I can't understand most of what Noth the Unhinged is saying

SilverBride · July 29

I can't understand most of what Noth the Unhinged is saying. Her accent is WAY too strong and I have to use an NPC tab in my chat window to read it. It's distracting to have to change tabs to read to know what is going on.

LittleBlueWraith · July 29

Wait, what? When you talk to an NPC, the dialogue's right there on the screen next to them... Is there a setting or add-on I don't know about that removes that?

SilverBride · July 29

Settings > Audio > NPC subtitles

I have mine toggled off to decrease clutter on my screen. So I made a chat tab I can refer to if I want to read it.

SeaGtGruff · July 29

LittleBlueWraith wrote: »

Wait, what? When you talk to an NPC, the dialogue's right there on the screen next to them... Is there a setting or add-on I don't know about that removes that?

I think there's a setting so you can turn it off if you don't want to see it onscreen. And I think it's separate from the setting to see it in the chatbox.

LittleBlueWraith · July 29

SilverBride wrote: »

Settings > Audio > NPC subtitles

I have mine toggled off to decrease clutter on my screen. So I made a chat tab I can refer to if I want to read it.

Ah, I see. I always leave subtitles on, so I just assumed that setting was just for when NPCs weren't talking directly to the player. I don't even know what the dialogue screen looks like without that text.

SilverBride · July 29

It looks much cleaner to me.

LittleBlueWraith · July 29

... I guess this also explains why the ability to make the character repeat themselves was such a big deal. I found it so confusing at the time, because "the dialogue's right there, you can just read it if you missed something." Heh.

I also read faster than the characters speak, so unless I'm really interested, I tend to skip half their dialogue anyway. I don't think I ever found them intrusive, but I also kind of need them.

All that said, I wonder if there's an add-on that allows you to turn subtitles on for specific characters.

Eldovar · July 29

Well you already have a solution that is a click of a button to fix it.

Or do you expect ZOS to organise rerecording sessions in these dire layoff times?

Danikat · July 29

LittleBlueWraith wrote: »

... I guess this also explains why the ability to make the character repeat themselves was such a big deal. I found it so confusing at the time, because "the dialogue's right there, you can just read it if you missed something." Heh.

I also read faster than the characters speak, so unless I'm really interested, I tend to skip half their dialogue anyway. I don't think I ever found them intrusive, but I also kind of need them.

All that said, I wonder if there's an add-on that allows you to turn subtitles on for specific characters.

I think the option to have them repeat themselves is mostly an accessibility feature for people who do better with spoken than written dialogue for various reasons, but I also find it useful when I'm following a quest and enjoying the voice acting and then someone comes in the room and starts talking to me over the top of a conversation in the game. (I can't use headphones because I do also need to hear what's going on around me.)

SilverBride · July 29

Eldovar wrote: »

Well you already have a solution that is a click of a button to fix it.

Or do you expect ZOS to organise rerecording sessions in these dire layoff times?

Did I say anything like that?

In the future they should make sure the NPCs speak more clearly.

SeaGtGruff · July 29

Danikat wrote: »

LittleBlueWraith wrote: »

... I guess this also explains why the ability to make the character repeat themselves was such a big deal. I found it so confusing at the time, because "the dialogue's right there, you can just read it if you missed something." Heh.

I also read faster than the characters speak, so unless I'm really interested, I tend to skip half their dialogue anyway. I don't think I ever found them intrusive, but I also kind of need them.

All that said, I wonder if there's an add-on that allows you to turn subtitles on for specific characters.

I think the option to have them repeat themselves is mostly an accessibility feature for people who do better with spoken than written dialogue for various reasons, but I also find it useful when I'm following a quest and enjoying the voice acting and then someone comes in the room and starts talking to me over the top of a conversation in the game. (I can't use headphones because I do also need to hear what's going on around me.)

I occasionally use the "replay" option so I can better hear the NPC pronounce a proper name or place name. Sometimes it's difficult to guess from just the written text what the intended pronunciation is!

Eldovar · July 29

SilverBride wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

Well you already have a solution that is a click of a button to fix it.

Or do you expect ZOS to organise rerecording sessions in these dire layoff times?

Did I say anything like that?

In the future they should make sure the NPCs speak more clearly.

It’s probably subjective. I am not an english native speaker and it’s super clear to me.

But my country has many many dialects. Maybe my ears are trained for it.

Recent · July 29

Eldovar wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

Well you already have a solution that is a click of a button to fix it.

Or do you expect ZOS to organise rerecording sessions in these dire layoff times?

Did I say anything like that?

In the future they should make sure the NPCs speak more clearly.

It’s probably subjective. I am not an english native speaker and it’s super clear to me.

But my country has many many dialects. Maybe my ears are trained for it.

Yes this reply makes more sense and isn't as rude as your first reply.

Rishikesa108 · July 29

SilverBride wrote: »

I can't understand most of what Noth the Unhinged is saying. Her accent is WAY too strong and I have to use an NPC tab in my chat window to read it. It's distracting to have to change tabs to read to know what is going on.

