Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
If the game has only one character, first- or third-person perspectives are common;
see the section “Camera Model” later in this chapter.
The actions available in the exploration and combat mode include selecting one or
more characters in the party, setting a formation in which they will move together,
designating a location for them to walk or run to, designating NPCs for them to
attack or to talk to, picking up objects, and exercising special skills such as casting
magic spells or searching for traps. The buttons to the lower right in Figure 15.3 are
for setting a formation.
CONVERSATION
Conversation modes often use the same perspective on the game world as the
exploration and combat mode but replace the exploration- and combat-related user
interface features with a dialog-display mechanism. Occasionally, they switch the
perspective to a close-up view of the other character in the conversation or display
the character in a pop-up window.
CRPGs almost always manage conversations via the dialog tree mechanism that
Chapter 7 describes. The player selects an NPC in the game world to speak to. A
window opens, presenting a list of things that the avatar can say to the NPC. The
player chooses one, and depending on what her choice is, the NPC replies, some-
times in text but often with an audio recording as well. Sometimes a scrolling
window records the content of the conversation so that the player can go back and
see what was said for as long as the conversation continues, or it may be recorded
in a log or journal the player can bring up later. Asking the right questions or say-
ing the right things elicits useful information from the NPC and sometimes gains
experience points for the player as well.
Figure 15.4
shows the conversation mode in
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick
Obscura
. A portrait of the person being spoken to appears in a window at the bot-
tom, along with some information about how he is reacting to the situation.
Immediately above the portrait, superimposed on the game world, are two lines of
text. These are lines of dialog from which the player may choose. Above them, the
NPC's most recent speech appears adjacent to the character.
Conversations almost always take place between the avatar character and just one
other person. Conversations with more than one person become complicated
because the dialog window must indicate to whom each statement is addressed.
