test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Foundry Authors: Dialog Box Best Practices
angrysprite
Member Posts: 4,982 Arc User
I've just completed one of my "Deep Feedback Reviews" of a stunningly creative Foundry Quest, closer in design to table-top D&D play than any other quest I've ever played in Neverwinter; every choice the player makes can dynamically change the rest of the quest as you play.
I strongly recommend you give it a go: search the library for "Nature of the Beast".
The only real issue I had with this quest at the time I played it was how confusing many of the dialogs had been, and this was due to the color schemes used. Surely the author meant well, but I do see this more often than I should, and I think it's a simple lack of understanding with regard to the "Dialog Box Paradigm".
Cryptic Studios has been using a specific Dialog Box Paradigm for more than four years and training their players to understand them. Though these are not hard rules, they are a strongly-recommended guideline.
Here is Cryptic's Dialog Box Paradigm, should you (hopefully) choose to follow it:
There are TWO kinds of player: the fully-immersed "reader" and the in-a-hurry "let's get on with it" rusher. Cryptic dialogs are designed with both in mind: The Reader and the Rusher.
Here's a sample dialog box for an NPC Name "Jane Doe":
***************
Jane continuously fumbles with a small box as she speaks to you.
If you'll accept this request I make of you, then I'll be grateful beyond
description. I only need you to give this box to Sgt. Knox in Protector's Enclave
and he will give you a key in return. It's a key I've asked him to
hold for me. He'll tell you what to do next.
Once you reach Sgt. Knox all responses from you will continuously
and dynamically change the outcome of this quest, including combat difficulty level.
Tell me more about yourself.
What's inside the box?
No trouble, I'll go right now.
***************
Now, here is what the text colors mean (and most players understand the colors to mean this):
In the DIALOG portion (top half):
Italics are OOC text: usually description that is in-context with the quest story, maintaining immersion. This is "narrator" type stuff, often describing an action, mood, or something else not said or seen, but integral to the interaction. In the Foundry this is called OUT OF CHARACTER.
UPDATE: A commenter below reminded me that OOC text is sometimes BLUE in appearance, and I do recall that. However, it could be that in the Foundry editor the OOC text remains WHITE and only turns BLUE on the live server. Suffice it to say OOC text is always italicized.
All dialog text is WHITE, except for these circumstances:
Yellow text is the objective the NPC is giving you. The purpose of this is for those "Rushers" who don't like to read all the dialog and just want to know what to do and move-on. In the Foundry this is called MISSION INFO.
On very rare occasions, dialog text that is orange is used as "dungeon master" text: not in-context, usually instructions directed to player with information they need to know to make the quest work, and is not actually part of the story.
In the PLAYER-RESPONSE portion (lower half):
Responses are always one of three colors:
White - this choice will continue the discussion. meaning the player will be following a dialog tree. White text in an option usually leads to another dialog box, such as in a multiple-dialog "discussion". In the above example options one and two both continue the discussion with a back-and-forth between the NPC and the player. In the Foundry this is called NORMAL (and is the default).
Yellow - this choice usually (but not always) indicates the "OBJECTIVE INFORMATION" choice. If there are multiple choices, then usually only ONE will be yellow and is the one that gives the player information to advance the quest goals. This is for the "rushers". Note that this choice almost always leads to additional dialog, just like white text, but the information is specific to advancing the quest. In the Foundry this is called QUEST INFO (which is the same as "Mission Info" - "Mission" comes from STO).
Orange - this choice will end the conversation (close the dialog box) and advance the quest (give you item, or whatever) This choice should never be tagged with a FAIL attribute because the Rushers know orange indicates this is the choice to make to continue toward completion of the quest. In all cases orange text in Player Choice options will end the conversation and close the dialog box (or return to the original dialog at beginning). In the Foundry this is called QUEST CHOICE and doesn't always, but should close the dialog box.
