An update regarding voice acting in Guild Wars 2

[Kida.5863]

Can we please get an update on this? I've been avoiding playing the new episodes (and GW2 in general) until the voice acting is added because it just doesn't feel right without it. Really looking forward to playing through the updates when VOs land but not having a timeframe to look forward to is a bit of a bummer. Also worried about encountering stray spoilers during Mad King season. :(

[videoboy.4162]

I'm wondering if we'll get some VA added in with the Halloween update. The OP said they were recording in September and this will be the first update for October, so it sounds like there's a good chance.

[Tarek.4315]

Hello ArenaNet folks,

Any update here, it's been months since I've played the game because I cannot play it without sound. I find voice acting help me engage in the story and I am mostly a story/plot driven player. Much respect and empathy to all those who are hearing impaired, but saying "welcome to my world" is not exactly helping here. Shipping quality MMORPGs or video games in general without quality voice acting is sub-par. I don't know how other game producers are doing it, but this is the only major game shipping story installments without voice acting. The equivalent to those who are hearing impaired is shipping games without subtitles because of COVID. Just doesn't feel justified 7 months into a pandemic.

[TeeracK.3601]

Haven't played the game at all since the voice acting wasn't added besides logging in just to claim rewards. Please give an update on this.

[Tarek.4315]

For those following the thread, we now have an update here:https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/the-icebrood-saga-champions/

November 17th for releasing voice acting for the last two chapters.

[sewenewes.4176]

@Tarek.4315 said:

Shipping quality MMORPGs or video games in general without quality voice acting is sub-par.

Hearing impaired people have been playing a sub-par quality game since the launch of Heart of Thorns then.

@Tarek.4315 said:

The equivalent to those who are hearing impaired is shipping games without subtitles.

Exactly. Which is why it's frustrating that the "subtitles" are actually blocks of text farted into the chat box (if you are lucky and they actually appear there, quite a few stuff remains chat-bubble only) and get scrolled past very quickly while you have to fight or perform other tasks and so have no chance to actually read what is going on. I'm considered a quick reader, finishing a page of an average book under a minute with no compehension loss, but that doesn't help if I don't get the chance to even glance at the chat because I have to focus on the gameplay.

If there wasn't too much yapping then I can scroll back after everything is said and done and read the dialogue afterwards but that's like if you watched a movie without sound and then got to hear the sound separately right after. If there is a lot of talking I can't even do that because the chat won't scroll back after a certain point. This hampers my gameplay experience considering that I actually care to engage with the stories told in both Guild Wars 1 and 2.

I have originally posted in this thread because I believed this is a good opportunity to show the hearing majority what it's like to play this game when you can't follow the story naturally and so we could come up with ideas on how Arenanet could deliver their story better without necessarily going back to the old method of having characters awkwardly emote in front of a mostly static background. Even without covid, this situation can happen again. It sort of has been happening already if you remember Zojja. They can't get the voice actor back and haven't found a suitable replacement so the character got shelved with her story unfinished.

A change of delivery would benefit hearing players just as much as the hearing impaired ones since I've seen quite a few complaints about important bits of dialogue getting drowned out by combat sounds, overlapping with other lines, or going entirely unheard because the person wandered too far.

[Elric Of Melnibone.4781]

Have they still not done the voice action for No Quarter and Jormag Rising? I see they are releasing another chapter in two days why would they not finish the prior two chapters first???

[Loboling.5293]

Sadly, as I understand it, it's coming out the same day. It would've been great to have a week or more in my opinion.

[Elric Of Melnibone.4781]

Actually that's good news to me, I can catch up over my week off for Thanksgiving.

[Super Hayes.6890]

@Elric Of Melnibone.4781 said:Have they still not done the voice action for No Quarter and Jormag Rising? I see they are releasing another chapter in two days why would they not finish the prior two chapters first???

They did announce that voice acting would be added when the new episode releases. It's in the trailer too.

[Super Hayes.6890]

@Loboling.5293 said:Sadly, as I understand it, it's coming out the same day. It would've been great to have a week or more in my opinion.

Agreed, but I'm still glad we will have it soon.