How much do you listen to voiced dialogue vs reading and skipping it

[THANKS]

I'm interested to see the split on this. In games like The Witcher or Final Fantasy XVI you can talk to NPCs and usually, if you press a button, you'll skip to the next line. This is usually disabled for cinematic cutscenes or big sequences.

I find that it's quicker to just read the subtitles and skip the voice acting. Even if the voice acting is good, if the games is 30+ hours, I get impatient eventually. Once I have the characters voice in my head, I can basically read it in their voice anyway.

Do you use this functionality? From the start of the game or, if the game is long, do you eventually start using it as a game goes quickly?

 

[jett]

I've learned to detest side quests and general NPC dialogue.

Forget bothering to hear voice lines, in TOTK I barely read what inane garbage characters in that game say.

 

[Rosebud]

I read very fast so always skip the voice acting if allowed

 

[LossAversion]

Never. I will reload my game if I accidentally skip a line of dialogue. OCD is fun!

 

[Diogo Arez]

I always press it, I read way faster than they talk and sometimes I just can't be bothered with listening everything

 

[Mekanos]

I am a fast reader but I usually don't skip. Though in my P5R playthrough after going through vanilla I fast forward the interrogation scenes because it's just constant exposition dumps lol

 

[Dark Knight]

Depends on the game. In XVI I find the quality of both the voice acting and the refreshingly interesting sidequest arcs and narratives too valuable to skip through in this manner.

 

[RiOrius]

I always try to skip on a good place in the dialog (ideally a sentence break), but yeah, I read quicker than the VA and I'm too impatient to listen to the whole thing, usually from the start of the game.

 

[Courfeyrac]

It really depends on the situation. A lot of the times I skip, it's when the lines are far too long for me to wait around for the voice to finish when I've already read the paragraph (happens a lot in Genshin Impact/Honkai Star Rail as some recent skips!).

Other times, if I'm really enjoying a game, I won't skip any voiced text.

One time I ended up skipping the voiced dialogue because it didn't sound anything like the voice I'd imagined for that character in earlier games.

 

[Habs]

Nowadays I just read and then immediately skip to the next line to save time.

A few years ago I would not skip for the first few hours of a game.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

It's entirely up to the quality of the performance.

"I can read faster than the actor" becomes a bogus argument in the moment the delivery of the actor is the appeal of listening.

If we are talking about, dunno, modern Zelda? "Why I can't skip this shit fast enough?"
If it's Vampire Bloodlines or Joker in the Arkham games? "Let me bask in the glory of this shit".

 

[ace3skoot]

I always play with subtitles, and I often read much quicker than dialogue is spoken, so unless I really enjoy the va performance I often skip at my reading speed, I still love classical final fantasy games that are dialogue heavy, but I read 2 books a week so I'm just inclined that way. Most video game va sucks IMHO

 

[Lowrys]

It's entirely up to the quality of the performance.

"I can read faster than the actor" becomes a bogus argument in the moment the delivery of the actor is the appeal of listening.

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This.

 

[SEATLiens]

I have never skipped dialogue without reading until I played Final Fantasy 16.

 

[King Alamat]

I'm mashing though that shit as soon as it's read. With some RPGs, I don't care how good the VO is, there ain't enough time in the world to wait through a minimally-animated mannequin plastered behind a text box, let alone potentially thousands.

 

[Menchin]

Skipping dialogue seems like a good way to get myself to quit a game faster. If I don't care about the story/characters why even play the game? And yes, I do let the characters finish their lines even if I read the subtitles before they're done

 

[oofouchugh]

If it's just a character talking to me in a dialogue system, I read and skip because I read so much faster.

 

[Kneefoil]

I usually start skipping even from the beginning of the game.

If the spoken language is a language I understand, skipping as fast as I can be very distracting, so in those cases, I try to skip to the next dialogue box wherever they sound like they finish an almost sensible thought, or wherever I think it might be funny.

 

[Lowrys]

Skipping dialogue seems like a good way to get myself to quit a game faster. If I don't care about the story/characters why even play the game? And yes, I do let the characters finish their lines even if I read the subtitles before they're done

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This is a really good point. In games like Bioshock or whatever that have a proper narrative, I do force myself to read the little in game notes or listen to the audiologs, to give myself the experience the devs intended.

I try to do the same with dialogue, but I will sometimes skip if it's filler nonsense.

 

[Deleted member 61531]

My hot take is that VA has been a net negative for gaming overall. Like sure, voice some games, but text boxes will get it done faster, cheaper, and better in most cases ive seen it used.

