Revision as of 03:10, 26 April 2021

WIP Article: Dialogue Systems for Writers

Dialogue Branches

A large portion of dialogue that NPCs have in Skyrim occurs during conversation with the Player and is largely accessed through the dialogue menu. This is known as Player Dialogue, and dialogue of this kind is structured in Branches.

By default, when the Player initiates dialogue with an NPC, the subsequent dialogue menu will be a collection of separate Dialogue Branches that were written for this NPC, each option being its own Branch. In order for a Branch to appear in this way, it must be of a specific type, namely a Top-Level Branch.

A characteristic of Top-Level Branches is that they begin with a dialogue option by the Player, and not a line from the NPC. This allows many Branches from many different sources to be available side-by-side, without the NPC pushing the conversation in a specific direction with their opening line.

Here is a hypothetical NPC document. Player dialogue options are in bold. Each top-level entry is the beginning of a Top-Level Branch. In this example, the Branches represent typical subjects that a player might inquire into in non-quest related dialogue.

1. How long have you been working here?

1.1. I've been working these mines ever since the Forebears set foot in this place!

1.2. Back then, this place was a frontier. Well, in some ways, it still is.

2. Do you have any family?

2.1. Yeah, a daughter, back home in Stoudholm. Better keep her far away from a place like this.

2.1.1. Does your daughter live alone?

2.1.1.1. My mom and pop look after her. She's too young to be by herself.

Note that 2.2.1 mentions the daughter, and therefore has to follow 2.2. Here, it is simply dialogue continuing within the same Branch, which has expanded into a small dialogue tree. Once the Player has entered into such a tree, they will no longer see the Top-Level dialogue options until they exit dialogue or reach the end of the Branch, at which point the Top-Level menu will be shown again.

Although this example is small, Branches can become so elaborate that the Player will have a bad time treading through all of the dialogue buried in them. If needed, the dialogue can be broken up by splitting part of it into its own Branch. But here, it wouldn't make sense to ask about the NPC's daughter if we haven't heard about her yet! One tool that a writer can use here is to have one piece of dialogue unlock a Top-Level Branch:

1. How long have you been working here?

1.1. I've been working these mines ever since the Forebears set foot in this place!

1.2. Back then, this place was a frontier. Well, in some ways, it still is.

2. Do you have any family?

2.1. Yeah, a daughter, back home in Stoudholm. Better keep her far away from a place like this. (unlocks 3)

3. You mentioned a daughter. Does she live alone?

3.1. My mom and pop look after her. She's too young to be by herself.

Note how I rewrote 3. to be more natural as a conversation starter, since it no longer has to follow directly after 2.1.

Implementer's note: quest stages for unlocks

Comment on how different quests combine into the dialogue menu

Greetings and Goodbyes

Their random nature. What goes wrong when dialogue options are written as a response to a greeting. Some NPCs have only greetings. Example from Nazeem.

Notes on generic dialogue

Do not write custom dialogue that is redundant given that generic exists

Blocking Branches and Forcegreets

Examples from Idolaf Battle-Born and Maul. Sometimes used in combination with greetings: example from Jaree-Ra

Walkaways

Example from Maul

Scenes

Random conversations vs major establishers

Gameplay dialogue

Barter, rent room, trainers, rumors and why not to be too creative with them