OP
OP
Place yo' bets: Will Starfield have a voiced protagonist?
- Thread starter TissueBox
- Start date
Online game with almost no NPCs originally, so character speech wasn't a big issue.
Starfield is a big single-player epic sci-fi adventure focused on story and character interaction between multiple factions (and likely aliens). OF COURSE they're going to continue the trend from Fallout 4 and have a voiced protagonist.
Wait, Bethesda actually admitted this? I'm surprised, but also glad if they acknowledged it.
I assumed it would since it was announced. I also thought it would have limited player choice as a result. Just like Fallout 4.
Oooo oooo tough one.
I think yes. I think the new IP affords them a chance to take another shot at it if they want to. I don't think the voiced protag was the biggest issue with Fallout 4's dialogue at all, but forcing 4 options for each dialogue choice coupled with deliberately weak writing (lead writer imposed a "keep it simple stupid" rule on all narrative and dialogue), which is the weirdest choice they've ever made and the part I hope they've learned their lesson on. And it wouldn't be hard to offer a silent protag option for those who dislike that in particular.
I think yes. I think the new IP affords them a chance to take another shot at it if they want to. I don't think the voiced protag was the biggest issue with Fallout 4's dialogue at all, but forcing 4 options for each dialogue choice coupled with deliberately weak writing (lead writer imposed a "keep it simple stupid" rule on all narrative and dialogue), which is the weirdest choice they've ever made and the part I hope they've learned their lesson on. And it wouldn't be hard to offer a silent protag option for those who dislike that in particular.
Fallout 4 lead Todd Howard: dialogue system "didn't work as well"
"For us, we take that feedback. I think long-term."
Fallout 76's dialogue system already goes back to the same 3/NV style.
It does though, because it's a very important difference.
I agree that mute/silent protagonists are generally not acceptable anymore in games that feature dialogue. Else you will have the Half-Life effect where everyone talks to you, but you never respond for some reason.
But in RPG's the main characters aren't mute. That they do not have voiced lines is a very deliberate choice to improve the role playing and the dialogue options, since those games usually have thousands of different voice lines and variations based on choices, character builds, etc. that would be almost impossible budgetwise to all voice.
I mean, one just has to look at Fallout 4 in comparison to Fallout New Vegas or even Fallout 3 and you can clearly see that the amount of dialogue and the complexity of the choices were massively downgraded in Fallout 4 to accomodate the fact that there is now voice acting.
And it's not a one fits all concept of course, because there are very good WRPG's with voice acting for the main character (Witcher, Mass Effect), but those games generally work with characters that are, at least partly, already set in stone by the developers. You cannot shape Geralt or Shepard exactly how you want to, they have their set position and role in the world and therefore it's easier to sell them a certain voice.
Bethesda games (and other RPG's), however, work with blank slate characters that you completely shape to your preferences and then them having a pre-determined voice and manner of speaking can feel really off. The voiced lines is a big reason why Fallout 4 didn't work for so many people.
