Multiple PC lines from START entry

[Strig]

Hello again! I'd like to know how to make PC lines that lead down to separate conversation paths not appear as choices.

Here's the gist of it: I have two different dialogue paths, both set to appear at random from the START node once certain conditions have been fulfilled (image attached). However, instead of doing that, the system treats both paths as if they were choices in a single conversation.

What I want to do is make the Dialogue System treat each player node as completely separate from each other, so I can have multiple dialogue paths starting with the player saying something on their own, rather than using an input menu.

Thanks in advance!

[Tony Li]

Hi,

If you're asking how to go randomly down one path instead of the other, add RandomizeNextEntry() to the Script field of the preceding node that links to those two player nodes.

On the other hand, if the conversation should choose one path instead of the other based on conditions, set the Conditions fields of both player nodes.

If you're asking how to show the player node as a subtitle instead of a response menu, there are two ways:

1. Default to always showing the response menu:

• Keep the Dialogue Manager's Input Settings > Always Force Response Menu ticked.
• Add the markup tag [auto] to the player nodes' Dialogue Text. This tells the Dialogue System that, for this node only, show a subtitle instead of a response menu.

2. Only show the response menu when more than one player node is available:

• Untick the Dialogue Manager's Input Settings > Always Force Response Menu checkbox. Whenever there is only one available player node, it will show as a subtitle instead of a response menu.

In either case, if you want the player's subtitle to be visible, tick the Dialogue Manager's Subtitle Settings > Show PC Subtitles During Line.

[Strig]

Hmm, that doesn't really solve my problem. If I try using [auto], the conversation just jumps to that specific node.

To be a bit more clear: what I have are four nodes (two from an NPC, two from PC) coming out of START (like in the example pic). I'm using RandomizeNextEntry() to try and make them shuffle randomly, but it only works for the two NPC ones. Every solution I've tried so far either makes dialogue skip to a specific node (without the random effect) or treats PC Dialogue as a choice input menu.

What I want to do is make all four of these nodes appear randomly and as subtitles.

Thanks for the quick response, as always!

[Tony Li]

Hi,

RandomizeNextEntry() won't work in this case.

When the conversation decides where to go from <START>, it makes a list of all linked nodes whose Conditions are true. In your example above, the list will include all four nodes: [1], [2], [3], [4].

When an NPC node is in the list, the Dialogue System will always choose the first NPC node. It will show a player node only if the list contains no NPC nodes.

(Side note: Link Priorities are one way to control which nodes go into the list.)

In the case of RandomizeNextEntry() in your example, it will randomly choose from the NPC nodes.

Instead, you'll want to set the Conditions of all four nodes so that only one of them ends up in the list. Here's an example:

randomNodes.png (22.96 KiB) Viewed 808 times

The <START> node sets an internal variable x to a random number 1 - 4.

The nodes A, B, C, D all have conditions that require x to be a specific value.

Between <START> and A, B, C, D, we add an empty node that delays evaluation because Conversations Evaluate Conditions One Extra Level Ahead.

In the image above, I assume the Dialogue Manager's Input Settings > Always Force Response Menu is unticked, and Subtitle Settings > Show PC Subtitle During Line is ticked.

[Strig]

I see. Tried it out and it worked! I'll keep this pipeline in mind for the future.

Thanks for the help!

[Tony Li]

Happy to help!