Poll: Should The Elder Scrolls go back to using a text-based dialogue system like Morrowind's?

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

While the Morrowind system gave more options I doubt developers would actually explore those options. If I remember correctly, Morrowind DID have more options with characters... all of them just as pointless as the ones in Skyrim. One benefit to Morrowind, though, is that you didn't have to worry about the NPC having ONE line that they'd repeat every ten seconds and when you clicked on them. Overall, I'd say its a mix, but given that I think that the text based system would detract from Skyrim's feel, I'll say no.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

I wonder..........This brings up an interesting point.

For Morrowind I got incredibly drawn into the story, but since there was stuff I couldn't understand (I was young at the time, in middle school) I took the effort to learn more about the lore online.

Oblivion's voice acting made it more engaging, but I have no fond memories of the story like I do for Morrowind. I had no complaints about the voice acting, but it didn't add anything to the game other than the aforementioned "engaging experience."

Skyrim sort of bridged the two. I'm very much into the story of Skyrim (well not the main questline, but the setting and the circumstances of the rebellion). And while I would still love it without the voice acting, then voices really do add to the experience.

Guards comment on your armor, if you're sick, sometimes changing what they say depending on the time of day (this only happened once so I don't know if it's a big thing). Hell, at one point I took off all my clothes and got some comments: "whatever you do at home is your own business." You could of course replicate it with text, but the voices do add something even though I can't be sure what.

You really can't go text only on a triple A title in this day and age (unless you are called Nintendo), but there is nothing wrong with adding a little extra for those that really care.

Not sure Nintendo really applies in this whole debate. Their games don't really have stories (though the Metroid Prime series had quite a few details.)

 

[Smooth Operator]

Not sure Nintendo really applies in this whole debate. Their games don't really have stories (though the Metroid Prime series had quite a few details.)

I was thinking Skyward Sword, closest thing to triple A RPG with lots of text and not a single word of it spoken.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

Part of characterization is in a character's voice, their tone, pitch, rate even. Robbing characters of their voice hinders their presence as an element of the story. What if the infamous "Would you kindly?" scene from Bioshock were naught but text? No one would be talking about that scene anymore.

 

[Digitaldreamer7]

Imagine an RPG like Planescape being fully voice acted ? It would never happen,


This is why most RPG's have gone to shit,[/B] Planescape is clearly the better of the two games there. Less Voice acting and more story IMO. Don't get rid of it completely, but, reduce it in favor of deeper plot lines and more content. Hopefully as the industry shifts more towards a digital distribution model the "ok epic game needs to fit on 1-2 discs max" mentality will go away. I'd be ok with 4-5-6 disc games AND pay MORE for them if they would flesh the story out more.

Oh and this

console gamers don't like reading.

It wouldn't sell.

correction....

"this is why RPG's tend to have less depth...at least in regards to dialouge and role playing"

personally? I dont like to read in games..this doesnt make me stupid or a bad person...having to read alot shits me...thats just me

and after experiencing fully acted dialouge, I found it very imersive and engaging

now if a game wanted to try this thease days...good for them, that would be a great thing, but "ALL RPG's should just go back to the old way" no..not gonna happen

EDIT: and seriously, fuck digital distribution

If you are going to quote me keep what I said so people can see that you didn't read anything but the last line...

"Less Voice acting and more story IMO. Don't get rid of it completely, but, reduce it in favor of deeper plot lines and more content. Hopefully as the industry shifts more towards a digital distribution model the "ok epic game needs to fit on 1-2 discs max" mentality will go away. I'd be ok with 4-5-6 disc games AND pay MORE for them if they would flesh the story out more."

 

[JesterRaiin]

Should The Elder Scrolls go back to using a text-based dialogue system like Morrowind's?

For God's sake, no !
After a while the list of topics you could talk about was so long that finding correct question was real pain in the ass. Skyrim's solution is way much better.

 

[BathorysGraveland]

Way to make hilariously stupid generalizations with no basis in reality... PC gamers are entitled, pompous dickwads.

Well, that moral high ground soon fell quickly - you just made a 'hilariously stupid generalization' about PC gamers!

 

[RealDarkelfguy]

Yes, a thousand times yes! Perhaps not necessarily Morrowind's exact dialogue system, but they should definitely go back to text-dialogue. I don't understand the need to force voice-acted dialogue into every single RPG these days. Voice acting requires more time, more money, less actual writing, and has a fair chance of failing (i.e. bad voice-acting). Text dialogue has NONE of those disadvantages, involves more interesting and intricate writing, and helps provide a richer background to the world. Text-dialogue is just one of the many reasons why I prefer Morrowind over Oblivion, and Final Fantasy IX over Final Fantasy X. I really just don't see what amazing benefits completely voice-acted RPGs bring to the table.

