Speech Bubbles - Thoughts?

i liked the speech-bubbles in Vagrant Story

http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/vagrantstory/vs-1b.jpg

Personally I wouldn't like speech bubbles. It would look cartoony to me. And the possibility of more clutter on my screen.. ick. I already feel like I have too much chat clutter on my screen. Also, as some mentioned - to me it would be distracting.

FF14 doesnt cut out to even have a speech bubbles.. maybe can make something like that is already available.

As long as I have an option to turn it on/off I have no issue with chat bubbles. I would imagine them being annoying in a large city.

Something no one has mentioned yet is how useful they are in combat or anytime you're actually doing something. Why? Because they allow you to ignore the chat log and simply watch where the action is.

Then it must be possible to have text above heads without placing it in bubbles.

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Originally Posted by Dreamer

Something no one has mentioned yet is how useful they are in combat or anytime you're actually doing something. Why? Because they allow you to ignore the chat log and simply watch where the action is.

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this ^

as I said before. chat bubbles would put the focus back on the game and not in a chatlog.

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Originally Posted by Ruen

As long as I have an option to turn it on/off I have no issue with chat bubbles. I would imagine them being annoying in a large city.

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People who seem to be against speech bubble just picture them without a design. This way of thinking if flawed.

Just picture if someone is talking in say too far away you wouldn't see it, and if they are talking a bit closer but still far off they could make them transparent. And I don't know you but I don't see people spamming in say all over town. It would really make things more lively.

And bottom line, if ya don't like it, you could always toggle it off.

I'd love to see what the SE representatives have to say about this if possible! Chat bubbles seem right up yosh's alley.

edit:
Also picture talking in the midst of battle. Having a bubble pop up for attention asking for a heal or for someone to start a battle regime or just to run away have much more importance than a little text in a spammy chatlog, plus it wouldn't get pushed up by battle information.

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Originally Posted by Dreamer

Something no one has mentioned yet is how useful they are in combat or anytime you're actually doing something. Why? Because they allow you to ignore the chat log and simply watch where the action is.

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With things like ventrilo and mumble being widely available, there really still isn't any need for chat bubbles. With these things you don't even have to look at any dialogue or text whatsoever since everything is done through verbal communication. It just doesn't make sense to have chat bubbles these days.

Sephr, I would love Speech Bubbles as a toggle option.

I haven't been too fond of a giant text box at the bottom of the screen right next to another chatbox with the same text in it.

BUT, my concern is that Speech Bubbles will be unreadable on lower-end settings (i.e. when General Drawing is set to 1 or 2, reading NPC/PC names becomes a challenge).

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Originally Posted by Belial

With things like ventrilo and mumble being widely available, there really still isn't any need for chat bubbles. With these things you don't even have to look at any dialogue or text whatsoever since everything is done through verbal communication. It just doesn't make sense to have chat bubbles these days.

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Well have you thought about language barriers?

I love chat bubbles, and they were fun in Phantasy Star Universe. Plus, you got to RP a little more lol

I've played games that had this feature.
1. It's an eye sore.
2. Doesn't make anything easier, only more difficult in crowded areas.
3. Turns an MMO into a bad comic book.
4. Kills hot chicks.
5. Resurrects Osama.
6. Rots your brain and gives you cancer.
7. Is a generally bad idea.
8. Causes gas prices to go up.
9. Was the cause of the earthquake in Japan when added to ffxiv in an alternate universe.
10. Turns ffxiv into E.T. (the atari game, not the movie)

I wouldn't mind the option as long as it's toggle-able. Also, it should be limited to when you're in a party, or to linkshell members, so you only see chat that is relevant to you, which would make things a bit better as far as people worrying about overlapping goes.

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Originally Posted by DeadRiser

Well have you thought about language barriers?

I love chat bubbles, and they were fun in Phantasy Star Universe. Plus, you got to RP a little more lol

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Yes, and again, it's simply not a huge issue. The language barrier is currently overcome by an extremely simplified auto-translate function. These are generally 1, 2 possibly 3-5 words in length and nothing more. If the content is engaging enough people won't be looking at text on their screen, they will be concentrating on the fight at hand. And if people have enough time to type & read text, then the content isn't engaging enough, which is a problem. I just don't think something like this should be added simply because a small percentage of the playerbase can't get over tunnel vision.

Too all those saying speech bubble is too cartoony, too WOW like and that it would ruin immersion. Let me remind you that EVERY FF game in history's got speech bubbles... Stop thinking FFXI is the absolute Final Fantasy model because it is the only game in the series that is very very far from looking like a true FF game.


