Topic

Too many words

OK, one of the things I like most about this game is the humour. But after the first few weeks I got to the point that if the rock or the frog or some tree is talking to me I'm going click-click-click - oh bugger, I needed to read that bit, too late can't go back now. The thing is, there are far too many messages, and if I'm in the middle of trying to do something, or just accept a quest, the funny comments are just getting in the way. There is a balance, and the balance is not correct now I think. And with the 'talk to me' from trees etc that offer to tell me the 'backstory' I don't have the patience to read it all. I am not the kind of person who will spend hours reading about strategy and setting up everything perfectly, I just want to get in there and do stuff. So I reckon about 2/3 of the words could be cut from the dialogues. (Sorry, I'm also an editor IRL). And I have probably said too many words now. :(

Posted 15 months ago by Emu Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • Actually I like the words a lot.  I totally agree though, at some point they just get in the way.  Perhaps the game could keep track of which messages we've seen and then after a certain level only show us new messages, or cut down on the rate of messages overall?  The delivery frog is an example of where there should be more variety and then a cutback on dialog after say level 15...?
    Posted 15 months ago by Wondre Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I like all the verbiage but have a terrible memory; so when an NPC continues a story it started telling me a week before, I've lost the thread. It'd be nice if there was some way to refresh my memory (e.g. an additional penpersonship 'note-taking' skill).
    Also, I second Wondre's thoughts on the yoga frog; cute at first, but wears thin pretty quickly. And you can't just ignore it like you can with the trees, you have to click 'OK' or whatever.
    Posted 15 months ago by Bobby Chuckles Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I love the stories but I also get impatient.  I take screen shots so I can read it later after the game closes.
    Posted 15 months ago by Brib Annie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I just press OK, I do the same in other games, I don't care about the stories, but I do like the piggies, they always say the cutest things. 
    Posted 15 months ago by Natalia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I feel inclined to read them all, especially the tales and secrets revealed by the trees, rocks, animals, et al. Someone put time and effort into it, least I can do is enjoy their handiwork.

    It can get a little frantic when you've got a few private conversations going, participating in chat, and Magicky Rocky decides to lay a new quest on you all at the same time. Kindly an acquired skill.
    Posted 15 months ago by malo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The talking "things" have been revealing interesting history. I just wish they appeared in Local Chat in case they get covered by another window (which often happens).
    Posted 15 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I have the attention span of gnat.  But I've been trying to focus and enjoy the great writing!
    Posted 15 months ago by Stormy Weather Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Not one thing spoke to me during this most recent test.  I love the story though, it's a lot of fun for me to read.  I do wish we could refer back to what's been said though because I've forgotten quite a bit already.  
    Posted 15 months ago by Reba Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i agree, little too longish stories and the bubble trees seem to tell the same long story over and over -- even if you just move two feet to the next bubble tree... don't need so much Exposition (Park)... :D
    PS - But sometimes, I wonder if I'll need that information later, like way down the road, and I will regret I didn't get the answers I need...
    oh well, too late now.
    Posted 15 months ago by Chetmo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 fokian fool
    Posted 15 months ago by acreditando Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I dig the talking, including the length. I think editing them down would make them feel less like conversation and more like a text book. Or a tutorial or exposition in a more boring game.

    But I agree that it'd be nice to have a log of the conversation, as it does have a tendency to get cut off at times.

    Perhaps if books were implemented those that don't want to read all the back story could ignore them and those that did want to read them could do so.... As it is, it's pretty easy to ignore trees and animals and rocks, but they could recommend books with exposition and back story. 

    The quest rock? Maybe instead of the quest popping up, it could just have the little red number by it (like it already does before the pop-up) and, once we're through the tutorial, we can just manually trigger it from then on. That way it won't interrupt what we're already doing.
    Posted 15 months ago by Quirk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree with Quirk...I just noticed that little red # by Rock's head and a few times I had a couple of seconds to stop what I was doing knowing that a quest was about to pop up, but still found myself annoyed with him and the inopportune times he seems to throw them at me. With all the learning that he gets you'd think he would be smart enough to just say 'hey Mix, got another one for ya when your ready. holla back...'
    Or even teach us how to click a little red # next to his head when we're ready to accept the next quest. Then again he is just a rock.
    Posted 15 months ago by Sir Mixalatte Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If I may make a recommendation:
    EQ2 has a series of choices for text type, namely verbose and terse.
    Perhaps an option that would turn off 'flavor' texts of rocks/trees/animals/etc. could be used. There are some players, such as myself (who hates his freaking editor and that rook red pen he always uses) that like the text and will be more than happy to point out especially good stuff for the non-readers to look out for.

