Start with agendas rather than instructions
game-world-design begins dialogue with demands, concerns, leverage and strategies that change under resistance. Lines act rather than merely supplying background.
In the original greenhouse, the supervisor wants responsibility established, the gardener wants the north nursery protected, and the player needs a valve key. Signing authority and practical access give the two NPCs different leverage and evidence standards.
Plan the exchange: request the key, receive a demand for valve history, inspect the site or show a record, then obtain a response. Dialogue carries this bargain; essential controls can appear separately.
Use actual events as line conditions
| Item | Record |
|---|---|
| G-01 | Speaker / condition: Gardener; key requested without valve history; Line: “Tell me which valve you opened.”; State or next step: Inspection and showing records become available |
| G-02 | Speaker / condition: Gardener shown the record; key still with gardener, not held by player; Line: “That line was added later. Take the key. Don’t open north first.”; State or next step: Key handed over; sequence evidence given |
| G-03 | Speaker / condition: Player inspected only the site; Line: “Show me the joint you found first.”; State or next step: Verification begins; no key yet |
Private reading does not inform the gardener. G-02 reads the showing action, not an unrelated affection score.
IDs connect copy, captions and voices; game rules still verify conditions. This is a paper example, not an implemented or tested engine script.
Complete paper interaction from one initial state: Supply is paused; the gardener holds the key. The player has inspected the site but opened no valve and carries an old record the gardener has not seen in this scene. Its margin identifies the south line as a later addition and specifies south before north, following the greenhouse quest: open south then north to restore supply while preserving the north reserve.
Player: “Lend me the valve key.”
Gardener: “Tell me which valve you opened.”
Player: “None yet. I brought the old record. Look at this page.”
The player actually selects showing the record. The gardener takes the page, reads its margin, and points to the south arrow.
Gardener: “That line was added later. Take the key. Don’t open north first.”
He puts the key in the player’s hand. The state records transfer and offers travel to the valve cabinet in the established order. Supply remains unrestored.
The player asks again. The gardener looks at the held key: “You have it. Follow the order we just discussed.”
The second request grants no additional object or reset to an unseen record. On the unshown route, the player may instead offer to show the joint, triggering the original G-03: “Show me the joint you found first.” Agreement enters site verification with the key still held by the gardener. Do not report transfer early or borrow the other route’s margin knowledge. Each route reaches its own result only after its requirements are completed.
“Take the key” presents dialogue; possession follows the rule-committed handover. Wording changes alone cannot stop duplicate grants from faulty conditions. Once state is correct, reminders, thanks, or silence may fit the character without limitless new lines merely to avoid one repetition.
Let different leverage shape speech
“Nobody signs the water certificate before restoration,” says the supervisor. “The north row has half a bucket left. Don’t wait until the roots dry,” says the gardener. One sets responsibility limits; the other presents immediate loss. Players learn authority and urgency.
Replacing both with “This is serious; finish your quest quickly” removes distinction and progress. Preserve concrete concerns and conditions. Let resistance request evidence, refuse or change strategy instead of granting every request.
Buttons should represent actual speech: “Lend me the key; I’ll show you the joint.” A “Negotiate” label must not execute a threat. Show the reaction before offering newly available actions.
For long dialogue, find what changes the choice
The dialogue method treats lines as character actions; game-copy craft preserves source register and uneven speech. Cutting explanation does not make every sentence a standardized short line.
Continue the greenhouse example: the gardener needs to know which valve the player opened; the player needs a key. A lecture on the entire water history, the gardener’s duties, and the manager’s caution buries that request. Keep “Which valve did you open?” and let the player answer. Place the risk needed now beside its relevant action. History may open through an active follow-up question.
Do not normalize “The north row has half a bucket left” into “Please note resources are limited.” The first names the loss this person watches; the second becomes a generic prompt. The manager’s responsibility boundary and gardener’s immediate concern differ. Swapping speakers should not leave all lines unchanged.
A long speech that applies pressure, exposes evidence, or changes a listener’s choice may remain. Silence and chat can also reveal people. Check whether major exchanges repeat one strategy, not whether every line is short or every round increases a value.
Review dialogue against state and playback
Walk a showing route and an unshown-record route. Check premature knowledge, duplicate keys and shared dialogue claiming disclosure that never happened. Repair triggers and state before polishing language.
Remove explanation and repetitive exchanges without erasing characteristic address, urgency or regional speech. If exchanging speakers leaves a key line intact, inspect missing aims, knowledge or leverage rather than adding catchphrases.
Check critical requests and choices in the target viewport and actual voice playback. Limit AI edits to specified line IDs while preserving conditions and results, then synchronize affected captions and voices.
FAQ
Should game dialogue explain controls?
It can support a tutorial, but pair the line with an action and feedback so players can try the control. Avoid repeating instructions after players have demonstrated they understand.
Do it with the skill
Use $game-world-design to establish agendas, knowledge and leverage before conditional lines and actual choices. Check leaked knowledge, duplicate object grants and route contamination; constrain copy edits to specified IDs.
Read the method: Dialogue actions and character voices · Game copy and source voice · Preconditions, possession, and presentation reads