Bill, I agree with you completely on this as this is what I feel will set SWTOR apart and make it a hit, as well.
I can't tell you how many times I've been in an MMO in which those I'm questing with albeit friends or just someone I met in game, isn't reading the quests and/or has no clue as to what is going on with the storyline. Now I consider myself to be a fast reader so it's not like those around me are reading faster. They are simply right-clicking on the quest-giver and clicking "Accept".
Not sure if these games just attract that type of crowd or if it is just that the storylines in some games just isn't compelling to others, but suprisingly a lot of people that I play these games with appear to hate to read quests. *shrugs*
if people can't be bothered to read the quests etc.. and yes.. most don't.. then its even less likely that they'd spend even more time waiting listening.. WoW handles it pretty well with the brief line of text on the 'tracking' option for quests, and highlighting beasties you might need to kill for something - they've done their level best to idiot proof their game....
stands to reason that Bioware will most likely have to do the same kind of thing with SW;TOR...
Well with that reasoning, it's like saying that somebody who can't be bothered to read a book is even less likely to spend the time to watch the movie...
I have to disagree. I'm one of those people who, in a typical MMO, will just walk up, right click the quest giver, immediatley click accept, and then look to my quest tracker to figure out where to go next. But with SW:TOR, I guarantee that I'll be watching the cinematics play out and will carefully consider my answers at each step. How can I guarantee this? I did the same when playing AoC (mostly Tortage)...
SWTOR isn't the first MMO to voice most of their quests. Wizards 101 has almost everything voiced. There are others out there. Making the quest text talky bits doesn't necessarily make that quest text any better, or the quest itself any more immersive. The nature of the quests aren't fundamentally changed just by cutscenes and monologues.
While talky bits can at least get you to pay attention, it's not really a SWTOR innovation, and it's not much of a game changer for MMOs, other than making them really expensive.
There is a downside to VO as well. How immersive is a fully voiced game going to be if you've got the same voice actor playing 4-7 parts in a zone... in every zone. It saves the game company on $$, but gives players a big case of "Didn't I just talk to this guy?"
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
SWTOR isn't the first MMO to voice most of their quests. Wizards 101 has almost everything voiced. There are others out there. Making the quest text talky bits doesn't necessarily make that quest text any better, or the quest itself any more immersive. The nature of the quests aren't fundamentally changed just by cutscenes and monologues.
While talky bits can at least get you to pay attention, it's not really a SWTOR innovation, and it's not much of a game changer for MMOs, other than making them really expensive.
There is a downside to VO as well. How immersive is a fully voiced game going to be if you've got the same voice actor playing 4-7 parts in a zone... in every zone. It saves the game company on $$, but gives players a big case of "Didn't I just talk to this guy?"
First, other MMORPG's have voiceover... but it's a far cry from the 100% voiceover, delivered cinematically, that SW:TOR provides.
Second, I completely disagree that the nature of the quests aren't fundamentally changed. If they make me, the player, stop and listen, pay attention, and care about why I'm doing what I'm doing, then yes they absolutely do fundamentally change the nature of the game. Of course I can only comment based upon my experience playing AoC, but in the cutscene elements on Tortage, I actually cared what was going on. In all of the subsequent non-Tortage quests, I didn't.
Lastly, are you saying that they're using the same voice actor for different parts in the same zone? If that's true, that's a bummer, but it's the first time I've heard this anywhere, so I for one treat this statement with some skepticism...
Lastly, are you saying that they're using the same voice actor for different parts in the same zone? If that's true, that's a bummer, but it's the first time I've heard this anywhere, so I for one treat this statement with some skepticism...
yeah, this isn't Bethesda we're talking about here
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
They better hype VO / questing because not many other mechanics of the game are all that unique. It will be cool to make decisions that influence your quest line and hopefully that doesn't become more of a burden in the long term.
They better hype VO / questing because not many other mechanics of the game are all that unique. It will be cool to make decisions that influence your quest line and hopefully that doesn't become more of a burden in the long term.
