POLL: Would you rather want a Fully Voiced MMO or a Graphically Enhanced MMO

i_own_u

Imagine that we could turn back time and influence Bioware in whatever way we wanted. You can either tell them to spend money on more graphical enhancements instead of a fully voiced MMO or you can keep the game the way it is looking today. What will you choose? There is no option to have both, you must choose one or the other.

Again: Would you rather have the fully voiced MMO it is today? Or would you rather use the recources used for the voice acting to put into higher quality graphics. (NOTE: I did not mention changing the gameplay in ANY way, Just the graphics.)

Just a fun thread, just gathering you guys' input.

Happyguy83

Originally posted by i_own_u

Imagine that we could turn back time and influence Bioware in whatever way we wanted. You can either tell them to spend money on more graphical enhancements instead of a fully voiced MMO or you can keep the game the way it is looking today. What will you choose? There is no option to have both, you must choose one or the other.

Again: Would you rather have the fully voiced MMO it is today? Or would you rather use the recources used for the voice acting to put into higher quality graphics. (NOTE: I did not mention changing the gameplay in ANY way, Just the graphics.)

Just a fun thread, just gathering you guys' input.

I would rather only have to buy a 500RAM chip in order to play TOR. Then a whole new computer Thank you.

 

If I wanted graphics I'd go play my X-Box or PS3.

Jimmy562

I've played Age of Conan and I'd rather VO.

However I personally thinking TOR is looking amazing. Art wise it destroys AoC for me and the graphics suit the style so well it just all around looks great.

jjjk29

  Voice.

 

  Let me buy a new graphics card so I can run a game...  Naw hanks!

azrael466

Graphics are easily one of the least important aspects of a game, as long as they're not so bad they hurt your eyes to play its fine. Anything passed that is just icing on the cake.

 

Also, SWTOR is, to my understanding, a VERY story driven game, as a star wars MMO should be. The voice acting helps both the immersion and the story, most people don't have the attention span to read quest text anymore.

Fadedbomb

I voted for graphics even though that's not what I wanted. The "Graphics vs VoiceOver" debate is a moot point. The REAL question people want to know is:

 

-Spend Millions in production for a fully Voiced Game

 

OR

 

-Spend Millions in production for more REAL content & mechanics.

 

 

 

But, if i had to choose it'd be graphics. Having a fully voiced "MMO" means it's going to be a hand-holding themepark like WoW. If i wanted fully voiced I'd buy an Xbox. If i wanted a realistic looking game I'll keep my current computer i built 3 years ago for $800, you know....cause i know how to do the most basic online activity.

Borick

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

I voted for graphics even though that's not what I wanted. The "Graphics vs VoiceOver" debate is a moot point. The REAL question people want to know is:

 

-Spend Millions in production for a fully Voiced Game

 

OR

 

-Spend Millions in production for more REAL content & mechanics.

 Truth.  Adding voiceover also forces the development team to 'lock in' content at a much earlier point in the process.  It shackles gameplay to narrative and makes it more difficult to tell a dynamic story.

elocke

No third option makes this poll null and void.

Considering I haven't played SWTOR yet, and haven't experienced full voiced MMO, I can't truthfully answer this lopsided poll.

jjjk29

Originally posted by Borick

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

I voted for graphics even though that's not what I wanted. The "Graphics vs VoiceOver" debate is a moot point. The REAL question people want to know is:

 

-Spend Millions in production for a fully Voiced Game

 

OR

 

-Spend Millions in production for more REAL content & mechanics.

 Truth.  Adding voiceover also forces the development team to 'lock in' content at a much earlier point in the process.  It shackles gameplay to narrative and makes it more difficult to tell a dynamic story.

*sigh

jado818

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

I voted for graphics even though that's not what I wanted. The "Graphics vs VoiceOver" debate is a moot point. The REAL question people want to know is:

 

-Spend Millions in production for a fully Voiced Game

 

OR

 

-Spend Millions in production for more REAL content & mechanics.