FFVI
http://www.thunderboltgames.com/s/re...asy%20vi_2.jpg

FFVII
http://fem1.uniag.sk/Miroslav.Jezik/...I_3_after2.jpg

FFVIII
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images...0screen001.jpg

FFIX
http://www.ffonline.com/media/news/040102/ff9pcf.jpg

Etc....

Isn't it funny how many people claim to be true FF fans based on the fact that they played only FFXI for the past few years...

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Originally Posted by Onidemon

Too all those saying speech bubble is too cartoony, too WOW like and that it would ruin immersion. Let me remind you that EVERY FF game in history's got speech bubbles... Stop thinking FFXI is the absolute Final Fantasy model because it is the only game in the series that is very very far from looking like a true FF game.



FFVI
http://www.thunderboltgames.com/s/re...asy%20vi_2.jpg

FFVII
http://fem1.uniag.sk/Miroslav.Jezik/...I_3_after2.jpg

FFVIII
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images...0screen001.jpg

FFIX
http://www.ffonline.com/media/news/040102/ff9pcf.jpg

Etc....

Isn't it funny how many people claim to be true FF fans based on the fact that they played only FFXI for the past few years...

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Speech bubbles being in previous FF games wouldn't make them any less ugly to use now. It would be an eyesore just like your blue text.

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Originally Posted by Demacia

Speech bubbles being in previous FF games wouldn't make them any less ugly to use now. It would be an eyesore just like your blue text.

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I beg to differ. They could really make it fit well. What is an eyesore is that hard to read annoying chat log that needs scrolling all the time. I would even chose ugly chat bubbles over this pain in the ass chat log....

and yo do know they put colors for a reason right? plus i wanted to get a reply to my comment so that why it is blue...

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Originally Posted by Onidemon

I beg to differ. They could really make it fit well. What is an eyesore is that hard to read annoying chat log that needs scrolling all the time. I would even chose ugly chat bubbles over this pain in the ass chat log....

and yo do know they put colors for a reason right? plus i wanted to get a reply to my comment so that why it is blue...

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The chat log in XIV sucks I will admit that much. They should remove those colors too I'm tired of seeing purple text everywhere.

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Originally Posted by Demacia

The chat log in XIV sucks I will admit that much. They should remove those colors too I'm tired of seeing purple text everywhere.

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I'm down for anything that would make reading easier and more enjoyable. I find myself skipping everything right now...

the only 'eyesore' would be in crowded areas... I like the speech bubbles. I don't like to scroll through text and stuff.

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Originally Posted by DeadRiser

the only 'eyesore' would be in crowded areas... I like the speech bubbles. I don't like to scroll through text and stuff.

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Perhaps give us some options like show bubbles only from your party, linkshell, close vicinity, friend list...etc, that should take care of crowded areas :)

In a game like PSO it's awesome but in an MMO, no thanks. Even if it was implemented it should have an option to toggle on/off.

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Originally Posted by Zacko

Perhaps give us some options like show bubbles only from your party, linkshell, close vicinity, friend list...etc, that should take care of crowded areas :)

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Well they could make bubble only visible by yourself. Other people's bubble won't be visible to you. That would be needed for heavily crowded areas.


I really hope the SE or the community reps take a look at this thread and fwd it to the dev team. Speech bubble would make talking to NPCs and reading in general a lot more enjoyable.

Onidemon, you've stated your opinion, and others will state theirs, you don't need to slam everyones opinion that isn't your own. Move on.

As for your example, you're showing the same thing FFXIV uses when you talk to an NPC
There is already a special dialog window. It would seem you have forgotten.

No to speech bubbles. But they should have the characters mouths moving when we type stuff down, so our characters look like they're actually talking x)

I copied and pasted some of the lodestone graphics and put together some terrible looking bubbles, just to illustrate things a bit.

http://i53.tinypic.com/ajv2at.jpg

Say bubbles could change in size and opacity based on how far away from the character they are located. This would simulate depth.
Shout bubbles could pop in full size and full opacity. I'm thinking they should last less time in screen than Say bubbles.

If you ask me, it already makes that random googled screenshot I found a lot more lively than the chatlog.

edit:
Some more ideas.
When a character is targeted or a bubble is mouse highlighted his opacity could be set to full. Maybe even the bubble say if we are dealing with say.

I don't want any speech bubbles. Too cartoony, and I don't need anything crowding up my screen any more than it already is.

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Originally Posted by Punainen

I don't want any speech bubbles. Too cartoony, and I don't need anything crowding up my screen any more than it already is.

