CELTX

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CELTX

While this is not a tutorial on Drama, some of the tools use by film production can be used to help you design conversation. Instructional Designers would also understand the term "Storyboarding", which would be useful in this aspect. I would recommend you look into the open source screen-writing software known as [CELTX] to see if you can make it work for you. CELTX stands for Crew, Equipment, Location, Talent and XML, and can be used as a manager for your special props (e.g. a +5 Holy Avenger sword), non-player characters, and all their conversation threads (also known as scripts) in the story.

[Note: In NWN, scripts refer to the small pieces of computer code that allow you to customize anything from NPC actions to environment effects. In CELTX, scripts refer to the conversation of the performers.]

According to the [Wikipedia Entry on CELTX], the software offers several unique features to screenwriters and anyone involved in pre-production. Of these, game and instructional designers would probably find Element Tagging and Storyboarding to be most useful:

  1. Collaboration - The Project Central feature allows users to upload scripts to a central server, and then collaborate on them with other users of the software. Collaboration can be open to the public, or open only to users that the writer or director picks. In addition, if the writer wishes, the public can visit the Project Central website and view the project online.
  2. Scheduling - CELTX uses Mozilla Lightning to handle calendaring. This data is also synchronized over Project Central, and available to other users who have access to the project.
  3. 'Element tagging - CELTX allows directors and writers to easily tag elements in thirty-five different categories, such as "wardrobe" and "greenery". These tagged elements can then be automatically transferred to a script breakdown, which allows production staffers to easily know what elements the script calls for. [This is where conversational scripts would be found.]
  4. Storyboarding - CELTX allows people to create storyboard sequences, which can be printed, or played using CELTX's built-in image viewer.


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