Dialogue Overhaul Bug Testing

2013-07-04_00009

Heyo! I’ve added a torrent of what I have right now. It’s not exactly a playable release, it’s basically to bug test the dialogue overhaul, which has seen nearly every NPC’s dialogue tree re-organized for better gameplay. Make sure to download the Hearthfire patch if you own the DLC.

About 10 quests are included as well, but most are still in the experimental testing phase. You can try them at your own risk, but most are connected to Darkened Steel which starts at Orphan’s Tear if you’ve met the prereqs. Idle Dreams is probably an easy one to test though, just head to Haelga’s Bunkhouse and talk to Amicus. With the exception of 1 song for Alassea, no new bard songs are included as they’re still being made.

For those intrepid souls who want to help test this thing and get it working, here are some things to look out for when talking to folks:

Getting kicked out a conversation for no reason – This is not to be confused with going back to the top level. I mean a random, forced goodbye, which is either a symptom of dialogue not being connected properly or the NPC is a jerk.

Stuck in a dialogue loop – A symptom of things connected when they shouldn’t be. For instance, if a bard asks you “What would you like me to play?” and the choice is “Can I make a request?” That’s not a catchy new song title, it’s a bug.

Questions not matching answers or just out of place – Example: If an NPC tells you bandits killed her brother, and  the only available response is “Does this dress make me look fat?” then that’s a bug.

Top-level questions showing up prematurely – For instance, you meet an NPC, and right away a question about his/her choice of lube is at the top before the topic of masturbation has even been broached. Also a bug.

Missed Stuff and Other Dialogue Tweaks – I may have missed a tweak here and there, so if you see anything else that needs fiddling with let me know. Even if none of the above things show up, you may notice a conversation seems halfway finished, or perhaps you’ve spoken to an NPC before and certain stories are unavailable. Stuff like that.

Creation Kit – Scenes and More Dialogue Tweaks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eINh7lnJOPY

Last time, I showed how the dialogue structure itself will change with the next update. Almost all the deeper conversations will be moved to the top level, using a stage script to effectively bookmark where you left off. This will allow you to leave halfway through a conversation and finish it at a later date.

Another skill I’ve picked up is the use of scenes, which will be helpful for some of the early NPCs as well. In the last video, we showed Salty doing his pirate songs the way a bard does. Here, I’m using the same technique to allow Hjoromir to act closer to the way he was intended when telling his stories. While his animations are limited, it still paints a better picture than him just talking.