Likes or dislikes you might want to see (or not?)

[Tinfeather]

Nope, not part of the team, but I figured what the heck. This area has nary a post, so why not start a discussion.

What sort of things do you like, or not like, or only like in certain circumstances? What you've run across in other games, for instance.

For me - picking one, since we can't really discuss or compare mechanics or gameplay...

Cutscenes.

These, to me, are all in how they're done. When done sparingly (and well,) introducing a "chapter" or the very beginning (or post-)mission - they can add some nice flavor, perhaps make sure you get a clue or direction to how things are going. When they cut in in the middle of a scene or mission, especially if it's from someone running to the side and happening across a trigger point, they're jarring and tend to immediately pull me out of the action, nine times out of ten.

Some of the things I'm thinking about may not really fit "cutscenes" - narration might be a better term for some. For instance, if you've ever seen Myth or Myth II (old Bungie game,) they've got a "parchment" with illustration (that changes as the narration goes on) and you can read what the narrator's saying - and cut out of it if you're playing through for the tenth time. They tend to "bookend" missions. But it adds a nice bit of flavor there. Not quite sure how it'd work in an MMO, quite honestly. Perhaps something like that (as opposed to reading NPC text) when you're introduced to an important new area, group, expansion, something *big* so it's not overused.

A minus, to me... well, if you play City of Heroes, the Imperious task force, for instance, where Romulus is Nicti-fied. Not only is it jarring out of a flow of action, but people set up macros specifically to place themselves at certain points and have their "dialog" and other comments show up. Plus, you can't get *out* of them.

Will our intrepid development team find reason to use them in Clockwork Symphony? Will they make it in time? And who is the man in the mack, and why was he lurking in the alleyway?

[Trike]

Hey all, short-time reader, first-time writer....

I'm not a fan of extensive cutscenes.  A good one, every once in a while... not so bad.  But as Tinfeather says, as they are often utilized in CoH where they interrupt the action, disrupting the flow, is exactly the wrong way to do it.  As an introduction to a scenario or a zone, or a capstone to an event, sure.  As long as they're short.  Less is more.

[Steampunkette]

Any cutscenes we might hope to do would likely occur at the very end of an expidition or adventure. And basically cover up the loading-screen on your way back to the main-world map >.>

So have no fear of long-winded cutscenes that hack into the action and take away your fun!

-Rachel-

[Gear Meister]

Agreed , if you're running along and about to engage in battle...then pause...cutscene , is very jarring. If they occur at a point when the player or team are stopped, as in the end of mission, it certainly would be an improvement.

As for likes and dislikes, personally I don't like NPC repetitive voice over greetings, as in talking to a merchant or whatnot. A primary contact that has dialog that is non-repetitive is fine, but not every time you go to trade or sell.

~GM

[Anaesthesia]

hehe aaawww...but don't you just enjoy that Cute Vendor boy saying over and over again "Salutations Friend!" Like it was one of the few phrases he was ever taught in life?

Hehe but seriously yeah it can get annoying especially if for what ever reason you have to keep going to the same vendor in a short amount of time....makes them seem a little under educated in the Vocab area...and personally makes me want to enroll the NPCs along with many Players in the Fantasy Realms Grammar School >.>

[Miyamoto]

Hmmm... I understand the whole thing though with the NPCs... Voice Actors like to make too much money :x And you don't want to make the game too big by logging it down with voice files....

But my dislikes are things like textual issues.... I played a lot of Japanese/Korean/Chinese imports, and I can't tell you how annoying it is when they mistranslate, or mispell a word so bad you can't even read it :S I know this isn't a Oriental Import (Right?) but text that is almost impossible to read is very annoying... :S

Also, bad customer support e.e Very much dislike. Haha.