    My point, don't cut the text, for my sake. If you must parse it, make it optional.
    Posted 15 months ago by Lilac Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wait — were you all getting the animals, trees and rocks to offering to talk to you during this last test? Because it is supposed to be off.
    Posted 15 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • You silenced all the living things?! I can't even begin to tell you how horrible that sounds! All those plants and animals living in fear that if they opened they little hearts up to one of us GOD would go *poof*!
    Posted 15 months ago by Skwid Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It was off this last test. At least none talked to me this test. 

    In fact, even the yoga frogs are much more brief.

    So maybe the quest text triggered the OP?
    Posted 15 months ago by Quirk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Also, Jujus talked to me, but I was too busy RUNNING to see what they were after.
    Posted 15 months ago by Quirk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This test I had no chat from trees or rocks but I normally enjoy the stories and always try to read them. However it's not always possible. I go check the local chat every time because it's very common to find it there in other games and I can't kick the habit. It would be a perfect solution... I could get back to it when the moment is right.
    Posted 15 months ago by Zira Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 Fokian Fool, and +1 Lilac.

    I definitely think a setting for verbose/brief would be nice, and as I am one of those people who really loves the stories (even at the points where I'm just DOING THINGS and want to page through as quick as possible) I'd hate to see them cut. But having the text show up in chat would also give me the option to scroll through and read things I've missed after the fact.

    Also, if people are screenshotting some of these entire exchanges, I'd sort of like to see them. I really hate when I only realize much later that I triggered a really great dialogue, glossed it, and have no idea how to get it back. 
    Posted 15 months ago by Haiku Subscriber! | Permalink
  • They will be coming back (improved)!

    The presentation for those conversations and the accompanying UI is not great — improvements also coming!

    And we will definitely have a way to archive/read them at your leisure, even if it is only have them appear in the local chat log.
    Posted 15 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thank you muchly! I think this is exactly what I wanted to hear on the matter, at least. C: 
    Posted 15 months ago by Haiku Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I will go ahead and buddy Stoot for that. Love the lab coat Stoot! +1
    Posted 15 months ago by Lilac Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Stoot
     whilst a local chat log would be good.  A journal would be fantastic.  Especially if recorded everything you did and said ;-)

    well maybe not every word
    Posted 15 months ago by Accy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Didn't notice whether trees etc trying to talk to me so I guess they weren't this test. But the rock & accomplishments and frog kept interrupting me with 4- or 5- part conversations, when I was about to die (have been on the verge of starvation all this test for some reason). So I got a bit frustrated. Also I've read a lot of it before but it's all in my face, can't get rid of it except by click-click-click
    Posted 15 months ago by Emu Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Personally I loved them not talking to me this time round. 
    I know some people adore all the weird and wonderful things that all the interactable objects come out with, as I often used to see people posting in chats about everything animals, shrines and trees say to them, but for me...not so much. Sorry!
    I read them, but they just don't do it for me, like they do for some others. Not my cup of tea really.   I don't hate them or anything, I just find them kind of pointless and mildly irritating, and they don't enhance my gaming experience at all.  If they could be made optional, that would be lovely :) I don't want to have the Psst! Ebil! Talk to me! things going on, as it's mildly creepy xD
    Posted 15 months ago by Ebil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 FF, although sometimes even that is scrolling by too quickly!

    I just wish that all interactions for backstory only happened once in the UI, and then went straight into a special Glitchian Trapper Keeper that I could read at my leisure.  

    I love the writing in Glitch so so so so so so much (was that enough so's?), but it is often too much, especially with quests popping up and chat convo's going on, and with all the visual stuff going on, not to mention RL distractions.

    As for the frog, I think we should have to go to the Ministry and arrange for "STFU delivery"--once paid, the frog drops his stuff and goes from there out.   It would actually be a bribe that would get passed via one of the desk agents to the croc in back who is always playing Farmville, and it would take several trips and convo's to actually get the bribe into the correct set of scaly hands.   And not currants...something from your pack--a reverse Rube as it were.
    Posted 15 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @stoot: Archiving all messages would be great (even a log that I could turn on so I could read them offline, if needed). There are so many times I miss the humor in the transient messages that appear and scroll off and wish I could read them somewhere after. Maybe a separate chat channel for messages so they don't get broken up if there is a lot of chatting going on in the current channel. Also, how about a "skip" button on backstory messages so I could fast forward past the repeating ones.

    Would you rather have this in the ideas area?
    Posted 15 months ago by BarryW Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Mostly things didn't try to talk to me this time around and I appreciated it. BUT !!! this test I had a rock talk to me and for the first time it was useful. A sparkly said to me as I walked by 

    "I am HUGE!" 

    And it did not lie :D Thank you for wooing me, triple sparkly. Are the usual stories that the trees & rocks tell relevant to game play or just fun to read in their own right?
    Posted 15 months ago by Aleph Zero Subscriber! | Permalink