You briing up a interesting point. Really VO and the branching questing they are trying to achive goes hand in hand with the story itself. If its horrible, like DA2 at least for me, then the VO and branching questing will not be important at all...
I feel your pain. In the past few months I have gotten sick of these forums. So many "hate" or "love" posts on a game that most have not even played. I was in beta that ended this past weekend and I see so many lies about the game from ppl who obviously have not played it.
Getting tired of these forums.
"I don't give a sh*t what other people say. I play what I like and I'll pay to do it too!" - SerialMMOist
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
No, not at all. But this is an MMORPG...not a SPRPG. They don't play the same at all, and taking a mechanic from one and placing it in the other makes a BIG difference.
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
i think too much is being made of the Voice Overs, its not the factor that will keep people interested in the game, its just a feature of the game, the only thing... and i do mean the only thing.. that will keep players long term is the gameplay, by which i mean the combat, and how well the storylines hang together, as that is the basis upon which the game is grounded. Voice Overs are just audible text, and as has already been pointed out, single player games have had that for a while now, its a feature, nothing more.
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
No, not at all. But this is an MMORPG...not a SPRPG. They don't play the same at all, and taking a mechanic from one and placing it in the other makes a BIG difference.
Not a mechanic that revolves around the RPG element....this isn't going to briing anything to the multiplayer part, unless you consider that gimmick that is rolling to answer a question vital to the VO element....
I feel your pain. In the past few months I have gotten sick of these forums. So many "hate" or "love" posts on a game that most have not even played. I was in beta that ended this past weekend and I see so many lies about the game from ppl who obviously have not played it.
Getting tired of these forums.
Yeah, I've been testing for about a month now. The NDA is really frustrating when reading these forums.
The worst is when people don't seem to comprehend what some of the games features even MEAN, or the impact they will have.
Oh well.....we'll all have a good laugh at release, when people start playing and realise exactly what SWTOR is.
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
i think too much is being made of the Voice Overs, its not the factor that will keep people interested in the game, its just a feature of the game, the only thing... and i do mean the only thing.. that will keep players long term is the gameplay, by which i mean the combat, and how well the storylines hang together, as that is the basis upon which the game is grounded. Voice Overs are just audible text, and as has already been pointed out, single player games have had that for a while now, its a feature, nothing more.
Exactly, like you I don't view VO's as a cornerstone in MMO development....some ppl do though...
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
No, not at all. But this is an MMORPG...not a SPRPG. They don't play the same at all, and taking a mechanic from one and placing it in the other makes a BIG difference.
Not a mechanic that revolves around the RPG element....this isn't going to briing anything to the multiplayer part, unless you consider that gimmick that is rolling to answer a question vital to the VO element....
Fine. Think what you want. I'm going to go play the game now. See you at release.
I do not think this will change the way questing is done in MMOs. The released videos show cutscene-like quests and flashpoints. Well, I know what I did in Dragon Age and the sequel... I hit the space bar to skip the conversation and just read at my speed. If the voices start to get annoying, I'll do the same thing to them that I have done to ALL music in MMOs... I'll just turn it off.
I just hope the gameplay is engaging and that they release classes that are as tuned as possible. Drastic class changes after the fact suck.
Being locked down in a VO cut-scene every time you get a quest is gonna get old real quick.
Velika: City of Wheels: Among the mortal races, the humans were the only one that never built cities or great empires; a curse laid upon them by their creator, Gidd, forced them to wander as nomads for twenty centuries...
You're wasting your time. No matter how many times you tell these people that TOR's VO is more than just an NPC reading quest text to the player, they still don't get it.
We'll just have to wait for release, and let them find out for themselves.
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
No, not at all. But this is an MMORPG...not a SPRPG. They don't play the same at all, and taking a mechanic from one and placing it in the other makes a BIG difference.
Not a mechanic that revolves around the RPG element....this isn't going to briing anything to the multiplayer part, unless you consider that gimmick that is rolling to answer a question vital to the VO element....
Fine. Think what you want. I'm going to go play the game now. See you at release.
