mean it. Show yourself.”

Investigate Alert 4: You know for sure there is some kind of intruder, and you're looking for him.
Number of Wavs: 5 per character

search4_1 "You know I’ll find you sooner or later."
search4_2 "You can’t hide forever."
search4_3 "You know you’re not supposed to be here … come on out."
search4_4 "You can’t escape, you know."
search4_5 “Let’s get this over with.”

Investigate Alert 4, civilian: As above, but you’re a civilian, so you aren’t about to fight someone who is armed.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

search4_civilian_3 "Alright, let’s just stop this game, shall we?"

Lost track of enemy: you have been charging the enemy, but now you lost him. He's probably hiding somewhere.

lost_player01 "Huh? Where’d he go?"
lost_player02 "What? I know he went this way."

Combat and Pursuit

You have spotted the player and identified him as an intruder. You are either attacking, or preparing to attack. If you're a noncombatant, you're getting ready to flee. Either way you want to draw a lot of attention to yourself, so you are generally shouting loudly.

Spotted the Player, combatant: You see the player and are preparing to attack.
Number of Wavs: 5 per character

spotted_combat_1 "Alright, let’s finish this!"
spotted_combat_2 "Ha! Found you!"
spotted_combat_3 "There you are!"
spotted_combat_4 "Chaaaaarge!"
spotted_combat_5 "There!"

Spotted the Player, combatant, with help: You're with friends when you finally spot the player.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

spotted_combatx2_1 "Look, that’s the thief!"
spotted_combatx2_2 "Hey! Let’s get him!"

Spotted the Player with a Body, combatant: You see the player carrying a dead or unconscious person.
Number of Wavs: 1 per character

spotted_combat_body_1 "Hey! Where do you think you’re going with him?"

Combat, killed player: You have fought the player and killed him. You stand over him as he dies and comment.

Killed_player01 "I warned you, Thief."
Killed_player02 "That will teach you to mess with honest folk."
Killed_player03 "Say your prayers, you rogue."

Spotted the Player, noncombatant: You're not prepared for a fight. You see the player and are preparing to flee.
Number of Wavs: 5 per character

spotted_civilian_1 "Uh oh, this looks bad!"
spotted_civilian_2 "Help, he’s got a weapon!"
spotted_civilian_3 "An intruder, help!"
spotted_civilian_4 "Oh no!"
spotted_civilian_5 "Wha--? Help!"

Running Away for help: You're fleeing, either because you don't know how to fight, or you tried to fight and are badly hurt. Call out for help.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

fleeing_1 "Help me!"
fleeing_2 "He’s coming after me!"
fleeing_3 "Somebody stop him!"

Coming to assist: A comrade called for help (or you heard sounds of a fight) and you are on your way to assist them.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

combat_assist_1 "Hey, I’m coming!"
combat_assist_2 "I’ll help you!"

Frustrated: The player is out of reach (such as standing on a stack of crates or across a chasm) and you can't reach him. You're pissed off.
Number of Wavs: 4 per character

frustrated_1 "Oh, aren’t you clever?"
frustrated_2 "Come on, you coward!"

Throw Object at Player: The player is out of reach (such as standing on a stack of crates) and you can't reach him. You're angry and throw something.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

missile_generic_1 "Take THAT!"
missile_generic_2 "This’ll hurt."

Shooting: You're shooting arrows at the player.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

archer_1 "Fire at will!"
archer_2 “Here comes another one.”

Attacking: You're grunting and attacking.
Number of Wavs: 3

attacking_1 "Take this!!"
attacking_2 "Arg!"
attacking_3 "Hiya!"

Hit the Player: You just thwacked the player with your weapon. Celebrate and ask him how it feels. These need to be said quickly, as the fight is still going on.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

attacking_hit_1 "Take that!"
attacking_hit_2 "Ha!"
attacking_hit_3 "There’s a hit."

Hit the Player + Company: Same as above only your partner is nearby. Brag about hitting the player.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

attack_hitx2_1 "Hey, see that?"
attack_hitx2_2 "I got him!"

