Juzzyx Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I also hope they remove all abilities and make this game all about spamming power attacks. That would be a fantastic homage to KOTOR (and very cheap for EA to balance). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coremar Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 EA finds extra funds somewhere and extends the budget. This would definitely be nice change from their money milking strategy...EA is welll known for their expensive and relatively low quality games with ridiculous bugs etc andthey always mess it up when they have a chance to do something right...Don't tell me there is any possibility that they can't afford budget extensions... And I think we pay them quite enough on subscriptions. If they stop wasting it on trailers maybe there will be more money for finishining one of the most important things in this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramalina Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I sort of like the option to have more than just 2 or 3 options per dialogue fork point. The little conversation half circle can really only handle 3 choices before it starts getting too crowded. The KOTOR style interface can handle 6-8 without a problem. The wheel is nice in high production value cutscene sections, because it's quick, easy and streamlined, so doesn't hold you up reading for too long, (well for the actual choice at least). For side quest sorts of things, having more potential options is nice because it lets you do things with story structure that just aren't very good if implemented with a UI element that can handle a max of 3 choices. I wonder how far they'll go with the KOTOR tribute. I'd be pretty pleased to see a few math, physics, and coding puzzles in the KOTOR vein stashed away somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juzzyx Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 The little conversation half circle can really only handle 3 choices before it starts getting too crowded. Commander Shepard does not agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamatsu Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 That trailer cost a pretty penny, several million I think we've been informed. That would pay for a lot of voice acting, I think. You realize companies have different department and each department has their own budget's for doing their job, and that generally different department's can't share their budgets among themselves? Seeing as the trailer(s) are all marketing, the money spent on it would have been from the marketing departments budget... not the department dealing with making the expansion. So the money spent on that has ZERO relevance to budgetary issue's with the making of the expansion... different department's with different budgets. BW would have been approached by marketing, told here's X to spend on trailer's only... and thus we have the trailer(s) for the expansion. BW would have had no say in using that money for any purpose other than what they were told to use it on. So no it wouldn't have paid for any voice acting in the game, as the money couldn't be spent on VA outside of the trailer(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coremar Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 So this is the kind of stuff that people are nit picking over? If that's the case, then I'd say the new patch is a huge success. The story is really good in my opinion, I enjoyed it a lot, but then there was this...slap to the face. Only other thing I didn't like was the lack of challenge in combat, there was no way to die in combat, unless you unsummoned companion and didn't press any buttons...But that is really a minor issue for me in swtor. + some minor bugs like two of the same companion and stuff like that, but nothing really game breaking. So yes, it is success in my opinion, but I really hope I will never see this outdated type of conversations again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max_Killjoy Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) You realize companies have different department and each department has their own budget's for doing their job, and that generally different department's can't share their budgets among themselves? Seeing as the trailer(s) are all marketing, the money spent on it would have been from the marketing departments budget... not the department dealing with making the expansion. So the money spent on that has ZERO relevance to budgetary issue's with the making of the expansion... different department's with different budgets. BW would have been approached by marketing, told here's X to spend on trailer's only... and thus we have the trailer(s) for the expansion. BW would have had no say in using that money for any purpose other than what they were told to use it on. So no it wouldn't have paid for any voice acting in the game, as the money couldn't be spent on VA outside of the trailer(s). Every time a company wastes money on something like that trailer, the same tired old "department budgets" excuse gets trotted out. EA could have invested part or all of that money into making the product itself better. They didn't. End of story. Edited October 22, 2015 by Max_Killjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamatsu Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Every time a company wastes money on something like that trailer, the same tired old "department budgets" excuse gets trotted out. EA could have invested part or all of that money into making the product itself better. They didn't. End of story. You can tell ppl who actually have anything to do with businesses that have multiple departments, budgets and the like... they are the ones running out the 'tired old department budgets' reality to ppl who live in a fantasy-world where businesses can just spend money willy nilly on anything they want, and change money from one department to another at a drop of a hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaig Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 The story is really good in my opinion, I enjoyed it a lot, but then there was this...slap to the face. You've never actually been slapped in the face, have you? It feels nothing like this, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max_Killjoy Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) You can tell ppl who actually have anything to do with businesses that have multiple departments, budgets and the like... they are the ones running out the 'tired old department budgets' reality to ppl who live in a fantasy-world where businesses can just spend money willy nilly on anything they want, and change money from one department to another at a drop of a hat. They make games. They decided to spend millions on a CGI trailer while deliberately skimping on voice acting, their QA effort, and actual new content. End of story. Edited October 22, 2015 by Max_Killjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icebergy Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Yea I don't like them either. It would be fine if our character's answers were voiced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coremar Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 You've never actually been slapped in the face, have you? It feels nothing like this, really. I have, when I was little and I felt like I'm going to cry the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarSquirrel Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I completely agree. It was a terrible decision. At this point I want my character's voice back and a solemn vow that this will never happen again. I mean, what idiot came up with this idea and why didn't they throw him/her out the moment they opened their mouth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coremar Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 You can tell ppl who actually have