Immersion

[J1992]

Anyone thinks that if FF14 would give us ''the warior of light'' some speeches/real voice dialogues it would be quite pleasent? or is it just me? I know it takes a lot of time and resources but wouldnt it make the fans really happy? I dont mind if its only in the main story. So what is your take on this?

[BillyKaplan]

That's not going to happen, not in a game that's geared towards roleplaying. There's not a single piece of dialog they can come up with that will fit with everyone's views of their characters. Ultimately it wouldn't matter as even in scenes where we're given choices, the end-result is the same, but it's that small amount of control you're given that makes your WoL really feel like a character you control and play. Giving them actual speech beyond that would be detrimental to immersion, imo.

[Zojha]

There's not a single piece of dialog they can come up with that will fit with everyone's views of their characters.

Then why on earth do they keep shoving emotions down our throats...? That doesn't universally fit either.

Honestly, us having no voice really just reflects the fact that we have no say. I at least don't feel one bit like the WoL is "my" character, in fact, it's a bit strange for them to actually have the appearance of "my" character when the two are nothing alike - it feels more like the whole MSQ is just a theatre play and my character is simply playing the role of the WoL as per script. And those dialogue options we get are just me fauxing up my text and my co-actor NPC trying to improvise to salvage the scene if I pick the wrong one >_>

(And when I think about it, that would also explain why I can just go and casually leave any dramatic scene for some market board shopping <.< "Sorry guys, we'll film the next one later, work called.")

[BillyKaplan]

Then why on earth do they keep shoving emotions down our throats...? That doesn't universally fit either.

You're not wrong, but this is still not some tabletop rpg. There is a story to work with, and if everyone had a say, you wouldn't even be a WoL to begin with. Some people play Ascian characters yet we're supposed to be the champions of light. Depending on your character, there can never be reconciliation between your story and the game's MSQ. But they don't have to go and make it worse by deciding what you're going to say exactly at any given time. Sometimes, even what you say and how you say it can make or break a character, and I appreciate that they don't bother with it.

I think it's actually an interesting challenge, though. Given something in MSQ my character wouldn't normally do, can I think of a reason why they'd do it after all, given MSQ requires it? Then there're things like the DRK storyline up to 50 that show you that no, we're not really ok with all of this, so that leaves plausible deniability about how honest our characters are on other times. Are we really buddies with Aymeric, or are we only close to him because he runs Ishgard now?

Zenos is actually a fantastic example of this with him going on about how the WoL is in this for the violence when everything we've seen so far points to the contrary. Is he obviously wrong, or has the WoL simply played everyone, and the only reason we're heroes is because we kill the right people while basking in the violence either way? That's up to you to decide for your character.

[Zojha]

Then there're things like the DRK storyline up to 50 that show you that no, we're not really ok with all of this, so that leaves plausible deniability about how honest our characters are on other times.

And that same quest is also one of the prime candidates to point to when claiming that there actually is no room for self-interpretation.

They not only force very certain feelings on your character, they also enforce how our character copes with them. What if your character WAS in fact okay with all the things happening in the MSQ? He can't be, because DRK quest. There is no way to just give in either, even when you are alone with yourself. I know the EN script is excessively vague, but if you look at the JP script, it's very explicit that you are, in fact, doing this not for bloodshed, but to protect the weak, because you desire to fight specifically for others, not because you just like fighting. In the german one, similarly, it's explicit you are doing it because you simply 'want' to suffer for others and that's precisely why you excel at being a Dark Knight. I haven't done the SB quests yet, so I can't judge those, but so far, no, there is no room to interpret yourself in a way that supports Zenos view. The guy was just projecting.

Personally, I wager the main reason we don't have a voice is simply the work it would require. Everyone would want to have the voice they picked at character creation, rather than a generic one, and that would be way too much work. Self-interpretation IMO is no argument at all - The puppet strings go all the way into our heart, into our deepest, darkest feelings. It's all tightly controlled.

[BillyKaplan]

Self-interpretation IMO is no argument at all

And again, I say, if you want that level of Self-interpretation, go play a table-top game. There're limitations to how much freedom they can give you when ultimately you're playing a story someone else wrote. And ultimately, you get to decide what's canon for your own character. Within my chara's story, the DRK story didn't follow the canon questline up to 50, his complex wasn't about being the WoL and his fight with his inner darkness was at Providence Point by Hauchy's memorial with that playing a part. Didn't stop me from enjoying the canon version.. I know we're talking about Immersion but for me that sort of thing is a non-issue. I enjoy the game as presented before me and see how it ties in with itself; at the same time I decide how things happen for my character.

That said, if your character really was ok with everything that was happening in Ul'dah, I worry for them because that event at the end of ARR was the definition of trauma and certain amounts of ptsd are to be expected and I adore the DRK questline for going there. If your character is such a character that wouldn't care about those things, that wouldn't be fazed by them, maybe it's time to examine why you picked such a character in the first place for the role of the Warrior of Light, and remember the basic things the game expects out of your character - care; heroism; humanity and humility, to name a few examples. If your character doesn't fit these criteria I don't think you should expect in the first place for the game to cater to you. I realize this seemingly contradicts what I said earlier about the game prioritizing roleplay, but this is still a story based game someone else wrote and guides us through. We don't have such levels of freedom and imo it's wrong to expect them.

[Sylvina]

That's not going to happen, not in a game that's geared towards roleplaying. There's not a single piece of dialog they can come up with that will fit with everyone's views of their characters. Ultimately it wouldn't matter as even in scenes where we're given choices, the end-result is the same, but it's that small amount of control you're given that makes your WoL really feel like a character you control and play. Giving them actual speech beyond that would be detrimental to immersion, imo.

Best answer. there's a reason why the best protagonists never speak in single player RPG games unless the player has serious control over what they say.

[Bixillarla]

I would love to have a voice. Problem is they would have to record the cutscenes in every available voice from the character creation for each race, I don't see them doing it.

[Claviusnex]

With some of the complaints I've see on the forum about the existing character sound options I could only imagine what they would be if they added spoken word.

[Bongaboi]

I am fine with the way it is in terms of voice. Immersion becomes a problem if there is actual speech.