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[Mad Season]

I seem to be addicted to it. Always have it on
Allows me to understand what they're saying when there is ambient chatter going on

 

[Dysun]

I always leave them on as well. In games they aren't distracting due to all the other HUD elements usually present

 

[pakkit]

It's wrong not to.

I get really peeved when subtitles don't show up for a conversation I'm eavesdropping in on (e.g. GTA pedestrian chatter).

 

[Broken Joystick]

All the time. I like reading. Plus sometimes there's other shit going on and you can't hear the character, subs help.

 

[Social]

It's a must. Then you realise they are 5px big

 

[amnesiac]

Always on. Really sucks how they are always tiny though.

 

[Modest Mauser]

I wish more games had better thought out subtitle font/size/placement

 

[Mad Season]

I wish more games had better thought out subtitle font/size/placement

How would you do it? I'm curious

 

[Tohsaka]

I always have them on.

 

[Kalamoj]

Always on.

 

[roytheone]

Always on. To afraid to miss it when something important is being said.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

I often play without any sound, so they are very important to me in most games.

 

[RoboPlato]

Never for anything in English. Games are really bad about pacing subtitles with conversations. Winds up ruining the moment when you read stuff far in advance of them actually appearing in game. I read very fast too so the issue is compounded.

 

[Iksenpets]

Always. I find it hard to consistently understand dialog in game without them since you're focused on other things, and unlike a movie, you don't always have a close up on an actor's face with accurate lip sync to help you out visually.

 

[KJRS_1993]

Always on. If they're off by default, they're the first option I look for to turn on when I start playing.

 

[Thoraxes]

I only do it in games with VA work I want to skip.

I've turned them completely off for the Witcher 3 though.

 

[Matty77]

Always on. I am usually listening to something else, but even when I am not I leave them on.
As I have said before and will probably end up saying again at some point in the future I actively avoid games without them.

 

[Mr-Joker]

I am profoundly deaf in both ears, so I need them on.

How would you do it? I'm curious

I would make the fonts bigger and not at the bottom of the screen.

 

[Philippo]

Not a native english speaker so yeah, always have them turned on, but try to look at them the less as an exercise.

 

[Modest Mauser]

How would you do it? I'm curious

Ideally letting you configure them in a menu so you could set a size/placement that suits the player. Lots of newer games have tiny UI text that extends to tiny subtitle text, especially when playing on a television that sits at a distance.

 

[Subaru]

Since english is my second language, it's essential to me.

 

[Black Hat]

Can't do it.

I read too fast and sometimes have read the entirety of the subtitle before the character even speaks.

 

[Card Boy]

Always, i even do it for movies and shows. It helps me remember names and places, cuts through shitty audio and makes dialogue easier to follow. Every game should have it for deaf people aswell, AC1 was a failure because of it's no subtitles.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Nah, I usually wear headphones when I'm gaming. I also notice that I focus on the subtitles instead of the action when I have them on.

I do turn them on if there is dialogue I can't understand though.

 

[secretanchitman]

Always no matter what. Same goes for tv shows and movies.

 

[quesalupa]

I leave them on because half the time the music and sound effects are too loud to hear what anybody is saying.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

I keep them on, more for gameplay than cutscenes so I don't miss anything.

 

[Mad Season]

I often play without any sound, so they are very important to me in most games.

No sound? Man you're missing a lot of immersion?

 

[Kilvas]

Ever since I couldn't hear what the characters were saying at the end of Red Dead Redemption because of a random storm, I always play with them on.

 

[Mors_Verigo]

Always. Also essential when watching Game of Thrones. You miss one sentence and you're behind on a story line.

 

[Stitch]

Always on. The soundmix in almost every game is terrible.

 

[BumblebeeCody]

Got Xenoblade for 3DS, opening cutscene has subtitles, *during gameplay* (start > options > subtitles > off).

Main reason being that I find it hard not to read subtitles when I want to focus on the cutscene.

 

[Theanine3D]

I usually do. Even with English games.

Sometimes characters are voiced with thick accents, and the subtitles help me ensure I'm understanding all the dialog right. Other times it's a game where there's so much action and sound effects in the background that it can just be too difficult to understand what a character is saying on top of it all.

 

[NewVegasDog]

I turn them on all the time. Usually I have a hard time understanding what people are saying. But also I do manage to catch other conversations I don't even hear.

 

[border]

Oftentimes the subtitles will display dialogue that is ambient or too faint to be heard amongst the other in-game sounds. Rarely does this yield essential or crucial information, but you get more of the flavor bits game designers put into a world.

For Assassin's Creed Unity, I changed the spoken dialogue to French and left on the English subtitles, since Ubisoft were too cowardly to actually include French accents on the characters.

 

[Circinus]

Me as well. English isn't my native language, so it's easier that way for me.

 

[sn00zer]

You mean microscopic chicken scratch?

 

[MultiJhonny]

I leave them on whether they are on English or Japanese VAs. It just seems right for me lol

 

[PurpleSquid]

Always have them on. Hate when its not on by default, hate it even more when they use size 2 font

 

[Bedameister]

I mostly do since I'm playing them in English even though I'm not a native English speaker. So I don't understand everything and subtitles help me.

 

[Springy]

Off if I can help it. Most games implement subtitles terribly anyway, and I don't have any issues with disability or accessibility that would be aided by them.

 

[entremet]

I do because most gaming sound mixes are horrible.

The BG noise/music tends to muffle the dialog.

Only a few studios do this well, but not enough for me to stop using subs.

 

[MikeE21286]

Always always always

I'm the same with movies too. Helps me understand and remember names and words and places better.

 

[AngryPuppyEsq]

Pretty much always. One exception was Portal 2, I found subtitles spoiled the pacing of the humour.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

I always have them on. I have younger siblings and background noise distracts me from key plot points and the like.

 

[dead souls]

Always on. The soundmix in almost every game is terrible.

Exactly what I came in here to post. There are so many games where I can't make out a damn thing being said, a problem I never have with movies/television shows.

 

[Mad Season]

Oftentimes the subtitles will display dialogue that is ambient or too faint to be heard amongst the other in-game sounds. Rarely does this yield essential or crucial information, but you get more of the flavor bits game designers put into a world.

For Assassin's Creed Unity, I changed the spoken dialogue to French and left on the English subtitles, since Ubisoft were too cowardly to actually include French accents on the characters.

how good is the french dialogue?

 

[BumblebeeCody]

Pretty much always. One exception was Portal 2, I found subtitles spoiled the pacing of the humour.

Another good point too. Jokes/Plot points are often ruined in advance with less impact.

 

[Matty77]

No sound? Man you're missing a lot of immersion?

Beyond non-gameplay reasons that some people may have legitimately everyone is different. Not only do I not find sound aiding that aspect for me, there are a lot of video game specific things from bad voice acting, repetitive sound effects, ost's that do nothing for me, and licensed music that outright annoys me that a lot of the time for me sound is immersion breaking.

 

[RurouniZel]

Every time.