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Massive AGS Project :: Critic's Lounge :: Coding :: Conversation interface mockup

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Topic: Conversation interface mockup (Read 423 times)

Snarky
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Conversation interface mockup
« Thread Started on Feb 26, 2006, 1:53am »

One thing I want to do in this game is the ability to do conversations with multiple people simultaneously. This is somewhat tricky, interface-wise.

I've mocked up one possible variation of a conversation UI. See what you think. Don't focus on the graphics or the dialogue, obviously.

(Because we don't have sprites for more than two characters, I borrowed one by Eric from the latest sprite jam just for demonstration purposes.)

[image]

The player character is in the center, with conversation partners on the side and their individual list of topics underneath.

[image]

When the player picks a topic, the character asks a question about it.

[image]

The person addressed responds. A conversation may ensue, and may involve multiple other characters.

[image]

In another situation, you may be asked a question.

[image]

You choose which option to answer.

There are some problems with it. Do you see any obvious improvements?

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bigbrother
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Re: Conversation interface mockup
« Reply #1 on May 9, 2006, 3:19pm »

Just saw this randomly and thought I'd write a little about it.

I like the ability to incorporate multiple conversation partners into the game, it lends a unique quality to the adventure game convention. Perhaps the multiple partner aspect could be emphasized more, so it feels less like you're having two one-on-one conversations simultaneously. Perhaps you can direct a specific question/comment at either partner or pose a general question/comment. This way we avoid the whole "Steve, what makes you think that..." and "Nick, why can't we..." which strikes me as cheesy. The ability to hold conversations like my example below appeals much more to me as a gamer and designer.
EX.
Char 1. Why would the Pharoah want to hold a procession on a holy day?
Char 2 to Char 3. Didn't I tell you he was new here?
Char 3 to Char 1. How long have you been in the city?
Char 1. I got here this morning, but how can--
Char 2 to Char 3. And you owe me that kabob.
Char 3 to Char 1. Look at this vulture! All about the kabobs.
Char 1. Getting back to that procession...
Char 2 to Char 1. Let's just say that the Pharoah is new here, too.
Char 3 to Char 1. Yeah, he never passes up an opportunity to flaunt.
Char 2 to Char 1. If you ask me, I don't think he'll ever get over it.
Char 1. Pharoah is new? That can't be right.
Char 3 to Char 2. Is this guy serious?
Char 2 to Char 1. I don't know what you've read about being Pharoah--
Char 1. That it's appointed at birth.
Char 2 to Char 1. Yeah, but you have to think that's been the way things were for the last 300 cycles.
Char 3 to Char 1. Times are changing.

Notice how Char 1 was mainly addressing the group, while the other two were talking amongst themselves also? Perhaps there could be a way to show this onscreen.

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Snarky
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Re: Conversation interface mockup
« Reply #2 on May 15, 2006, 12:21am »

Yes, interesting. In this example, Char 1 is the player?

In a group conversation (however we implement it), I think we would always want to have the other participants talk amongst themselves. Assuming we stick to the standard turn-based conversation model (and not something like Façade), that means that every time the player selects a topic or line, it (potentially) kicks off a whole conversation. So in your example, selecting "Getting back to that procession..." would trigger at least the next three lines, and possibly more.

Just the ability to have a conversation with a group isn't all that innovative. It's not very different from talking with the "men of low moral fiber" in Monkey Island. I think what sets a multi-person conversation apart is precisely the ability to direct a question to specific people in the group. Particularly it is interesting to be able to choose whom to ask a particular question.

What if instead of, like in my example, having different conversation topics for each person, you have one list of conversation topics, and you can control who you're directing it to? For instance, there could be a default/undirected option, which would be kind of like talking to the group in general, or to the most obvious person. But you could change it to direct a comment or question to some other person in the vicinity. It wouldn't even have to be someone already in the conversation, it could be just anybody on the screen.

That would be cool, if let's say you were talking with some shady character about something shady, and then suddenly you direct a comment to a police man standing nearby. Your character would raise his voice and attract the attention of the police man, which would scare the shady character and get him to do what you want.

One way to do this would be to have a little icon next to the conversation options, showing who you're going to say it to. By clicking on any character on the screen (including, perhaps, yourself), they become selected and you'll direct the line to them. Or by clicking on the icon you can cycle through all the people who've been involved in this conversation so far, as well as the default (undirected) option.

« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 12:22am by Snarky »

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thvortex
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Re: Conversation interface mockup
« Reply #3 on Jan 10, 2007, 3:05pm »

I came across this thread a week ago and I wanted to try coding up the conversation interface. It came out pretty well actually. Here's a zip file that contains the AGS template and the compiled exe file:
http://sphinxags.googlegroups.com/web/SphinxConversation.zip

You can start the conversation with either guy, and some of the dialog choices will cause the other guy to join in. Other dialog choices will produce a different response depending on if you're talking to him alone or if the other guy joined in.

Here's an animated screen shot of the above demo (Google groups no longer allows external links to images):
http://sphinxags.googlegroups.com/web/SphinxConversation.gif

« Last Edit: Apr 24, 2007, 6:13am by thvortex »

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