 

[Sanctuary]

I generally start skipping around the halfway mark, if not before. This is one reason why I'll always prefer games that, if they must have voice acting, they also have text and allow you to skip the dialogue. Some games just bloviate endlessly and I don't feel like sitting through five minutes of speech when I can just read it in sixty seconds or less. I've already heard how well the voice actors can act, and I'd rather just play the game.

Skipping dialogue seems like a good way to get myself to quit a game faster. If I don't care about the story/characters why even play the game? And yes, I do let the characters finish their lines even if I read the subtitles before they're done

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I guess you're just stating your reasoning behind playing certain games, but this thread wasn't about skipping dialogue in general, it was about skipping having to sit there and listen to the spoken version that typically takes anywhere from three times as long to twenty times as long to get through compared to just reading it. Why play? Why ever read a book?

 

[-Tetsuo-]

If i like a game a lot i turn subs off and listen to everything. I did that in the Witcher 3, i will in Baldurs Gate 3 and Starfield most likely. But like in FFXVI, i started that way and now i just skip even without reading cause most characters just blather on endlessly and uninterestingly.

 

[Geg]

I never ever skip dialog, ever.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

My hot take is that VA has been a net negative for gaming overall. Like sure, voice some games, but text boxes will get it done faster, cheaper, and better in most cases ive seen it used.

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I'm in complete disagreement.
And I say this as someone who's an avid and FAST reader since childhood (so I have no problem keeping up with "text boxes").

 

[LastNac]

As a Dialogue Designer in the industry, I love all of those that don't skip.

That shit is hard work and time costly.

It means something when it's appreciated

 

[LastNac]

Never. I will reload my game if I accidentally skip a line of dialogue. OCD is fun!

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I never ever skip dialog, ever.

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Fucking heroes.

 

[Volken]

Depends on how good the voice acting is.

 

[Waxy]

For side quests especially I just read the subtitles and skip the voice dialogue. I read faster than they say the lines and having to listen to side quest dialogue which itself tends to be overly long and boring gets tedious. FFXVI is a prime example. I skip through all the side quest dialogue every single time.

TBH I know many probably don't share this but I much prefer if every line of dialogue was not spoken. I'd rather read side quest and NPC dialogue than listen to the dialogue and skipping the dialogue mid sentences doesnt sound good lol. Main story beats are good for me, the rest just give me dialogue boxes. It's part of the reason I never want Zelda to go full voice acting.

 

[alekth]

Only for annoying voice acting, excessively long diatribes or when I reload (Or sometimes on a soonish replay).

 

[oty]

i usually read the subtitles faster than the voice acting so i end up skipping it. when the game has great VA tho, I usually like to appreciate the voices

My hot take is that VA has been a net negative for gaming overall. Like sure, voice some games, but text boxes will get it done faster, cheaper, and better in most cases ive seen it used.

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good VA can deliver emotions a text box never could tbf

 

[Sanctuary]

If i like a game a lot i turn subs off and listen to everything. I did that in the Witcher 3, i will in Baldurs Gate 3 and Starfield most likely. But like in FFXVI, i started that way and now i just skip even without reading cause most characters just blather on endlessly and uninterestingly.

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Same. I find typically the games where I end up skipping the spoken dialogue and just reading text are JRPGs. Some of them just go on endlessly with the verbiage. Hell, even something like Octopath, which has text for everything actually displays the text at such a slow speed that I have to always advance even that too.

good VA can deliver emotions a text box never could tbf

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I never played Read Dead 2, so I can't speak on that, but the only games that actually did this for me would have been Bioshock, Uncharted 2, both of TLOU games, The Witcher 1 - 3, Mass Effect 1 - 2, MGS 1 - 3 and Deus Ex, Human Revolution and Mankind Divided. Most everything else has simply been "fine" on a good day to me.

 

[Geg]

Actually wait I'm sorry I lied, I can think of one instance where I did start skipping dialog but it was only because one specific character's voice acting was the worst shit I'd ever heard.

 

[Santar]

It all depends on what type of dialogue it is. If it's a naturalistic flowwing conversation I don't skip it. If it's a rambly long overwrought poorly worded wall of text in a rpg I might skip when I'm done reading it.
Most rpg writers really need to learn to be more concise with their dialogue. People keep screaming for voices in Pokemon and I'm like have you seen the dialogue in those games? It's not written to be spoken out loud.

 

[Oreiller]

Yeah, I'm skipping that shit. Games where I can't skip spoken dialogue are the worst.

 

[Doc Laserstein]

I only start skipping if it's a game I've played through multiple times.