Understanding the FAIL attribute:
FAIL Attribute only works with NPCs and not objects that are marked as "Contact" or "Interactable". It also is only available if the NPC is a "Dialog" goal in your storyboard. If a player choice option is marked as "FAIL" - it means the NPC will remain interactable (the player can interact with it AGAIN). If a choice is not marked with the FAIL attribute, then once the dialog box is closed, the NPC is no longer intractable (interaction complete) IF that interaction is listed in your storyboard. If it is not listed in your storyboard then the NPC will (should) always remain intractable.
Regarding "sticky interactivity" with objects and NPCs: if your object is tagged as "Intractable", it will become non-iteractable when the player interacts with it (the player can interact only ONCE,) whether the object is listed in your storyboard or not. On the other hand, if an object or NPC is tagged as a CONTACT and NOT in your storyboard, then it will remain intractable forever, always interactable over and over.
In storyboard "Interact with Object" can only work with an object marked as Intractable (or it will mark it as interactable for you) or NPCs. However "Dialog" only works with NPCs. This means if you have an OBJECT or NPC marked as "Contact" and it is NOT in your storyboard - it will always remain intractable until you hide it (Disappear When" attribute) - therefor if you intend the object to be interacted with only once and it is marked as a contact, you may want to make it disappear when "Component complete" and then make "appear" a clone that is not marked as "Contact". (Just a protip for y'all).
Again, this isn't the "law" - it is simply how Cryptic does it and has been doing it for years, therefore players are used to this. Straying from this paradigm can introduce confusion. But it's your call and that may be your intent, I suppose.
Shameless plug:
if you want to see this very paradigm in action, I invite you to give my Foundry work a go:
"Blacklake Luskan" by @Skytzyc (Genre: STORY/PUZZLE)
Short Code: NW-DLTZK9TJ6
I hope this post is helpful to Foundry Authors of all skill and experience levels!
I strongly recommend you give it a go: search the library for "Nature of the Beast".
The only real issue I had with this quest at the time I played it was how confusing many of the dialogs had been, and this was due to the color schemes used. Surely the author meant well, but I do see this more often than I should, and I think it's a simple lack of understanding with regard to the "Dialog Box Paradigm".
Cryptic Studios has been using a specific Dialog Box Paradigm for more than four years and training their players to understand them. Though these are not hard rules, they are a strongly-recommended guideline.
Here is Cryptic's Dialog Box Paradigm, should you (hopefully) choose to follow it:
There are TWO kinds of player: the fully-immersed "reader" and the in-a-hurry "let's get on with it" rusher. Cryptic dialogs are designed with both in mind: The Reader and the Rusher.
Here's a sample dialog box for an NPC Name "Jane Doe":
***************
Jane continuously fumbles with a small box as she speaks to you.
If you'll accept this request I make of you, then I'll be grateful beyond
description. I only need you to give this box to Sgt. Knox in Protector's Enclave
and he will give you a key in return. It's a key I've asked him to
hold for me. He'll tell you what to do next.
Once you reach Sgt. Knox all responses from you will continuously
and dynamically change the outcome of this quest, including combat difficulty level.
Tell me more about yourself.
What's inside the box?
No trouble, I'll go right now.
***************
Now, here is what the text colors mean (and most players understand the colors to mean this):
In the DIALOG portion (top half):
Italics are OOC text: usually description that is in-context with the quest story, maintaining immersion. This is "narrator" type stuff, often describing an action, mood, or something else not said or seen, but integral to the interaction. In the Foundry this is called OUT OF CHARACTER.
UPDATE: A commenter below reminded me that OOC text is sometimes BLUE in appearance, and I do recall that. However, it could be that in the Foundry editor the OOC text remains WHITE and only turns BLUE on the live server. Suffice it to say OOC text is always italicized.
All dialog text is WHITE, except for these circumstances:
Yellow text is the objective the NPC is giving you. The purpose of this is for those "Rushers" who don't like to read all the dialog and just want to know what to do and move-on. In the Foundry this is called MISSION INFO.
On very rare occasions, dialog text that is orange is used as "dungeon master" text: not in-context, usually instructions directed to player with information they need to know to make the quest work, and is not actually part of the story.