Its not just someone reading quest text to you lol, and its more than just a roll to a question in the multiplayer dialog, that can change what you actually do in your mission. It isn't just picking up a quest and doing what it says, the VO and dialog system completely changes the old questing mechanics. No matter how many people say they just don't care about quest text.... it changes completely when the outcome of your character and your choices are tied to that text.
Wharg0ul should know exactly how it is as he's playing it now. While it is subjective in some regards, people should listen to those that have had hands on time with it more often.
Being locked down in a VO cut-scene every time you get a quest is gonna get old real quick.
If you are only concerned with progression? - Yes
If you are enjoying the story and characters and environments and lore? - No
Of course there is always the spacebar "fast forward" as well if you really are THAT impatient, but the detractors of this game always seems to ignore that.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"
Being locked down in a VO cut-scene every time you get a quest is gonna get old real quick.
If you are only concerned with progression? - Yes
If you are enjoying the story and characters and environments and lore? - No
Its not so much of being locked down EVERY-TIME you get a quest, there are a lot of bonus and side quests (your usual MMO type stuff) that you don't have to have a VO for at all... in fact, it gets much older to me to have to sit at a hub and pick up 20 kill X quests, then complete them and turn them in, whereas in SWTOR its much more natural.
Sure some quests have voice overs, but -at least to me- each one is a treat and not a pointless waste of standing there clicking through boxes.
Comments
Well with that reasoning, it's like saying that somebody who can't be bothered to read a book is even less likely to spend the time to watch the movie...
I have to disagree. I'm one of those people who, in a typical MMO, will just walk up, right click the quest giver, immediatley click accept, and then look to my quest tracker to figure out where to go next. But with SW:TOR, I guarantee that I'll be watching the cinematics play out and will carefully consider my answers at each step. How can I guarantee this? I did the same when playing AoC (mostly Tortage)...
NDA in effect. But I will say this.
SWTOR isn't the first MMO to voice most of their quests. Wizards 101 has almost everything voiced. There are others out there. Making the quest text talky bits doesn't necessarily make that quest text any better, or the quest itself any more immersive. The nature of the quests aren't fundamentally changed just by cutscenes and monologues.
While talky bits can at least get you to pay attention, it's not really a SWTOR innovation, and it's not much of a game changer for MMOs, other than making them really expensive.
There is a downside to VO as well. How immersive is a fully voiced game going to be if you've got the same voice actor playing 4-7 parts in a zone... in every zone. It saves the game company on $$, but gives players a big case of "Didn't I just talk to this guy?"
Well, they don't have to wait for relese. There are many rpg's today that have VO, including the Bioware games. The problem is that after a while the newness wears off and if the other game mechanincs are not fun for you VO wont carry you through the game...
Yeah, they will. This is the first MMORPG to feature the type of interactive dialogue system that we have seen in other Bioware games.
It changes everything about how the game plays.
People don't seem to understand that it's more than just quest text being read to the player. This isn't just a gimmick, it's a new way to play MMORPGs.
And the "problem" you refer to?? that's a BIG "if".
First, other MMORPG's have voiceover... but it's a far cry from the 100% voiceover, delivered cinematically, that SW:TOR provides.
Second, I completely disagree that the nature of the quests aren't fundamentally changed. If they make me, the player, stop and listen, pay attention, and care about why I'm doing what I'm doing, then yes they absolutely do fundamentally change the nature of the game. Of course I can only comment based upon my experience playing AoC, but in the cutscene elements on Tortage, I actually cared what was going on. In all of the subsequent non-Tortage quests, I didn't.
Lastly, are you saying that they're using the same voice actor for different parts in the same zone? If that's true, that's a bummer, but it's the first time I've heard this anywhere, so I for one treat this statement with some skepticism...
yeah, this isn't Bethesda we're talking about here
I think you are way underestimating what MMO players play. Im sure most of them play rpgs and have played a fully voiced, story branched rpg. THAT is what is coming to TOR, to whomever has played an rpg with this it won't be anything groundbreakingly new.....to the people who have not played an rpg with this type of gameplay, they can pick up an rpg TODAY and try it out, they dont have to wait for TOR.
