Xo-Lara Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 I really like the follow-up mails that we get from people like Jekiah and Arn following the story run of Spirit of Vengence. I really like these details because it helps to flesh out the story and give the impression that the galaxy doesn't stop until the player comes around to do stuff. I know that we can only get so much story through cut scenes with full voice acting, so I like this as a nice supplement. While I can see not everyone wanting this, it would be cool if people like me could opt into a system where we get more mail updates from our companions, especially post KOTFE since we have so many potential stories to explore. I also imagine some people would want a lot more communications from their love interests. Either way, I don't mind reading and I love the mini stories we get out of mail! More please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eabevella Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Totally agree. More mails from companions pls. People who want it can have more stories. No voice actors needed so not expensive to make. I love mails I screen shot all of them. (I wish the game doesn't delete old mails) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xo-Lara Posted March 22, 2021 Author Share Posted March 22, 2021 (edited) Yeah, I admit that I often wished that they hung around but I understand that chews up space. I hadn't thought to screenshot them though. Edited March 22, 2021 by Xo-Lara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlameYOL Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Agreed, I always found it lovely to get these updated mails from companions or characters we haven't talked in a while. I think they're a good idea to give something on how these characters are doing and feeling over current events without the need of voice acting and animating cutscenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakRoanin Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Yes more letters! Especially from LI's! My Trooper and Sith Warrior are wondering if they're still married. If they can't get a hug or a kiss from their spouse, can e at least get a love letter? I mean otherwise the comps mean nothing like in STO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazulfi Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) I agree!! They are just delightful and they really add to my enjoyment of the various story strands and, perhaps more importantly, make my companions feel relevant during the less narrative-fuelled times of the game. Makes such a difference! And yes, while more companion chitter chatter would be preferable, more letters from them would be very warmly received! Edited March 23, 2021 by Jazulfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xo-Lara Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) For those that like the mails, do you have a preference for the kind of messages you get? ______________________ I kinda just like hearing what the other characters are up to regardless. But for the Alliance Leads, like Aygo and Sana-Rae, I like hearing the status updates. For characters we would likely interact with regularly but aren't always around, like Arn and Gnost-Dural, I like hearing about the problems they are fixing, It's always nice to not feel like you are alone in being the galactic maid. For the characters that might be in the background or fading into the background, like Satele, it's nice to hear from them when there's foreshadowing that they are relevant to. When I complete missions, it's fun to hear the epilogue through the thoughts of characters who I affected... Especially the ones that I have either helped or deliberately tripped up just to spite them. >.> From Companions, I like to hear their thoughts about places, missions, and events we experience together. Or even just hearing companions griping about being brought along or left behind. I also like the creative mails where someone has sliced in to get me a message, or Theron relaying to me messages about me that were sent to someone else, or other slightly less straightforward mails. _____________________ While I imagine it would just be mail clutter to some, I kinda wish that we got like a mail a day from various characters as a lead up to the next story beat and a way of relaying the state of the galaxy. It would be great if we could get that as an opt-in system. For example, one day kaliyo is updating on how she is terrorizing the galaxy, another day Hylo is explaining how the Alliance is fending off raiders and suggests maybe wiping them out, another day Lana is giving an update on a growing threat connected to the raiders, another day Aygo gives a further update on the threat and suggests that you turn Kaliyo lose on harassing them to get her out of his hair, then the next story beat is around the raiders. (Just an example, I know that Kaliyo is a variable companion) Edited March 23, 2021 by Xo-Lara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakRoanin Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Devs are you listening? This is a good way to use our Companions, they will matter again. Please at least acknowledge if this is possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RameiArashi Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 I like when our choices affect them. Like romanced Arcann sends a slightly different message than non-romanced after Echoes of Oblivion. Or Arn's messages depend on the choice you made on Mek-Sha. If you always told Tau than you won't know the effect not telling Tau has on him. And vice versa. I just hope it effects how he behaves in the new flashpoint.