Dialogue in Halo 2

Overall, I like the dialogue. It's interesting to be able to
understand Elites. You can tell that Marines and Grunts have a lot
more lines of dialogue than in the first game, so in some ways, things
stay fresher.

However, a complaint: I get the impression that whoever was in charge
of dialogue was too loosey-goosey about letting developers throw in
whatever their pet favorite line was. For example: "Time to eat and
change our socks." I am sure that is hilarious to a couple of
developers who know the origin of it, but it makes little if any sense
for a Marine to say during a gunfight. I've heard other comments along
those lines, cryptic things that you'd more expect someone to say
during a LAN party than you'd expect to hear from a Marine or an alien
soldier, but can't think right now of other examples.

A nice touch: if you zoom in on Marines with a weapon scope, they will
make comments from a special list for that purpose. Female Marines may
ask if you "see something you like?" Male Marines are likely to sound
disconcerted, or urge you to focus on the battle.

Keith wrote:
> Overall, I like the dialogue. It's interesting to be able to
> understand Elites. You can tell that Marines and Grunts have a lot
> more lines of dialogue than in the first game, so in some ways, things
> stay fresher.
>
> However, a complaint: I get the impression that whoever was in charge
> of dialogue was too loosey-goosey about letting developers throw in
> whatever their pet favorite line was. For example: "Time to eat and
> change our socks."

<snip>

Time to eat and change our socks is a military reference. Back in WW1
when the soldiers fought/lived/died in trenches, they got a condition
known as trench foot. It's from having your feet soaked in water all
day. So in order to combat that, you gotta keep your socks dry. SO, time
to change socks is actually accurate. This tradition lasted all the way
through to Vietnam, when they fought in the jungle.

-stu

Keith wrote:
> Overall, I like the dialogue. It's interesting to be able to
> understand Elites. You can tell that Marines and Grunts have a lot
> more lines of dialogue than in the first game, so in some ways, things
> stay fresher.
>
> However, a complaint: I get the impression that whoever was in charge
> of dialogue was too loosey-goosey about letting developers throw in
> whatever their pet favorite line was. For example: "Time to eat and
> change our socks." I am sure that is hilarious to a couple of
> developers who know the origin of it, but it makes little if any sense
> for a Marine to say during a gunfight. I've heard other comments along
> those lines, cryptic things that you'd more expect someone to say
> during a LAN party than you'd expect to hear from a Marine or an alien
> soldier, but can't think right now of other examples.
>
> A nice touch: if you zoom in on Marines with a weapon scope, they will
> make comments from a special list for that purpose. Female Marines may
> ask if you "see something you like?" Male Marines are likely to sound
> disconcerted, or urge you to focus on the battle.

I dig the voice acting. Hearing David Cross say "can't we just talk
about this" cracks me up almost every time!
--

Andrew

In article <311i9cF343cpgU1@uni-berlin.de>, yogig@nospam.hotmail.com
says...
> Keith wrote:
> > Overall, I like the dialogue. It's interesting to be able to
> > understand Elites. You can tell that Marines and Grunts have a lot
> > more lines of dialogue than in the first game, so in some ways, things
> > stay fresher.
> >
> > However, a complaint: I get the impression that whoever was in charge
> > of dialogue was too loosey-goosey about letting developers throw in
> > whatever their pet favorite line was. For example: "Time to eat and
> > change our socks." I am sure that is hilarious to a couple of
> > developers who know the origin of it, but it makes little if any sense
> > for a Marine to say during a gunfight. I've heard other comments along
> > those lines, cryptic things that you'd more expect someone to say
> > during a LAN party than you'd expect to hear from a Marine or an alien
> > soldier, but can't think right now of other examples.
> >
> > A nice touch: if you zoom in on Marines with a weapon scope, they will
> > make comments from a special list for that purpose. Female Marines may
> > ask if you "see something you like?"

given the three females elisted to provide the female marines' voices
(one is on the cover of this month's Maxim..) that's almost as good as
Jen Taylor's alternate version of "Bet you can't stick it, Master
Chief".

Male Marines are likely to sound
> > disconcerted, or urge you to focus on the battle.
>
> I dig the voice acting. Hearing David Cross say "can't we just talk
> about this" cracks me up almost every time!
>

I heard one female marine say "Good job Cortana isn't the jealous type" as
MC stood with her and another marine in the underwater elevator.

One complaint about the voice talent: if it only came on during battle, that
would be good. But they say crazy things even when it's deathly silence,
when there's no fighting going on. So a marine would come out with some
"incoherent battle rage" as Bungie describe it, even when nothing's
happening. That kinda takes the shine off it.
"RuddyH20" <me@here.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1c158d3718c3952d989be0@news.giganews.com. ..
> In article <311i9cF343cpgU1@uni-berlin.de>, yogig@nospam.hotmail.com
> says...
> > Keith wrote:
> > > Overall, I like the dialogue. It's interesting to be able to
> > > understand Elites. You can tell that Marines and Grunts have a lot
> > > more lines of dialogue than in the first game, so in some ways, things
> > > stay fresher.
> > >
> > > However, a complaint: I get the impression that whoever was in charge
> > > of dialogue was too loosey-goosey about letting developers throw in
> > > whatever their pet favorite line was. For example: "Time to eat and
> > > change our socks." I am sure that is hilarious to a couple of
> > > developers who know the origin of it, but it makes little if any sense
> > > for a Marine to say during a gunfight. I've heard other comments along
> > > those lines, cryptic things that you'd more expect someone to say
> > > during a LAN party than you'd expect to hear from a Marine or an alien
> > > soldier, but can't think right now of other examples.
> > >
> > > A nice touch: if you zoom in on Marines with a weapon scope, they will
> > > make comments from a special list for that purpose. Female Marines may
> > > ask if you "see something you like?"
>
> given the three females elisted to provide the female marines' voices
> (one is on the cover of this month's Maxim..) that's almost as good as
> Jen Taylor's alternate version of "Bet you can't stick it, Master
> Chief".
>
> Male Marines are likely to sound
> > > disconcerted, or urge you to focus on the battle.
> >
> > I dig the voice acting. Hearing David Cross say "can't we just talk
> > about this" cracks me up almost every time!
> >