Saturday, 15 March 2008

"Need some help here!"

Hello, all you you clever people! I need some advice on conversations. I try to conserve as much as possibly of the original Zork I written information, but when it comes to transfer it to interacting with NPCs and Items I need to make some adjustments and still stay consequent.

I start with some conversation examples that I need your advice on.

"The thief is a slippery character with beady eyes that flit back and forth..."

"The cyclops prefers eating to making conversation."

"The ghost leaves, muttering obscenities."

"The altar is dressed with a altar cloth embroidered with ancient Zorkish designs."


Should I use brackets or different coloring when describing things and events or is there better ways do do it?

---

"Examine the old stone altar."

"Push the blue button."

"Offer the Cyclops an item from my backpack."

"Leave."


How would you present actions? Coloring? Asterix's?

---

Do you have other conversation standards that you think it's important to share?

Thanks in advance!
/A

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The thief is a slippery character with beady eyes that (flit - dart or skitter) back and forth..."

"The cyclops prefers eating to making conversation."

"The ghost leaves, muttering obscenities."

"The altar is dressed with a (alter - ritual or ceremonial) cloth embroidered with ancient Zorkish designs."

Using alter in the same sentence doesn't work well. Using a description specific helps a lot.

------------------------------

As for actions. I am using italics and an alternate color from the base dialog. I figure that is a preference thing.

Ernie Noa said...

I don't always use them myself, but prefer descriptive text to be in italics and a different color. That would be my recommendation. I tend to use asterisk a lot but think it can be done better.

Amraphael said...

@Liso,
I know the sentences are quite odd - but they are quoted as in the original game. I promise because I cut and paste them from of the original Z-engine code
:)
I go with the italics and different color though.

Amraphael said...

@Ernie,
okay, no asterisks then.

Wyrin said...

ernie's matched my thought I'd posted o nthbe forums too

dirtywick said...

The color I see most often for descriptive text in dialogue is green.

Me, I just bracket anything that isn't spoken aloud.

SirChet said...

My personal preference, (when playing) is a different color. I appreciate it when an author makes it very simple to understand that it's an action, or description. Sometimes the color can help show if the action is friendly, funny, romantic, or dangerous.