anything to do with businesses that have multiple departments, budgets and the like... they are the ones running out the 'tired old department budgets' reality to ppl who live in a fantasy-world where businesses can just spend money willy nilly on anything they want, and change money from one department to another at a drop of a hat. This is really bad excuse for dumping one of the most important things in the game...No I'm not paying them subscription to see overpriced trailers...If it is about money, then they should have made a better decision on where to spent most, nothing else. I couldn't care less about their departments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamatsu Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 They make games. They decided to spend millions on a CGI trailer while deliberately skimping on voice acting, their QA effort, and actual new content. End of story. Let me try and make things simple, since you seem to fail to understand how businesses work. - EA budgeted X towards marketing. - EA budgeted Y towards making the expansion - Neither X nor Y amounts could be used for anything other than what they were budgeted for. - Due to increased costing of voice actor's, Y budget couldn't be met and still have everything voice acted - the most expensive VA were cut so that Y budget could be met - X budget was spent as budgeted for, on marketing material. We might all grumble and wish that EA moved money from X to Y so as to have everything voice acted. But here's a reality check - that's not how the vast majority of multi-million/billion dollar companies work. They have specifdfic departments dealing with specific task's/projects/business-aspects, which have set budgets for doing things (for paying wages, hardware, doing projects, etc), and generally can't change those budget's without a very, very good/compelling business reason to do so. BW makes games, EA makes money for it's shareholder's. BW is fully owned by EA, so is constrained by it's rules, it's budgets, directions/instructions by it's departments and decisions into what gets spent on what. End of story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodoin Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) I find it hard to believe that people are fine with unvoiced dialog over voiced dialog when 98% of the time our characters talk. Edited October 22, 2015 by Brodoin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icebergy Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I find it hard to believe that people are fine with unvoiced dialog over voiced dialog when 98% of the time our characters talk. I am not fine with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunafox Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I'm not fine with it...nor are many of the people in this thread... http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=843296&page=12 It was a really bad decision. I have this sick feeling, they're testing us, to see if they can get away with doing it like that in the future, and I think we need to make it abundantly clear, it's not okay. It's jarring and it looks cheap. This game is not the one from the 90's and shouldn't look like that either. I agree with the OP, whoever thought this was a good idea, needs a good stern talking to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coremar Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 and generally can't change those budget's without a very, very good/compelling business reason to do so. So their customers (us) are not good enough business reason to change budget to something we actually pay for and want...no wonder they are still winning the "worst company of the year".. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodoin Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 If it was this way in the entire game it'd be one thing. Heck, if it was and they added spoken dialog I think it'd have the opposite effect. People would love it. But it doesn't work the other way around. You can't give people candy for four years and then suddenly switch to vegetables in a fancy wrapper and expect them all to like it. Even the people that do like it would still prefer the candy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millardkillmoore Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) Once again: This is not some kind of nostalgic throwback design decision. This is Bioware cheaping out on full VO. There's no way any designer would be dumb enough to think that a sudden, jarring shift to a silent protagonist would please people. It was done because of time/budget reasons and the marketers lied to you about it being some intentional homage to KOTOR. Why do you all think it was buried in one paragraph at the end of a release day blog? Bioware knows this feature is **** and is trying to convince you to put on your nostalgia goggles and ignore how awful it is. Edited October 22, 2015 by Millardkillmoore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRoamer Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) Once again: This is not some kind of nostalgic throwback design decision. This is Bioware cheaping out on full VO. Is it? The 16 main voice actors includes some of the busiest and most sought after voice actors in the business. Maybe they simply don't have the space in their schedules to do all the extra voice acting that is required for all these conversations? Unless you have some inside knowledge that says BW had the money and the actors had the time yet decided not to use either then I'd avoid making such declarative statements like that because frankly I don't think you have an insight on the matter whatsoever. Edited October 22, 2015 by DaRoamer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaryn Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 OH MY GOD please shut up! I was so excited after seeing this kind of dialogs. Much nostalgia feels and really, not every little word or answer must be voiced! Iam so glad that Bioware had implemented this, was a "feature" that i never had discussed but favorised. I really thought Kotfe getting worst after Story but it makes more fun than Revan and i dont miss it, if my character is muted while this retro kotor dialogues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millardkillmoore Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 OH MY GOD please shut up! . No. My character has shut up, but I won't. Not everyone buys the marketing BS about this being a nostalgic throwback to KOTOR. Some of us realize what a lazy, half-assed "feature" this is and aren't happy about it being forced on us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarSquirrel Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Is it? The 16 main voice actors includes some of the busiest and most sought after voice actors in the business. Maybe they simply don't have the space in their schedules to do all the extra voice acting that is required for all these conversations? Unless you have some inside knowledge that says BW had the money and the actors had the time yet decided not to use either then I'd avoid making such declarative statements like that because frankly I don't think you have an insight on the matter whatsoever. Doesn't matter. They shouldn't have released an incomplete product. You'd think with the issues this game has had on that front they'd have learned a lesson. No the "you don't know" argument doesn't work because regardless of "if the time was there or not", they should have gotten the VO done. If it meant waiting, they'd have been better off. Seriously, I don't see why people defend them. I mean, if you legitimately liked the new system then you're entitled to the opinion, but if a business wants my money I fail to see why there should be excuses when the product they deliver is sub-standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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