Will interactions have cutscenes or just dialogue windows?

[Samy]

I'm going to buy the game either way, but I'd like to know in advance which it is so I don't get my hopes up.

 

When you interact and talk with NPCs in PE, will it be more like NWN2/Dragon Age/Mass Effect, with zoomed-in cutscenes? Or will it be more like the Infinity Engine games and NWN1, where you stay at the same view level and just have dialogue boxes pop up? I'm assuming the latter since it's probably a whole lot cheaper.

 

On a related note, to what extent will there be voiceovers? Full voiceovers are probably out too, like cutscenes, right? So like the Infinity Engine games, we'll have what, the first line voiceovered, and the rest of the dialogue just in mute text? Will companions have catchphrases like Minsc or will they be fully mute?

[Pidesco]

It should be the latter option. And no full voice overs.

[Sensuki]

like the Infinity Engine games.

 

The best we can hope for is all or most NPCs will have an opening voiced line or partial line, and only major characters and party-joinable NPCs will have more. And even that might be too expensive.

Edited April 10, 2013 by Sensuki

[aluminiumtrioxid]

As a side note, character portraits (even generic ones, like "peasant" or "nobleman") tremendously improve on dialogue boxes for me.

[Sensuki]

Agreed!

Dark Sun had this (even if the portraits were quite small)

Edited April 10, 2013 by Sensuki

[Failion]

If they are going to add cutscenes during dialogue they going to really need a competent person or team to adjust the camera of said scenes and make them look good and what the writer wants. Could be worth doing but will be frustrating.

[FlintlockJazz]

I hope there are no cutscenes.  One of the arguments in favor of voice and why having a silent protagonist feels weird is because such cutscenes are geared up for voice, seeing someone talking but hearing no sound makes it feel like something is missing.  Since PE is not going to be voiced beyond what the old IE games were (catch phrases in combat and the occasional line perhaps, though I have no problems with it just being the battle catch phrases), which I think is a good thing (voice costs so much and causes so much to be lost in favor of it that I don't consider it worth it), and so dialogue boxes would be the better way to go (not to mention that zooming in to show faces would be awkward since the game is isometric with 2D backdrops).

[rjshae]

I kind of like the look of the dialogue system for D:OS:

[Lephys]

*Raises hand*

 

I hereby offer to fully voice-act the entire game (or, at least, the remainder after they do all the good-quality, paid voice-acting they've already planned), for free.

 

I can guarantee price, but not quality. Although, I CAN guarantee that Obsidian could do worse than me.

 

[EternalGrace]

I kind of like the look of the dialogue system for D:OS:

I like this layout.

[spudud]

I think someone from obsidian said they created a new dialog system; but like everyone here said, there probably won't be full VO. Someone on another thread suggested animated portraits with facial expressions, that would be kinda cool during interactions.

Edited April 11, 2013 by spudud

[mokona]

Yes, at least headshot paintings for talking NPCs. Even better would be upper torso and head or 3/4 shots.

[AGX-17]

like the Infinity Engine games.

 

The best we can hope for is all or most NPCs will have an opening voiced line or partial line, and only major characters and party-joinable NPCs will have more. And even that might be too expensive.

If you've looked at the update which included preliminary head models for dwarves, you'd see that there's a logical inconsistency with that high a level of geometric detail and the presumption that the game will never leave the standard isometric view.

[Ineth]

I kind of like the look of the dialogue system for D:OS:

 

I think that looks a little too slick/modern/synthetic for a game like PE, a more "solid" and fantasy-styled UI like BG2 had would be preferable.

[Ineth]

If you've looked at the update which included preliminary head models for dwarves, you'd see that there's a logical inconsistency with that high a level of geometric detail and the presumption that the game will never leave the standard isometric view.

 

They have already explained that those high-poly character models will be used for

a) paper-dolls in the inventory screen,

b) to generate normal-maps for the low-poly models that will be used in the normal (isometric) game view.

 

So no, they are not an indication for in-game cut-scenes leaving the isometric view.

And indeed I don't think that will be the case.

[Ineth]

I think someone from obsidian said they created a new dialog system; but like everyone here said, there probably won't be full VO. Someone on another thread suggested animated portraits with facial expressions, that would be kinda cool during interactions.

 

Animating faces using 3D models in a way that looks at least *somewhat* realistic, is very difficult i.e. expensive.

