Zelda?


My poll on the topic from the last thread had almost double in favor of text, if it's deeper and more complex. So I doubt it.


I don't remember anyone in this thread calling for isometric camera and 16x16 pixels... but I do think reasonably well written dialogue and consequences are a staple of a good RPG... even in 2012. I don't think you really get the point of the thread...

i think very few of those advocating text on this forum want regression and going back to the "old" ways.

invalid comparison.

But growing and maintaining a big playerbase is a good thing, some great game studios die because they just don't have the fans to keep them going, any tes game is better than no game and I think and despite all the complaints I still think Skyrim is among one of the best games released for a long time.

I want both, but if I can't have both then I want voice acting.

Why?

Blame it on too many years of gaming without voice acting.

Frankly, I couldn't care any less than I already do (which is to say: "not at all do I care") about Skyrim's dialogue being "shallow" or whatever. I didn't buy the game for the dialogue.

Do something for someone somewhere (this isn't spoiler section), it's there for the taking, no need to steal.

OT : My biggest gripe, and it could so easily be addressed with full voice acting, is the lack of applications for the speechcraft skill. I did talk a gang of thieves into leaving a town in peace once, but otherwise all my persuade perk does is save me cash now and then.
As I say, can be solved with full voicing, but it's one of those things you know damn well would be given full attention in a text heavy game.

Don't jump to conclusions, the people who voted in your poll are a very small fraction of a very small fraction of the actual fanbase. I'm inclined to believe the forum is more frequented by the dedicated players, the more "hardcoe" fraction of the gamers. The silent majority of casuals don't register here and consequently don't participate in polls, they only vote with their wallet (or their parents' for that matter). If the majority of the TES buyers would actually prefer rich text over cool voices I'd be very very surprised because that would show a trend that's completely opposed to what I see in today generation's taste in music, in media in general.

Two of the last four games I've bought (shipped 2011-2012) were mostly text based story with sparsely voiced NPCs and a narrator for chapter headings. I see no technical requirement for a game made this year or next to demand a 'top notch' cinematic experience for any reason other than developer preference, or publisher concessions. (And Bethesda Publishes their own).

I mentioned in a post somewhere, asking the forum anything will give a false perspective on what the total playerbase thinks, because people who visit the forum are a different type of player to those who do not, and forum users are a minority of the playerbase and also the most vocal which makes people believe everybody wants certain things when in reality they do not. I understand that everything said on forums in terms of game improvements are usually took with a pinch of salt by the devs because they see the bigger picture whereas we do not, and we also make suggestions with our heart rather than our head. In all games people complain why the devs do not interact with players so much on the forum and it's just because most of the time the devs would disagree with the players in whats best for the game, and would also most of the time be correct, but players would feel more alienated by this interaction rather than no interaction at all.

This is just my opinions and observations but it's what makes most sense to me. threads like this I will always just treat as a chance to talk to my fellow players rather than think the devs would implement things like this into the game if the thread got enough attention.

Bethesda could certainly do intricate dialogue and all voice acting. First time I played Elder Scrolls in Oblivion I was
blown away by the detail they put into everything. You could pick flowers and read books and buy different types of
wine! Skyrim did justice to this in some way (being able to examine items in your inventory is cool) but didn't
add much to it otherwise. They should keep pushing the envelope instead of trying to streamline the game. Who the
hell cares if we know who the voice actor is? I'm sure there are plenty of passionate fans who could do good voice acting for
a small fee.

We see the bigger picture... Many of us just don't like the looks of it.

As I said before, just get Mark Meer. That covers about 20 in game characters.

The whole question is biased. Of course you can get folks to vote for text 'if it's deeper and more complex'. They would vote for voice acting 'if it's deeper and more complex', too.

People who agree with the premise are more likely to read the title of the thread and choose to participate, so there is an obvious selection bias. Most of those who would vote for voice acting probably skipped right over the thread, dismissing it as yet another whine fest complaining about Skyrim's perceived shortcomings when compared to the Holy Grail of all games ... Morrowind. The poll results shouldn't surprise anyone because there is not equal motivation to participate and cast a vote for both sides of the 'debate'.