And speaking as a quest modder, I would much rather have Morrowind's dialogue system over both Oblivion and Skyrim's systems. It's just a lot easier to write detailed quests with Morrowind's dialogue system than it is with the newer Elder Scrolls games.

 

[PurePareidolia]

Honestly, I don't think Bethesda's writing can stand up to the number of options that presents. Obsidian could go text based - sure, but Bethesda are really find the way they are.

Well, I say fine I really mean amusingly bad.

 

[theultimateend]

They would never go back, and for good reason. As much as I love Morrowind (top 5 best games of all time imo) the way Morrowind handled text-based dialogue is incredibly obsolete. Best solution for future titles: make a HUGE budget for voice acting/recording. They have the resources. There is no excuse.

I want that technology they use in that Japanese bot singer.

So you have voice actors say all the sounds and then you can use voices just like text . Just write and go.

I mean...I guess it would probably suck since inflection might be lost. But its a young technology.

But then ppl would actually have to read, which would significantly cut down on Beth's fanbase, and you know they would never want to do that. Bethesda doesn't want to make intelligent RPGs, they want to make fantasy FPS games that will attract some of the COD crowd and action gamers.

Yeaaah, because voice acting somehow makes it impossible for a game to be good, right?

Shouldn't feed obvious trolls :/.

It's so painfully obvious the OP is trying to get a rise from people.

 

[Thyunda]

Yes, a thousand times yes! Perhaps not necessarily Morrowind's exact dialogue system, but they should definitely go back to text-dialogue. I don't understand the need to force voice-acted dialogue into every single RPG these days. Voice acting requires more time, more money, less actual writing, and has a fair chance of failing (i.e. bad voice-acting). Text dialogue has NONE of those disadvantages, involves more interesting and intricate writing, and helps provide a richer background to the world. Text-dialogue is just one of the many reasons why I prefer Morrowind over Oblivion, and Final Fantasy IX over Final Fantasy X. I really just don't see what amazing benefits completely voice-acted RPGs bring to the table.

And speaking as a quest modder, I would much rather have Morrowind's dialogue system over both Oblivion and Skyrim's systems. It's just a lot easier to write detailed quests with Morrowind's dialogue system than it is with the newer Elder Scrolls games.

Have to disagree with you - I hated RPGs that didn't have voice acting, and a text-based system is just representative of a long-gone age. We have the money and the technology. Why would we sacrifice a full audio/visual combination for immersion just for the hell of it? It's not about having clever writing - you can do that in in-game journals. It's about the proper application of the writing, and if the next Elder Scrolls were to be released without voice-acted characters, I wouldn't be buying it. It sounds petty, but why would I be playing a next-gen game on a next-gen console if it doesn't even bother to put voices in? It's just lazy.

 

[guitarsniper]

I know i read somewhere about a group developing an AI-type software to basically be a "GM" like in a tabletop RPG in video games. I feel like that would be awesome. I honestly would rather have something that would respond somewhat accurately to ANY GOD DAMN THING I WANT TO WRITE than something fully voice acted. basically i want my video game RPGs to be story oriented tabletop RPGs that i can play by myself.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

console gamers don't like reading.

It wouldn't sell.

You know why? Because if we dont have an HD t.v its fucking hard to read text on the screen, it hurts your eyes.

 

[tobi the good boy]

Way to make hilariously stupid generalizations with no basis in reality... PC gamers are entitled, pompous dickwads.

Well, that moral high ground soon fell quickly - you just made a 'hilariously stupid generalization' about PC gamers!

Now now, That could have been used with the intent of Irony and his original point still stands; that was a gross generalization.

OT: I find the use of voice acting (When done correctly) to be far more engaging that just reading huge chunks of text. Now with that said, those huge chunks of text would not inhibit me in anyway from playing a game that I genuinely enjoy. Also think realistically here, No one in the world would go on for over six thoroughly composed sentences of information for a complete stranger. Voice acting tries to emulate actual human interaction, those chunks of text always have me thinking "Does he talk like this to everyone? Dear god, what would have happened if I had asked him how his day went!"

I don't see voice acting as being some scourge on the RPG genre, but I'm certain some fans of old school RPG's out there will, and some of them, in their nostalgia fueled fury, will probably at some point try and tear me a new one and call me 'stupid' and complain about how 'streamlining is a blight on the world'. I won't care enough to respond so there's a heads up.