Having your character talk during cutscenes

[SkyeWindbinder]

I've played enough Bioware games to know the dangers of voiced protagonists. No matter how many dialogue trees you have and 'choices' of response that character is no longer uniquely yours. Look at Dragon Age, because now they MUST have a voiced protagonist you can no longer select your own race you are stuck with a male or female version of the main character. Your choice of background story is now gone, you have to play the character that they've written with no imagination on your part.

That's the sacrifice you are asking for when you want the PC to be voiced, and even if we still get choice of race and where they come from, the voice selected may not be one that you can identify with, effectively removing that character from yourself.

As for not feeling like you are important and a major part of the story, honestly that's not entirely true, the adventurer is part of a select circle of heroes, but we are not the only hero of the story, we are not THE CHOSEN ONE. And because this is an MMO I find that very appropriate, I like being a minor character in the main event of the story because it gives me the freedom to invent my own story within that main one. Because it allows for my friends, my LS, my guild to also be a part of it naturally.

I like that in both XI and XIV the game and story recognizes that it's not just you that's involved but you and other adventurers, it's one of the key elements I found that they've done so very well. I don't want to see that jeopardized just so the PC can get voiced dialogue. Let that remain for single player games that tell a specific story.

Well, YOU may not be the chosen one, but I sure as hell am. lol I didn't see anyone else being cheered when Van Darnus bit the dust. But then again, I do see your point somewhat. Since this is an mmo, you are technically a part of a band of heroes. But in the story, you don't see a "band of heroes" being consulted with, cheered on, and talked to. Well, unless you're in a cutscene with your party members, and even then in those cutscenes your party members are taking a back seat to you. The way I see it is this: Are you the chosen one? Are you the most important adventurer that exists? Does the world revolve mostly around you and is it not mostly your choices as a hero that will shape it's future? Depends on if the game is being played from your point of view, and if it is, the answer to those questions is absolutely.

[ZakarnRosewood]

I prefer the strong silent type. I heard that SWTOR had many chr involvement, kind of like its offline RPG games or Mass Effect. Adding in this level of variations in the story will make the storylines weaker or take longer to come out, depending on how varied you want the story branches to be. Talking would be nice but its not going to make or break the game for me, as long as the main characters speak during the main cut-scenes, I can stand reading the majority of the lore and back story and side quests.

[Eekiki]

I personally love the whole "silent protagonist" treatment

Yeah. Although I will point out I adored the facial expressions I'd make in cutscenes. I always made sure to remove any headgear when I knew I was about to go into one. That's something I truly hope we'll continue seeing in ARR.

My character voice acting in SWTOR ruined mah immersions. >:3

[Shougun]

Yeah. Although I will point out I adored the facial expressions I'd make in cutscenes. I always made sure to remove any headgear when I knew I was about to go into one. That's something I truly hope we'll continue seeing in ARR.

The facial expressions make Hyur Highlanders look like Hildibrand lol - when I saw Hildibrand I was like... "WE ARE BROS"!!!

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To not feeling like your character is important (not directed at you Eekiki):

I always felt like I helped my character but he wasn't "me", and that while he didn't talk much everyone was pretty helpless without him. I mean even the top badasses were talking to him early in the game - honestly I felt like the world would get owned without my character's attention lol.

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But yeah if you play a highlander you realize all highlanders are goofy not just Hildibrand (part of what makes him a character I help shape but not an extension of me like you/I may feel in dialog wheel games). I bet Roe's are similar but I never tried one so cant say for sure.. Lala's of course will be adorable in every scene.. >.> lol

[Eekiki]

The facial expressions make Hyur Highlanders look like hildibrand lol - when I saw hildibrand I was like... "WE ARE BROS"!!!

Awesome.

Lala's of course will be adorable in every scene.. >.> lol

Also awesome. A secondary reason why I played a Taru in FFXI (second to adorable sexiness) is they were the only race that had seemed to have truly expressive faces. I'm not the only one that thinks little stuff like that is what really sets FF apart from other MMO's, am I?

[Shougun]

Also awesome. A secondary reason why I played a Taru in FFXI (second to adorable sexiness) is they were the only race that had seemed to have truly expressive faces. I'm not the only one that thinks little stuff like that is what really sets FF apart from other MMO's, am I?

I played a Taru for that reason alone. FFXI has great animations but the Taru just really had 10/10 all the time animations. It really brought that character to life. Lala's are great too but I just decided in FFXIV to be more similar to myself this time around (6'1'', rather then 4' 0'' lol).

[Kluya15]

My friend played a Taru in XI, and sometimes it made cutscenes absolutely hilarious. Here, all you see is the top of his head for the entire speech that you recieve in Aht-Urghan



Anyway, I love it being non-voiced. I like the voice that I think of in my head for my character, as some others have said

[Shougun]

My friend played a Taru in XI, and sometimes it made cutscenes absolutely hilarious. Here, all you see is the top of his head for the entire speech that you recieve in Aht-Urghan



Anyway, I love it being non-voiced. I like the voice that I think of in my head for my character, as some others have said

rofl!

Just to reiterate every few posts - OP was referring to dialog and not a literal voice. I imagine somewhat like in Skyrim where you ask questions but those questions are never voiced.

[Arkine]

Please god no

[Orophin]

I don't mind the silent protagonist thing. They obviously have a set story in mind so it's not a huge deal. It's not like it's Dragon Age or Mass Effect or anything.