So, I fired up Rift last night...

Chieftan

I went up to a quest NPC and they just stood there with their mouth and face unmoving, they said a generic greeting and that was it.

I never expected the talking quest NPC thing to affect my experience that much but after playing SWTOR and Skyrim you really see how much weight the voiceover interaction gives the proceedings. 

[Mod Edit]

They've set a new mark for presentation and I don't think there's any going back.

Cthulhu23

Shhhh, whatever you do, don't use the "I" word (it rhymes with "Schminovation") with this game, or the sandboxers will descend upon you like a pack of wild spider monkeys.  

David_Lopan

Same here. Having agreed with you though I believe a good sandbox game does not need VO to be good if everything else is up to snuff. For themeparks, VO is going to be a must, and that can be very hard for indie companies to do as VO costs a lot of money (to do it right with talented VO actors).

sgel

You proved this by going up and clicking an NPC in another game?

Then you come on a public forum and post your "findings" ?

Are you begging to be humiliated?

 

The voice-over gets tiring and boring eventualy.

SpaceBar is your best friend.

BigCaliGuru

Voice over and story line of SWTOR kept me playing till wee hours of the morning.

Taiyoh

I never really liked the way quests were displayed anyway. It looked so boring, and it made me feel less like reading through everything. With SWTOR I gladly sit down and watch the cutscenes even for the most simple quests around.

Jrx80

Originally posted by sgel

You proved this by going up and clicking an NPC in another game?

Then you come on a public forum and post your "findings" ?

Are you begging to be humiliated?

 

The voice-over gets tiring and boring eventualy.

SpaceBar is your best friend.

Actually, not true for many.  I enjoy the cut scenes, even after 5-6 times of seeing them.  To each his opinion.

StonesDK

It will quickly become mundane and repetitive. Just like the latest "thing" in Rift with the "dynamic" content.

 

Just like with RIft it's something new and refreshing. That feeling too will fade away after a month or two.

Chieftan

Originally posted by Aquazen

Same here. Having agreed with you though I believe a good sandbox game does not need VO to be good if everything else is up to snuff. For themeparks, VO is going to be a must, and that can be very hard for indie companies to do as VO costs a lot of money (to do it right with talented VO actors).

Ya know what bugs me is how much heat Bioware took for doing all the voiceovers and yet there's Skyrim, as respected a RPG as you can get, and not one sandboxer has a bad word to say about all the VO work in it.

Twistingfate

I find VO pretty fun personally. I think it adds quite a bit to the game. I couldnt imagine skyrim without all the NPC's chattering away. adds so much to the world.

Soki123

Originally posted by sgel

You proved this by going up and clicking an NPC in another game?

Then you come on a public forum and post your "findings" ?

Are you begging to be humiliated?

 

The voice-over gets tiring and boring eventualy.

SpaceBar is your best friend.

Actually it doesn t for people that don t have ADD or constantly on a sugar rush.

Twistingfate

Originally posted by Soki123

Originally posted by sgel

You proved this by going up and clicking an NPC in another game?

Then you come on a public forum and post your "findings" ?

Are you begging to be humiliated?

 

The voice-over gets tiring and boring eventualy.

SpaceBar is your best friend.

Actually it doesn t for people that don t have ADD or constantly on a sugar rush.

I dont think it has anything to sugar or ADD. its just a personal thing. no need to insinuate that a person must have ADD if they do not like VO. at the end of the day, To each his own eh?

DLangley

Please stay on topic. Thanks!

Cameron27

Originally posted by Soki123

Originally posted by sgel

You proved this by going up and clicking an NPC in another game?

Then you come on a public forum and post your "findings" ?

Are you begging to be humiliated?

 

The voice-over gets tiring and boring eventualy.

SpaceBar is your best friend.

Actually it doesn t for people that don t have ADD or constantly on a sugar rush.

 I'll make a point!

Reading quest dialogue isn't boring or dull for people who actually have an imagination and are proficient readers.

Rusty715

Originally posted by Chieftan

 

Ya know what bugs me is how much heat Bioware took for doing all the voiceovers and yet there's Skyrim, as respected a RPG as you can get, and not one sandboxer has a bad word to say about all the VO work in it.

