Microsoft Sam, new opening for speech?

[Akumayo]

     I found an online game (Sveers at Miniclip.com) that has Microsoft Sam (the text-to-speech program on Windows) talking to you and telling you your score, name, etc.  If anyone has found a way to do so in an AGS game, I would like to know. 

It would be cool I think if you could make a function with this Microsoft Sam thing, like MSamSay("This is Microsoft Sam.");

Anyway, any ideas, or has this been done?

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

I once tried "StoryHarp" - basically an IF system that allowed the user to SAY commands and the PC would answer. It failed miserably, because the computer's voice would make really ridiculous sounding sentences, much like what we can appreciate in the computer in "Fatman" (though I know that one was on purpose).

My point is, methinks we should stick with recording our speech...

[Akumayo]

True, the sentances by Microsoft Sam are... "strange" but some of us "me" don't have a recording device.  Besides, I was thinking that MS would be good in a futuristic game where computers talk frequently.  It could prove useful also for those with no hope of getting a recording device "me".  If you have a recording device, don't worry about it.
Any other suggestions?

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Well, since some of us is ALSO "me" and I can say I'm being fairly impartial, and also since Microsoft Sam botches the language so often I think futuristic computers would be ashamed to talk like that, I'd have to stick to my guns.

HOWEVER, with a little digging, maybe you'll find a way to record what Sam says, and use AGS' regular voice speech thingies. That's another suggestion.

[Akumayo]

Hmm... good point about the futuristic computers.  But I can't find a way yet to record MS's voice.  Good Idea though.  But I want him to be able to say unrecorded things like your current score and a name that you specify for yourself.

[InCreator]

No-no-no.

No Sam.
An adventure game is basically interactive and - if well made - harmonic (sp?) collection of many types of an art. Art of drawing, composing music, storywriting, combining it all...

Speech just isn't another "accessibility option" for people who can't read.
It's about playing a roles of characters. This is a type of art too, often called 'acting'

Now, adding speech is making your "harmonic collection" richer by adding a type of art, plus it adds alot to the characters and atmosphere, expressing (if it's the right word?) personalities trough voice, it's tone, tempo and so on.

Sam/any text2speech = not art, neither acting.

It sounds about like making yourself a carboard car and making face that it's real one, just because you cannot afford a real one.

But some places could use Sam well, like for talking computers, robots, etc in a game. Idea itsself is quite original.

[Akumayo]

Wow... thanks for that I will log that away.

The Microsoft sam in Sveers WAS a computer talking, (I probably should have mentioned that earlier) so I was thinking that if MS could be implemented into an AGS arcade-style game.Ã,  It could be used to read off your score and ranking after every level, or could be used like a personnel computer in a spy-style game reading off mission information and name.

Any more ideas on inserting MS into an AGS game?

[Pumaman]

This could probably be done by a plugin, but I'm certinaly not adding Sam support to the AGS core

[Akumayo]

I'm ceratainly not building a plugin, so I guess the search for Sam ends here.

[Haddas]

And so we say goodbye, to our beloved friend Microsoft Sam, who never quite made it into the AGS core...

[Dan2552]

theres an activex control for MS sam.  not sure if you can use that + a delphi plugin

[Oz]

Recording the speech from MS Sam or any other text-2-speech program is very easy. Just enable the "what-you-hear" recording device (if using a relatively modern SB card). This will record any sound that your PC outputs. I'm sure there is a similar device for any other modern sound card.