Dear BioWare, if you don't want us to be able to choose what we say...

[Topster]

Don't give us the option to. Too much of the dialogue choices in this game are deceptive. Placement of the selections are NOT consistently "good" "neutral" and "evil", the blurbs often do not represent what the character actually says, and it would be far more intuitive (and honest) if the selections just read: "Mother Theresa reply" "quirky reply" and "dickish reply" instead of those 4-syllable blurbs we're given. And the lines your character says are rarely longer than a sentence anyway. I don't see what could be so horrendous about simply writing out what the character will say. I like to be surprised by plot twists and developments in the narrative, not by what comes out of my avatar's mouth. if I wanted a game that told a story without consideration of my conscious input, I would play Mario, Zelda, or any given JRPG. Or at the very least I would just watch a movie. When you make dialogue options vague and make each option a "surprise" for the player, you're taking the illusion of choice away and what you have left isn't an RPG.

 

Also, I get that your precious "dialogue wheel" has been such a big hit, but what's the point of using a wheel if there are no dialogues with more than three options and if the placement of said options often is irrelevant?

 

P.S. yes I'm aware you can always hit escape to exit a dialogue to try again, but if BW's aim was indeed to get someone immersed in a story, a necessary "do-over button" is just about the best way to destroy any immersion you might've had.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Topster

[CaptRavenous]

I can't disagree with this.

 

There has been more than a few times, where I choose a response, because it seemed to be in-character for me, only to find out it was the response of a jerk.

 

Annoying. There DOES need to be better representation of convo choices for non-alignment choices.

[Spankyjnco]

Agreed, I love hitting an option... say...

 

There will be no Republic left standing- As my choice 2.

 

I pick it and my character says....

 

"I can't wait to start killing"

 

All sith warriors can tell you, they have heard that line oh... 40+times in their leveling experience... SOOOO cheaply done. 100M my bum.

[TheTurniipKing]

It's a means of saving money during the voiced conversations. Where possible they'll reuse a voiced line they've already recorded.

 

The text basically indicates the original intent of the dialogue.

 

You can see budgetry limitations all the way through the voiced conversations if you're paying attention - like three gambits that will all give the same response from the NPC.

[Shaddaq]

Hello,

 

I have had similar disconcerting moments. Like when the dialogue choice was 'Death comes to everyone' and my Jedi actually said, "I will kill him, as I kill everyone who gets in my way.'

 

The one choice seemed philosophical, and the actual dialogue seemed psychopathic. They both start with a 'p' but they are not the same.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Shaddaq

[Topster]

It's a means of saving money during the voiced conversations. Where possible they'll reuse a voiced line they've already recorded.

 

The text basically indicates the original intent of the dialogue.

 

You can see budgetry limitations all the way through the voiced conversations if you're paying attention - like three gambits that will all give the same response from the NPC.

 

I get that sometimes they had to reuse lines, but this isn't a goddamned Shakespearean play with long dramatic soliloquys. At level 40 I can count on one hand how many times I've heard my character string two sentences together. There aren't enough hands on the planet to count how many times I've heard "What's the upside for ME?" or "You're about to see a real-life hero in action!"

 

And "original" intent means nothing when the intent itself is vague because they felt the need to only give you a sentence fragment to go on.

[areto]

It's just like all the other bioware games, relax. Participially it might even be you're lack of comprehension ( not noticing sarcasm, wit, irony etc.) in the lines, not saying this is so because you're of course a smart dude, but in some peoples cases.

 

generally 1 is goody, 2 is pragmatic ( or neutral) and 3 is evil. If that helps.

[Toweleeeie]

Totaly agree OP

[Topster]

It's just like all the other bioware games, relax. Participially it might even be you're lack of comprehension ( not noticing sarcasm, wit, irony etc.) in the lines, not saying this is so because you're of course a smart dude, but in some peoples cases.

 

generally 1 is goody, 2 is pragmatic ( or neutral) and 3 is evil. If that helps.

 

No, it's been like all BioWare games since Mass Effect, and that game has a lot of shortcomings with the dialogue system as well, but at LEAST the placement of each selection was consistent with the tones. That is NOT the case with this game, and I would be surprised if "top = good, middle = neutral, and bottom = evil" was the case even HALF the time.

[GawdoOo]

My favorite choice on these lines. Republic side, one of the dailys on Ilum.

 

Choice = "Thank You"

 

Words that come out of your mouth = "Your Welcome"

[Osul]

The first time I saw the dialogue wheel was in Dragon Age II where it was performed horribly. Personally, TOR's dialogue wheel is heaven in comparsion. I wish they'd go back to what it was like in Dragon Age: Origins where you saw exactly what was going to be said by your character. Sure there wasn't a voice actor for the main character, but at least I knew what my character was going to say. I believe they should have implimented the DA:O method into TOR but still had a voice actor to say the selected line.

[GamerInDallas]

Absolutely agree OP.

[Gun_Slinger]

Hello,

 

I have had similar disconcerting moments. Like when the dialogue choice was 'Death comes to everyone' and my Jedi actually said, "I will kill him, as I kill everyone who gets in my way.'

 

The one choice seemed philosophical, and the actual dialogue seemed psychopathic. They both start with a 'p' but they are not the same.

 

I know the exact line, did the exact same thing, and thought the exact same thing. We are blood brothers.