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But that's just the thing. If bubbles are only displayed within a certain range, and those outside them have a lower opacity/become invisible, then the screen would hardly get crowded unless you all stand in a cluster of people who start spamming in say. But even so, by targetting what the player that interests you you'd be able to read just what interests you...

And I don't think what I just posted was cartooney. And even if it was, vagrant story's wasn't.

I think it will make city more lively, it is good idea, but it may be hard to implement.

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Originally Posted by Punainen

I don't want any speech bubbles. Too cartoony, and I don't need anything crowding up my screen any more than it already is.

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It could be turned off by default and then it wouldn't bother you. Wouldn't that be ok? No need to use it if you don't like it.
But if it's not hard to implement and when there's time for it, why not?

Why is it still an issue if they're turned off by default?

Speech Bubbles ruin immersion - because A TEXT LOG doesn't? We're talking six of one thing, a half-dozen of another here, IMO.

I'd love to have a speech bubble *option*. To me, actually seeing a "voice" come from the character is better for immersion than having to glance away from them and down at a little log in the corner. Done right, they could make it easier to follow as well, too often my chat gets lost in the logs.

Still, I think "immersion" is an awful argument against them, because neither solution - buried in a text log or bubbles/text boxes by the speaker - is particularly immersive.

I say add it and let the grumpy old men turn it off if they want.

Randis what happened to your signature? Haha

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Originally Posted by Majidah

I copied and pasted some of the lodestone graphics and put together some terrible looking bubbles, just to illustrate things a bit.

http://i53.tinypic.com/ajv2at.jpg

Say bubbles could change in size and opacity based on how far away from the character they are located. This would simulate depth.
Shout bubbles could pop in full size and full opacity. I'm thinking they should last less time in screen than Say bubbles.

If you ask me, it already makes that random googled screenshot I found a lot more lively than the chatlog.

edit:
Some more ideas.
When a character is targeted or a bubble is mouse highlighted his opacity could be set to full. Maybe even the bubble say if we are dealing with say.

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That looks great!
I think chat bubbles would be awesome. They don't have to look like bubbles, but its so much nicer being able to see and to visualize the voice of the character. I would be all for this. With a toggle of course like:

*Say --- ON/OFF
*Shout --- ON/OFF
*NPC ---- ON/OFF
*Tell ---- ON/OFF
*Party --- ON/OFF
*Linkshell --- ON/OFF (only works if a person from the is close by of course, this applies to all the above..)

etc

I want to see NPC chat bubbles as I run or walk past NPC's. It would feel like I'm overhearing their conversations.. Think of all the possible things you could overhear! :)

I think it's about time we moved past the "yes" vs. "no" arguements. If you didn't want them, as suggested, a toggle option would fix that. (Still sticking with the fact that 'immersion' is BS, but whatever)

Lots of good ideas about how to add them so far, i think i'd prefer something a bit cleaner/slicker than the picture someone made (although thanks for making it, definitely helped get the idea across). Just so that it does minimise the space they'd require.

I try to think of how a new addition or change would actually effect FFXIV and what most (not the drop in the ocean 30k current FFXIV subs only) of the gamers, players and gaming world would think of it. I want FFXIV to succeed and for that to happen it needs more players. I would like any feature that could add to the possibility that perhaps one day FFXIV can be one of the great MMO's of the day with Millions of subscription (or just a million? lol).

Either way, I will not say "NO!" to any option which players would request SPECIALLY if they request with a feature such as a toggle that would not effect me in any way weather I like it or not.

Think of the future of FFXIV not just of your own ideas of how FFXIV should be....

Chat bubbles (with toggle with different channels) {Yes please}

+1

*cough* bump *cough*

I do sometimes find it hard to follow who exactly is speaking in story scenes. Speech bubbles would make it clear who's talking, especially in scenes involving several NPCs having a discussion. The option to toggle it off would be nice for people who didn't like the change, however.

Speech bubbles definitely serves a purpose in small parties. It's much more line of sight and easier to identify.

A text window can get overwhelmed and take extra time to identify who said what, and where that said person is, etc. It's more a mind gimmick that can help more then hurt.

Though I would only limit it to say/party chat. Linkshell chat doesn't make sense and neither do shouts.

Graphically it's not that demanding, as it's an overlay, but depending on how the engine is coded, a big problem (i.e the retainer change took them 3 months to change something that could have been done in a week in theory).

Toggle-able =yes
Limitations = say/party
advantages = definitely

Raise please!
you : Where are you?
corpse : right next to you
you : oh....

Does real life include a GUI for you?