 

 

 

But, if i had to choose it'd be graphics. Having a fully voiced "MMO" means it's going to be a hand-holding themepark like WoW. If i wanted fully voiced I'd buy an Xbox. If i wanted a realistic looking game I'll keep my current computer i built 3 years ago for $800, you know....cause i know how to do the most basic online activity.

This is pretty much how i feel.

Borick

Originally posted by jjjk29

*sigh

When you're finished breathing at me, perhaps you could expound upon your point.  Or make a point.

I don't want a story that someone else gives me.  I don't want a 'choose your own adventure' progression from cutscene to cutscene.  I want the tools to make my own story, a dynamic story that belongs to me, and that doesn't require voiceover, storyline or graphics.

The game could look like Minecraft for all that I care.  I learned to be wary of multimedia hype years ago when I beta-tested Outpost.

Zeroxin

It could look like maplestory and not have voice acting and I wouldn't care much as long as it was fun but if I had to choose, I'd choose maplestory and voiceacting.

i_own_u

Originally posted by elocke

No third option makes this poll null and void.

Considering I haven't played SWTOR yet, and haven't experienced full voiced MMO, I can't truthfully answer this lopsided poll.

It's a fun poll, and I know you have played (or at least seen) a fully voiced game in action so therefore you would be able to answer. Its all what you think it would be. Obvously we don't know what would happen if Bioware did not do a voiced MMO and put better graphical enhancements to the game either. Its a fun question. Its completly theoretical.

jpnole

Graphically enhanced. I already know how to read.

jjjk29

Originally posted by Borick

Originally posted by jjjk29

*sigh

When you're finished breathing at me, perhaps you could expound upon your point.

I don't want a story that someone else gives me.  I don't want a 'choose your own adventure' progression from cutscene to cutscene.  I want the tools to make my own story, a dynamic story that belongs to me, and that doesn't require voiceover, storyline or graphics.

The game could look like Minecraft for all that I care.  I learned to be wary of multimedia hype years ago when I beta-tested Outpost.

  Name me a game where you can craft your own story 100%?

  You can't because in reality every game is a themepark.  Some just happen to have some sandbox thrown in.  You can only do what the dev team allows you to do.  That is every single game...

  In SWTOR you do have the choice, just like you did in Mass Effect or Dragon Age or Fallout or other "decision" based game, where your dialog shapes your own story line.  Play as a Bounty Hunter, you won't take the same path as your friend who is also playing a BH.

uohaloran

It's a lot easier for me to imagine the voices of a character than to visualize a prettier world.

inzane3

Voice over for sure!

SuprGamerX

Originally posted by i_own_u

Imagine that we could turn back time and influence Bioware in whatever way we wanted. You can either tell them to spend money on more graphical enhancements instead of a fully voiced MMO or you can keep the game the way it is looking today. What will you choose? There is no option to have both, you must choose one or the other.

Again: Would you rather have the fully voiced MMO it is today? Or would you rather use the recources used for the voice acting to put into higher quality graphics. (NOTE: I did not mention changing the gameplay in ANY way, Just the graphics.)

Just a fun thread, just gathering you guys' input.

Heh , how about we start hoping that the game doesn't bore us within a month?

Don't want to be mean here , but this poll is irrelevant atm , for a serious gamer point of view , and I'm sure casual gamers would agree on this.  What's the point of RL graphics / voiced NPCs if people quit of boredom within a month of release?

The poll is a good idea , but you picked the wrong 2 choices.

jpnole

Originally posted by Happyguy83


Originally posted by i_own_u

Imagine that we could turn back time and influence Bioware in whatever way we wanted. You can either tell them to spend money on more graphical enhancements instead of a fully voiced MMO or you can keep the game the way it is looking today. What will you choose? There is no option to have both, you must choose one or the other.
Again: Would you rather have the fully voiced MMO it is today? Or would you rather use the recources used for the voice acting to put into higher quality graphics. (NOTE: I did not mention changing the gameplay in ANY way, Just the graphics.)
Just a fun thread, just gathering you guys' input.

I would rather only have to buy a 500RAM chip in order to play TOR. Then a whole new computer Thank you.

