So yeah, as some of you might have read on the Q&A about roleplaying, it seems that Zenimax won't be having chat-bubbles in the game for some odd reason. Now I don't know about the rest of you, but as a long time roleplayer with some experience under my belt, I can personally say that events - big ones - or just usual encounters in big cities (Daggerfall, Mournhold, you name it) will get problematic if what is being said is restricted to to a little chat window without you being able to see the chat bubble in the game world. That was one of the great killers of Swtor roleplay, and Zenimax - you're really shooting yourself in the foot if you don't implement chat-bubbles. Surely, if you were able to slap together a first-person perspective mode, a chat-bubble system would be a trifle.

What are your thoughts?

Yep why not, but faction lock lift would be better, still bubbels are ok for the beginning.

So there would be cartoon balloons trailing after every pc/npc on screen?

That would make large battles look different. Would you be able to see anything at all under the bubbles? http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/02/chatbubbles.jpg&imgrefurl=http://wow.massively.com/bloggers/kyle-horner/page/117/&h=315&w=425&sz=29&tbnid=ZY4lChE7ivzaQM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=121&zoom=1&usg=__eYHeLGrKyTY7owSPZzVqNvXLlU0=&docid=HMrDltxkgIGCuM&sa=X&ei=ion3Uff6J_a84AO2qYDIDA&ved=0CDUQ9QEwAw&dur=351#imgdii=ZY4lChE7ivzaQM%3A%3BVoVpYrDZXALSPM%3BZY4lChE7ivzaQM%3A

Some interest I had in this game just died after seeing that, actually.

Nope. I hate 'em when they're in game and turn them them off when possible.

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1468200-no-chat-bubbles-confirmed/

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1468221-no-chat-bubbles-confirmed-2/

Previous threads were closed (on page 1). Was it such a good idea to re-create it?

Also, huge to everyone who voted No (seriously, have fun playing without chat bubbles), but I do not feel the need to argue at the moment.

Couldn't care less to be honest, I never read general chat anyway if I RP it'll be within my own guild

Lol I will pass as well on chat bubbles thank you.

Iam not much of a roleplayer, but I say yes, it is handy, and to have the option to turn it on or off. But anyway it's not that important compared to other things.

sorry but chat bubbles r not ESsy like ... and would ruin the ingame stuff for me totally.

chat bubbles r so small ingame option that i would like that Zenimax focuses to the actual game more, so we have more @launch.

thx.

( personal opinion about chat bubbles : the most [censored] idea ever ).

As long as I have the option to turn them off, I don't care if they are in the game for those that enjoy them, I have not used chat bubbles since swg, and have not missed them. But if it comes down to game performance, I would have to say no on the chat bubbles.. other wise I would have no problems with them..

Yes. They're a must for roleplaying. They should by default be off though as most don't roleplay. There should also be a hotkey that you can use to turn them on/off fast when needed.

It's just cumbersome to roleplay if you have to look at the chat in the corner all the time. You should look at someone's character, how he/she moves, and what emotes he/she does.

Chat bubbles are pretty much essential for roleplay, otherwise it becomes very hard to keep track of who says what, how far away they are when they say it, etc.

I think chat bubbles are great, please add this option!

Also, they should be quite easy and fast to implement, with little room for bug introduction.

Game perform- what?? Do you know what chat bubbles are? Have you ever played an MMO?

I personally don't like chat bubbles as I feel they ruin immersion. If they do add them, the first thing I'll do is turn them off if they aren't already off by default.

As for keeping track of who says what, isn't that what the text box is for?

Considering the UI is mod-able, isn't this something that someone could create a RP mod for?

Without chat bubbles, you will have to stare at the chat window to see if someone is talking to you.

Chat bubbles actually do effect game performance.

Go ask Bioware why they didn't add chat bubbles to SWTOR.

They tried but it turned out the game engine couldn't handle it. The Hero engine they are using is garbage and chat bubbles in their tests just threw it over the edge.

Not so much stare at as look at from time to time. Since some of us will be looking at it with some frequency to follow Guild/Trade/General/Global chats anyhow, this isn't an issue for those of us that don't want and won't use chat bubbles.

Didn't particularly like them in WoW, and I won't like them in a game designed to be minimalistic on the UI. A chat window will do me just thing.

I'm sure there will be a mod for that anyway. That and one that adds the spiky bubbles for combat.

Yeah, go figure.

Just needs to be implemented the same way as lotro. Toggle on/off switch... Those that don't want to see them, wont and those that do, will.

No reason to not put this in the game... I personally prefer them in certain situations.

I voted for "couldn't care less", but that's not quite true. I actively do NOT want speech-bubbles. That just does not fit with the way TES games have delivered conversations and indications of characters speaking, and it definitely only fits for a strictly isometric game - and TES will often be played from first-person. Besides. speech bubbles just plain look cartoony and ugly, and obscure a lot of screen-space (esp. in 1st person)...

So, chalk a vote for "over my dead body".

Really not that fussed that they are 'good for roleplay'

How is it good for roleplaying to have half your screen obscured by the damn things? Can just see it now, big battle and there's a gap between the combat, and half the players wind up dead because a dozen people decided to say something and the ones who died couldn't spot the enemy coming through the damn bubbles and lose a chunk of health before they can even target an enemy and respond.

Or you visit a big city and can't find target and click on a merchent because the screen is filled with bubbles filled with rubbish like 'selling lvl5 rusty sword. 500g. contact hasnoideahowgameeconomyworksjim' or 'where's sulu?'

If they put them in. Make them toggleable for the love of everything or at the very least have them auto disable in high population areas/zones

I personally don't see a reason for this at all. Most of the time anyone is going to be chatting using the chat available in game, you'll end up looking at the chat screen anyways for responces in guild chat or group chat..etc. And for other people who'd rather not have chat bubbles pop in their face during a fight or in the towns. It just doesn't make sense to add them. I personally find them rather annoying and just not needed.

Also I find the poll above very bias. Due to the fact that it states

either "Yes. I think they are an important aspect of the game." or "No, I couldn't care less" which the later means sure put them in I don't care. And not an actual "No, I do not want them what so ever in the game" answer. Please add a complete "NO" responce to the poll and I'll vote.