kassadin's VO doesn't suit his new skin

Doctor Spreadem·Sep 30, 2015·13 votes·7,940 views

he needs something similar to bard's volume that is pure and cosmic or what so ever. btw the skin is amazing.

37 Comments

RiotUtoraOct 1, 201512 votes

Hey there Itz. I honestly thought the same thing myself. There are different tiers of skins that determine the complexity of a skin's development. Kass's new skin wasn't in the tier that got the VO treatment even though we wish it really had been. One thing alot of players don't realize is the immense amount of time and coordination it takes to make changes to the English VO and then hit the same quality bar for every language in the regions we support. Having different VO or changing VO for a skin automatically increases development time, sometimes by months.

Insane PyromanicOct 1, 20153 votes

{quoted}

Hey there Itz. I honestly thought the same thing myself. There are different tiers of skins that determine the complexity of a skin's development. Kass's new skin wasn't in the tier that got the VO treatment even though we wish it really had been. One thing alot of players don't realize is the immense amount of time and coordination it takes to make changes to the English VO and then hit the same quality bar for every language in the regions we support. Having different VO or changing VO for a skin automatically increases development time, sometimes by months.

I think if he had a softer echo filter on his voice instead of the deep booming one for his other skins would be better for this one. Not a sound guy though so idk how hard that is to do.

ThalesOct 1, 20152 votes

Is changing the voice processing as high-scope? A more ethereal processing would make the skin even better.

GhostOfShrimpmasOct 1, 20152 votes

So, is he ever going to get a new VO? He got his visual update and some reworks, but his voice was untouched, including the joke and one other line that refer to a mechanic he no longer has. 2 of his 9 lines not making sense anymore is pretty bad. Or is that just something that had its window of opportunity pass, and now it'll never happen?

DesideriumOct 1, 201526 votes

According to S@20, Cosmic Reaver Kassadin is a 1350 skin.

This means it can have voice processing. It is in the tier.

Was there a misunderstanding or are you guys not aware of your own products?

Solidair3Oct 1, 20152 votes

I think the wording of "VO" implied (to Utora) that the OP meant that kassadin's lines, the actual things he says, are unfitting with the skin.

I am inclined to agree... However, considering Kassadin barely has any lines at all, I feel voice processing is wasted on him. I think I'd rather have him be a 975 skin and just use his regular voice sound.

LadyRenlyOct 11, 20151 votes

{quoted}

I think the wording of "VO" implied (to Utora) that the OP meant that kassadin's lines, the actual things he says, are unfitting with the skin.

I am inclined to agree... However, considering Kassadin barely has any lines at all, I feel voice processing is wasted on him. I think I'd rather have him be a 975 skin and just use his regular voice sound.

I think he means just the voice in general. It's loud, commanding and bold, which seems somewhat jarring

SKOBODOOct 1, 20153 votes

[{quoted}](name=Tomb of Insomnia,realm=NA,application-id=aAJWt2b9,discussion-id=5O7Rc8Z4,comment-id=00000003,timestamp=2015-10-01T01:58:45.042+0000)

According to S@20, Cosmic Reaver Kassadin is a 1350 skin.

This means it can have voice processing. It is in the tier.

Yeah, having a more "pure" voice processing (compare regular Varus with Arclight Varus) would be nice. Is it too late to change it? I'd imagine changing the voice processing is a lot easier than recording new lines for multiple languages.

RiotN0TAROct 11, 20159 votes

There was no misunderstanding on this skin. As a Kassadin main, and as someone who is obsessed with space, believe me when I say that I wanted to do VO processing on this guy REALLY FREAKIN BADLY. However, skins doesn't operate like champion, where you have 6+ months to go balls to the wall on every sound effect and VO line. Skins has multiple products that they work on simultaneously, and time management is extremely important. The sound designer will usually make audio related decisions, but there is heavy influence from product owners, your discipline, your pod, etc. For example, on Arclight Vel'koz, originally no one wanted VO processing! My PO didn't think it was a good use of my time, and a bunch of people on my audio team thought it was weird to have a character from the void processed in a heavenly way. In a bullheaded manner, I ignored everyone and did it anyway.

Sometimes, you just gotta go with your gut, and other times you have to listen to your team. My PO did not want me to focus my effort on Kassadin VO. I decided to listen, and instead went on to do all of the SFX and VO for Omega Squad Teemo and Forsaken Jayce.

There are a bunch of skins that are 1350 that "could" have VO processing, and don't. Battle Boss Blitzcrank could have a doubler similar to Veigar so that he sounds more retro, Star Guardian Lux could have a bunch of reverb on her voice like they have in some anime shows, Risen Fiddlesticks could have awesome processing with reversed reverb and dark tonal elements in it, etc. Why don't they? Could be that Localization is swamped, could be that the sound designer is needed on a different skin, could even be that no one on your pod wants new VO. Endless reasons.

