Some advises on start needed

[pavsikakyj]

Hi. I'm going to make an adventure game VN-style. I mean only static images and sprites, but with quests and conversation stuff. I've chosen DS as an outstanding game tool (thank you developers!). I'm new to Unity and DS. Have no coding skills. I've watched through tutorails. Installed VN Framework. And now asking for some advise.

I plan to make a dosen of locations with daytime and week simulation. So I will need some sort of navigation buttons to switch between them. I guesss this shoul be some sort oh in-game menu. Is it possible to create such with DS tools?

Also the feature of my game is movie-style dialogues. I want to swich background image each time the speaker is changed (like movie camera usually does). So that each subtitle line referenced own fullsrenn image. Is it possible to do inside DS environment?

Thanks in advance!

[Tony Li]

Hi,

Thanks for using the Dialogue System!

I recommend using the next version of the VN Framework that will be released next Monday. The current version has an in-game menu, but it will be improved in the next version. You will also be able to specify a default background image for each character as well as specific background images for each subtitle line and/or each conversation. The documentation is much more detailed in the new version, too.

[Tony Li]

Hi,

Version 1.2 of the Dialogue System's Visual Novel Framework is now on the Dialogue System Extras page.

To set background images, put them in a Resources folder. (Their type must be "UI".) You can add a "Background" field to any actor, conversation, or dialogue entry. This is the order in which they are used:

• When a conversation starts: If the conversation's Background field is assigned, it uses the image named in the field. Otherwise it will leave the background untouched.
• When a dialogue entry plays: If the entry's Background field is assigned, it uses the image named in the field. Otherwise if the actor's Background field is assigned it will use the image. Otherwise it will leave the background untouched.

I can help with the in-game menu when you get to that point. The Dialogue System also has PlayMaker integration, so you can use that if you don't have any coding experience.

[pavsikakyj]

Thank you so much!

[pavsikakyj]

Hi again. It's been a while since my first post. It took some time to fix life issues, but I'm still eager to make my game with DS. I got Playmaker now. As far as I understand, there are two ways to develop a game with those assets: from DS environment and from Playmaker's, using DS actions? Or I'm wrong?

Is it possible to use Playmaker actions inside VN framework for menus, inventory, navigation and saving?

And one more question: is it reasonable to buy Visual Novel for Dialogue System for my game? There isn't much information on this asset. How it differs from VN framework?

[Tony Li]

Hi,

I got Playmaker now. As far as I understand, there are two ways to develop a game with those assets: from DS environment and from Playmaker's, using DS actions?

That's correct, although most people use a mix of both.

Is it possible to use Playmaker actions inside VN framework for menus, inventory, navigation and saving?

Yes. But the VN framework already handles some of that, such as saving, so you don't even need to use Playmaker.

And one more question: is it reasonable to buy Visual Novel for Dialogue System for my game? There isn't much information on this asset. How it differs from VN framework?

It depends on what you need. The "Visual Novel for Dialogue System for Unity" is made by a different developer, Stranger Games. We have a good working relationship. Their asset provides more features and has been used to make full games, whereas the VN framework on the Extras page is a simple starter framework. You can still make a complete game with the VN framework, but it doesn't have as many features.

[pavsikakyj]

Hi again. I tried to work with Visual novel for Dialogue system. It does have some useful features. But it's really hard to learn and seems to be a little buggy. So I decided to try VN framework. It requires to take more actions but is really easier to master.

I have some questions about it though. I customized Menu Canvas. But I see that Dialogue UI is a prefab. Is there any chance for me to customize it, if I’m not a coder?

Also how can I set some in-game screens, that are outside of the conversations, so that it would possible to start some different conversations with clickable sprites or custom menu button?

[Tony Li]

Hi,

I customized Menu Canvas. But I see that Dialogue UI is a prefab. Is there any chance for me to customize it, if I’m not a coder?

Yes, just assign a different dialogue UI prefab to the Dialogue Manager's Dialogue UI field. It starts with the VN Template Standard Dialogue UI. You can make a copy of this prefab, customize the copy, and assign it to the Dialogue UI field. To customize it, add it as a child of the Dialogue Manager's Canvas. This way you can see it in the Hierarchy. You can either assign the scene instance to the Dialogue UI field, or save it as a new prefab, delete it from the Hierarchy, and assign the new prefab to the Dialogue UI field.

Also how can I set some in-game screens, that are outside of the conversations, so that it would possible to start some different conversations with clickable sprites or custom menu button?

When you start a new game, the VN framework:

1. Loads the scene specified in the Visual Novel Menu Canvas's Level Manager script.

2. Then starts the conversation named "Start Conversation". (You can set this in the Visual Novel Menu Canvas's Save Helper > Conversation dropdown.)

If you want to configure a button to stop the current conversation and start a different conversation, you can add this script to the button:

Code: Select all

using UnityEngine;
using PixelCrushers.DialogueSystem;

public class ChangeConversationButton : MonoBehaviour
{
    [ConversationPopup]
    public string newConversation;
    public Transform actor;
    public Transform conversant;

    public void Start()
    {
        GetComponent<UnityEngine.UI.Button>().onClick.AddListener(ChangeConversation);
    }

    public void ChangeConversation()
    {
        DialogueManager.StopConversation();
        DialogueManager.StartConversation(newConversation, actor, conversant);
    }
}

[pavsikakyj]

Thank you! You're the best.

[Tony Li]

Glad to help!