The Cut-Scenes Make Me Feel LESS Connected To My Character

sirchive

In every previous MMO I've played I felt that my character was basically my avatar in the game world. He represented me. He spoke when I typed something in and he said the things I wanted him to say.

Oddly enough the cut-scenes in this game make me feel far less connected to my character. It's more like watching TV. I don't feel like the character on the TV screen is me, nor do I really feel like the character in the SWTOR cartoons is me.

Here's an example. On some random quest my Sith might be sent out to kill some Rebels. I click on the conversation wheel to say "OK, I'll do it". Then my character says something completely lame and over the top like "I'll hunt down and kill every last Republic scum on this planet until the streets run red with blood." Stupid and childish! I would never say something so dopey and cliche. I say to myself "my guy is an idiot."

This is not good for the immersion. And I guess this is why I'm getting very tired of the cut-scenes. Once the novelty wears off I find that they don't draw me into the game as much as they push me away.

Raora

Funny, having cutscenes has spoiled me. Cannot see a place or time I play a mmo that I have to read a wall of text to get a mission.

noncley

I agree with the original poster.

The cut-scenes sometimes force my toon to say crass, Lifetime Movie-style dialogue whatever I choose - and which he would never have said if I had full control of him.

dubyahite

Sorry metalguy, I didn't know I needed to check with you before formulating an opinion.

So now what game was itthat I should play?

I wouldn't want you to think I'm on crack or anything.

Benthon

Agreed. There were so many times where I would've prefered the exact text I clicked rather than the cliche and over-the-top Lifetime responses my character gave.

junzo316

I feel the cut scenes give me more of an immersion, more connection with my character.  Watching my character converse and choosing their texts (sometimes action...love the "shock" one), has given me immersion that I haven't felt in any other MMO.  To me, they are well done, and it will difficult to go to another game without it.

almalexius

The cutscenes are a pain but the spacebar is your friend. I think there's also a setting in the options menu where you can lose them alltogether. It's all bladibladibla uninteresting crap.

 

Pelaaja

Originally posted by junzo316

I feel the cut scenes give me more of an immersion, more connection with my character.  Watching my character converse and choosing their texts (sometimes action...love the "shock" one), has given me immersion that I haven't felt in any other MMO.  To me, they are well done, and it will difficult to go to another game without it.

English isn't my mothertongue and I understand better written than spoken english.

I can't be arsed to concentrate what they're saying, because it's an added effort. In games, where the quests were written I was able to better and almost effortlessly comprehend what was happening. In this game immersion flies out of the window.

Just makes me wonder, will they introduce it in english to Asia?

Well, as previous poster said. You should never underestimate the power of spacebar.

Dracill

If English is not your first language that explain how you missed the option to turn on subtitles in the game. You should use it, it will also help you to improve your skills in English. It's a win win situation.

almalexius

Originally posted by Pelaaja

Originally posted by junzo316

I feel the cut scenes give me more of an immersion, more connection with my character.  Watching my character converse and choosing their texts (sometimes action...love the "shock" one), has given me immersion that I haven't felt in any other MMO.  To me, they are well done, and it will difficult to go to another game without it.

English isn't my mothertongue and I understand better written than spoken english.

I can't be arsed to concentrate what they're saying, because it's an added effort. In games, where the quests were written I was able to better and almost effortlessly comprehend what was happening. In this game immersion flies out of the window.

Just makes me wonder, will they introduce it in english to Asia?

Well, as previous poster said. You should never underestimate the power of spacebar.

There isnt a need to understand anything they say because your quest objectives will be neatly displayed on your map. Such luck!

Pelaaja

Originally posted by Dracill

If English is not your first language that explain how you missed the option to turn on subtitles in the game. You should use it, it will also help you to improve your skills in English. It's a win win situation.

I have them on, I spacebar all movies because they're so much slower than read dialogue. And that dialogue isn't half immersing as in written games.

And when playing the last thing I need is english lessons. I'm in for relaxation, not education.

PKJackCrow

I have never played swtor but i have played games that uses cutscenes and i do find that it pulls me out of the rhythm of the game. I honestly dont care how fast or slow paced a game is ripping away control of a character for a quick choice doesnt make me enjoy a game more.

ZX81Spectrum

  I have never liked cutscenes in MMO's.  I guess it all began with that awful Prince Rurik (or whats his name?) in Guild Wars.

Icewhite

Hey, at least gamers get a couple more things to complain about.  Kind of a stretch, but you can always critique the acting.

Kakkzooka

Originally posted by ZX81Spectrum

  I have never liked cutscenes in MMO's.  I guess it all began with that awful Prince Rurik (or whats his name?) in Guild Wars.

 

   I agree. I'm recently replaying GW1, and the cutscenes do pull you out of the story.  And, yes, RIP Rurik.

  This is why I'm interested to see how well the DE storytelling works in GW2 - will it be more immersive, or at least, not pull us out of our characters?

arieste

I think it's more of an expectations thing, from playing other MMOs, you expect it to be YOUR character, but in TOR, it's not.  The character is neither YOU, nor defined by YOU.  There is a set story and you're the spectator with minor influence.  It's like playing one of the really old "Adventure" games for PC, you don't get to be you, you play a set character and just walk them through the preset story.  