HAVING SAID ALL OF THIS. I still want Kasssadin VO processing as much as you all do. I'm not on the skins team anymore (on R&D) which makes this more difficult, but if the skins PO and localization are cool with it, then I'll get you guys some processing as soon as I can! Will keep you updated.

MerxamersOct 11, 20155 votes

well dang, that sounds like a failure on the part of management and personnel organization then, that you're actively told NOT to do cool things, and that everyone is so busy in 'cells' that nothing ends up getting done. Given how awesome some skins turn out (almost all the 1350 ones, 1820 ones, even some 975 ones), it's disappointing when some skins feel like the team settled for less.

I think it's cool that you added the VO processing to Arclight Velkoz (even though you were actively told not to for incomprehensible reasons), that was really cool of you. I respect people with teh impulse to give more, rather than less :)

The Kassadin skin LOOKS cool, at least, so props to whatever team was responsible for that

RiotN0TAROct 11, 20156 votes

I wouldn't say it's a failure. People on skins have TONS of freedom to work on what they want. However, artists can easily get carried away and push hard on things that sometimes only they will notice. It's the dev manager and product owners job to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that players are getting the content they want. That's why there are tiers in the first place. There are many people who don't want to spend 1820 RP on a skin. Some just want any new skin for their favorite champion. On a legendary, you can do whatever cool thing you want. On lower tier skins you will have to intentionally scale back. If I asked a random LOL player if he'd rather have 6 legendary skins a year, or 100 "any tier" skins a year, he'd probably take the latter because there's a higher chance of his favorite champ getting a skin.

Thanks! I hope that the post did not come off as negative. It's just insight on how development on skins works. I see posts like this a lot, and hope that it answers questions in the future for why a certain skin didn't get a new whatever.

I think that the Kassadin skin is pretty top notch in terms of quality. It may not have new VO (yet), but from model/vfx/sfx perspective, it's one of my favorites.

PykelOct 11, 20151 votes

i dont play kass but i really like this skin, but i agree with the 6 skins vs one really detailed and changed one, it is the same logic behind the victorious skins, sadly their will only be one a year so if yo uget a cahmp you dont like its kinda like better luck next year, like i prolly will never use victorious sivir but on the brightside it is free.

Chromatic EagleOct 11, 20152 votes

We've been told repeatedly, or at least we interpret it this way, that first you add a bunch of bells and whistles, then you decide on a tier price. But every time you explain why this skin doesn't have that feature, it always comes down to tier price. Feels contradictory to me.

CosmicWatersOct 11, 20152 votes

[{quoted}](name=Riot N0TAR,realm=NA,application-id=aAJWt2b9,discussion-id=5O7Rc8Z4,comment-id=00000003000200000000,timestamp=2015-10-11T01:34:03.538+0000)

I wouldn't say it's a failure. People on skins have TONS of freedom to work on what they want. However, artists can easily get carried away and push hard on things that sometimes only they will notice. It's the dev manager and product owners job to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that players are getting the content they want. That's why there are tiers in the first place. There are many people who don't want to spend 1820 RP on a skin. Some just want any new skin for their favorite champion. On a legendary, you can do whatever cool thing you want. On lower tier skins you will have to intentionally scale back. If I asked a random LOL player if he'd rather have 6 legendary skins a year, or 100 "any tier" skins a year, he'd probably take the latter because there's a higher chance of his favorite champ getting a skin.

Thanks! I hope that the post did not come off as negative. It's just insight on how development on skins works. I see posts like this a lot, and hope that it answers questions in the future for why a certain skin didn't get a new whatever.

I think that the Kassadin skin is pretty top notch in terms of quality. It may not have new VO (yet), but from model/vfx/sfx perspective, it's one of my favorites.

literally the skin is pointless without a voice processing. It makes no sense for the skin concept to not to have it. Literally hes this cosmic ethereally god like skin and his voice sounds like hes some evil guy shouting crap.

He looks like his voice would be echo-y and ethereal the fact that yall noticed that and didnt change it is a problem. id rather spend money on a 20 dollar skin that really delivers in terms of quality. I dont even play Kass(because I hate his base and I hate his skins(il love his kit)) this skin will get me to play kass but without a voice process it is very underwhelming.

I look forward to see if he gets a voice processing like this skin f*cking deserves.

Flying BuntcakeOct 11, 20151 votes

As a side note, are people at Riot aware that Kassadin's joke doesn't really make much sense anymore? Would really like a response, even if it isn't being looked at.

TerraRisingOct 11, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Riot N0TAR,realm=NA,application-id=aAJWt2b9,discussion-id=5O7Rc8Z4,comment-id=000000030002,timestamp=2015-10-11T00:16:04.103+0000)

HAVING SAID ALL OF THIS. I still want Kasssadin VO processing as much as you all do. I'm not on the skins team anymore (on R&D) which makes this more difficult, but if the skins PO and localization are cool with it, then I'll get you guys some processing as soon as I can! Will keep you updated.

In the future, I would avoid even making statements like this. You're close enough to making promises you can't guarantee, you might as well have just said "I'm going to do this, Riot be damned."

