Objects descriptions handled by Dialogue System?

[Alatriste]

Hi,

I'm starting a new project more graphic adventure style and I'm thinking about using Playmaker and Dialogue System to code it. Then I thought about using Dialogue System to display the description of the objects, etc.

Few questions:
1) Is this a smart way of doing it?
2) Is it even possible?

Perhaps that kind of descriptions would be easier to handle by Playmaker? My worry here is having the text coming from different sources (playmaker for descriptions and DS for the conversations), which can make it difficult to manage for translations. Also the handling of the UI, which always scared me.

And one more question: I'm considering whether using different avatars for my characters, with different reactions or just using a single avatar. I have never done this with DS, so I don't know if there is an easy way to change avatars during a conversation. As far as I know, the only way would be creating different "actors" for the same character with the different expressions. Am I right?

Thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

[Tony Li]

Hi,

I'm starting a new project more graphic adventure style and I'm thinking about using Playmaker and Dialogue System to code it. Then I thought about using Dialogue System to display the description of the objects, etc.

Yes, more than one game already does this, and it seems to work well. Your data and language localization will be all in one place (the dialogue database), and changes will be saved in saved games.

If you want to associate one or more images with each object and you're not using Chat Mapper, consider defining your objects as actors. In the Dialogue Editor window, you can assign portrait images to actors but not to items on the Items tab. (In Chat Mapper, you can assign images to items, but it's a bit awkward using them in Unity.) You can also add a custom field to your actor template to distinguish between characters and objects.

The Playmaker Support package doesn't yet include an action to get an actor's portrait image, but I've just added that to my list.

'm considering whether using different avatars for my characters, with different reactions or just using a single avatar. I have never done this with DS, so I don't know if there is an easy way to change avatars during a conversation. As far as I know, the only way would be creating different "actors" for the same character with the different expressions. Am I right?

It's much easier than that. You can assign any number of portrait images (e.g., expressions) to an actor. They're numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. By default, subtitles show portrait 1. To use a different portrait for a single subtitle, add a [pic=#] markup tag to the Dialogue Text. To permanently change an actor's default portrait, use the SetPortrait(#) sequencer command.

[Alatriste]

Thanks Tony! I'll probably have some more questions in the future.

[Alatriste]

Hi,

I was playing a bit with the system and I couldn't figure out what you meant by asigning actors to the objects the player clicks over. What's the advantage of that?

I created a conversation with diferent child nodes (one for each object) that are played by "fake player", so that way I don't have any conversation with answers going on. I use playmaker action "Start Conversation" and so far seems to work fine.

[Tony Li]

If what you have works, I'd say just stick with it.

I was talking about defining objects in the Actors section, as shown below:



just so you could easily assign images. The "fake player" could be these actors.

[Alatriste]

Hi Tony,

I realized we were talking about different things: I was referring to the description of the objects of the scene, not the objects that the player has in its inventory, which I believe is what you were talking about.

[Tony Li]

Ah, sorry for the misunderstanding. What you're doing sounds good. Some people will create separate conversations using "/" to group them into submenus, such as:

Objects/Kitchen/Oven
Objects/Kitchen/Fridge
Objects/Kitchen/Toaster
Objects/Bedroom/Bed
Objects/Bedroom/Wardrobe
etc.

Sometimes they'll configure the object to play a bark instead of a conversation.