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Old 09-23-2014, 03:52 AM   #1
vicky_molokh
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Default Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

Greetings, all!

First, I know about Synching. This is not quite what I'm looking for. I'm looking more at the idea of Synthing (heh):

It is not exactly hard for a rich Infomorph to get Voice while possessing a meat body - just buy an appropriate bioshell. But this being THS, (a) a specific shell is not always available and (b) much of the communication goes by radio/wire, through social telepresence etc.
And that's what sort of Voice I'm looking for. Some sort of 'virtual voicebox' that is used to generate speech with a pleasant sound, that is later fed into communication lines as a realistic avatar. Since we're talking about an Infomorph, there's no need for any extra neural-interface hardware - it's possible to just connect to the same outputs as are used to control a bioshell's voicebox, but use them in digital form. There are some questions, though:
  • What would be a reasonable limitation on Voice that is 'digital only', i.e. applicable only when the infomorph speaks through radio or similar, not when talking face to face in a normal-voiced bioshell?
  • What would the reasonable price tag look like for such a synth pack? I'm assuming a single-user permanent license as usual for all of the non-update-hoggy THS software.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 09-23-2014, 05:17 PM   #2
jeff_wilson
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

I would treat this the same way as commonplace good looks, i.e. simply raise the standards required to get a +2 reaction, or make use of the Off-the-Shelf limitation.
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Old 09-24-2014, 04:08 AM   #3
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

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Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
I would treat this the same way as commonplace good looks, i.e. simply raise the standards required to get a +2 reaction, or make use of the Off-the-Shelf limitation.
That's an interesting note. Whether the limitation should apply or not will, of course, depend on whether a given specific voice is common enough to warrant it - a custom / limited-edition variant is likely to provide the non-shelf bonus. Also, off-the-shelf might apply to TL8 Synching, I guess, for having the same traits in all most modified voices (though admittedly I'm not good at identifying them).

However, I'm more interested in the idea of how much a trait should be limited specifically for the fact that it only applies when the avatar can be fed into the communication channel (whether the avatar is voice or appearance is irrelevant for this question). Oh, and just in case: the default assumption is that I'm talking about a custom/limited-edition, fully-integrated, available-without-a-roll but only through digital comm lines or virtual worlds thing.
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Old 09-24-2014, 06:16 AM   #4
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

Wouldn't it just be routine to have Voice added to all virtual presences, the same way you'd routinely have physically attractive images for visual avatars?

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Old 09-24-2014, 06:57 AM   #5
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

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Wouldn't it just be routine to have Voice added to all virtual presences, the same way you'd routinely have physically attractive images for visual avatars?

Bill Stoddard
And to all bodies. And yet, some people's bodies (and avatars based on bodies) have higher Appearance, and some have lower. And not everyone with high Appearance has Off-the-Shelf looks either - Tianyi are, Ishtar aren't.

Note that I am interested in upgrading/picking at least one shell to have Voice, and possibly better than Attractive appearance too. But I wonder what would be the appropriate limitation for retaining the trait's effects for all virtual interactions, including those while possessing cheaper shells (because it's the avatar, not the shell, that takes part in the virtual chat).
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Old 09-24-2014, 07:10 AM   #6
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

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Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
Note that I am interested in upgrading/picking at least one shell to have Voice, and possibly better than Attractive appearance too. But I wonder what would be the appropriate limitation for retaining the trait's effects for all virtual interactions ...
Probably no more than Aspected, -20%. A lot of your interactions will be digital anyway and this gives you motive to choose digital where that's an option.
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Old 10-09-2014, 05:23 PM   #7
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

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Wouldn't it just be routine to have Voice added to all virtual presences, the same way you'd routinely have physically attractive images for visual avatars?
And if everyone started sounding like James Earl Jones, Tom Jones, or James Mason, wouldn't you get an effect like Off-the-Shelf Looks?
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Old 10-09-2014, 05:58 PM   #8
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

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And if everyone started sounding like James Earl Jones, Tom Jones, or James Mason, wouldn't you get an effect like Off-the-Shelf Looks?
Not if my receiving A.I. turned them all into Donald and Daffy duck. Or just random but unique normal voices.
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Old 10-10-2014, 12:50 AM   #9
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

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Not if my receiving A.I. turned them all into Donald and Daffy duck. Or just random but unique normal voices.
You can ask your receiving AI to also mangle other people's Appearance too (whether avatar or real-life). Most users don't, though.
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Old 10-10-2014, 01:13 AM   #10
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Default Re: Voice as a digital-only trait for Digital Minds?

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You can ask your receiving AI to also mangle other people's Appearance too (whether avatar or real-life). Most users don't, though.
I would imagine with all the memetic warfare flying about, it would be S.O.P. to neutralize potential manipulations with avatar "banal-izations".
Making those of opposite views sound/look silly might be a juvenile but highly addictive habit.
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