BudupopsOct 11, 20151 votes

riot loves $. 1350 is the new 975

PapaGreg21Oct 1, 20156 votes

Why did you make demon vi sound like a robot?

ZedexOct 1, 20152 votes

Have you ever noticed how arclight varus has a slight modification to his voice that removes his deep pitch?

Its a 975 priced skin too, I believe its possible for you guys to do a similar thing with this Kassadin skin. Would it be possible?

Edit : Arclight Vel'Koz is 1350 and does a similar effect with his voice.

LuciferOct 1, 20157 votes

But it's 1350. There's no reason for it not to have a VO :/

CuixOct 1, 20152 votes

Does Bard sound different in different languages? Rek'Sai, too? Gnar? That seems... incredibly arbitrary.

Photos of GhostsOct 1, 20152 votes

Do you not have acces anymore to the original, untreated recoding of his VO? Can't you just take away the gas mask sound and find something more sweety?

NewFoundAbilityOct 1, 20152 votes

Having different VO or changing VO for a skin automatically increases development time, sometimes by months.

As a small sound designer myself, I actually feel happy knowing how much time, effort and love goes into editing each clip to sound good for all languages, plus the amount of voice sound clips each clip given. summoner 31 I will agree the voice could of been changed, I'm just happy the skin is coming out at all.

Chromatic EagleOct 1, 20151 votes

Don't you guys keep saying that you make skin prices after putting on all of the bells and whistles? This kind of implies the opposite.

Photos of GhostsOct 16, 20151 votes

Why not just removing some languages?

RiotN0TAROct 16, 20156 votes

Hey guys,

First off, thanks for being passionate and posting feedback about this! At this time, Cosmic Reaver Kass is not going to get new VO processing.

Right now, we don’t have the bandwidth to tackle this right now because the team is slammed with skins until the end of the year (usually the busiest season for Skins). However, this is definitely something that we will revisit in the future. Long live Kassadin

SonicÐeHedgedawgOct 16, 20153 votes

The fact that you are even considering revisiting this later even though there won't likely be much of an incentive for you to do so is pretty cool

TerraRisingOct 16, 20152 votes

[{quoted}](name=Riot N0TAR,realm=NA,application-id=aAJWt2b9,discussion-id=5O7Rc8Z4,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2015-10-16T04:23:58.467+0000) However, this is definitely something that we will revisit in the future. Long live

Bro, word of advice: Don't make implied promises you can't guarantee, especially as a Rioter/Red on the forums. You're not on the Skins team anymore (according to an earlier post), so you really can't guarantee that anything will get done, even the idea that this Kass skin will even get revisited.

Ask any Rioter at the office (especially Morello at R&D) about promises made by Riot that they couldn't keep and all the drama surrounding them.

EnderForHegemonOct 16, 20152 votes

Ahhhh, this is a big disappointment with a tiny fishing lure of hope. Do I bite? t________t

AuryielOct 16, 20151 votes

Don't, he's never getting that voice processing

EnderForHegemonOct 17, 20151 votes

FeelsBadMan

EyrgosOct 16, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Riot N0TAR,realm=NA,application-id=aAJWt2b9,discussion-id=5O7Rc8Z4,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2015-10-16T04:23:58.467+0000)

Hey guys,

First off, thanks for being passionate and posting feedback about this! At this time, Cosmic Reaver Kass is not going to get new VO processing.

Right now, we don’t have the bandwidth to tackle this right now because the team is slammed with skins until the end of the year (usually the busiest season for Skins). However, this is definitely something that we will revisit in the future. Long live

You'll promise to revisit this but you guys never even bothered to respond about Special Weapon ZAC being looked at for a VO filter during his PBE days... that skin really deserves one.

EyrgosOct 16, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Riot N0TAR,realm=NA,application-id=aAJWt2b9,discussion-id=5O7Rc8Z4,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2015-10-16T04:23:58.467+0000)

Hey guys,

First off, thanks for being passionate and posting feedback about this! At this time, Cosmic Reaver Kass is not going to get new VO processing.

Right now, we don’t have the bandwidth to tackle this right now because the team is slammed with skins until the end of the year (usually the busiest season for Skins). However, this is definitely something that we will revisit in the future. Long live

You'll promise to revisit this but you guys never even bothered to respond about Special Weapon ZAC being looked at for a VO filter during his PBE days... that skin really deserves one.

AuryielOct 16, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Riot N0TAR,realm=NA,application-id=aAJWt2b9,discussion-id=5O7Rc8Z4,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2015-10-16T04:23:58.467+0000)

However, this is definitely something that we will revisit in the future. Long live

http://imgur.com/gallery/FB5IGMg

CosmicWatersOct 1, 20152 votes

Yeah I literally made a post about this, i think his base voice is completely wrong sound for the skin. Its so harsh and "evil" instead of something pure, or I'm above this, etheral sounding process.

its a 1350 skin its in the tier that allows voice processing, vi got it on her skin so this skin should get as well keep posting about this guys