Dialogue
The spoken word holds power. Distinctive word choices inform character voice and speech patterns, while point-of-view reveals intent and motivation.
Utilizing dialogue techniques - including conditional, branching, or suggestive dialogue - can feed player expression or fuel player actions.
Atmospheric Barks
Beastbreaker
Single Player, Fantasy RPG
Barks Sample
A game's story is at its best when the character and the player synergize their perspectives, chasing the same goals with matching motivations. To achieve this nexus state, players need to opt-in completely to the role they play in-game. But they can't do this alone - our world and our characters must also believe in them.
Atmospheric barks provide the perfect opportunity to create macro-scale buy-in.
These quick snippets of dialogue allow NPCs to acknowledge and validate player agency in-game. When triggered by certain cues of checkpoints, atmospheric barks can build progression in story, creating a narrative feedback loop between NPCs, locales, and the player character. These barks, written for the sample RPG "Beastbreaker", seek to respond to the shifting world states of Kingsdale Fortress and reward players for opting-in to their role.
"Time to Tell the Kid..."
Santa's Secret: A Chrome Steele Mystery
Cybernoir Visual Novel
Scene Dialogue Sample
Voice reveals the speaker's point-of-view. Rhythm indicates the speaker's thought process. Tone expresses the speaker's emotional attachment. These artifacts of dialogue are key in telling story through character...
This became my challenge when writing Chrome Steele, an android whose speech fluctuates between three machine-learnt detective personas: Unassuming, à la Hercules Poirot – Logical, as per Sherlock Holmes – and Hard-Boiled, riding the coattails of Philip Marlowe himself.
Written for Santa's Secret: A Chrome Steele Mystery, this sample contains dialogue for three distinct paths, each containing specialized content designed for player choice and adopting varying tones and rhythms as designated by our narrative team's in-house style guide.
"Crash Landing"
Steel Soldier
Single Player, Action-Adventure
Mission Dialogue Sample
Not all dialogue pauses gameplay. To really harness the power of games, writers must be able to tell our story at the same time that they player is telling theirs.
The player is our writing partner.
Mission dialogue allows writers to insert bits of lore and character development or contextualize gameplay mechanics in real time. Scripting missions via gameplay cues (both idle and active) is an effective approach to guiding story while keeping the action on sticks and nourishing player agency.
This sample for Steel Soldier is designed to introduce macro-level gameplay and narrative elements (such as combat, armor, and V.O. companions), respond to player input, give a glimpse into Arthur Kite's personality.