What kind of dialog mechanic you want?

[ReyVagabond]

Personally I think the best one could be a improves Alpha Protocol system, that could be really grate for this game, the active conversation was really dynamic and could add a new layer of intensity to a game that is RTwP

 

But considering that ill have dialogs ala BG2 with some lines voiced having a timer could harm the player expirience but still I would love to have a to chose the mood of my next response and the read at my hearts content the grate lines of dialog Obsidian and his lead righter can create.

[metiman]

It's not going to have dialogue like BG2. It's going to have dialogue like Torment. So I don't think that awful dialogue system in AP would 'work' here.

Edited October 5, 2012 by metiman

[ReyVagabond]

Well Yeah the AP dialogue was aweful but the idea was good, and i want them to keep the idea but done it well.

 

But well thats just me.

[Ieo]

If the dialogue UI can't support something like this, it is automatically crap:

 

[metiman]

Actually I didn't mean that the dialogue was awful. I didn't read much of it so I don't have an opinion on the quality of the dialogue itself. I meant that the system of just indicating your mood instead of actually choosing a response was awful. Designed for an action game. I guess you could try to design a text heavy, philosophical game that way, but the very idea makes me cringe.

[Tale]

AP was a cinematic game. And that's what the dialogue system was designed for. It was fully voiced, looking at the characters from cinematic angles, with timers that helped make it more gamey, but also improved the pacing. You take away any of those, and it doesn't work as well. And it wasn't that great for roleplaying, for creating your own character. Voiced games never really are because they're more limited in dialogues and they define a voice pretty strictly. It was good for that, but not in general.

 

Project Eternity needs to be silent, with complex and numerous dialogue options. Voices and stance are right out. And I'm not sure that putting a timer on reading is a good idea.

 

Now, one thing I would love to see, but it is likely beyond the scope, is a sort of merger of Alpha Protocol and Storm of Zehir mechanics. At least in some limited form, maybe not every dialogue. You get your standard dialogue options you'd expect, the ones that allow you to characterize your own PC, but every now and then you get the ability to request an interjection from a companion that might have an effect. You don't get to choose how they interject, they just do it according to their personality style like the AP stances.

 

Say that you're trying to get info from a quiet shopkeeper. He doesn't respond to diplomacy or bluff, and your intimidate is low. So maybe you get your standard options to choose, but you also get a choice to hand it off to a companion. You can pick Aloth, he looks like a pretty abrasive guy, and he just lays in to the guy, scares him senseless until he gives up the info. But if you'd chosen Cadegund, maybe it wouldn't have gone anywhere. Or maybe it could have lowered your intimidate requirement so you could play good cop/bad cop. Just something to bring in the companions as conversation tools while still displaying their personalities.

[ReyVagabond]

Actually I didn't mean that the dialogue was awful. I didn't read much of it so I don't have an opinion on the quality of the dialogue itself. I meant that the system of just indicating your mood instead of actually choosing a response was awful. Designed for an action game. I guess you could try to design a text heavy, philosophical game that way, but the very idea makes me cringe.

 

Yeah its like i know that i want a mood sistem with heavy text, in one hand most of the new and junger gamers had not expirinced the the games that PE wants to bring back so they will have a hard time reading 4-8 lines of heavy dialog to respond whats your favorite colour.

 

But with a modd system as a gategay to the heavy text dialog, YES something like a tittle could end up as a dumbded way for those people that want to read everithing but still a big chunck of players dont love the heavy reading, and this could work in some way.

 

But who i´m kidding in one had i want that heavy text and in the other i want dunbdown gateway emotion tittle for others players that are not me, but i think could be a good thing if its well done in the long run making obsidian their new spin of the old stile and the new.

 

But well you are right metiman!

[metiman]

I don't think the heavy text is going to be a problem for the kickstarter campaign. That part of the pitch doesn't seem to be at all controversial. I'm sure it will turn off some segments of buyers when it goes to retail though. That's the price you pay for making the kind of game you want to make I guess.

[Radres]

I'm fed up with the classical three dialog choices (positive, negative, neutral) that you see in most of the late RPG's. I hope there will be at least two variants for every possible outcome of the dialog. Maybe you can choose to say something blunt or prefer a softer approach. Something that gives you a chance to define your character more deeply than the modern variants.

 

The GUI is for me not important.

[armitage]

One remark from my side, how the dialogs should NOT be - like in KOTOR! I love this game, but all this star wars good/evil scenario has reduced the number of decitions to one - am I good or am I evil. Decided once, you will click the corresponding dialog option again and again without thinking, because it is the only way to go your way. My all time favourite in this regard is of course Planescape:Torment, but also Dragon Age and Baldurs Gate had great dialogs.

[sparklecat]

Say that you're trying to get info from a quiet shopkeeper. He doesn't respond to diplomacy or bluff, and your intimidate is low. So maybe you get your standard options to choose, but you also get a choice to hand it off to a companion. You can pick Aloth, he looks like a pretty abrasive guy, and he just lays in to the guy, scares him senseless until he gives up the info. But if you'd chosen Cadegund, maybe it wouldn't have gone anywhere. Or maybe it could have lowered your intimidate requirement so you could play good cop/bad cop. Just something to bring in the companions as conversation tools while still displaying their personalities.