They better hype VO / questing because not many other mechanics of the game are all that unique. It will be cool to make decisions that influence your quest line and hopefully that doesn't become more of a burden in the long term.
"LOL"
You briing up a interesting point. Really VO and the branching questing they are trying to achive goes hand in hand with the story itself. If its horrible, like DA2 at least for me, then the VO and branching questing will not be important at all...
I feel your pain. In the past few months I have gotten sick of these forums. So many "hate" or "love" posts on a game that most have not even played. I was in beta that ended this past weekend and I see so many lies about the game from ppl who obviously have not played it.
Getting tired of these forums.
"I don't give a sh*t what other people say. I play what I like and I'll pay to do it too!" - SerialMMOist
No, not at all. But this is an MMORPG...not a SPRPG. They don't play the same at all, and taking a mechanic from one and placing it in the other makes a BIG difference.
i think too much is being made of the Voice Overs, its not the factor that will keep people interested in the game, its just a feature of the game, the only thing... and i do mean the only thing.. that will keep players long term is the gameplay, by which i mean the combat, and how well the storylines hang together, as that is the basis upon which the game is grounded. Voice Overs are just audible text, and as has already been pointed out, single player games have had that for a while now, its a feature, nothing more.
Not a mechanic that revolves around the RPG element....this isn't going to briing anything to the multiplayer part, unless you consider that gimmick that is rolling to answer a question vital to the VO element....
Yeah, I've been testing for about a month now. The NDA is really frustrating when reading these forums.
The worst is when people don't seem to comprehend what some of the games features even MEAN, or the impact they will have.
Oh well.....we'll all have a good laugh at release, when people start playing and realise exactly what SWTOR is.
Exactly, like you I don't view VO's as a cornerstone in MMO development....some ppl do though...
Fine. Think what you want. I'm going to go play the game now. See you at release.
the evolution of quest realism and impact is something that has been long awaited in the gaming community. bravo TOR, can't wait to dig in.
I do not think this will change the way questing is done in MMOs. The released videos show cutscene-like quests and flashpoints. Well, I know what I did in Dragon Age and the sequel... I hit the space bar to skip the conversation and just read at my speed. If the voices start to get annoying, I'll do the same thing to them that I have done to ALL music in MMOs... I'll just turn it off.
I just hope the gameplay is engaging and that they release classes that are as tuned as possible. Drastic class changes after the fact suck.
Story is fun and all but the real question should be asked will people keep subbing to the game after the story is over?
Being locked down in a VO cut-scene every time you get a quest is gonna get old real quick.
Velika: City of Wheels: Among the mortal races, the humans were the only one that never built cities or great empires; a curse laid upon them by their creator, Gidd, forced them to wander as nomads for twenty centuries...
Its not just someone reading quest text to you lol, and its more than just a roll to a question in the multiplayer dialog, that can change what you actually do in your mission. It isn't just picking up a quest and doing what it says, the VO and dialog system completely changes the old questing mechanics. No matter how many people say they just don't care about quest text.... it changes completely when the outcome of your character and your choices are tied to that text.
Wharg0ul should know exactly how it is as he's playing it now. While it is subjective in some regards, people should listen to those that have had hands on time with it more often.
If you are only concerned with progression? - Yes
If you are enjoying the story and characters and environments and lore? - No
Of course there is always the spacebar "fast forward" as well if you really are THAT impatient, but the detractors of this game always seems to ignore that.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"
Its not so much of being locked down EVERY-TIME you get a quest, there are a lot of bonus and side quests (your usual MMO type stuff) that you don't have to have a VO for at all... in fact, it gets much older to me to have to sit at a hub and pick up 20 kill X quests, then complete them and turn them in, whereas in SWTOR its much more natural.
Sure some quests have voice overs, but -at least to me- each one is a treat and not a pointless waste of standing there clicking through boxes.