DEVS: Don't waste time with voice acting.

[Elexia]

There's voice acting in this game?

LOL is that what they call that?

For English voice acting, it is actually decent. Most english dub work is horrendous, even from native English companies.

[Vackashken]

For English voice acting, it is actually decent. Most english dub work is horrendous, even from native English companies.

Is that or a joke? Or are you one of those anime nerds who always bitches about dubs?

Your statement is absurd.

[Rowyne]

The problem with stuff like voice acting (and what you really mean is... story content) is that often times it's relatively shallow and forgettable. It's not like a game with a traditional story you follow, for the most part - it's just a dressing for a boss fight or a quest.

What you don't realize is, some people DO play for the story, not the end game content. I loved XI because getting from part A to part B was a challenge that rewarded you with little tidbits of story. The writing at times was a little trite... but voice acting would have been welcome to people like me.

Sure, there's people who did their best to breeze through it and didn't give a rat's ass about story. That's not the only kind of player of MMOs, though.

The thing that keeps me hooked on games (and MMOs) is a combination of character, story, exploration, and challenge. You're basically suggesting they keep it shallow so people can get their loot without having a reason beyond getting loot. And you're describing a game I really don't want to play.

^ I agree 100%

I never skip quests, whether they are text or voice. I read/listen to each in their entirety.

I personally don't understand the point of playing an RPG (MMO or otherwise) if you don't care about the story. To me, it's all about the story that unfolds, the journey through the world, the places you explore, the characters you meet, the connections you develop, the overall feeling of immersion and really being a part of the fantasy world you are playing in. Yes, there are some who are really only in it to get to the endgame arena as fast as possible. But there are also many who care about why you're working to defeat that boss. I raided endgame for four years in WoW, with epic stories leading you into that ominous boss's lair or fortress. And when Cataclysm came along with lackluster villains, recycled story and unfulfilling quests, it made you wonder why you were even there and it really sucked out the desire to keep raiding, for me and for many others.

Point is, some people do play mainly for the story, whether they have an interest in endgame or not. And a game without fulfilling or well-presented story can turn away otherwise long-term players, as well.

I remember seeing the Limsa Lominsa opener for the first time during CB, and getting chills when Y'shtola looks out into the sea and whispers, "Gods forfend." I absolutely love the Gridania opener when you hear Papalymo speak for the first time. The scene is very comical, and when he says to Yda, "Oh, Ralgar take you and your great beyond," it wouldn't have been nearly as humorous and memorable without hearing his voice. In contrast, the quest cutscene for "Hoodwinked" (the level 20 weaver quest) would have had much greater impact had it utilized voice acting so you could hear Chuchumu's wicked stepmother call her a 'good-for-nothing little bitch'. And imagine how awe-inspiring the Grand Company leaders' speeches would have been had they utilized voice acting. I'm captivated by Kan-E-Senna, and I would have loved nothing more than to hear her voice as she told her people that they were indeed also one with the forest.

There is already a feeling that Eorzea lacks life, immersion, depth. Zombie-like retainers, NPCs that forever stand in one place, no roaming guards or patrols, no children running through the streets, quests (of the non-leve variety) only added to the game post-release as an afterthought.

Storytelling is one of SE's strong points, and a major reason I am a fan of the Final Fantasy series. It needs to play to those strengths and breathe life into Eorzea's inhabitants.

I am definitely for putting more voice acting in the game!

[Jennestia]

Is that or a joke? Or are you one of those anime nerds who always bitches about dubs?

Your statement is absurd.

It's perfectly ok to admit that voice acting in general isn't always the best -- One doesn't have to be an "anime nerd" to know that voice acting is usually campy, especially when poorly directed -- Final Fantasy X for example, the voice actor for Tidus, Yuna and Lulu are great VA's but for FFX they were poorly directed.

[Elexia]

Is that or a joke? Or are you one of those anime nerds who always bitches about dubs?

Your statement is absurd.

Considering I can understand Japanese, no I don't bitch about "anime dubs." "Dub" simply means localization which goes towards movies, games, animes, audio books etc, and most of the time it's not always the best when it's localized to English because some VAs just simply can't get the emotion right because of translation.

English dub work for a lot of Japanese, German, Korean, French media isn't the best...lol, that's why I say for what is known to be pretty subpar work a lot of the times, it's actually decent.

[Mamba]

Noooo, I love the voice acting!!!!
Please don't listen to the OP

Oh, and for me as a non native english speaker, the VA is a must.
I usually skip the mountain of text in quests because it would take me too long to understand.
Text with the VA makes my game a lot better and I wish there was VA in all the quests and missions.

[Eruantien]

Id love more voice acting in the cutscenes, I was very dissapointed at the lack of voice acting in the main scenario. Its not needed for side quests but I think it should be in the main stories. Yes maybe you dont watch the moogle cutscene every time, but I insist on watching it the first time, I refuse to skip cutscenes.

[viion]

It's perfectly ok to admit that voice acting in general isn't always the best -- One doesn't have to be an "anime nerd" to know that voice acting is usually campy, especially when poorly directed -- Final Fantasy X for example, the voice actor for Tidus, Yuna and Lulu are great VA's but for FFX they were poorly directed.

Complete personal taste. I loved them.

All hate and like on voice acting is personal tastes so why people bitching over it lol one person could say it was retarded and there will always be some one else who disagrees, OO SHOCKER!

I would like voice acting for all story cutscenes maybe some important quests, but not every quest and especially not raids or anything like that, as in SWTOR you just end up skipping it, but no one really skips story cut-scenes, even some quest ones they dont.

[Vackashken]

Complete personal taste. I loved them.

All hate and like on voice acting is personal tastes so why people bitching over it lol one person could say it was retarded and there will always be some one else who disagrees, OO SHOCKER!

Exactly. However when someone says "most English work" is blah blah blah it stinks of anime nerd bias. Personal taste of course but carpet statements like that are too absurd to not make at least a passing comment on.

And I too liked 10's voice acting

[Eruantien]

Exactly. However when someone says "most English work" is blah blah blah it stinks of anime nerd bias. Personal taste of course but carpet statements like that are too absurd to not make at least a passing comment on.

And I too liked 10's voice acting

agreed.
I too liked 10's voice acting, I never knew why people harped on about it.