Oh, and the day Zelda becomes a role model for TES development is the day I walk away from this series forever.

I don't think you understand the word, "biased." We're not talking about BOTH. Skyrim doesn't have BOTH. Skyrim has cool voice acting. It's dialogue is shallower than a puddle of mud. Unfortunately, in an open world game of this magnitude you gotta choose.


Agree with the premise of the thread? It's an X vs Y thread. What's to agree with? Why would pro-voice people skip over the thread, as it obviously pertains to them? Your rationalization here is hilarious. The poll results were the poll results, get over it. And Morrowind is hardly the holy grail of games, which I think anyone can agree.


Zelda is cited as a successful game that doesn't resort to voice overs, used to counter the common "text is decades old!" argument. You totally missed the mark, here.

Yeah, I mean who wants to draw on one of the greatest franchises in gaming history for anything.

Opinion!

Text can be used to allow a deeper conversation with an NPC with more lines of dialogue and its signifcantly cheaper than voice acters and the extra money could be to added game content, more fleshed out features. Maybe even more cash to bug testing which could not hurt: and deeper game mechanics is better than the fluff that is voice acting. Text is still used in games today, Zelda and Persona are two and they are great games. It could work but people like the fluff of things looking and sounding good.

Which reminds me. Why do I remember voices from Morrowind - played years ago - and none from Skyrim, played a few months ago?
Anyway, that's just me.
There are many good comments here. I haven't given much thought to game design.
Just know what i like.
And as some have said about the game market, my preferences don't matter.
If the powers that be decide voices and graphics make them more money, that's how it is.
It will always be game creators who decide the "quality" of a game.
The good should be praised, the bad condemned.
Personally, I think good voice and deep dialogue are not incompatible.
Computer power, disk space/speed make it possible.
I would also like no doors that can't be opened and entered.
No inaccessible place on a map.
Every building to be looted, no roof or mountaintop unreachable.
And I do like choices that change outcomes, even at the expense of making some game elements unplayable
in one playthrough.
In the end, a good game is a work of art, with artists collaborating.
And beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

How about pop-up books? Do they hold your attention?

NO. Terrible, terrible idea.

Having a muted character is one of the best things about the series as it allows me to create the character I want without having some voice actor's personality imposed upon them.

The day the player-character in a TES game has a voice, is the day I lose interest in the series completely.

Morrowind did it fine. Mostly text, but you still hear comments while passing by to add to the immersion and atmosphere of the gameworld.

The original thread was titled "Slick voice acting OR deep dialogue trees?"

Voice acting is dismissed as 'slick' where as text is presented as 'deep dialogue trees' and you accuse ME of not understanding bias? Really?

The "pro-voice" people would probably skip over the thread because it doesn't interest them, as most people don't read every thread on the forums. Rather, they tend to pick and choose threads that seem to resonate with their own particular issues with the game.

The very title (Slick voice acting OR deep dialogue trees) will draw those who are of the opinion that Skyrim is lacking, shallow, dumbed down or whatnot and who are longing for Morrowind 2.0. Those who are tired of reading "Skyrim svcks" threads would probably see that title and assume it's just another Skyrim bashing thread and pass it right on by, taking their pro voice acting vote with 'em.

So stop doing that.

Still. Do. Not. Want.

Honestly to me it just wouldn't feel right talking to somebody while they just stand there looking at you and you're supposed to be having a conversation. I think it would break immersion. Obviously I would love to have deeper dialogue that branches and has consequences and have voice acting but that would be extremely difficult and costly

Just because I don't like reading books does not make me an idiot. I don't have a creative and imaginary brain which enjoying books relies on. I have a logical brain, things like quantum mechanics, maths and theoretical physics is what interests me and keeps my attention. I enjoy visual and interactive forms of entertainment and education.

So in future don't try and insult people's intelligence unprovoked when you don't know what you are talking about, because you only person that end's up looking like a stupid idiot is YOU.

So then... he's kind of right.

A pop-up book might entertain you more than War and Peace, because it has visual and interactive forms of entertainment and education.

You know exactly what he was trying to do so don't even bother to try and troll.