First, you throw up a wikipedia page and want me to wade through it. IF there's something you want me to ee there, then quote it, don't just give me a page link. Wikipedia is not a "source", it's mostly fan fiction created by whoever decides to add todays' latest fallacy as "history". EA had no role in the development of SWG. Period. End of story.
Second, chat bubble are an annoyance if not made optional, navigating a screen full of bubbles is ridiculous. Of course, this game is dead enough now don't have to worry about a screen full of people anywhere, so perhaps that point is moot.
However, the engine still is, and will always be, a piece of crap and chat bubbles will now, and always will, be a resource hog simply due to that fact. EAware has been promising to "look into" chat bubbles being feasible for years now. Let.It.Go.