Why I think a fully voiced PoE:Deadfire is a mistake

[morhilane]

hm....full VO Noober... BG would have been a different and better game :-D

He says "Heya!" every time he pokes you already.

[Gairnulf]

 

Gairnulf, you are doing the exact same thing the "in the infinity engine" group did. Complaining about a thing that's already implemented and it's not going to change. They won't just toss away all that dialogue they paid to record three weeks before launch just because some oldies don't like full vo. It's common sense, not authority.

 

Nobody said anything about undoing the voiced dialogue.An idea option would be a toggle to have as much as the first game was voiced to be voiced. I always felt that was an idea amount. Just enough for some flavor. I don't see why you're complaining about feedback either. Yeah it's probably too late for this game but there's always the next one.

I am not posting my opinion with the aim to alter Obsidian's decision. I am posting it because 1) that's what a game's community forums are for, expressing opinions and discussing the game; 2) because I'm curious if I'll find people sharing my opinion; 3) to demonstrate to Deadfire team members reading the forum, that this opinion exists within the community, it is shared by a minority of people on the community, and a minority of the players; 4) when the game comes out, other players may share my opinion, based on their experience, and then I'll be able to say "I told you so!"

 

BTW, I share Indira's attraction to games' characters' catchphrases. Actually I used to know large sections of Grim Fandango by heart back in my teens, and I remember certain phrases from BGII to this day ("...and I simply don't have the manpower to protect everyone!"). But the risk of fullVO becoming annoying is much higher in an isometric RPG. As with many other criticisms I've raised about Deadfire, I'll be glad to be proven wrong.

[injurai]

I'm glad they went full-VO because that has the potential to capture a larger audience that isn't inclined to read a lot of dialogue. Some people don't play games to read (I'll never understand, but I hear they're the majority.) My Suggestions:

 

• If I can at least toggle VO with a hotkey, instead of digging through menus, I'd be partially-satisfied.
• I'd be even more happy if we got some more refined options. Like turn-off VO when skipping dialogue early, turn back-on at the start of every conversation.
• Another option to prevent lines from playing if they are being repeated would be nice as well.

[molotov.]

Important dialogues, like companions and main questline dialogues, should receive V.O., but V.O. for generic quests is just a tremendous waste of money.

[Archaven]

yes and it probably discourages content mod? not sure how moddable the game would be.. but if game were fully voiced and some folks decided to release some side quest mod with it's own stories, etc. and out of a sudden no one talks but just plain text. that would be a little inconsistent there. plus on future official content (DLCs, expansions) to be released by Obsidian then they are likely forced to be fully voiced for that consistency i believe.

[Lord_Mord]

 

I remember certain phrases from BGII to this day

 

BG1 is stuck in my head forever. I'm still using (in real life) phrases like "Warum wohne ich nur in so einem Kaff?" (Why do I live in such a dump? Talantir said that. I'm actually living in a stupid small town, so I have lots of oportunities to use it.) and lots of other oneliners from the game. Mostly Xan, of course. Now that I think of it, I feel kind of brainwashed. But I like it.

Edited April 16, 2018 by Lord_Mord

[PatrioticChief]

I disagree. I love it as long as the VO is moderate to good throughout. 

[Kerozevok]

After a while, I start avoiding certain streets and NPCs in the area, because I'm sick of death of their repetitive conversations.

 

There is an easy solution for fix this problem : Delete all sounds of commoners... In a radical way, you can also delete all sounds except those of companions and "player-generic" folders (voices for the PC & mercenaries).

[Sedrefilos]

People worry without even knowing why. 

 

If the game has the same options as DOS2 had (it most probabaly will), then you can mute seperately:

 

- characters,

- narrator (Deadfire will not have a voiced narrator)

- background barks (people in towns that is)

- and an additional option the game already has, battle barks.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Toggles for all that would be neat!

[ArmyP]

“My inn is as clean as an elven arse”

 

Still awesome

[JerekKruger]

This is one of those subjective things, but for me the partial way is the best.  It gives me enough of a feel for each character, and establishes their voice, but doesn't slow me down too much.  Conversely, no VO is boring and full VO is too slow.

I read way faster than they speak - full VO may add hours to my playthrough (LOL).   Trying to read ahead while the VO is still going gets annoying at best and tricky at worst.  But I still want to hear each character's voice, tone, etc at the beginning of a conversation.

 

I completely agree with this, and as such I'd much prefer partial VO (the amount varying depending on the importance of the dialogue). I also agree with Gromnir's point about the money being better spent elsewhere.

[Raygne]

Complaining about more immersion is so funny.  Mute your speakers then. 

[Karkarov]

I am walking around the city central square, or in front of the queen's palace. I hear the same beggar, the same cheese vendor, or whatever, spouting the same "Spare a coin!"/"Buy delicious clams!". As I am going to sleep, after having played up to 3AM, I will still hear these voices in my head. Because the game is fully voiced.

I would agree with you except that this morning I was kicked in the head until I was dead nuyahahahahahaha.  Of course that is all good, because we all know the only good surfacer is a dead surfacer, but I just wish someone could get me outta this hellhole.

 

If you haven't noticed yet, a game doesn't need full VO to have repetitious annoying voices in it.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Karkarov

[Voss]

Complaining about more immersion is so funny.  Mute your speakers then. 

 

Immersion?

 

What's immersive about constantly cutting people off in mid sentence because they're. just. not. keeping. up?

