Cutscene text position

This is a bit random, but it's something that has always bugged me a tiny bit so I wanted to see if anyone else agrees.

Why is it, that in all the cutscenes the text is at the bottom of the screen? Why not have the text appear in a position near the character who is speaking, like in FF7, FF8, FF9, etc.

Maybe other people are different, but when I'm reading the text at the bottom of the screen, I can't actually focus on any of the character animations at the same time. So I'm reading text, then just looking at a still image.

I'm not saying it's a huge issue or anything, just seems like a really strange change to make from previous games.

It was the same in FFXIV version 1.0, it's to fit into the MMO style interface, and before you pass judgement, FFXI did not even have that, all text including quest/cutscene dialogue was in the same text window you used for chat in the bottom left corner of the screen.

And it needs to be said FFX threw away the FFI-IX style text box window completely with dialogue text just shown on screen (again at the bottom of the screen), as well as FFX-2, FFXII, FFXIII and it's sequels, and FFXV.

You can always move the quest dialogue text box to the top of the screen or to anywhere else on the screen in the HUD menu anyway (and even now change it's style to that classic dark blue window with white text resembling the 'old school' FF games too!) so really, this is a non-issue.

I prefer it at the bottom of the screen, like subtitles in a film. It's a fairly common layout for games too.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

It was the same in FFXIV version 1.0, it's to fit into the MMO style interface, and before you pass judgement, FFXI did not even have that, all text including quest/cutscene dialogue was in the same text window you used for chat in the bottom left corner of the screen.

And it needs to be said FFX threw away the FFI-IX style text box window completely with dialogue text just shown on screen (again at the bottom of the screen), as well as FFX-2, FFXII, FFXIII and it's sequels, and FFXV.

You can always move the quest dialogue text box to the top of the screen or to anywhere else on the screen in the HUD menu anyway (and even now change it's style to that classic dark blue window with white text resembling the 'old school' FF games too!) so really, this is a non-issue.

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I did say at the end that it's not an issue.

I specifically wrote that in because I knew someone would jump in here getting all defensive thinking I might be critiquing their beloved game lol.

No need to get defensive though, I love this game too, and I understand that it was the same in 1.0. I'm not criticizing the game, just wondering if it was done for a specific reason or not as it seems to me that the FF7, FF8, FF9 style made for more immersive cutscenes.

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Originally Posted by Iscah

I prefer it at the bottom of the screen, like subtitles in a film. It's a fairly common layout for games too.

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That's a good point. I suppose in contrast the classic FF games were done in more of a comic book style, than a film style.

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Originally Posted by RushRiviera

I did say at the end that it's not an issue.

I specifically wrote that in because I knew someone would jump in here getting all defensive thinking I might be critiquing their beloved game lol.

No need to get defensive though, I love this game too, and I understand that it was the same in 1.0. I'm not criticizing the game, just wondering if it was done for a specific reason or not as it seems to me that the FF7, FF8, FF9 style made for more immersive cutscenes.

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I was not trying to attack you or anything, so if I came across in that way I'm really sorry, it was not my intention (and if I looked like I was being defensive I'm a PLD, I can't help it! :p). Seriously though, the point I was trying to make though was that change was made long before FFXIV, and I admit my previous post missed some more information that would make it more clearer, so I'm sorry for that too.

Prior to FFX the FF games used a turn based or the Active Time Battle System (ATB) and a generally 2D top-down view sprite generated or '2.5D' prerendered environment, so having a text box above or near the characters was to make it clearer to see who was talking without obscuring other important characters or details.

With the move over to real-time 3D graphics and polygonal character models and environments however, with the ability to move the camera around, simply having a text box at the top would likely obscure other characters or details, so keeping the text at the bottom with no background window box makes it less likely to intefere with what is happening on screen, by making it more subdued (this also coincided with the use of actual voiced dialogue in cutscenes as well). And FFXIV is no different, it's a design choice for using 3D real time graphics and environments.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

I was not trying to attack you or anything, so if I came across in that way I'm really sorry, it was not my intention (and if I looked like I was being defensive I'm a PLD, I can't help it! :p). Seriously though, the point I was trying to make though was that change was made long before FFXIV, and I admit my previous post missed some more information that would make it more clearer, so I'm sorry for that too.

