First Dialog

From Neverwinter Pedia

The First Dialog

1. NPC always speaks first. Enter the first line of the conversation as follows: (enter only the colored texts)

Frans: Welcome to Frans' Keg! I am Frans, the owner. What can I do for you?

Click [OK]. The conversation appeared as the first line under Root. Yay! You have created your first line of conversation!

2. While the first line of conversation is still selected, click Add from the Conversation Toolbar again. This will add the PC's respond to Frans' line.

Enter the following:

Player: I am passing by on route to the Sword Coast. Have you heard of any news on the road recently?

3. Once you are sure you have entered the first two conversation correctly, you may proceed to complete the conversation tree as follows: (Make sure to enter only the colored portion of the conversation.)

Frans: You have certainly come to the right place. Please rest a while before continuing your journey. There is not much news at this time of the year, but of course, unless you consider someone robbing me of my supply as news...

PC: Oh, is that so? Can I help you in anyway?

Frans: I seem to run out of food faster than usual. I think my Cook has a hand in the missing supply... You look strong and intimidating... Perhaps she can be "persuaded to tell the truth! You think?

I will see what I can do. Now where can I find this Cook of yours?

Frans: She is in the kitchen right now.

4. Upon hearing that the Cook may be found in the kitchen, this conversation thread will end. However, because that last line belonged to the NPC, once th line was said, the control will be back in the Player's hand. In order to end the conversation, the Player must not say anything else in order for [END DIALOG] to occur.

5. While the line "She is in the kitchen right now." is selected, click Add at the Conversation Toolbar one more time (as if you are entering the next line for the "PC"). Ignore <<Enter text here.>> and click OK.

6. The [END DIALOG] line is now added to the conversation.

[NOTE: Enter a blank dialog to [END] the dialog. Take advantage of the Player's turn to end the dialog.]

Making the Conversation Interesting

The dialog above will serve well as a first dialog. But if we end here, I must say the characters (both Frans and the player) are pretty anemic! I am sure if you are the adventurer who is meeting Frans for the first time, you will have more to say, depending on your alignment (in D&D terms, whether you are Lawful Good, or an Chaotic Evil person; or any shades in between). So I am going to try to spice up the conversation a little. (Let me add that it is the designer's responsibility to do so.)

So, let's say you are a regular fighter, maybe even a hired sword. If so, in your "years of adventuring" before this encounter with Frans, you would have already learned that people should pay you, if they want a favor – especially when it involve using your muscle or your sword. After all, the stereotype of video game is such that after you complete a task, you would be rewarded experience points and golds, no?

So, why not build that stereotype right into the conversation here? How about negotiate a price before you agree to take on the job? Unless you are a Paladin (who is lawful good, and is altruistic enough to do good for goodness sake), this would be much more realistic (or authentic to real life).

So, backtrack to the line where Frans asks,

Frans: I seem to run out of food faster than usual. I think my Cook has a hand in the missing supply... You look strong and intimidating... Perhaps she can be "persuaded to tell the truth! You think?

Select the line and click Add from the Conversation Toolbar. Type the following line:

Player: What's in it for me?

Frans: Er...mm, How about I let you stay for free for a night? Deal?

Player: Sure. I will see what I can do... Now, where is this Cook of yours?

Frans: She is in the kitchen at this moment. Please hurry.

Now, even though you can see that both conversation threads end with the information that the Cook is in the kitchen, bear in mind that a Player wouldn't know how the dialog goes unless he/she tries it out. So this give a player some interesting choices during the game:

From the image above, don't you kind of expect the Drow to say conversation No. 2?

Even more options

I am going really creative here. What if you have a Neutral Evil Rogue, who sense that Frans sounded just a tad too desperate... and that this is a good opportunity for some extortion?

Frans: You have certainly come to the right place. Please rest a while before continuing your journey. There is not much news at this time of the year, but of course, unless you consider someone robbing me of my supply as news...

Rogue: Oh, is that so? What's there to rob?

Frans: My food supply! I suspect that halfling Cook of mine knows more than she let on. Now, you look strong and intimidating. Perhaps she can be "persuaded" to tell you more...

Rogue: What's in it for me?

Frans: Er...mm, How about I let you stay for free for a night? Deal?

Rogue: You must be pretty desperate... I want an additional 100 gold for the job.

Frans: I believe I am willing to pay you 50 gold for the job. Take it or leave it.

Rogue: That's not worth my time...

Frans: Should you change your mind, let me know. 50 gold is better than no gold, right?

Rogue: [END DIALOG]

Oh,oh... that didn't go too well.

But it would appear that Frans can be persuaded to pay a player an extra 50 golds! You can even make this a "bonus" find, by adding experience point to the discovery of this conversation thread.

By now, the player would realize that Frans will pay 50 gold extra + one night free stay at the Tavern. Flat refusal will get the player nowhere (can not proceed with the game). You can of course allow the player to "kill" Frans, but I would advise against that... A pure EVIL player who goes around killing everything in sight is out of the education model...

Change of Mind?

So what if the player change his/her mind, and decided to take Frans up on his "generous offer"? Continue from the line "take it or leave it"...

Frans: I believe I am willing to pay you 50 gold for the job. Take it or leave it.

Rogue: 50 gold it is. Now where can I find that Cook of yours?

Frans: She is in the kitchen right now.

Rogue: [END DIALOG]

The Full Dialog: Frans_01

The following is a screenshot of the full dialog thread. Do you agree that this would make the game much more interesting to a player?

Continue to » Practice No.3