dialogue-systems

name	dialogue-systems
description	A specialized skill for the dialogue-writer agent covering game dialogue systems. Provides character voice design, choice psychology, bark systems, cutscene direction, and emotion tag systems. Use for 'game dialogue,' 'NPC conversations,' 'choice design,' 'character voice,' and similar topics.

Dialogue Systems — Game Dialogue System Methodology

Specialized game dialogue knowledge used by the dialogue-writer agent when writing NPC dialogue, choices, and cutscenes.

Why Game Dialogue Is Different

Novel dialogue is read. Film dialogue is heard. Game dialogue is chosen by the player. This interactive element changes everything.

Character Voice Design: VOICE Framework

Element	Description	Design Question
Vocabulary	Vocabulary level and range	What words does this character use, and which do they never use?
Opinion	Attitude toward the world	Optimistic? Cynical? Pragmatic? Idealistic?
Idiom	Speech habits, punctuation patterns	Distinctive exclamations, sentence endings, repeated expressions?
Cadence	Sentence rhythm and length	Short, clipped speech? Long, elegant sentences?
Emotion	Emotional expression style	Express emotions directly? Imply through actions? Suppress?

Character Voice Card Example

Character: Seasoned Mercenary Captain
- V: Heavy military terminology, minimal emotional vocabulary. "Operation," "retreat," "supply"
- O: Realism, mocks idealism. "Heroes die young"
- I: Habit of ending sentences with "...yeah." Frequent imperative sentences
- C: Short sentences, occasionally long monologues (when reminiscing)
- E: Never expresses emotions directly. Shows only through actions

Choice Design Psychology

Choice Type Classification

Type	Description	Narrative Function	Example
Personality Expression	Player role-playing	Building character identity	Kind/Cold/Humorous responses
Information Gathering	Obtaining additional info	World exploration	"What does that mean?"
Moral Dilemma	Irreconcilable value conflicts	Emotional weight	If you could only save one?
Strategic Choice	Affects gameplay	Resource/path decisions	Frontal assault/Stealth/Negotiation
Relationship Choice	Changes NPC relationships	Social simulation	Agree/Disagree/Evade

Choice Design Rules

1. Predictable outcomes: Reading the choices should allow rough prediction of results. "Burn the innocent village" should not lead to a good outcome
2. Emotional differentiation: Not all choices should be "nice words vs. mean words." Even with the same intent, the method should differ
3. Rule of 3: 2-4 choices, optimal is 3 (proactive/neutral/aggressive variants)
4. No false choices: If every option leads to the same result, the player feels betrayed
5. Silence is also a choice: Treat "..." or timeout as a meaningful response

Designing the Weight of Choices

Weight = Irreversibility x Scope of Impact x Emotional Investment

- Irreversibility: Re-selectable (low) ~ Permanent (high)
- Scope of Impact: Immediate dialogue change (low) ~ Ending change (high)
- Emotional Investment: First-met NPC (low) ~ Long-time companion (high)

Bark System

Barks are short lines NPCs say automatically in non-dialogue situations. They are a key element that makes the world feel alive.

Bark Categories

Category	Trigger	Example
Idle	Waiting near the player	"The market is quiet today..."
React	Reacting to player actions	"Whoa, careful!" (during combat)
Ambient	Weather/time/location changes	"Looks like rain..."
Relationship	Changes based on affinity	High affinity: "Hail, hero!" / Low: "Hmph, you again"
Story	Based on quest progression	"The elder was looking for you"
Combat	During battle situations	"They're behind us!", "Need healing!"

Bark Quality Rules

• No repeating the same bark: At least 3-5 variations per trigger
• Maintain character voice: Barks also follow the VOICE framework
• Information delivery: Naturally convey quest hints or world information through barks
• Length: 1-2 sentences, 3 seconds maximum

Cutscene Dialogue Direction

Dialogue Density by Cutscene Type

Cutscene Type	Dialogue Ratio	Silent Direction Ratio	Purpose
Opening	30%	70%	World immersion, visual impact
Character Introduction	60%	40%	Imprinting character personality
Pre-Battle	40%	60%	Building tension
Twist/Reveal	50%	50%	Shock + lingering impression
Ending	40%	60%	Emotional catharsis

Dialogue-Silence Rhythm Formula

[Dialogue] — [Reaction shot 1-2 sec] — [Dialogue] — [Long silence 3-5 sec] — [Decisive line]

Absolute prohibition: [Dialogue][Dialogue][Dialogue] in succession — no room for emotions to build

Dialogue Format Standard

DIALOGUE_ID: D_[Chapter]_[Scene]_[Sequence]
SPEAKER: [Character Name]
EMOTION: [neutral/happy/angry/sad/fearful/surprised/contempt]
CONDITION: [IF flag_xxx == true]
VOICE_NOTE: [Acting direction — "whispered," "suppressing anger"]

[Dialogue content]

-> CHOICE (if choices exist)
  A: [Choice text] -> GOTO D_XX_XX_XX / SET flag_xxx
  B: [Choice text] -> GOTO D_XX_XX_XX / SET flag_xxx