A RP game without bubbles is like a FPS without guns or ammunition.

 

Silly.

 

Afterall, this is still a MMO-RPG- right? Or is the RPG removed these days?

 

Bump for justice!

 

What I don't get is during the beta you could actually enable them with a simple ini tweak so really it's not like the chat bubbles need to be implemented.

 

If this game does not get chat bubbles, it will die a quick death. Chat bubbles= better social interaction.

Posting my unyielding support for this - chat bubbles and chat animations. DO EET NOW.

You know, talking with people in game on RP servers ... I am finding that the lack of this chat bubble dynamic is actually considered "more game breaking" than say some stupid 1ms delay on a useless skill used during a warzone.

 

Everyone has their own list of "game breaking" items. Even the devs. Its too bad the devs don't think community interaction features like chat bubbles is worth their time to work on sooner then never.

this needs to be done!

simple.. add chat bubble. if you dont like the chat bubble. then take it off. "an option(on/off) would be great for ppl that dont like this chat bubble.

The only MMO I've ever remembered playing that hat chat bubbles was Second Life, and I can't really call that a game, more like a video chat room...

 

And wow, were they annoying. In a busy area, you couldn't tell who was saying what, or read them before they got obscured by someone else's bubble...

 

But then again, I play MUDs/MUSHes where prose in a window is the way it's done.

 

Count me in the "leave the option off" crowd. And if that happens to be the majority, bubbles won't help get noticed except by the few. I guess we won't find out which camp has more people in it until they try it.

 

However, what UI "big projects" would you say are less important to do? Because something like this probably ranks up there in complexity, and isn't a quick fix.

As an RP'er myself, I would really appreciate chat bubbles (speech bubbles?!). Been playing for a few weeks now and haven't had ONE single interaction with other players (other than the occational "smile"/"wave" emote) and it's litteraly killing it for me. And it's really too bad because I really dig the storyline/quests so far, but player interaction is ruined IMHO. I will surely keep playing until my free month runs out, but after that... I really don't know. So PLEASE Bioware, get that minor issue fixed, so we can all move along and enjoy the game. And just enable the On/Off toggle, for players that don't like them. It's not like it's rocket science, man.

 

I seriously thought chat bubbles had become a standard feature in MMORPG's, since early 2000's. But... I guess not.

Edited January 4, 2012 by KongHalvdan

Greetings, Bioware developers working on Star Wars: The Old Republic!

 

We really, really need a client-side option to enable chat bubbles for /say and possibly /yell and /emote chat to appear above character's heads and display the text that they type into those chat channels.

 

Socializing, roleplaying and even multiplayer combat, both PVE and PVP with other players is incredibly tedious without them.

Many people prefer to have their eyes on the action, which means they miss the chat around them when they focus on the action. Some choose to focus on the chat and miss the action entirely - forget to heal their mates, etc..

 

That's why we need an option to turn on chat bubbles (speech bubbles). Make it an optional toggle on/off option so every user can decide for themselves if they want chat bubbles to show on their client or not.

 

There are some visually impaired people that would thank you for chat bubbles as well.

 

Also, if there are indeed performance issues with the speech bubbles still (reportedly, that's why Bioware removed them during beta), a toggle option will give the users a chance to either sacrifice performance for playability and turn the chat bubbles on or turn them off and gain some performance.

 

Everybody wins! So please, developers, I beg you dearly to add chat bubbles already, they are an essential part of MMOs for many players. Thank you very much!

 

PS.: While at it, please add some speaking animations when saying something in chat to complement chat bubbles as well (there is a nice animation bount to the /talk emote already, perhaps you wish to use that one).

 

I don't want chat bubbles, period.

The main reason I joined SWTOR is because I wanted to roleplay in it and begin a new epic Star Wars adventure. I have RP'd for about 5 years in games now and I have to say, this no chat bubbles thing is really bad news. I hope to god its fixed or I just won't enjoy the game. It's a beautiful game, the stage is set for some really awesome RP but the lack of at least chat bubbles is killing it for me. I am just one standard RPer but I know, very well, that I can safely say, on behalf of every one of them out there that chat bubbles are a MUST if RP is to exist.

 

And as others have said, it's not just RP but the social interaction all together.

 

Understandably, in games like SWG, chat bubbles got out of control, but in the likes of WoW - they didn't. It makes sense for there to be an option to enable or disable them. Because if they don't arrive or aren't announced to be arriving I will just go back to another game where I can find the proper tools to RP. The tiny chat frame atm is just not enough in any way.

 

But by now the devs will know all of this so we can only wait for the announcement.

There are/were some chat bubbles in late beta, it's something they're just not finished with yet. They're coming.

There are/were some chat bubbles in late beta, it's something they're just not finished with yet. They're coming.

 

I hope so! Makes me worry less reading your post

It probably would have made it into release if the game had been pushed back, but for any number of reasons, the game was released in December. So, it's just something we have to wait on.

Without reading anything more than topic i agree 100% with the topic

/sign bubbles, I need!

yesss

Chat bubbles.

Yes please.

It probably would have made it into release if the game had been pushed back, but for any number of reasons, the game was released in December. So, it's just something we have to wait on.

Well, we were promised several times before release (both in beta, at interviews and the fansite summit) that they were a high priority feature to be implemented for launch or shortly after if they didn't make it.

What worries me and many others, however, is that there has been no mention of chat bubbles from developers since and the general silence when the topic is mentioned to the developers, be it via forums, PMs or twitter.

 

It would be nice to get a heads-up that chat bubbles are still slated as "high-priority" and indeed slated to be added to the game soon to ease the minds of all the players that rely on them to be able to enjoy the game especially before the time to pay their first monthly fee is due.

 

Heck, even an inofficial, working way to turn on chat bubbles via .ini tweak would be great at this point - at least until they can iron out any problems with them and add them to the official preferences.

 

Otherwise, many roleplayers and socializers may cancel the subscription to the game before the first payment is due, which would be a great shame. Bioware would be doing themselves a great disservice if they'd let that happen.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Glzmo

Sorry but me dont "need" chat bubbles you want them as do quite a few others. For many others myself included they are pretty much irrelevant not that I begrudge the devs adding these if they see fit.

This is an easy feature that would help the roleplay side of the game tremendously.

 

But it would also help in simple situations like group quests and flashpoints.

 

Plenty of times I have tried to get the attention of groupmates by using /say and /yell when they did not respond to party chat.

 

Having a little chat bubble pop up that says "DON'T STAND IN THE FIRE" can make a world of difference for players new to MMO group dynamics, or simply asleep at the keyboard.

We need CHAT BUBBLES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, just put "chat bubble option" in your priority updates features, thats destroying my role play man!!

Again, this something even a lot of non-RP'ers want; it makes communication SO MUCH easier, and with the ability to disable them, everyone is happy!

This topic should never leave the front page. Not until a dev finally chimes in with their intentions about the feature. It was a multi-thousand thread in beta, and its fast growing across multiple threads after launch. How could they ignore it? Yet they respond to some topics which were never brought up before, and no one (other then the OP) care about.