Pain: You’ve been hit. Ouch.
Small grunts x2
Big grunts x2

Hit By the Player No Damage: The player tried to blackjack you but failed. What an idiot.
Number of Wavs: 1 per character

failed_ko_1 “Ouch! What in the name of hell??"

Blocked by the Player/Hit by player: The player has hurt you a bit or blocked your attack.

player_blocked_1 "Lucky."
player_blocked_2 "Hey!"

Die Quiet: You got assassinated or blackjacked and are going down. Make a grunt, but as the name suggests, it's kind of quiet. This should only be about a second in length.
Number of Wavs: 3 male

die_quiet_1 "UNH"
die_quiet_2 "Arg"
die_quiet_3 "HHnnnn..."

Die Loud: Yep. You're dead. Theatrics are welcomed here, though not too over the top. This should be about 2 - 4 seconds in length.

die_loud_1 "GAHHHHHHHHHHH"
die_loud_2 "Noooo..."
die_loud_3 "Arggghh..."
die_loud_4 "Haaaarg..." (gurgle)

Blinded: You have been blinded by a flash of light.
Number of Wavs: 1 per character.

blinded_1 "Wh--what happened? I can’t see!"

Gassed: You have been gassed. Cough, sputter and pass out. This should be quick--a second or two at most (it's fast gas). Coughing can be shared among characters.
Number of Wavs: 1

gassed_1 "...cough cough"

Drowning: You are drowning. Gurgle and choke.
Number of Wavs: 1

drowning_1 "Gurgle"

Find States

You have found or observed something that looks out of place. You aren't seeing or hearing the player, but something that might be a sign that an intruder was here earlier. Since you don't expect anyone is nearby, you're mostly talking to yourself.

Suspicious Item, Generic: There is something nearby which should not be there or something which is amiss (such as when a guard notices that a chair is knocked over). It’s strange.
Number of Wavs: 4 per character

suspicious_item_1 "Huh? How did that happen?"
suspicious_item_2 "Was that like that before?"
suspicious_item_3 "Maybe I just didn’t notice before."
suspicious_item_4 "That looks suspicious?"

Notice Weapon: There is a weapon lying around. How did it get there?
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

notice_weapon_1 "What’s a weapon doing there..."
notice_weapon_2 "Somebody’s weapon...?"

Notice Door Open: There is a door open that shouldn't be.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

notice_door_1 "Who left the door open?"
notice_door_2 "That was closed, I think."

Notice lights off, generic: The lights are off, but shouldn't be--these can be used for all types of light.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

notice_lights_1 "Why is it so dark in here?"
notice_lights_2 "Who turned out the lights?"

Notice lights out, flame: You notice a torch or candle that should be lit has gone out.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

notice_lights_flame_1 "Maybe a draft put it out?"
notice_lights_flame_2 "That needs to be relit."

Relight light, flame: You notice that a light source is out. You relight it.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

light_relight_1 "I’ll light it."
light_relight_2 "Somebody has to relight these things … might as well be me."

Refuse to relight Torch: You notice that a flame is out. Refuse to relight it.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

light_refuse_1 "... well I can’t light it."
light_relight_2 "If I light it, it’ll just keep going out."

Notice Blood on Floor: There is blood on the floor. Obviously something serious is going on.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

notice_blood_1 "Wh—is that blood?"
notice_blood_2 "Blood? What’s happened here?"
notice_blood_3 "Is that blood? Uh oh. This is bad."

Found Generic Body: You find a body on the ground.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

notice_body_generic_1 "Hey, are you hurt?"
notice_body_generic_2 "There’s someone here!"

Found Female Body: You find the body of a woman on the ground.
Number of Wavs: 1 per character

notice_body_female_1 "Hey are you ok? Uh... she’s hurt!"

Found Male Body: You find the body of a man on the ground.
Number of Wavs: 1 per character

notice_body_male_1 "Uh oh. This man is hurt."

Found Body Dead: You find a body of someone obviously dead.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

notice_dead_1 "Help, somebody’s dead over here!"
notice_dead_2 "Oh damn, that’s a lot of blood."
notice_dead_3 "There’s been a murder!"