I havnt played Skyrim as I dont care for TES games much, though I did enjoy Morrowind somewhat. For myself I think VO in single player games help to make one feel not alone whereas in an MMO setting, to me, massive amounts of VO and cutscenes hinder the experiance as something not needed as there are other real people about. I dont know about others but perhaps that is why some praise Skyrim but dislike the VO in TOR?

WSIMike

Originally posted by Chieftan

Originally posted by Aquazen

Same here. Having agreed with you though I believe a good sandbox game does not need VO to be good if everything else is up to snuff. For themeparks, VO is going to be a must, and that can be very hard for indie companies to do as VO costs a lot of money (to do it right with talented VO actors).

Ya know what bugs me is how much heat Bioware took for doing all the voiceovers and yet there's Skyrim, as respected a RPG as you can get, and not one sandboxer has a bad word to say about all the VO work in it.

It's a strange dichotomy you'll find between single-player games and MMOs in general. I've always found it funny myself.

Things that are given a pass in single player games - even considered a positive in some cases - are considered unacceptable in a MMO.

Ever notice how some people can't spend that $60 fast enough for a game that's going to give them 20 hours, maybe, of entertainment... with no guarantee that they'll even like it? They'll camp outside a store waiting for it to open just to be among the first to get their copy. Or, how they're just as eager and quick to spend an additional $20-$30 for DLC that gives them maybe another 10 hours...? Yet, tell many of those same people that it's $15 a month to subscribe to a game that is continuously expanding and can provide them hundreds, if not thousands of hours of entertainment and they call it a rip-off.

The list of examples goes on.

 

 

Chieftan

Originally posted by Rusty715

Originally posted by Chieftan

 

Ya know what bugs me is how much heat Bioware took for doing all the voiceovers and yet there's Skyrim, as respected a RPG as you can get, and not one sandboxer has a bad word to say about all the VO work in it.

I havnt played Skyrim as I dont care for TES games much, though I did enjoy Morrowind somewhat. For myself I think VO in single player games help to make one feel not alone whereas in an MMO setting, to me, massive amounts of VO and cutscenes hinder the experiance as something not needed as there are other real people about. I dont know about others but perhaps that is why some praise Skyrim but dislike the VO in TOR?

But what are you usually talking about with other players?  Alot of times grouping with other players ruins the immersion because they're keeping each other up to date on their RL stuff while you're trying to enjoy the game.  It's like people talking in the theater during the movie.

Puremallace

So I fired up SWTOR...stood there in the world...came back a few hours later and nothing attacked me...nothing happened..the zone never changed...nothing came down the road....noone talked to me

 

TOR has its strong points and so does Rift

 

David_Lopan

Originally posted by Chieftan

Originally posted by Aquazen

Same here. Having agreed with you though I believe a good sandbox game does not need VO to be good if everything else is up to snuff. For themeparks, VO is going to be a must, and that can be very hard for indie companies to do as VO costs a lot of money (to do it right with talented VO actors).

Ya know what bugs me is how much heat Bioware took for doing all the voiceovers and yet there's Skyrim, as respected a RPG as you can get, and not one sandboxer has a bad word to say about all the VO work in it.

I say a good sandbox game does not need VO because to me, a sandbox game has more to do with your own imagination and goals. But themeparks need to grab me like a good book and sweater seems like a damn good book

Zippy

I am not a fan of swtor and  I don't  think its a very good game for veteran MMO players.  But  I do agree the voice overs and the voice acting was very well done.  I generally never pay attention to quests.  But in SWTOR I actually paid attention to the story.  It was enjoyable. made me feel like the hero, and felt like I was playing a single player game.  Nice job by Bioware.