In the PLAYER-RESPONSE portion (lower half):
Responses are always one of three colors:
White - this choice will continue the discussion. meaning the player will be following a dialog tree. White text in an option usually leads to another dialog box, such as in a multiple-dialog "discussion". In the above example options one and two both continue the discussion with a back-and-forth between the NPC and the player. In the Foundry this is called NORMAL (and is the default).
Yellow - this choice usually (but not always) indicates the "OBJECTIVE INFORMATION" choice. If there are multiple choices, then usually only ONE will be yellow and is the one that gives the player information to advance the quest goals. This is for the "rushers". Note that this choice almost always leads to additional dialog, just like white text, but the information is specific to advancing the quest. In the Foundry this is called QUEST INFO (which is the same as "Mission Info" - "Mission" comes from STO).
Orange - this choice will end the conversation (close the dialog box) and advance the quest (give you item, or whatever) This choice should never be tagged with a FAIL attribute because the Rushers know orange indicates this is the choice to make to continue toward completion of the quest. In all cases orange text in Player Choice options will end the conversation and close the dialog box (or return to the original dialog at beginning). In the Foundry this is called QUEST CHOICE and doesn't always, but should close the dialog box.
Understanding the FAIL attribute:
FAIL Attribute only works with NPCs and not objects that are marked as "Contact" or "Interactable". It also is only available if the NPC is a "Dialog" goal in your storyboard. If a player choice option is marked as "FAIL" - it means the NPC will remain interactable (the player can interact with it AGAIN). If a choice is not marked with the FAIL attribute, then once the dialog box is closed, the NPC is no longer intractable (interaction complete) IF that interaction is listed in your storyboard. If it is not listed in your storyboard then the NPC will (should) always remain intractable.
Regarding "sticky interactivity" with objects and NPCs: if your object is tagged as "Intractable", it will become non-iteractable when the player interacts with it (the player can interact only ONCE,) whether the object is listed in your storyboard or not. On the other hand, if an object or NPC is tagged as a CONTACT and NOT in your storyboard, then it will remain intractable forever, always interactable over and over.
In storyboard "Interact with Object" can only work with an object marked as Intractable (or it will mark it as interactable for you) or NPCs. However "Dialog" only works with NPCs. This means if you have an OBJECT or NPC marked as "Contact" and it is NOT in your storyboard - it will always remain intractable until you hide it (Disappear When" attribute) - therefor if you intend the object to be interacted with only once and it is marked as a contact, you may want to make it disappear when "Component complete" and then make "appear" a clone that is not marked as "Contact". (Just a protip for y'all).
Again, this isn't the "law" - it is simply how Cryptic does it and has been doing it for years, therefore players are used to this. Straying from this paradigm can introduce confusion. But it's your call and that may be your intent, I suppose.
Shameless plug:
if you want to see this very paradigm in action, I invite you to give my Foundry work a go:
"Blacklake Luskan" by @Skytzyc (Genre: STORY/PUZZLE)
Short Code: NW-DLTZK9TJ6
I hope this post is helpful to Foundry Authors of all skill and experience levels!
iBooks - http://j.mp/WPFFj1 and PDF - http://j.mp/1o2L7qy
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
And how is it you get orange dialog text? The only options I have in my dialog editor are Italics using [OOC] tags and Yellow using [MissionInfo] tags. Where/What allows us this orange "dm" text ??
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
EDIT to clarify. I thought OOC info showed up as blue text, not italics.
ACK!
Adding orange text to the Dialog portion *used* to be available. it is possible that option was removed since.
@karitr - OOC text is white italics. However, the way the UI is designed, when the white font goes italic the weight of the font is diminished somewhat, giving it a slightly "gray" appearance, which can easily be interpreted as blue against a dark background (my Graphic Designer skill peeking through here).
Edit to add: it is possible on some system (specifically non-U.S. based systems) that the italics are converted to blue text. This is just a guess on my part as I am in the U.S. and I know there are sometimes technical changes made to other nationality UI.
Come to think of it I believe you're right... perhaps it is the difference between the LIVE version and the Foundry Editor versions. I've updated the OP to reflect this. THANK YOU for reminding me about this.