[Pythoris]

I think the dialogue wheel in TOR is more a representation of what a character is thinking than it is what a character is actually going to say. For instance, in TOR, a little girl could ask you to get her kitten FluffyBum out of a tree. The dialogue options (what the character is thinking) are:

 

1. Don't worry little girl. I'll save your cat.

 

2. I don't have time for this.

 

3. Mmm, cat. It's what's for dinner.

 

Now if you pick 1, your goody-two shoes will actually say "Stay calm. I will rescue FluffyBum" before proceeding to earn his cat-saving merit badge. Sure, the wording is different (as in the words of the thoughts vs the actual words said), but they both mean the same thing. Personaly, I think this dialogue wheel craps all over the one in Dragon Age 2 (then again, EVERYTHING craps on that horrible game).

[rhirne]

I would agree that this is a most perplexing problem.

 

Choosing a choice that says "I will begin preparations" then the actual words to come out are in the form of "You are a fool and I will correct this situation myself" makes you think... "that had nothing to do with the choice I made"

 

I've chosen some options thinking one thing, only to have the words out of my mouth say something totatly different than what I'm thinking should be said. I agree a bit more clarity on the choices would be a welcome change

[FrostPaw]

I once picked "calm down" as a Jedi Consular and somehow that translated into "shut up idiot"

 

Dialogue wheel synopsis is horrible.

 

Fully voiced mmo is pointless when YOUR character starts saying things you don't want them to. Breaks all sense of ownership and personality.

[LaetusDK]

Can't say I agree or disagree with any of you... I just love that I don't have to read chat bubbles.

 

Personally I don't mind the classic Bioware 3 option thing, and also, I don't mind that it's sometimes hard to choose the right one for your companion to like you. Ya, there's silly responses now and then, but I reckon that's to expect from a massive game like this with SOOOOO much dialogue.

 

I whole heartily disagree, that the responses should be spelled out.. It would ruin my Bioware experience. If my character sounds like an utter *** now and then, so be it.

[Fentz]

I think the dialogue wheel in TOR is more a representation of what a character is thinking than it is what a character is actually going to say. For instance, in TOR, a little girl could ask you to get her kitten FluffyBum out of a tree. The dialogue options (what the character is thinking) are:

 

1. Don't worry little girl. I'll save your cat.

 

2. I don't have time for this.

 

3. Mmm, cat. It's what's for dinner.

 

Now if you pick 1, your goody-two shoes will actually say "Stay calm. I will rescue FluffyBum" before proceeding to earn his cat-saving merit badge. Sure, the wording is different (as in the words of the thoughts vs the actual words said), but they both mean the same thing. Personaly, I think this dialogue wheel craps all over the one in Dragon Age 2 (then again, EVERYTHING craps on that horrible game).

 

I'd rather have conversation like dragon age 1 tbh, OR just an option (or a plyer created addon, when thats available) wherte you can see the "thinking" text AND the whole line

[ratiphi]

Agreed. I have noticed huge differences in what the dialogue option says and what my character actually speaks. It makes gaining affection with Ashara a really pain. I never know if what Im actually going to say will be to her liking because the text and voice dont match. Please fix!

[Orientz]

I completely agree with the OP.. it's annoying to have an option that seems to say "I will not fail" and have your character say something like "I'll kill every last one of them!" It bugs the crap out of me, and I know that they have to reuse some voice clips, but at least make the choices say what your character will say. Jeez!

[Alpha-Llama]

another example of this is when the bounty hunter class unlocks gaunt (devil like companion)

 

 

i tried so hard to kill Gaunt when i caught up with him at his spaceship but whatever i chose the conversation steered me towards recruiting my bounty or mark into my team (which is something a true bounty hunter wouldnt do)

 

Always collect on your mark and never double cross or go back on a deal or bounty > thats my code. The storyline with Gaunt is almost going against a true bounty hunter's reputation. I felt let down by the forced storyline. The option im so going to kill you led to i so want to kill you right now when i selected it . But no matter what i chose, and i tried them all i could not kill Gaunt

 

Edited January 18, 2012 by Alpha-Llama

[Khelien]

Could we at least get a description of what we're going to say, just like HK-47 used to talk like? Like: "Disclosure: I am a versatile protocol and combat droid, fluent in verbal and cultural translation."

 

Pretty please...?

[AlValentyn]

Agreed, I love hitting an option... say...

 

There will be no Republic left standing- As my choice 2.

 

I pick it and my character says....

 

"I can't wait to start killing"

 

All sith warriors can tell you, they have heard that line oh... 40+times in their leveling experience... SOOOO cheaply done. 100M my bum.

 

Don't forget

 

"There won't be a heart left beating"

 

After having chosen something that doesn't even mention killing, or just wanting to say you're eager to help your allies in the conflict.

[Evrion]

I can agree that there are times when my character has said things that I didn't think he would based on the selection I made.

 

BUT I love how I don't need to read out the full dialogue, AND I like that I don't know what choice is dark or light before hand. That way I'm role playing, rather than min-maxing.

 

Therefore the change needed is: make the dialogue in game match closely with the choices given more.

[Pythoris]

I'd rather have conversation like dragon age 1 tbh, OR just an option (or a plyer created addon, when thats available) wherte you can see the "thinking" text AND the whole line

 

Well, in DA1 you never heard what the character actually said. Perhaps the dialogue option were what the character was thinking in that game as well. For instance, the option where you get one of the girls into your tent, you might have picked something like "I wish you to join me in my tent" and the character actually said "Me love you long time. Get in mah tent, lady." Not that we heard the character's actual words, but the context is the same in both instances.

 

I, personally, like how the dialogue wheel in swtor is done. It adds an element of discovery to something you've already chosen. Perhaps I'm the only one in this thread who feels that way, but eh, one man's annoying dialogue options is another man's treasure. Or something like that.