Found Female Body Dead: You find the dead body of a woman on the ground.
Number of Wavs: 1 per character

notice_dead_female_1 "Oh no … she’s really dead."

Found Male Body Dead: You found a man, dead on the ground.
Number of Wavs: 1 per character

notice_dead_male_1 "There’s been a man murdered here!"

Found Body comrade: You find a comrade, dead on the ground.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

notice_dead_friend_1 "Someone is going to pay for this."

Recently Found Body: You recently found a body and are relaying the information to a friend.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

notice_deadx2_1 "There’s a murderer around. Be careful!"
notice_deadx2_2 "Be on your guard, there’s been a murder!"

Had pocket picked: You had something on your belt, and now it's gone! That's pretty suspicious ... though it's possible it *might* have fallen off, so it's not absolute proof of an intruder.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

notice_pickpocket_1 "Uh oh, did I drop that?"
notice_pickpocket_2 "Well damn, where did it go?"
notice_pickpocket_3 "What? It was right there."

Found Something Missing: There is something significant missing that shouldn't be. You've obviously been robbed and you know it.
Number of Wavs: 3 per character

notice_absence_1 "What... I think... gone!"
notice_absence_2 "Hey... that shouldn’t be missing!"
notice_absence_3 "Yep. We got a thief alright!"

Recently Found Something Missing: You know you've been robbed and you're telling your buddy about it.
Number of Wavs: 2 per character

notice_absencex2_1 "There’s been someone in here stealing things." notice_absencex2_2 "We been robbed. Tell everyone."

Greetings

Greeting Equal guard: You spot a social equal who is a guard, on patrol. You greet them casually.

Greeting Equal_guard_1 "Got the late shift again?"
Greeting Equal_guard _2 “You working too?"
Greeting Equal_guard _3 "Quiet, huh?"

Greeting Down, Guard: You spot a civilian/servant while you're working. No time to chat; they need to know how important your job is.

greeting_guardxcivilian_1 "I’m too busy to talk."
greeting_guardxcivilian_2 "I’m on the job, you know."
greeting_guardxcivilian_3 "Move along now."

Greeting Superior: You spot someone who is above you on the social ladder and greet them with respect.

greeting_xnobleman_1 "Good evening, my Lord."
greeting_xnobleman_2 "Greetings, noble sir."
greeting_xnoblewoman_1 "Good evening, my Lady."
greeting_xpriest_1 "Good evening, Father."

Greeting Down, Civilian

Greeting Up, Civilian: You're a civilian and see a guard on patrol.

greeting_civilianxguard_1 "Don’t mind me."
greeting_civilianxguard_2 "Hello, sir."
greeting_civilianxguard_3 "’night officer."

Greeting Equal, Civilian: You're a civilian and see a fellow. Greet them casually.

greeting_civilianxcivilian_1 "Hello."
greeting_civilianxcivilian_2 "’evening."
greeting_civilianxcivilian_3 "Have a nice night."

Generic Responses: These should be said fairly monotone and noncomittal, as they could be replies to many different greetings.

response_1 "Yeah."
response_2 "Uh huh."
response_3 "Right."

Response to superior. A superior has spoken to you. As above, but reply stiffly.

response_superior_1 "Yes sir."
response_superior_2 "As you say."

OK, this code is now in SVN to choose the response sound for greetings:

First, the "rank" spawnarg is checked (is integer valued). A "rank" of "0" means "no rank". The smallest rank is 1.

If both AI have a rank > 0, then "snd_response_positive_superior" is chosen if otherRank > myRank.

If no rank information is available, this fallback logic comes into play:

If the AI itself is a superior (Noble, Elite, Priest) the ordinary "snd_response_positive" is chosen.

If the AI itself is not a superior, the other person is checked. If the other person is considered superior (Noble, Priest, Elite), the "superior" sound is chosen, otherwise the ordinary sound is used.

See also

• Vocal scripts overview - Main article on the vocal scripts of AI characters.