Fun Stuff > CLIKC
Fallout: New Vegas
KvP:
There probably will be a way. If not, the modding community will be all over it.
KvP:
Also more design talk from Josh
--- Quote ---At work, we have a lot of rules for how to write. These range from punctuation (single-spacing after terminal punctuation) to spelling ("all right" vs. "alright") to structural (where a "goodbye" response should be relative to a "start combat" response and where that should be relative to a "friendly" response). Every project has a document (or documents) on the specific guidelines for that project. In spite of all the details, there are certain high-level principles that tend to be common. Okay, maybe it's just in my mind, but here are principles that I believe are important for writing player-driven dialogue in choice-heavy RPGs.
* Dialogue should inform and entertain players -- inform them about the world and quests, entertain them with interesting characters and prose. If you aren't informing or entertaining, think hard about what you're trying to accomplish.
* Write an outline. Really. Just do it. You should have an idea of where you are going before you set out. If you don't know where you're going when you write your conversation, chances are the player is going to get lost at some point.
* Always give at least two options. At a bare minimum, you should always have an option that says, "Let's talk about something else," that leads back to a node where you can say, "Goodbye." You may think that your dialogue is riveting and no one could possibly want to stop reading/hearing it, but believe me -- someone out there does.
* Never give false options. Do not create multiple options that lead to the same result. It insults players' intelligence and does not reward them for the choices they make.
* Don't put words in the player's mouth. With the exception of conditional replies (gender, skills, stats, etc.), phrase things in a straightforward manner that does not mix a request for information with an emotionally loaded bias ("I'd like to know what's going on here, jackass.").
* Keep skills, stats, gender, and previous story resolutions in mind and reward the player's choices. If it doesn't feel like a reward, it isn't; it's just a false option with a tag in front of it. Note: entertainment value can be a valid reward.
* The writing style and structure are the project's; the character belongs to you and the world. As long as the dialogue follows project standards and feels like it is grounded in the world, it is your challenge and responsibility to make the character enjoyable and distinct.
All of these principles exist to support this basic idea: your audience is playing a game and they want to be rewarded for spending time involving themselves with conversation. If it is a chore, is non-reactive, is confusing, or is downright boring, it is the author's failing, not the player's.
--- End quote ---
Felrender:
--- Quote ---Don't put words in the player's mouth. With the exception of conditional replies (gender, skills, stats, etc.), phrase things in a straightforward manner that does not mix a request for information with an emotionally loaded bias ("I'd like to know what's going on here, jackass.").
--- End quote ---
Oh thank god.
Storm Rider:
--- Quote from: Ptommydski on 01 May 2010, 11:49 ---This is legitimately the first time I have ever been genuinely excited about a video game.
Someone tell me they have a new cast for the voice-overs though. Assure me of that much, please!
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I dunno whether Bethesda or Obsidian handles that end of it, to be honest. Mask of the Betrayer had some pretty good voiceover, and what I've heard of Alpha Protocol's from various trailers seems pretty good as well. But if it's in Bethesda's hands, we can expect the usual pattern of two Hollywood people eating up 95% of the budget and the other 200 characters in the game being divided up among the same dozen shitty people they always use.
KvP:
I'm not sure who does it either, to be honest. Could depend on the publisher. From what I understand the VA contracts hammered out for Alpha Protocol came from Obsidian's end - MCA had mentioned that one of the original designers on the project had worked with Womb Music before on Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines and that was how they decided who to go to. But given that the publisher is the one that signs the checks I'm sure it's up to them, ultimately. Womb employs a lot of veteran VAs but they I don't think they've gotten Names in the past. Hopefully they vary it a bit.
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