 

If I wanted graphics I'd go play my X-Box or PS3.

 

You think your consoles have better graphics than a PC release? That made me lol! The console version of every game is always graphically inferior to the PC version.

Borick

  Name me a game where you can craft your own story 100%?

  You can't because in reality every game is a themepark.  Some just happen to have some sandbox thrown in.  You can only do what the dev team allows you to do.  That is every single game...

  In SWTOR you do have the choice, just like you did in Mass Effect or Dragon Age or Fallout or other "decision" based game, where your dialog shapes your own story line.  Play as a Bounty Hunter, you won't take the same path as your friend who is also playing a BH.

Second Life.

Minecraft (Not 'MMO' but I think it is to the next generation of MMOs what the DIKU MUD was to the first generation of MMO)

Anyway, did I say 100%?

There's a wide gulf between story-on-rails and a freeform sandbox, just as there's a wide gulf between icon-based combat and FPS combat.  Only sith deal in absolutes. :P

I am saying that 'graphics versus voiceover' is a misplaced argument.  It's about mechanics, the tools given to the players and the openness of the model, not a fight over which bit of multimedia is more important.

whilan

I went with voice over for two reasons

One i don't hae a top of the line computer and frankly graphics get boring to me after the first time i look at them. Oh thats a pretty wall....okay i'm done, lets move on. Yep wall number 350 thats nice.

Two we have quite a few graphically stunning MMOs every MMos trying to achieve that, so whats the big deal if another oine is doing it. Whereas few are doing fully voiced over everything.

jjjk29

Originally posted by Borick

  Name me a game where you can craft your own story 100%?

  You can't because in reality every game is a themepark.  Some just happen to have some sandbox thrown in.  You can only do what the dev team allows you to do.  That is every single game...

  In SWTOR you do have the choice, just like you did in Mass Effect or Dragon Age or Fallout or other "decision" based game, where your dialog shapes your own story line.  Play as a Bounty Hunter, you won't take the same path as your friend who is also playing a BH.

Second Life.

Minecraft (Not 'MMO' but I think it is to the next generation of MMOs what the DIKU MUD was to the first generation of MMO)

Anyway, did I say 100%?

There's a wide gulf between story-on-rails and a freeform sandbox, just as there's a wide gulf between icon-based combat and FPS combat.  Only sith deal in absolutes. :P

I am saying that 'graphics versus voiceover' is a misplaced argument.  It's about mechanics, the tools given to the players and the openness of the model, not a fight over which bit of multimedia is more important.

  But this thread isn't about mechanics.  The mechanics of TOR will be similar to all other mmorpgs out there.  This is game is Bioware's interpretation of the genre.

  And Minecraft is a sandbox yes but you can't create a story out of something that isn't there.  

Elikal

Thats a tough question. I love good visuals. Still, if push came to shove, I'd say VO, because I loath the longwided text windows. Thats SO unimmersive. So yes VO for me too.

nomss

I don't think you are fimiliar with graphics. I am sure the artists Bioware has are well capable of producing photorealistic assets. And producing photoreal vs what they currently have, I do not believe there would be significant cost. They chose to go not photoreal because they wanted low end machines to be able to play the game. I'm sure they could have done photoreal and fully voice and the cost would be pretty close if not exact same.

whilan

Originally posted by nomss

I don't think you are fimiliar with graphics. I am sure the artists Bioware has are well capable of producing photorealistic assets. And producing photoreal vs what they currently have, I do not believe there would be significant cost. They chose to go not photoreal because they wanted low end machines to be able to play the game. I'm sure they could have done photoreal and fully voice and the cost would be pretty close if not exact same.

To expand on that thought they said the three reasons are

To run on a wide range of machines (like you said Nomss)

To be unique graphics wise (because everyone is going for photo realism) because they wanted to try and stand out.

and finally because they feel that stylized graphics age better then photorealism that gets stale and old quickly.

Phry

Graphics..  because when people talk about games it usually starts with how a game looks, how the game sounds, is usually way down the list...