Conversation - Revision history

Ladyofpayne at 06:20, 26 November 2013

2013-11-26T06:20:05Z

Sunjammer: Adding heading, moving an image

2012-02-18T02:07:19Z

Adding heading, moving an image

Sunjammer: /* Slide Show */ Cleaning up/correcting text

2012-02-18T02:01:47Z

‎Slide Show: Cleaning up/correcting text

Kelamor: Add language bar

2011-12-13T23:10:28Z

Add language bar

Proleric1: /* Cinematics and Animation */

2011-04-20T16:26:27Z

‎Cinematics and Animation

FollowTheGourd: /* + check in creature resource */

2010-11-12T05:48:46Z

‎+ check in creature resource

FollowTheGourd: Link to generated string IDs

2010-11-12T05:33:08Z

Link to generated string IDs

Proleric1: /* Slide Show */

2010-08-24T09:16:41Z

‎Slide Show

Proleric1: /* Slide Show */

2010-08-24T08:50:37Z

‎Slide Show

WhatDuck at 03:41, 22 March 2010

2010-03-22T03:41:00Z

@@ Line 232: / Line 232: @@
 *[[Conversation tutorial]]
 *[[Voice-Over]]
 *[[Preparing a dialog for recording]]
 {{languages}}
 [[Category:Conversations]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 | {{Infobox conversation}}
 |}
+A [[conversation]] contain lines of dialogue, usually focused on one NPC and the player's interaction with him or her. Each line of dialogue can have the following associated with it:
-Conversations contain lines of dialogue, usually focused on one NPC and the player's interaction with him or her. Each line of dialogue can have the following associated with it:
+* The text of the line, which can be displayed in-game
-*The text of the line, which can be displayed in-game
+* The [[Voice-Over]] (for non-player characters)
-*The [[Voice-Over]] (for non-player characters)
+* The speaker's facial performance (lip synching and expression)
-*The speaker's facial performance (lip synching and expression)
+* [[Stage]] information for positioning the actors and cameras in an area (optional, some conversations can occur anywhere and use default staging)
-*[[Stage]] information for positioning the actors and cameras in an area (optional, some conversations can occur anywhere and use default staging)
+* [[Cutscene]] cinematics that can potentially override any of the above with more detailed and complex events
-*[[Cutscene]] cinematics that can potentially override any of the above with more detailed and complex events.
 A conversation is usually associated with a [[creature]], which is referred to in the conversation with the "OWNER" tag. They can also be associated with placeables, or simply used as a container for lines of dialogue used in a cutscene.
 The main body of the display for this type of object is one or more tree-shaped structures containing all of the lines or actions that can be reached in the course of following this conversation. For example:
@@ Line 21: / Line 22: @@
 Red lines are those spoken by NPCs, blue lines are those spoken by the player (usually chosen from a group of alternatives). Grey lines are lines that are 'linked' to other lines, allowing the flow of the conversation to jump to other branches or repeat itself if needed.
-Below the main display is a tabbed pane containing options that can be set on a line-by-line basis.
+Below the main display is a tabbed pane containing options that can be set on a line-by-line basis:
 == Global Settings ==
@@ Line 41: / Line 44: @@
 == Dialogue ==
 This tab contains the string of text that is displayed to the player when this node in the tree is reached.

@@ Line 178: / Line 178: @@
 == Slide Show ==
-The Slide Show tab is used to produce a simple form of "cutscene" that consists of one or more pre-rendered still images. For example, the official DAO campaign ends with a slideshow that describes the aftermath.
+The '''Slide Show''' tab is used to produce a simple form of "cutscene" that consists of one or more pre-rendered still images. For example, the official Single Player campaign ends with a slide show that describes the aftermath.
 Images used in a slide show can be in [[TGA]], [[TPC]] or [[DDS]] format.
-Each image must be on its own NPC conversation line. The Dialogue text isn't used in game, but it must contain something (e.g. "Slideshow"), otherwise the slide won't appear.
+Each image must be on its own NPC conversation line. The text associated with that line is the text that will appear on the slide.
-As usual, the NPC lines are connected by player lines (which don't need any Dialogue text).
+As usual, the NPC lines are connected by player lines however must not contain any text.
-See [[BeginSlideshow]] for the script function that triggers a slideshow.
+See [[BeginSlideshow]] for the script function that starts a slide show.
 == Toolbars ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:10, 13 December 2011
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	*[[Preparing a dialog for recording]]		*[[Preparing a dialog for recording]]

		+	{{languages}}
	[[Category:Conversations]]		[[Category:Conversations]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:26, 20 April 2011
Line 120:		Line 120:

	See [[conversation cinematics and animation]] for details of how to control the performance of your virtual actors. Conversations without cinematic direction set for them will use a default over-the-shoulder camera style that's serviceable for most conversations, but which might become dull when used for all of them. Adding some animation and varying the camera angles can go a long way to spicing up a conversation, and for special events you can add much more than that - even integrating full-blown cutscenes into the middle of a conversation.		See [[conversation cinematics and animation]] for details of how to control the performance of your virtual actors. Conversations without cinematic direction set for them will use a default over-the-shoulder camera style that's serviceable for most conversations, but which might become dull when used for all of them. Adding some animation and varying the camera angles can go a long way to spicing up a conversation, and for special events you can add much more than that - even integrating full-blown cutscenes into the middle of a conversation.
		+
		+	== Cutscenes ==
		+
		+	Even more control over how a conversation appears can be achieved by turning it into a cutscene.
		+
		+	There are two ways of doing this.
		+
		+	=== Cutscene-centred approach ===
		+
		+	See [[Cutscene tutorial]] for a method of building one cutscene from many conversation lines (the entire conversation, perhaps).
		+
		+	This may be useful if the conversation is essentially action-packed and linear.
		+
		+	Because the cutscene is in control, the conversation logic is ignored.
		+
		+	So this approach is less useful when there are player options, conditions and/or actions.
		+
		+	Also, the conversation isn't logged.
		+
		+	It is possible to run a plot script and/or regular conversation at the end of the cutscene (either via the End Script property or [[CS_LoadCutscene]]).
		+
		+	=== Conversation-centred approach ===
		+
		+	If conversation options, conditions, actions or logging are important, it's better to put the conversation in control.
		+
		+	This may also be the easiest option if only one or two lines require the enhanced control afforded by a cutscene.
		+
		+	Once a stage has been specified for the conversation, you can make one cutscene for each NPC line, using the "Convert Line to Cutscene" option on the Edit menu.
		+
		+	By default, the cutscenes are collected in one folder per conversation, for convenience.
		+
		+	In this approach, the conversation works normally, except that the cutscenes provide enhanced cinematics for the lines in question.
		+
		+	== Fade In and Out ==
		+
		+	A conversation can fade in or out by converting the line to a cutscene.
		+
		+	It's not necessary to master the full complexity of the cutscene editor to do this.
		+
		+	Right-click Master.
		+	Add Track.
		+	Right-click the new track.
		+	Add effect Fade In or Out (default duration of fade is 60 frames i.e. 2 seconds).
		+	Click anywhere that's not a track to view the cutscene properties in Object Inspector.
		+	The cutscene length is initially the dialogue duration (in frames).
		+	Change this to (dialogue duration + 30x + 60) where x is the time the screen will be completely black in seconds.
		+	Adjust start/end time of the new track (and the Speak Line track under OWNER, if fading in).
		+
		+	For fade out, Speak Line happens first, then fade. The additional duration of the cutscene ensures the screen remains black for x seconds.
		+
		+	For fade in, assuming the screen is already black, fade after 30x frames, then Speak Line after 30x + 60 frames.

	== Localization and Editing ==		== Localization and Editing ==

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 There is also a limit of six lines of player responses displayed for any particular line of NPC dialogue. If there are more than six responses available to be shown, only the first six will be visible.
-Also in the lower left corner is the string ID for this line of dialog, which is used when recording voice over audio. Don't forget to [[String_editor#Generated string IDs | check the dialogue resource back in]] before exporting your talk tables, or else the conversation history in the player's journal won't be correct.
+Also in the lower left corner is the string ID for this line of dialog, which is used when recording voice over audio. Don't forget to [[String_editor#Generated string IDs | check the dialogue and creature resources back in]] before exporting your talk tables, or else the conversation history in the player's journal won't be correct.
 === Formatting tags ===

@@ Line 127: / Line 127: @@
 == Slide Show ==
-The Slide Show tab is used to produce a simple form of "cutscene" that consists of a pre-rendered still image that's shown while the line is displayed or voiced. Images used in a slide show can be in [[TGA]], [[TPC]] or [[DDS]] format.
+The Slide Show tab is used to produce a simple form of "cutscene" that consists of one or more pre-rendered still images. Images used in a slide show can be in [[TGA]], [[TPC]] or [[DDS]] format.
 See [[BeginSlideshow]] for the script function that triggers a slideshow.

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 *Player Response Length Maximum: 60 characters
 *NPC Response Length Maximum: 200 characters
 Also in the lower left corner is the string ID for this line of dialog, which is used when recording voice over audio.