 

[Menchin]

I guess you're just stating your reasoning behind playing certain games, but this thread wasn't about skipping dialogue in general, it was about skipping having to sit there and listen to the spoken version that typically takes anywhere from three times as long to twenty times as long to get through compared to just reading it. Why play? Why ever read a book?

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To me the delivery matters just as much as (sometimes more than) the written words. A good performance can take dialogue that would read as somewhat inane and flat and elevate it to something that I would enjoy listening to but maybe wouldn't like reading. I will say that one game where I actually agree with you is Diablo 4 and the little voice acted notes that you occasionally find in dungeons, sometimes those actors read so incredibly slowly that it starts to grate on even me

 

[raspberrymousse]

Almost always skip once I'm done reading the subtitle which is normally a lot quicker. FF XVI was pretty bad for this in particular imo, so much unnecessary waffle.

 

[Deleted member 61531]

good VA can deliver emotions a text box never could tbf

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Phenomenal VA can elevate a situation, but "good" (as in typical, professional quality) VA is just kind of there, makes things take longer, narrows the available band of "readings" of the game content to something that is often informed by precedent and typecasting.

Its also completely responsible for the wooden shot-reverse-shot robot talking head stuff that I don't think anyone has ever said anything good about.

I've definitely played games where I was blown away by the VA, but 95% of voiced games are not those, and are sometimes actively alienating for a number of reasons.

 

[Samaritan]

I tend to skip voiced dialogue only if it's for something unimportant, like an uninteresting side quest or a voice line I've already heard a dozen times before.

 

[Sanctuary]

I will say that one game where I actually agree with you is Diablo 4 and the little voice acted notes that you occasionally find in dungeons, sometimes those actors read so incredibly slowly that it starts to grate on even me

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LOL. What really bugs the shit out of me in that game is when you pick up something that has dialogue, but even when you skip the voice acting part, there can be this HUGE box of text that simply will not go away until the voice acting catches up to the end. It blocks much of the screen too. Like what were they thinking?

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

Almost always skip once I'm done reading the subtitle which is normally a lot quicker. FF XVI was pretty bad for this in particular imo, so much unnecessary waffle.

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Yeah, the side quests NPC in ff16 don't know when to shut the fuck up.

 

[oty]

Phenomenal VA can elevate a situation, but "good" (as in typical, professional quality) VA is just kind of there, makes things take longer, narrows the available band of "readings" of the game content to something that is often informed by precedent and typecasting.

Its also completely responsible for the wooden shot-reverse-shot robot talking head stuff that I don't think anyone has ever said anything good about.

I've definitely played games where I was blown away by the VA, but 95% of voiced games are not those, and are sometimes actively alienating for a number of reasons.

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ehhh i dont agree with that. i literally cannot imagine games like Uncharted, GTA, etc with constant text boxes lol. these games actively benefit of VA almost every instance

 

[-Tetsuo-]

Same. I find typically the games where I end up skipping the spoken dialogue and just reading text are JRPGs. Some of them just go on endlessly with the verbiage. Hell, even something like Octopath, which has text for everything actually displays the text at such a slow speed that I have to always advance even that too.



I never played Read Dead 2, so I can't speak on that, but the only games that actually did this for me would have been Bioshock, Uncharted 2, both of TLOU games, The Witcher 1 - 3, Mass Effect 1 - 2, MGS 1 - 3 and Deus Ex, Human Revolution and Mankind Divided. Most everything else has simply been "fine" on a good day to me.

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Yea i speed read through VO stuff in JRPGs and in these recent slew of european semi rpgs like Dying Light and Horizon. Its like they think every single NPC you come across is the most interesting character ever and they talk so much. Its crazy. Wrap it up, B.

 

[RivalGT]

I dont usually bother with subtitles, 99% of the time when gaming I'm using headphones, so I can hear just fine. I prefer games that let you continue playing while a voice clip is playing. If its a story base game I'm not skipping anything, voiced or reading text.

If given the option subtitles are getting turned off 100% of the time

 

[J Silverhand]

I only skip if it's a repetitive line (e.g., vendor dialogue like "Some may call this junk, me I call them treasures" or "Top notch swords!").

 

[Deleted member 6263]

I do that all the time, start the game out wanting to hear/read everything and then by the 4 hour mark I'm like "read skip read skip read skip"

 

[Conf]

Skip after reading from the start and then very often just skip outright if I don't care much about the story.

 

[JCal]

I read everything and listen to everything. I'd never skip. That's why all of my playthroughs are extended playthroughs, lol.

 

[Kuro]

If the VA is bad its an easy speed read. If the content of the writing is bad its a skim. If the content is straight up offensive to grace my eyeballs I mash the confirm button.

 

[Yibby]

I skip sidequests. Depends on how interesting they are.