Ocirusskd

Originally posted by Zippy

I am not a fan of swtor and  I don't  think its a very good game for veteran MMO players.  But  I do agree the voice overs and the voice acting was very well done.  I generally never pay attention to quests.  But in SWTOR I actually paid attention to the story.  It was enjoyable. made me feel like the hero, and felt like I was playing a single player game.  Nice job by Bioware.

i'm also a veteran mmo player and i had a lot of fun with my group during npc cutscenes to see if i would get my way and let everyone die, or if my goodie goodie buddy would save everyone,and it brought a whole new aspect of group questing that made it feel much more like a mmo than a single player game.

also the group inclusion into the quest cutscene and ability to use a hologram to place yourself there made group questing easier and really fun.

Rusty715

Originally posted by Chieftan

Originally posted by Rusty715

Originally posted by Chieftan

 

Ya know what bugs me is how much heat Bioware took for doing all the voiceovers and yet there's Skyrim, as respected a RPG as you can get, and not one sandboxer has a bad word to say about all the VO work in it.

I havnt played Skyrim as I dont care for TES games much, though I did enjoy Morrowind somewhat. For myself I think VO in single player games help to make one feel not alone whereas in an MMO setting, to me, massive amounts of VO and cutscenes hinder the experiance as something not needed as there are other real people about. I dont know about others but perhaps that is why some praise Skyrim but dislike the VO in TOR?

But what are you usually talking about with other players?  Alot of times grouping with other players ruins the immersion because they're keeping each other up to date on their RL stuff while you're trying to enjoy the game.  It's like people talking in the theater during the movie.

There is some pretty good RP in LOTRO and EQ2 but you  do make a good point.  But for me, I think VO works better in single player games than an MMO. Source material helps a lot and I know BW knows how to tell a story, I just think a lot of it will be wasted on a lot of people.

Ocirusskd

Originally posted by Rusty715

Originally posted by Chieftan

Originally posted by Rusty715

Originally posted by Chieftan

 

Ya know what bugs me is how much heat Bioware took for doing all the voiceovers and yet there's Skyrim, as respected a RPG as you can get, and not one sandboxer has a bad word to say about all the VO work in it.

I havnt played Skyrim as I dont care for TES games much, though I did enjoy Morrowind somewhat. For myself I think VO in single player games help to make one feel not alone whereas in an MMO setting, to me, massive amounts of VO and cutscenes hinder the experiance as something not needed as there are other real people about. I dont know about others but perhaps that is why some praise Skyrim but dislike the VO in TOR?

But what are you usually talking about with other players?  Alot of times grouping with other players ruins the immersion because they're keeping each other up to date on their RL stuff while you're trying to enjoy the game.  It's like people talking in the theater during the movie.

There is some pretty good RP in LOTRO and EQ2 but you  do make a good point.  But for me, I think VO works better in single player games than an MMO. Source material helps a lot and I know BW knows how to tell a story, I just think a lot of it will be wasted on a lot of people.

one of the greatest parts of swtor is that when in a group you all share the voice over and roll for who gets to answer. this makes group questing so easy as everyone in the group is seeing and hearing the same thing and updating together, really makes you feel more like a group.

eycel

I just see the VO's as an nice way to involve your charcter into the story and imersion, at least when I played it didnt make the game any better or worse, it was just part of the game that flowed very nicely.

Chieftan

Originally posted by Ocirusskd

Originally posted by Zippy

I am not a fan of swtor and  I don't  think its a very good game for veteran MMO players.  But  I do agree the voice overs and the voice acting was very well done.  I generally never pay attention to quests.  But in SWTOR I actually paid attention to the story.  It was enjoyable. made me feel like the hero, and felt like I was playing a single player game.  Nice job by Bioware.

i'm also a veteran mmo player and i had a lot of fun with my group during npc cutscenes to see if i would get my way and let everyone die, or if my goodie goodie buddy would save everyone,and it brought a whole new aspect of group questing that made it feel much more like a mmo than a single player game.

also the group inclusion into the quest cutscene and ability to use a hologram to place yourself there made group questing easier and really fun.

Yeah I mean the whole point of this thread is I've been playing MMOs since UO only let you move one screen at a time due to the lag(show me a mod here that went through that) and I NEVER expected voiceovers to have so much of an impact on my experience.

Nikopol

Hmm, that reminds me... I haven't checked back into Rift for a long time. I miss Gloamwood.