Conversation not starting for Ink integration for text based choice game

[InquisitiveInque]

Hi Tony,

I am creating an interactive fiction game/choose your own text adventure game similar to Choice of Games/Hosted Games and some Twine games like Wayfarer where you create a main character (choose their name, gender, height, weight etc.) and choose choices that change the story outcome and also change character stats like their relationship with other characters and aspects of their personality.

I am currently using Ink to write the story and while I have installed the Ink integration, I was wondering if I could get some help as the Ink story/JSON file conversation is not currently loading when I play it in the editor. This is my first time using Ink integration so I am very unsure of how to add the conversation to the Dialogue System Trigger. I have also tried creating a dummy database but I'm not sure how to implement it to make the conversation load.


Do you think I should just use the Dialogue Editor for this project instead of the Ink integration as that is the easier way of implementing a story into Dialogue System? I have attached a screenshot of the debug log and also attached a zip folder of the Ink story.

Please help me with this as soon as you can.

[Tony Li]

Hi,

If you're comfortable using a node-based editor, you may find it easier to use the Dialogue System's built-in Dialogue Editor because you won't have to also get Inkle's Ink plugin and the Dialogue System's Ink integration working with it.

However, if you're more comfortable with Ink, try these steps:

• Import Inkle's Ink plugin, the Dialogue System, and the Dialogue System's Ink Support package.
• Put your Ink (*.ink) files in your Unity project. The Ink plugin will automatically create JSON (*.json) files for them. If it doesn't, check the Console window for errors or warnings.
• Add the Dialogue Manager prefab to your scene.
• Add a Dialogue System Ink Integration component to the Dialogue Manager GameObject.
• Assign the JSON files to the component's Ink JSON Assets list.
• Create a dialogue database. (Click the 'Create' button on the Dialogue Manager's Dialogue System Controller component.) Add these actors: "Player" (should already be there) and "Story".
• Add one or more Dialogue System Ink Trigger components. This component is just like the regular Dialogue System Trigger except it adds an Ink-specific section at the bottom where you can specify which Ink knot to start. Select Add Action > Start Conversation, then select the Ink knot from the Ink-specific section.

[InquisitiveInque]

I have added the Dialogue System Ink trigger and added the specific Ink knot but it still isn't loading the conversation. I have tested that the Ink story is working in Unity by running the Ink player.

I think that I will probably try and use the Dialogue Editor for this game because I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong for the Ink integration not to work properly.

[Tony Li]

Hi,

If you'd like to give the Ink integration one more try, here are two things to check:

1. Does the example scene included with the Dialogue System's Ink integration work?

2. Your Dialogue System Trigger is set to OnUse. Have you configured anything to "use" the Dialogue System Trigger, such as configuring a UI Button's OnClick to call its DialogueSystemTrigger.OnUse method?

[InquisitiveInque]

Thank you for suggesting looking more at your example demo. I figured out the issue was because of two reasons: I did not have a Game Object with a Dialogue Actor component and the Dialogue System Ink Trigger was "On Use" instead of "On Start".

The conversation now loads upon playing. Thank you so much for the help!

[Tony Li]

Glad to help!