 

For a triple-A first-person 3D game with a 100 million dollar budget, it might be a worthwhile investment.

 

But in the case of PE, I think not.

[Sensuki]

 

 

like the Infinity Engine games.

 

The best we can hope for is all or most NPCs will have an opening voiced line or partial line, and only major characters and party-joinable NPCs will have more. And even that might be too expensive.

If you've looked at the update which included preliminary head models for dwarves, you'd see that there's a logical inconsistency with that high a level of geometric detail and the presumption that the game will never leave the standard isometric view.

 

 

Not exactly

Pictured at the front of this update is a high-poly dwarf head that Dimitri Berman (lead character artist) modeled in ZBrush. The high-poly head is used for making normal maps which aid in lighting the character models. A simplified mesh is created from the high-poly head is used in game.

 

The high-poly modelling is for baking out normal maps. The low-poly modelling is what you see in game. The same low-poly model will be used for in-game and paperdoll.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Sensuki

[Sensuki]

They have already explained that those high-poly character models will be used for

 

I think that guy just likes to argue.

[spudud]

 

I think someone from obsidian said they created a new dialog system; but like everyone here said, there probably won't be full VO. Someone on another thread suggested animated portraits with facial expressions, that would be kinda cool during interactions.

 

Animating faces using 3D models in a way that looks at least *somewhat* realistic, is very difficult i.e. expensive.

 

For a triple-A first-person 3D game with a 100 million dollar budget, it might be a worthwhile investment.

 

But in the case of PE, I think not.

 

I suppose, although rendered portraits are really cool as well so IDK about OP but I won't be bummed out either way. I just hope they include more than a handful and make them class/race specific.

Edited April 12, 2013 by spudud

[Boo's Brother Hoo]

I think Obsidian might be overlooking a vast untapped resource.  Lephys makes a great point, plenty of fans would be willing to do voice overs for free (or some novelty payment like an NPC with their name).   The could put out a few lines of sample dialogue, and ask people to send sound recordings of themselves voicing it, with the signed agreement that they will not be paid for any voicing used.  The cost associated with it would be paying someone to sift through the videos and find the decent ones.  The people picked could be contacted for more lines.  Would work just fine for minor NPC's, and you really only need first line and one line voice overs to get the feel.

 

I'm sure there are more complications, but its an untapped resource nonetheless. 

[Ineth]

plenty of fans would be willing to do voice overs for free (or some novelty payment like an NPC with their name).   The could put out a few lines of sample dialogue, and ask people to send sound recordings of themselves voicing it

 

For voice acting you need:

 

1) talent & experience.

 

2) probably more importantly, a professional recording studio with expensive equipment, otherwise it will sound horrible.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Ineth

[Lephys]

For voice acting you need:

 

1) talent & experience.

 

2) probably more importantly, a professional recording studio with expensive equipment, otherwise it will sound horrible.

 

1) Perhaps not, for 3-line characters. I personally feel that I could practice enough to effectively deliver a couple of lines in a non-terrible voice.

 

2) Yeah, I suppose. I mean, some people make some pretty clear/awesome youtube videos now, with like $100 worth of software and equipment. So, I maybe wouldn't say that a professional studio and equipment are necessary... but you definitely couldn't just use Ventrilo and a webcam mic. 8P

[Messier-31]

Talking about voices... I know that PoE will have limited voice-acting, but what does it mean?

• Full voice-acting - like the one in Fallout New Vegas, all dialogue is recorded

This is not gonna happen so we are left with this:

• Limited voice-acting in Baldur's Gate style - party members talk, dialogues of most importance "talk", every NPC says a word or two when clicked upon
• Limited voice-acting in Icewind Dale style - party members talk, dialogues of most importance "talk", every NPC is mute
• Something else?

I personally would like to see the BG-style, how about you?

 

 

Dafuq, Kanye, gtfo, you're making my posts look even more miserable than they already are 

[Sedrefilos]

 

I kind of like the look of the dialogue system for D:OS:

I like this layout.

 

Thay have changed it to the IE style a bit

[teknoman2]

im against full VO in this sort of game. there will be partial for some important stuff and battle responses, but any more than the absolutelly necessary would be detrimental. many modern games with full VO cut down on the amount of dialogue (even when some extra lines are necessary) because of the cost. so it's better to have something with partial VO and have the dialogue writters make as much as they see fit