Speech Bubbles - Thoughts?

[ShinChuck]

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.

[Neptune]

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

[Neptune]

Randis what happened to your signature? Haha

[Ceons]

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.

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!

[Sephr]

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.

[Ceons]

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

[Majidah]

*cough* bump *cough*

[Rane]

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.

[kukurumei]

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....

[Milkskates]

Does real life include a GUI for you?