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I think it would make it much easier to track PC conversations if there was an option to toggle text display in something like a 'speech balloon' over their heads. The chat log is just so lifeless! This would make it possible to move toward and locate people looking for linkshells, trading materials, etc. much easier!
It would be best to have it as a toggle, so even people that don't want it or need it can opt out.
Yes to a speech balloon option, for all of the reasons you said above.
Also, I'd love to put a little IX in my XIV. :)
http://download.gamezone.com/uploads...09-6979-urgeft
Would be a neat idea, as long as it could be toggled. However in heavily populated areas (Like Ul'dah or spots where more than a certain amount of players appear all at once.) it should be deactivated by default. Can you imagine trying to make your way around and all you see is 20+ chat bubbles all appearing at once in an area? You'd have to disable them, which entirely defeats the purpose. The Phantasy Star series (PSO/PSU) had a feature like this, where only a certain amount of chat bubbles could appear on-screen at a time. Each new one would remove the other one.
But there's also a really big fault to having chat bubbles with the length of how much you can type at a time. For somebody who types out a HUUUGE wall of text (I'm guilty of this when sending /tells sometimes.) unless it automatically shortens it you'll have a giant text bubble clogging up your screen. Worse if somebody decides to be a douche and spam. It can, and will happen.
I went out into the streets of Ul to just see what this feature would be like today.
I guess it's unnecessary. No one speaks. Ever. Unless it's a shout, and they're infrequent.
We need some sort of chat overhaul, it's not enough to just say, "get in a linkshell"...
The game as it is now is not socially friendly.
Linking to the General Discussion thread so that UI forums can find the outcome of that thread easier.
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...ng-Chat-Bubble