So here it is:
All the conversations for one path for the fort infiltration have been completed. You can now taunt and jeer goblin, orc and ogre champions into single combat. At least in theory. The conversations are done but I am holding off scripting until the conversations for all three paths are done. I know once Is start scripting I will go and complete all three paths and still have no other conversations completed.I have to thank the bioware forum members who threw in ideas for taunts and intimidation lines. This set of conversations actually went a lot faster then I thought it would.
With the combat path complete I am trying to get into the dialog path (bluff and diplomacy). The 1st out of 4 conversations is about 3/4 complete. Having 7 companions with a party of 4 (3 companions and the PC) is quite the undertaking. The number of drop throughs to allow almost all different combinations without redundant lines is time consuming. I am trying to create a little bit of banter between the companions and allowing the PC multiple options with these conversations has quickly become a web of drop throughs, links and whatnots.
The 1st conversation set went fairly fast, the second is much slower. I keep finding myself doing different things in the toolset instead of writing conversations. I have put a stop to all new load screens until I send out the Beta for testing. But then I went and started finding custom portraits for the companions and larger role NPC. -If anyone has a good picture of a bald female half-fiend with horns and flaming halo let me know... See previous screens shots; she must be there somewhere. - I also got sucked into creating blueprints. Artechoke's doppelganger and gibberling both needed some blueprints in my toolset even though I have no current plans to use them (and all the areas have been created). Once I was one the blueprint kick I started creating demon blueprints from the fiendish codex. The trolloc models on the vault make a great demon, I just now need some boot models to make humans and tieflings have hooves. but then again none of this has anything to do with conversations....
Episode 83: Alpha Testing (Stage One)
2 weeks ago
1 comment:
Hi Shaughn,
Conversations ... what a headache they can be!
For not only do we have to give good responses for one character, but also consider the response of others possibly involved ... or even instead of the original (due to being absent)!
I must confess I ended up making a design decsision to restrict myself to the amount of potential responses due to the huge amount of work that could otherwise be involved. And to help achieve a degree of "organic" flow to the conversations, I designed another system (of course). ;)
The bottom line was, I felt having frequent good one or two lines from companions every now and then may be more "character building" than longer speeches further apart. I may be wrong in this, but it was the design decsision I took, which (so far in testing) has proven quite fun to see work and even wriite for. :) (Which is a great bonus for the builder!)
The basic principle involves looking for a "priority" response PC, but defaulting to a "PC type" or just a simple "default" if need be. This then only involves having to write for 3 potential paths: The first of which is very pertinent, the second reasonably pertinent and teh last just (hopefully) a well written catch all.
I look forward to seing how your own conversations work out as well. :)
Lance.
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