You say these words... and yet you are American.
Can you even imagine people like me, who live in Europe, in non-English speaking countries?
My native language doesn't even have the luxury of being chosen for the game's localized dialogue. So, for every single quest in this massive game... my husband and I have to translate every single word, using every possible tool to help us.
You have no idea how long it takes to finish a single quest.
Oh well... I know fellow countrymen who take only two minutes: they just spam the 'next' button, giving up on understanding anything. I prefer to spend hours on it... but it feels weird hearing you complain about just a slightly heavy accent...

SilverBride · July 29

Rishikesa108 wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I can't understand most of what Noth the Unhinged is saying. Her accent is WAY too strong and I have to use an NPC tab in my chat window to read it. It's distracting to have to change tabs to read to know what is going on.

You say these words... and yet you are American.
Can you even imagine people like me, who live in Europe, in non-English speaking countries?
My native language doesn't even have the luxury of being chosen for the game's localized dialogue. So, for every single quest in this massive game... my husband and I have to translate every single word, using every possible tool to help us.
You have no idea how long it takes to finish a single quest.
Oh well... I know fellow countrymen who take only two minutes: they just spam the 'next' button, giving up on understanding anything. I prefer to spend hours on it... but it feels weird hearing you complain about just a slightly heavy accent...

It is more than slightly for me. It's the first time I couldn't understand an NPC because of the strong accent.

I know it's difficult for those that do not have their own language represented, and I think they need to do a better job of making it more accessible for more players. But these are different issues, and one doesn't invalidate the other.

Luneca · July 30

To be honest, I also couldn't understand well. I swear the game client is really bad right now. But then again, my head is full of the sound of firing siege.

Trier_Sero · July 30

English is my 3rd language, had almost no problem understanding her.

Dojohoda · July 30

Noth the Unhinged is extremely inebriated and talking Skoomese.

Umbracat449 · July 30

I need to know what the accent is

Danikat · July 30

Umbracat449 wrote: »

I need to know what the accent is

I've been thinking the same thing. I haven't been able to get online since this started so I haven't heard her myself and I keep thinking that would make a big difference to how easy it is to understand for different people.

An accent you're used to hearing is much easier to follow, even if it's very different to your own.

loaganb16_ESO · July 30

Noth is just rolling the R like a Khajiit who isn't used to the common language. I didn't take her as more difficult to understand than any other Khajiit with the same rolling R and that with English as my second language I think ALL NPCs in this game are easy to understand and follow.
Maybe just crank up the dialog volume? It helps me for sure to have it the loudest, since there is always someone spaming some effect on the side anyway.

SilverBride · July 30

I thought it was a Khajit accent of some type. Her voice being so high pitched doesn't help.

Thormar · July 30

For anyone curious about Noth's accent, here is a clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBrPk9dlfEI

LunaFlora · July 30

Thormar wrote: »

For anyone curious about Noth's accent, here is a clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBrPk9dlfEI

thank you for the video.
Noth sounds like an average Khajiit to me so personally i understand her well enough, though i always look at the dialogue box and subtitles

SilverBride · July 30

Thormar wrote: »

For anyone curious about Noth's accent, here is a clip...

Try listening without reading the text on the screen. Close your eyes or turn your head. It's much harder to understand if we can't read what they are saying.

Sluggy · July 30

I dunno, sounds like a typical hollywood "Eastern Bloc" accent to me? Maybe I just watched too many Bond films as a kid cause it doesn't seem that hard to follow for me.

Syldras · July 30

She has a weird cadence, supposedly to portray her as "insane", but it really makes her harder to understand.

Thormar · July 30

SilverBride wrote: »

Thormar wrote: »

For anyone curious about Noth's accent, here is a clip...

Try listening without reading the text on the screen. Close your eyes or turn your head. It's much harder to understand if we can't read what they are saying.

Don't think I claimed it's easy to understand her, assuming it's the claim here. In fact, I side slightly more with those who find her accent more on the heavy side. For instance, I had to recheck that she meant "Mad Prince" as Mad was for me initially inaudible; and I suspect I'll find it to be the case with a few more words once I actually do the quest - haven't yet.

Thormar · July 30

LunaFlora wrote: »

thank you for the video.
Noth sounds like an average Khajiit to me so personally i understand her well enough, though i always look at the dialogue box and subtitles

You're welcome : )

BretonMage · July 30

Her accent is Khajiiti but she doesn't seem to enunciate her words consistently, some words are swallowed, others are rushed. Cadence, as Syldras says, is inconsistent.

SilverBride · July 30

Thormar wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

Thormar wrote: »

For anyone curious about Noth's accent, here is a clip...

Try listening without reading the text on the screen. Close your eyes or turn your head. It's much harder to understand if we can't read what they are saying.

Don't think I claimed it's easy to understand her, assuming it's the claim here. In fact, I side slightly more with those who find her accent more on the heavy side. For instance, I had to recheck that she meant "Mad Prince" as Mad was for me initially inaudible; and I suspect I'll find it to be the case with a few more words once I actually do the quest - haven't yet.

Let me clarify. I meant "you" as a "generalized you", meaning everyone should listen without reading. Your video reinforces to me how difficult she is to understand. Thank you for linking it.