Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch

Hello! For the last couple of days i got tempted to delve into reviewing all of USSEP audio changes and i discovered, that many of audio splices (particulary the ones when extra words are inserted or replaced) sound bit unnatural, sometimes more sometimes less. That's not your fault, manually edited audio will always have trouble to compete with something actual voice actor has recorded. Moreover, audio edits are difficult to forward in mods that are aiming at enhancing the quality of audio, like UHDAP or SSE High Quality Voices - they essentially would have to either recreate them from scratch, or allow for USSEP files to overwrite them - which would result in quality loss, as USSEP files are created from PC-Vanilla files. Thus i think that USSEP would benefit from keeping as much of vanilla audio is possible. Of course it isn't always possible, as with many of actual writer's mistakes like Irileth claiming she works for Ulfric, or Alessandra mistaking Windhelm and Whiterun. But after leaving the impossible intact, i have comprised a list of things that i think are possible, and here's first part of that:

Part I - Audio that got changed to be inclusive of all possible scenarios

In Skyrim, as you obviously know, there are many cases where writer got a little bit sloppy and forgot that world isn't static. For example Frabbi in Silver Blood Inn is scolding her husband that he's "too lazy to give him a drink", assuming that player character is a male. Or Wuunferth the Unliving screaming from the top of his lungs that "This isn't over Jorleif!" even if the one who arrests him is Captain Lonely-Gale. USSEP edited most of these cases by changing the audio and subtitle to be more inclusive. However, while it is successful method, is isn't lossless, as many times a player character or the world actually fits the scenario. There's a good chance that player character who is in Silver-Blood Inn is in fact "him" or it is Jorleif who arrests Wuunferth. But they too get the edited dialogue.

So the thing i suggest here, is to take example from Melaran's dialogue about Sybille Stentor (see BD6E3 for example) and split possible dialogue into two variants: one containing vanilla audio and subtitle, with added extra condition that ensures whatever writer has assumed is true, and another, a fallback below it, with USSEP audio and subtitle - for all other cases. This way, players who wouldn't need this fix (like the ones who play Blood on Ice with Stormcloaks in charge of Windhelm) would still benefit from high-quality unchanged (or changed by UHDAP) audio lines while the players for whom the fix was meant to, would benefit from USSEP's much needed corrected dialogue.

Without further ado, let's go to actual instances of this:

-- BLOOD ON ICE

E4C95 - About Hjerim
skyrim.esm\malenordcommander\ms11_ms11sharedinfos_000e4c95_2.fuz

Original: Well, since she's not using it anymore, Ulfric might just let you have it, if you have the money. And if he likes you.
USSEP: Well, since she's not using it anymore, the Jarl might just let you have it, if you have the money. And if he likes you.

The condition that would be added to the original-variant could be either a check if Ulfric is occupying Jarl alias in DialogueWindhelm (see C6E2F dialogue for example), or check for CWOwner variable for Windhelm (see 4443D dialogue for example) or a check IsDead for Ulfric, as the only vanilla way for Ulfric to not be the jarl would be for him to be dead. I personally would choose either CWOwner or AliasCheck as these would be extra compatible with any possible mod that would tamper with Civil War.
Oddly enough, current dialogue record still checks if the speaker is Jorleif, might be worth investigating if the dialogue is even working properly for Lonely-Gale.

--
25E48 - Guard when asked about helping them in Blood on Ice
skyrim.esm\maleguard\ms11_ms11guardplayerwantst_00025e48_2.fuz
skyrim.esm\malenordcommander\ms11_ms11guardplayerwantst_00025e48_2.fuz
skyrim.esm\femalenord\ms11_ms11guardplayerwantst_00025e48_2.fuz

Original: You'll need to talk to Jorleif, though. We can't just let anyone go around claiming to be on official business.
USSEP: You'll need to talk to the steward, though. We can't just let anyone go around claiming to be on official business.

Same as above, AliasCheck could easily target if JorleifREF is currently occupying alias of Steward in DialogueWindhelm, and present vanilla line to players who have him as a steward.

--
D2C92 - Wuunferth shouting at Jorleif when arrested
Skyrim.esm\MaleOldGrumpy\MS11WuunferthArrest__000D2C92_1.fuz

Original: This isn't over, Jorleif!
USSEP: This isn't over!

Same as above, AliasCheck.



-- MASCULINE FORMS

CF2D6 - Aela using masculine form for PC
Skyrim.esm\FemaleCommander\C00GiantAt_C00GiantAttackM_000CF2D6_1.fuz

Original: Ha. Another milk drinker crying about his effort.
USSEP: Ha. Another milk drinker crying about their effort.

