Lack of voice acting is really hurting the emotion of the story

[Kiryoku]

Does anyone else feel this way? The devs seem to be steadily getting better at making good storylines and likeable characters, but our own character is really falling short in contributing any proper emotion because of their lack of voice. There will be a tense scene of characters talking back and forth, then a small action sequence and then...

Pan back to your character, they make fish lips for a second, complete silence, and then back to the action.

Please, either give them a voice or STOP doing this. Either have our character be a main contributor to these scenes through a real voice, or make them a bystander, because this midway point where we are actively making emotional scenes worse by our very presence is incredibly frustrating from a narrative perspective.

[GrizzlyTank]

[Mingqin]

Nope, Dragon Age origins is one of my favourite RPGs of all time and had a pretty good story to boot (by BioWare standards).

Guess what that game didn't have? A voiced protagonist, it's simply not necessary to tell a good story.

[Enla]

No thank you, half the fun of FFXIV is being able to imagine how my character reacts to situations in spite of their silence and a forced voice would push them too far into a solidified character. If I wanted to play a game with a voiced, already set but mildly variable protagonist I'd play Mass Effect.

[Fredco191]

They’d have to do dialogue for every player voice option. In all languages.



Too much.

[HyoMinPark]

Pan back to your character, they make fish lips for a second, complete silence, and then back to the action.

Please, either give them a voice or STOP doing this. Either have our character be a main contributor to these scenes through a real voice, or make them a bystander, because this midway point where we are actively making emotional scenes worse by our very presence is incredibly frustrating from a narrative perspective.

I do not want my character to have a voice. Knowing SE, they will pick a voice that would suit her in absolutely no way. I’d rather keep my headcanon for how I think she sounds as opposed to having a voice that doesn’t suit her shoved onto her.

[MomomiMomi]

Ideally I would love to have many voices to choose from for my own character (including silent), but that's obviously not a realistic desire.

If I was forced into having one voice for my character with no options? Nah, I think I'd rather not.

[Mirassou]

Honestly, I think this would cause more problems, with more people complaining than ever. (as what one person likes, another will hate)

Let's just keep it as it is (my opinion only, YMMV).

[Enla]

Nope, Dragon Age origins is one of my favourite RPGs of all time and had a pretty good story to boot (by BioWare standards).

Guess what that game didn't have? A voiced protagonist, it's simply not necessary to tell a good story.

Hell Morrowind also comes to mind. You barely have any dialogue options to flesh out your character in that game beyond the MSQ and it still tells one of the most epic stories in RPG history. I honestly miss the days when silent protagonists were the norm.

[Gwenorai]

Yes, because I want to go through the whole situation where I have to listen to my character to speak in a voice that doesn't fit them outside of the casual emotes. Or have the voice actor deliver their lines lacklustre that makes my character look like a ninny. Or I pick an line that I believe have a sarcastic/serious/playful tone and then it's actually the complete opposite when voiced. Heck no. RPGs were amazing when you didn't have a voiced actor. And those who do have a voiced protag and is done well have extremely well-paid voice actors that are amazing at their jobs - yet obviously a huge resource investment.

I'd suggest waiting for cyberpunk 2077 or something.