 

Love this idea. Anything where you can get extra bonuses based on knowing and understanding your companions and how they're likely to react to a situation, I like.

 

 

In general, what I hate is not knowing what my character is going to say when I'm picking an option, and having any sort of timer. The latter is just incredibly stressful to me; I quit AP after the very first conversation.

[Aldereth]

If resource only allow for picking something close to existing system, I would like to see it implement like Planescape: Torment. However, if resource allow for it, I would be more excited to see new innovation. I would like to see dialog system fully integrated into the game's core mechanic to the point that dialog is treated like combat attack or spells.

 

So for characters that understand (your PC's) language, you can initiate combat by selecting an insult, just as effective as you select different weapon or spell to start a fight. And during a fight, you have the option of either select a attack, a spell or a conversation. For a non-plot general opponent, the list of available conversation may just be the combat taunt we see in the infinity games but this time, with the right skill or stats, you could cause opponent to feel fear and run. And for combat with plot NPC, you can select specific things to say that could have different effects. Heck saying the right thing may win the NPC over to your side entirely, a much more permanet form of Charm Person.

[armitage]

If resource only allow for picking something close to existing system, I would like to see it implement like Planescape: Torment. However, if resource allow for it, I would be more excited to see new innovation. I would like to see dialog system fully integrated into the game's core mechanic to the point that dialog is treated like combat attack or spells.

 

So for characters that understand (your PC's) language, you can initiate combat by selecting an insult, just as effective as you select different weapon or spell to start a fight. And during a fight, you have the option of either select a attack, a spell or a conversation. For a non-plot general opponent, the list of available conversation may just be the combat taunt we see in the infinity games but this time, with the right skill or stats, you could cause opponent to feel fear and run. And for combat with plot NPC, you can select specific things to say that could have different effects. Heck saying the right thing may win the NPC over to your side entirely, a much more permanet form of Charm Person.

 

That would be great! I like.

[Archmage Silver]

I'd like to have something similar to Planescape: Torment, or possibly MotB - it's kind of needed because PE won't be fully voiced. And please, no timers. I like to read through the options.

[Umberlin]

On the whole? Better left to those with more knowledge of what exactly is being made, and what fits that . . . however, I will say this: "What you choose, and what is said, should be 100% accurate to one another." There should be no, little four word dialogue options that result in yoru character spouting a half paragraph. If they're going to spout that paragraph I want to know exactly what they're going to say ahead of time. In other words the dialogue selections should reflect the resulting dialogue that's to be spoken.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Full text. I also do not want the PC to speak unless I consent to it. The PC should never surprise me.

[Bos_hybrid]

No.

 

No voiced PC, no timed dialogue(which did work well for AP) and no cinematic cut scenes that force your character to stand idly by while something important happens.

[Sensuki]

IE style dialogue of course ...

[HumanFlesh+5]

has there anything been said about diplomacy oder something like speech skill? because concerning this obsidian's statement about "non combat abilities" was alarmingly closemouthed (can you actually say said?) ...

 

edit: i know they said that it will be possible to avoid fights with talking, but i'm thinking about getting special quests only by clever talking, using speech for better merchant prices, getting more lore information or convincing npc's to help you in your quest.

Edited October 8, 2012 by HumanFlesh+5

[Aldereth]

 

 

That would be great! I like.

 

Glad that you like my idea. I would really like to see PE or a future cRPG that would better "gamify" dialog mechanics that would make it as much fun to beat down monster as winning friends and affecting enemy with words.

 

I don't know maybe put a hit point bar for mental fortitude similar to a morale score. With conversation able to do damage or fill this bar.

[Rhulad]

I have always wanted an option to just stab an npc, especially if I already knew it was going to end in a fight.

[SesameTree]

No i don't think voiced dialoges are good thing. It would take way, way too much time and money

to put enough recorded dialogue to be on par with torment. I would prefer just text, with no audio.

 

I would however like to see extra dialogue options based on skills and abilities you have.

 

For example if you have enough skill in let's say alchemy you could conclude someone has been poisoned,

or if you are a wizard you could perform some magic through dialogue (charm someone for instance).

[Osvir]

This I feel strongly for; Leave VO for the fans, or have something basic "You click, I move" (the hilarity of Baldur's Gate soundsets <3). I'd prefer either, but making the game fully voiced over will, I believe and many others say it, simply cost too much time and money for Obsidian and it shouldn't be anything they should worry about or pull their hairs out about "Should we get actors to do the voices?". At this point, and heck even at a future point in development, I think this is (voices) one of their least concerns.

 

As long as they make it easy to implement your own soundsets and VO

[Osvir]

Bump;

 

Voice Auditions, I am sure that many of your fans would do this for free and you could hand-pick who/why/how. Cost effective too.

[Ieo]

Bump;

 

Voice Auditions, I am sure that many of your fans would do this for free and you could hand-pick who/why/how. Cost effective too.

 

There was at least one other thread suggesting this, which I can't find, and I think most of the arguments against could be boiled down to "logistical nightmare for auditions and scheduling and flying in to use proper audio equipment" etc. etc. It sounds neat on its face, but I think it'd be very impractical.