--
A8457 - Thalmor assuming player's gender
Skyrim.esm\MaleElfHaughty\MQ202__000A8457_1.fuz

Original: Where is he? The one who was asking about the fugitive hiding in the Ratway?
USSEP: Where is the one who was asking about the fugitive hiding in the Ratway?

--
58656 - Galmar refering to player character as brother
Skyrim.esm\MaleUniqueGalmar\CW02B__00058656_1.fuz

Original: Get yourself kitted out with what you need. Welcome to the fight, brother!
USSEP: Get yourself kitted out with what you need. Welcome to the fight!

--
DBAFB - Frabbi using masculine form about PC
Skyrim.esm\FemaleShrill\WITavern__000DBAFB_1.fuz

Original: Too lazy to give him a drink yourself? Oaf.
USSEP: Too lazy to give 'em a drink yourself? Oaf.

--
Dragonborn.esm~285B4 - General Falx Carius assuming our gender
Dragonborn.esm\MaleEvenToned\DLC2RR01_DLC2RR01SharedInf_000285B4_1.fuz

Original: There's an intruder in the fort! Repel him immediately!
USSEP: There's an intruder in the fort! Repel the invader immediately!


--

Similarly to cases of Windhelm, i advise to use gender condition (see BD6E3 for example) on vanilla line, and add USSEP one as a new record that would be fallback if the condition isn't met



-- BANNERED MARE OWNER

A724F; A724A - Dialogue refering to Olfina as the Innkeeper
Skyrim.esm\MaleCondescending\DialogueWh_DialogueWhiteru_000A724F_1.fuz
Skyrim.esm\MaleNord\DialogueWh_DialogueWhiteru_000A724A_2.fuz

Original:
Try Olfina, the new innkeeper at the Bannered Mare. It's just up the road, near the market.
You'll want the Bannered Mare. See Olfina, she'll keep you swimmin' in mead.

USSEP:
Try the new innkeeper at the Bannered Mare. It's just up the road, near the market.
You'll want the Bannered Mare. See Mikael, he'll keep you swimmin' in mead.

While the fix could be assigned to "inevitable" box, since backup innkeeper is now Mikael, i think this could be resolved in a more compatible manner, by replacing IsDead checks with AliasChecks (see C6E2F dialogue for example) and having not 2 but 3 variants of the dialogue.
1. Vanilla Hulda (behind condition for Hulda being alias innkeeper in DialogueWhiterun)
2. Vanilla Olfina (behind condition for Olfina being alias innkeeper in DialogueWhiterun)
3. New USSEP Mikael (behind condition for Mikael being alias innkeeper in DialogueWhiterun)

This way, the audio files of Olfina would remain unchanged in the game's files, in case someone decides to replace them with UHDAP (the USSEP would still call for USSEP-files for Mikael-case, as they would be new voice files instead of overwriting Olfina-case) or decides to use any mod that changes the aliases and make Olfina into Innkeeper again. While this scenario is unlikely, it's more compatibility at 0 cost.

-- HARKON:

Dawnguard.esm~8866 - Harkon assuming we have Serana as our follower
dawnguard.esm\DLC1MaleUniqueHarkon\DLC1VQ03Va_DLC1VQ03Vampire_00008866_1.fuz

Original: Well done! Somehow I knew it would be you and Serana who found our moth priest.
USSEP: Well done! Somehow I knew it would be you who found our Moth Priest.

According to USSEP changelog, the line was edited because "Harkon has a line of dialogue about locating the moth priest that is too specific since the player can do this without taking Serana along.".
This however can be achieved by using AliasCheck to ensure that he says vanilla variant only if Serana is currently occupying Follower alias in DialogueFollower quest. So players who do indeed do the questline with Serana as follower have the full, original dialogue, while people for whom the fix was meant would get USSEP's fixed one.

-----

That's all cases that i think could benefit from splitting them into two lines instead of editing vanilla audio.
Once again, i want to say that i really understand the need for USSEP's audio changes. My aim in this part is not to complain "these changes aren't needed", but that they can be implemented in a different way that would still present original, unchanged lines to that part of playerbase that isn't affected by the bug/inconsistency they are fixing.

Lastly, i would like to point out that currently LOOT is placing UHDAP lower in load order than USSEP, which results in vanilla-audio and USSEP-subtitle. While one could say that's a problem of LOOT/end-user (and they would be right about it, as it absolutely is), the end result is still user who is mistakenly convinced that this is a bug. Changes i suggested here, reduce chance for that scenario, by making sure the changed dialogues use their own files, that are unlikely to be overwritten by anything.