 

 

This really feels like setting money on fire just because someone at the top read an interview with Bioware that full VO is something that the kids like these days.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Voss

[Karkarov]

This really feels like setting money on fire just because someone at the top read an interview with Bioware that full VO is something that the kids like these days.

No, they didn't need to read any interview from anyone.  Common sense says people like full VO.  Amazon has an audio books section, and it isn't small.  This implies there is a large subset of people who actually don't like reading and would rather get their book in the form of narration.

 

Let's look at big RPG releases over the last few years...

 

Last year according to IGN (you can say what you want, they are one of the most visited gaming sites on the internet) the winner of best RPG 2017 was Persona 5.  Gee that game is like 90% voiced.  What was the runner up? Oh Divinity Original Sin 2.... 100% voiced.  Hmm.

 

What about 2016?  Dark Souls 3.... yeah fully voiced.... not a ton of dialog though give you that.  Runner up?  Final Fantasy 15, yeah like 95% voiced.

 

You know what, this must be a fluke, lets check 2015, surely we will get a reasonable result.  Winner of RPG of the year?  Witcher 3, fully voiced.  Runner up?  Fallout 4, fully voiced again.

 

Maybe it is just me but I am noticing a pattern.  Looks like most major RPG releases have full VO, or really close to it.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Karkarov

[Bionick]

 

Complaining about more immersion is so funny. Mute your speakers then.

Immersion?

 

What's immersive about constantly cutting people off in mid sentence because they're. just. not. keeping. up?

 

 

This really feels like setting money on fire just because someone at the top read an interview with Bioware that full VO is something that the kids like these days.

Even if it were true that full VO is something that only kids were interested in (which is nonsense), that would only be an incentive for OBS to pursue such a goal, as they need to appeal to as many customers as they can with the game they are trying to build. That is not an illegitimate goal, it is the point of business.

 

Full VO does not compromise Pillars. Lots of people like it. I myself am an avid reader, but I sometimes find the scrolling text of story heavy RPGs to be an arduous chore.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Bionick

[Guest 4ward]

 

what good are publishers for? They can‘t even provide partial VO for non-english versions. Having played both the english and german BG2, i much prefer the german one. Nearly 20 years ago it was possible to get partial VO in several languages, today it seems it‘s not. Go figure.

[floyd ryan]

what good are publishers for? They can‘t even provide partial VO for non-english versions. Having played both the english and german BG2, i much prefer the german one. Nearly 20 years ago it was possible to get partial VO in several languages, today it seems it‘s not. Go figure.

 

 

"Immjer auf die Augen Bo, immjer auf die Augen!"

[Sedrefilos]

Being a reader and reading on your leisure when laid on the sofa, easy chair or bed doesn't mean you like reading text walls sitting in front of your computer while you're playing a game. 

 

VO helps me a lot in many ways (apart the fact that I prefer to listen to the characters talk), I don't care it being localized in Greek and I'm no kid in my 38.

[Daled]

No, they didn't need to read any interview from anyone.  Common sense says people like full VO.  Amazon has an audio books section, and it isn't small.  This implies there is a large subset of people who actually don't like reading and would rather get their book in the form of narration.

 

Let's look at big RPG releases over the last few years...

 

Last year according to IGN (you can say what you want, they are one of the most visited gaming sites on the internet) the winner of best RPG 2017 was Persona 5.  Gee that game is like 90% voiced.  What was the runner up? Oh Divinity Original Sin 2.... 100% voiced.  Hmm.

 

What about 2016?  Dark Souls 3.... yeah fully voiced.... not a ton of dialog though give you that.  Runner up?  Final Fantasy 15, yeah like 95% voiced.

 

You know what, this must be a fluke, lets check 2015, surely we will get a reasonable result.  Winner of RPG of the year?  Witcher 3, fully voiced.  Runner up?  Fallout 4, fully voiced again.

 

Maybe it is just me but I am noticing a pattern.  Looks like most major RPG releases have full VO, or really close to it.

While I completely agree with you that most people, even in this environment of hardcore old school rpg fans, prefer full VO, I also think that your line of thinking can be a bit misleading.

 

Save from some outliers (D:OS2 for instance) those are all games with enormous budgets behind, truly meant to be palatable to everyone and to achieve that they can't shy away from full VO. I think that a ranking like that, especially from a "generalist" portal like IGN, doesn't really tell all the story.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Daled

[xzar_monty]

Oh, dang. Full voicing is such a bad idea, especially if the only options you're given are either to use it all or not to have any voicing. This is actually a feature that seriously makes me question whether to buy the game at all. And I was already so much looking forward to it.

[Vyrulisse]

Full VO can be a mistake in my view because it often comes at the cost of more robust dialogue. We'll have to wait and see how this turns out but despite what was said I remain skeptical that it will be different here.

[Boeroer]

 

 

This is actually a feature that seriously makes me question whether to buy the game at all

Then don't.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Boeroer

[xzar_monty]

I'm not entirely sure whether that's a productive approach towards someone who is indecisive. Furthermore, rest assured that under no circumstances would I ever even consider basing my decisions on what you think or suggest.

 

In my experience, voicing has always worked best when only a selected amount of dialogue is actually voiced. In Icewind Dale II, for instance, some characters had all their dialogue voiced, and it got quite grating quite quickly: as reading is so much quicker and more convenient than listening to someone speak, the continuous voicing simply became a nuisance.

 

I wonder if there'll be a demo that'd allow people to check this out before purchase.