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xo-Lara Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) Another thought would be to use follow up mails as a way of building upon story from past missions. It could provide "story" updates in tiny tidbits while the team is working on the next story beat without having to develop a full-fledge story arc for it. I would honestly log in to get little bits of story before I log in for the log in rewards, and I really loved it when I logged in after completing Spirit of Vengence. I had more than one story mail waiting for me. Among the stuff from old missions, I would love to hear about what the Black Sun is up to on Coruscant now that the Republic's power to control things is diminished or find out how Makeb's settlers are getting along. I put a lot of effort into twisting those Hutt's arms. It might even make a great way to throw a bunch of story threads out there for potential story development in the future. _______________________ A slightly different use would be to use it as a way of getting out the cool and interesting bits of story that got cut or didn't fit neatly into the story out to players, especially for past stories. I'm sure the writing team comes up with tons of stuff that we never see. This would be a great way to keep that stuff from going to waste. I think it would be great "filler" for that period between major story beats. I can't remember where it was covered, but I think Charles mentioned some of the story ideas that were originally going to go into the Zakuul arc. While some of that seems to be in the process of getting woven into the story moving forward, anything that can't be wedged in would make great follow up mails that would allow those ideas to stand alone but still get out. For example, instead of trying to wedge the dark thing at the heart of the Gravestone into a story going forward, aspects of its nature could be investigated by the companions that give the player updates on what they find out. Or we could learn more about the factions on Mek-Sha from our companions with eyes and ears on the rock. __________________________ I like when our choices affect them. Like romanced Arcann sends a slightly different message than non-romanced after Echoes of Oblivion. Or Arn's messages depend on the choice you made on Mek-Sha. If you always told Tau than you won't know the effect not telling Tau has on him. And vice versa. I just hope it effects how he behaves in the new flashpoint.. That's a good point. I do like the variance. It's like being rewarded for exploring. You don't know what exactly you'll find. Also, it's like rewarding people who play their characters differently. All of my characters trend light side but not all of them make the same decisions because they are all unique in my headcannon with differing motivations. ______________________ Oh yeah, and I love reading our companions' thoughts on each other. It's fun when there is a bit of tension between them too like with Senya and Koth. Conflict drives story and there's a lot of conflict around us thus there's probably a lot of stories there too. Edited March 23, 2021 by Xo-Lara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RameiArashi Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 If you bounty hunter romanced Torian, he threatens Theron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxmob Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 as long as there's an opt-out, sounds like a good idea. (I'd kinda like to opt out of ALL the flavor mail. great thing about cut scenes is not having to read dialog text). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eabevella Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 I love to know the outcome of my choices. There are several interesting letters you get depending on whether you spare or kill someone. I really like those. Or just a simple thank you letter from the Dantooine farmer after the pirate event. I wish we have influence tied letters from companions. Scourge writes to the JK in an attempt of Jedi vs Sith philosophy debate. Elara makes a copy of the acknowledgement section of her newly published paper to the Trooper. Theron finally tell you what are those radio he picked up (they are nsfw). Make our companions active in simple way like this will make me VERY happy. Or just stuffs happening around us. I love the "sorry commander wrong number pls don't read my love poem but do you think I have a chance with Vette?" letter we got from that random Alliance dude lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xo-Lara Posted March 24, 2021 Author Share Posted March 24, 2021 If you bounty hunter romanced Torian, he threatens Theron. It's fun when the LIs weigh in on stuff. It's usually quite sweet. I really liked the mails from when you disappear at the beginning of the timeskip. as long as there's an opt-out, sounds like a good idea. (I'd kinda like to opt out of ALL the flavor mail. great thing about cut scenes is not having to read dialog text). Yeah, I figured not everyone would like it, but it completely slipped my mind that that might include the group that likes to spacebar through cutscenes. That used to be a large chunk of people. As much as I would hate to delay the rollout of the mails, it's not helpful if it alienates part of the player base because the mail system doesn't support opting out of story mail. I imagine it would take a decent overhaul of the mail system to make that work if the idea were adopted. However, you might want to make a suggestion in the suggestion board for making an opt-out for story mail. I imagine you aren't alone in wanting that feature... regardless of whether or not the story mail system expands. I love to know the outcome of my choices. ... I wish we have influence tied letters from companions. ... I love the "sorry commander wrong number pls don't read my love poem but do you think I have a chance with Vette?" letter we got from that random Alliance dude lol Now that's a really interesting concept, and I would like that better than getting companion gifts. It would be awesome if the mails granted influence and the level of influence depended on how much the character liked your actions. It would also be a great tie in with that "X will remember this" feature of the chapters. I hope the chapter system gets used in the future as there were a lot of good features in there. Although they might need to be reworked to accommodate groups better. Also, I liked those two mails from the guy trying to talk to Vette too. I of course read the one he didn't want me to read first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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