Prior to FFX the FF games used a turn based or the Active Time Battle System (ATB) and a generally 2D top-down view sprite generated or '2.5D' prerendered environment, so having a text box above or near the characters was to make it clearer to see who was talking without obscuring other important characters or details.

With the move over to real-time 3D graphics and polygonal character models and environments however, with the ability to move the camera around, simply having a text box at the top would likely obscure other characters or details, so keeping the text at the bottom with no background window box makes it less likely to intefere with what is happening on screen, by making it more subdued (this also coincided with the use of actual voiced dialogue in cutscenes as well). And FFXIV is no different, it's a design choice for using 3D real time graphics and environments.

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Ahhh okay yeah that makes sense. So I wonder if it's more of a design choice or a technical limitation, based on the fact that during cutscenes the text box would need to move with the camera panning etc.

By the way, I'm talking more about the cutscenes as it seems impossible to move the text box during those. During gameplay I've already moved it closer to the focus point of the camera when talking to NPC's, which makes it a bit better in my opinion. I just find it hard to read the text and also see what the characters are doing in the cutscenes. I'm on a 4k monitor so the text is quite small. (Unless I'm missing something here, please do let me know if there actually is a way to move it in cutscenes.)

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Originally Posted by RushRiviera

This is a bit random, but it's something that has always bugged me a tiny bit so I wanted to see if anyone else agrees.

Why is it, that in all the cutscenes the text is at the bottom of the screen? Why not have the text appear in a position near the character who is speaking, like in FF7, FF8, FF9, etc.

Maybe other people are different, but when I'm reading the text at the bottom of the screen, I can't actually focus on any of the character animations at the same time. So I'm reading text, then just looking at a still image.

I'm not saying it's a huge issue or anything, just seems like a really strange change to make from previous games.

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I think this is a valid question.
In my opinion, the most boring part (mainly because I'm a slow reader) is to read that wall of text, so seeing some movement indicating who is talking instead of like me I read and I read, and in the end, I wonder what the hell I was reading because I did not understand at all what I was reading because mainly I did not realize someone else was "talking."
As a person with Dyslexia, I would prefer to have everything voiced, but that's a tall order, so I doubt that's going to happen.

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Originally Posted by Aron73

I think this is a valid question.
In my opinion, the most boring part (mainly because I'm a slow reader) is to read that wall of text, so seeing some movement indicating who is talking instead of like me I read and I read, and in the end, I wonder what the hell I was reading because I did not understand at all what I was reading because mainly I did not realize someone else was "talking."
As a person with Dyslexia, I would prefer to have everything voiced, but that's a tall order, so I doubt that's going to happen.

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If you don’t know who is talking (in FFXIV at least), the name is almost always at the top of the text box. Not meant as an attack, just an FYI.

That said, many other games do utilize a variety of methods to make clear who is talking. Some older RPGs used portraits, some used a variety of text colors or fonts (like the old Enix games or even Undertale), some use generic grunts or noises (like 3D Zeldas). I don’t know how much extra work it would be to implement something like this, but it could help, even if it’s just like the name tags above the text having some flair.

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Originally Posted by kaynide

If you don’t know who is talking (in FFXIV at least), the name is almost always at the top of the text box. Not meant as an attack, just an FYI.

That said, many other games do utilize a variety of methods to make clear who is talking. Some older RPGs used portraits, some used a variety of text colors or fonts (like the old Enix games or even Undertale), some use generic grunts or noises (like 3D Zeldas). I don’t know how much extra work it would be to implement something like this, but it could help, even if it’s just like the name tags above the text having some flair.

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Some things that you mentioned do help like a portrait and also as an FYI Urianger has a really special way of talking so that makes it easier to notice oh this is a different char.
But portraits always work for me it kind of breaks my "tunnel vision" while reading.
It is hard to explain but for me it is so easy to miss that Giant ass name in the top left corner for some reason, I usually call it tunnel vision