 

Nothing particularly wrong with that approach, it's just a lot more evident in TOR compared to other MMOs which have a more hybrid approach to letting you define your own character.

blondeh

I started to space bar the usual kill x find z quests at around level 38. However the class quests i watched all the way through. The last quest in my class (dinged 50 last night) was epic and I truly feel like a Lord of the Sith! I am Darth Ecniv!

Munty

Anyone who thinks cut scenes are more immersive than text simply lacks imagination.  If you require "immersion" to be spoon-fed to you through a pre-recorded cuscene, then you have no clue what "immersion" really is in the first place.  Next you'll be saying books aren't "immersive" enough without pictures.

Icewhite

Originally posted by Munty

Anyone who thinks cut scenes are more immersive than text simply lacks imagination.

Where were you fifteen years ago, when text based games were being plowed under by "graphical MUDs"?

elocke

Originally posted by junzo316

I feel the cut scenes give me more of an immersion, more connection with my character.  Watching my character converse and choosing their texts (sometimes action...love the "shock" one), has given me immersion that I haven't felt in any other MMO.  To me, they are well done, and it will difficult to go to another game without it.

Well said.  I feel the exact same way.  

Valkaern

While I'm currently playing the game and enjoying it for what it is ( I had *very* low expectations and expected no longevity), I do agree completely with you. Trying to shoe-horn their story into what, imo, should be *MY* story was an interesting experiment but clearly not that successful in a persistant online world.

I think having the class story line is fine, but I do wish they'd instead devoted resources towards making the world an interesting place to play in and explore rather than as a set piece to facilitate the clicking of 10 objects and an onlaught of cutscenes. It would serve better if their story system was an optional aspect of a genuinly fun and engaging online world, but the entire game system feels so bare bones when stripped of their story crutch.

Luckily I don't think it's an aspect that we'll see cloned in future clones.

I'm sure alot of this comes down to personal taste, for some people it may be the best thing ever, but for me it just reinforced the simple fact that their story is never as good as mine - even when created by the supposed kings of story. I played through the story to 50, watched every cutscene, and only vaguely remember certain highlights of the entire thing, while the adventures of friends and I in games from over a decade ago are still significantly more vivid and hold infinitely more value.

I certainly prefer MMOs that leave the door open for you to carve out you're own unpredicatable and dynamic story to this forced story shared by everyone of the same class.

 

StonesDK

You must not be fan of Bioware games then. Dialogue choices and cutscenes are kind of their trademark. I guess you won't be playing ME3 then

 

Before you start with "well those are single player games I don't need to feel the avatar is me" let me direct your attention to the bottom half of your post OP. You pretty much make a case of why you do not like Bioware games at all

blondeh

Originally posted by Munty

Anyone who thinks cut scenes are more immersive than text simply lacks imagination.  If you require "immersion" to be spoon-fed to you through a pre-recorded cuscene, then you have no clue what "immersion" really is in the first place.  Next you'll be saying books aren't "immersive" enough without pictures.

I have found as I get older my imagination isnt what it once was. And  had a great imagination as a child. I still have an imagaination but I find it hard in mmos to remember names etc that are part of the quest for example.

"You must seek out Lord Fader, who is the father of Duke Fly Walker, please help him and his mater Pulpateen to defeat him"

Now get 10 quests like that I couldnt tell you what the story is about or whos who, all i know is i gotta go kill X and find Y then deliver Z. But these cut scenes are making it easier for me to get a jist of the story and whats going on. Plus using my imagination requires more effort and sometimesI just wanna go out and complete quests quick and get a level or 2 out of the way. Watching cut scenes makes that easier for me

Enosh

Originally posted by Raora

Funny, having cutscenes has spoiled me. Cannot see a place or time I play a mmo that I have to read a wall of text to get a mission.

same here, don't think I'll be able to go back to text based quest

cutscenes

MattNe

Originally posted by sirchive

In every previous MMO I've played I felt that my character was basically my avatar in the game world. He represented me. He spoke when I typed something in and he said the things I wanted him to say.

Oddly enough the cut-scenes in this game make me feel far less connected to my character. It's more like watching TV. I don't feel like the character on the TV screen is me, nor do I really feel like the character in the SWTOR cartoons is me.

Here's an example. On some random quest my Sith might be sent out to kill some Rebels. I click on the conversation wheel to say "OK, I'll do it". Then my character says something completely lame and over the top like "I'll hunt down and kill every last Republic scum on this planet until the streets run red with blood." Stupid and childish! I would never say something so dopey and cliche. I say to myself "my guy is an idiot."

This is not good for the immersion. And I guess this is why I'm getting very tired of the cut-scenes. Once the novelty wears off I find that they don't draw me into the game as much as they push me away.

It sounds to me as if you have trouble getting into RP. That being said Iam in no way trying to 'bag' on you,

For me the cutscene dialog has been great. I like the added 'drama' of ..'I'm going to kill every republic scum-bag I see" as opposed to "ok, Im off to do that quest"

PKJackCrow

I think the OP was closer to RP than a scripted chose 1 of 3 choices type situation. Believing from a first person view that your avatar is an extension of you or whatever he/she is an extension is RPing.