JohanTW Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 (edited) Hi all! One of the first things I noticed when I entered the game was that there were no chat-bubbles at all. This is a big shame as it just helps with the immersion, I think. It's hard to keep track of different conversations and when I was trying to get invited to a group, I was running around them while they were fighting but they couldn't "hear me" as my messages were being pushed up by combat messages. They just thought I was jumping around trying to annoy them. I don't see what the fuss is about, chat-bubbles are standard in any mmo according to my experience, it helps with immerson as the chat-window is rather small and it's sometimes hard to make out names (and therefore separate different players) unless you look hard and it kills the RP-element and the making-new-friends-element as people usually just die out in a sea of chatting. HOW can you have immersion if you're looking at the chat-box and not the character, it's like the immersion you get in a public chat-room... Every single attempt I've made in crowded areas to try to talk to someone has failed as most people have the general channel on by default and this makes the game feel very lonely and quiet. You can't walk into a conversation and if you do have one, you have to take your eyes of the character and keep them on the chat-window with very small text. If you ask me, the default should be ON as new players won't always know to turn them on. Let the ones who don't like it turn it off as it has worked in pretty much every MMO (I haven't seen anyone complain about lack of immersion or role-playing in WOW). You don't see any "Remove the chat-bubbles" post on the forum of any other games but there are TONS posts demanding them on this one. If you don't like it after that then simply turn it off! Loving the game otherwise, congratulations on a game well made, Bioware! =) Edited December 29, 2011 by JohanTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msales Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi all! One of the first things I noticed when I entered the game was that there were no chat-bubbles at all. This is a big shame as it just helps with the immersion, I think. It's hard to keep track of different conversations and when I was trying to get invited to a group, I was running around them while they were fighting but they couldn't "hear me" as my messages were being pushed up by combat messages. They just thought I was jumping around trying to annoy them. It doesn't help that the chat window is quite small too and it's a tad difficult to make out the different colors of different conversations. I hate WOW but I think they handled this better. The NPC dialogue is brilliant but maybe Bioware should adress this too? I haven't met a single player yet who doesn't agree with this. Loving the game otherwise, congratulations on a game well made, Bioware! =) Couldn't agree more. Hopefully it will be added at some point but still be optional for the people that don’t want it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohanTW Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 No more thoughts on this...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoggyHotDog Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Refine your idea to having a chat bubble option. I don't like them, in fact, I'm a little scared of them. If you want to use them, whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baizak Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 If they decide to enable it as a feature that can be turned on and off I am fine with it. I for one will keep them turned off, because I do not like to feel like I am playing inside of the pages of a comic book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuzpah Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 In player crowded areas this feature would need to be turned off for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaszamonde Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) My idea on implementing chat bubbles: Control when chat bubbles appear with check boxes: Local Guild Party Whispers General Edited December 29, 2011 by Zaszamonde Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laeris Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Well, chat bubbles make the game feel alive. As it is now, I could come up behind someone and say something and chances are they have no idea who is talking to them. Go into a populated place like the Coruscant cantina and /say "Look at me!" It'll take someone a long while to figure out where you are. Not a big deal for non RPers, but for RPers... yeah, can be a bit of an immersion killer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AidTunn Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I agree, its really annoying to not know whos talking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohanTW Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 I'm thinking like the way they use them in -The game that must not be mentioned- It works fine there, not that I play it It would do absolute wonders for the RP community too, it's pretty much non-existent because of this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XanatosKatarn Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 My idea on implementing chat bubbles: Control when chat bubbles appear with check boxes: Local Guild Party Whispers General I like this idea, would let you tailor it to your needs/desire, and would keep things from getting too congested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaszamonde Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I like this idea, would let you tailor it to your needs/desire, and would keep things from getting too congested. And also companion so you can see what Bowdaar, Khem Val or Qyzen are saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximillianKnei Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Really miss the bubbles from SWG. When the general chat is spammed, the bubbles really kick in as a feature, since I mostly care about what the people around me say, and not someone on the other side of the planet (most of the time atleast). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staticclean Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Yep, this option would be good. If not, some sort of indicator on the character model that denotes them speaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaszamonde Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Here's a double combo: Mute companion + Companion chat bubble. The companion can talk all he wants, but it's only in a chat bubble, limiting aural spam. I'm looking at you C2-N2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstarr Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 It would do absolute wonders for the RP community too, it's pretty much non-existent because of this... Never used chat bubbles in that game you dont mention and never had a problem with seeing who was saying what in RP discussions and/or events. RPing in ToR (using whats available for chat) is also not a problem and I very much doubt that the lack of speech balloons is the primary reason to why RP is "pretty much" non-existant. You just need to read whats being said, and like real life, maybe address the person you are speaking to. Seems to work real well for those I come across in game and in character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ealhdun Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I would like it more if there is a player conversation modus where you go to a 'cinematic' state. Though since that is not going to happen (for one I have no idea how to implement such a thing elegantly) chat bubbles that are toggeable to off, on for all but ignore and whitelist (only see bubbles from people I friended) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohanTW Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 And yet it would be sooo much simpler and less time and energy consuming to simply have a chat-bubble above a character after saying something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salryc Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 When I started playing, I thought that the lack of chat bubbles would be a nice change. Make things cleaner, and more streamlined in looks. And then, some where along the way, it hit me. The game feels very quiet. The lack of social interactions can almost completely be traced back to the lack of chat bubbles (in my mind). There's no way to walk into a group of people, and "break the ice". Conversations occur almost completely in general (global) or whispers, and this means you meet fewer "new" friends. I can't count how many times someone has helped me out, I said thanks, and they didn't see it until they were half way across the map, sending me a whisper saying "welcome" many minutes later. Chance to make new friends almost obliterated by lack of visual cues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakadisaprin Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I agree 100%. Also emotes with no sounds? You mean to tell me you have the first MMO that is fully voiced acted and you could add sounds to /laugh /cry /cheer /charge etc... C'mon man!! I still <3 this game btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyfy Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 If they decide to enable it as a feature that can be turned on and off I am fine with it. I for one will keep them turned off, because I do not like to feel like I am playing inside of the pages of a comic book. This! The first thought that went through my mind was City of Heros. I don't mind the comic book thing when that's what I signed up for otherwise I'd just assume keep it out of where it doesn't belong. If they make it optional, fine. If not, no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeborn Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 No it doesn't. Chat bubbles introduce lag in large crowds. I'd rather just have General chat and leave it at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enginer Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 The game needs a New UI first! Open up the API! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadCuzBad Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 No more thoughts on this...? Agree. They are needed badly. I have no clue why in the world we need to ask for them in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helekdeleon Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I discovered this need just the other day too. I was trying to talk to those aroudn me and my text just blended in with the region chat and basically people were blind to my efforts to communicate. I would relate it to trying to talk to someone across a crowded restaraunt while that person is reading the menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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