Issue of bland interaction between Geralt and other character while talking.

[shawn_kh]

Issue of bland interaction between Geralt and other character while talking.

I am a big fan of the series, but Witcher 1 and 2 suffered from a problem that many games in this genre do. When Geralt is speaking with another character, the other characters give up what they're doing completely, they stand up facing Geralt, and the characters keep talking without interrupting each other taking turns. As we know talking doesn't work this way most of the time. I hope to see more dynamic and realistic dialogue sequences, for example an NPC is chopping wood and Geralt starts to talk to him. The NPC keeps on chopping the wood while he's talking to Geralt, in the middle of the conversation he gets done chopping wood and starts walking taking the chopped wood to his house, and the rest of the conversation continues as they are walking, finally he gets angry and shuts the door on Geralts face. Also characters interrupting each other or even suddenly swinging at each other in the middle of a conversation would add more to the atmosphere.
Any thoughts on this ?

 

[Geralt_of_bsas]

I completely agree this would help feel social interactions more natural, and I also read and heard there's been a big improvement in this area from the devs.

Let me also mention something i wrote in the wishlist thread, I hate how when Geralt goes to talk to other people he doesn't really talk, you just click or press E and the other guy "responds" to something that was never spoken; I'd be great if Geralt would actually say something like "Hello..." or "excuse me" and then the conversation starts.

 

[paulthu]

Yeah it would be nice, although it didn't really bother me in TW2. I liked the way DS didn't lock you into a dialogue and you cold just walk away (or accidentally hit and aggro...) while npcs were talking to you.

 

[ReptilePZ]

DS and TW are two very different games.

 

[sidspyker]

While I don't care in the slightest for this(didn't bother me in TW1 nor 2), I believe it was mentioned in a few previews that conversations are much more dynamic.

And that even certain 'objects' could participate in the convo, like NPCs throwing a coin purse for example.

 

[paulthu]

DS and TW are two very different games.

Yeah, and in both games there are npcs and dialogue.

 

[ReptilePZ]

Yeah, and in both games there are npcs and dialogue.

Do they have dialogue trees in DS?

 

[TemerianGirl]

I hope Geralt will not run into sign problem in such conversation system. :X

 

[paulthu]

Do they have dialogue trees in DS?

No but the NPCs do have a list of actions to choose from that could serve as dialogue tree just fine if they would've chosen to put that in.

 

[ReptilePZ]

No but the NPCs do have a list of actions to choose from that could serve as dialogue tree just fine if they would've chosen to put that in.

I think conversations in TW are a bit more involved than that. It's the game's main feature - story and C&C.

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

Voice/acting sounds in general need to be better i.e: If they are yelling or talking outside it should sound like it. Or when you are walking and talking or riding your horse while talking it should fade if you get to far or maybe have the voice actors yell their dialog if you are galloping. Anyways I hope they fix the pace of the NPC/AI when they ask Geralt to follow them in TW2 it was so baad!! i.e: Walk stop, walk stop I have played many games who do it way better so I hope they are aware of this and make it realistic and natural.

 

[paulthu]

I think conversations in TW are a bit more involved than that. It's the game's main feature - story and C&C.

I think what the directed camera angles and Geralts animations brought to the table in TW2 weren't worth taking the control away from the player in the basic conversations. Especially because both were repeated throughout the game many times.

 

[ReptilePZ]

I think what the directed camera angles and Geralts animations brought to the table in TW2 weren't worth taking the control away from the player in the basic conversations. Especially because both were repeated throughout the game many times.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[paulthu]

As you wish

 

[Corax]

I think the directed camera angles was well worth it in The Witcher 2 and I hope it's similar in TW3.
It was a little weird though if you talked to a bunch at a table and everyone stands up and get shuffled around.

 

[serxho92]

I am a big fan of the series, but Witcher 1 and 2 suffered from a problem that many games in this genre do. When Geralt is speaking with another character, the other characters give up what they're doing completely, they stand up facing Geralt, and the characters keep talking without interrupting each other taking turns. As we know talking doesn't work this way most of the time. I hope to see more dynamic and realistic dialogue sequences, for example an NPC is chopping wood and Geralt starts to talk to him. The NPC keeps on chopping the wood while he's talking to Geralt, in the middle of the conversation he gets done chopping wood and starts walking taking the chopped wood to his house, and the rest of the conversation continues as they are walking, finally he gets angry and shuts the door on Geralts face. Also characters interrupting each other or even suddenly swinging at each other in the middle of a conversation would add more to the atmosphere.
Any thoughts on this ?

To implement this in the game than the dialogue and response will be timed. Meaning that you must think quickly of the answer/question Geralt is going to give. I remember there were some dialogues in W2 when you had to choose fast.
Many people are going to disagree with this because everyone wants to think clear of what to do. But i think doing this " respone time " thing is better because it adds to immersion. So, i totally agree with you.

 

[HeelPower]

I think what the directed camera angles and Geralts animations brought to the table in TW2 weren't worth taking the control away from the player in the basic conversations. Especially because both were repeated throughout the game many times.

you can't have DS' conversation system in The Witcher.

As mentioned above, its the meat and potatoes of the game. There are complex dialogue trees and decisions that affect the game.

Conversations are merely tangential in DS where as in The Witcher they are core aspect that is arguably more important than combat.

The game has to shift focus to "conversation mode" imo. The gesture system could obviously use more varied and improved animations.Which is exactly what they are doing in TW3. But to take it away is to hurt the game imo.

 

[paulthu]

you can't have DS' conversation system in The Witcher.

As mentioned above, its the meat and potatoes of the game. There are complex dialogue trees and decisions that affect the game.

Conversations are merely tangential in DS where as in The Witcher they are core aspect that is arguably more important than combat.

The game has to shift focus to "conversation mode" imo. The gesture system could obviously use more varied and improved animations.Which is exactly what they are doing in TW3. But to take it away is to hurt the game imo.

The separate conversation mode does have its advantages in situations the game actively uses it to make the conversations unique. Like when Geralt talks with his friends in the Flotsam tavern, when it's like a cutscene and dialogue tree combined.

Most of the time though, the conversations weren't custom made cutscenes but just alternating between set camera angles that were the same in all other conversations.

 

[Pedrolago]

This would take the game to whole new level of realism, it would make the NPC's actually feel alive, and its about time some developer implemented it. @serxho92 I don't see why they would have to time the conversation options for this to be implemented, the NPC doesn't need to be lunging at you, just going about his busyness and not standing like a robot

 

[Vigilance.492]

I think anyone would agree this would be a really awesome feature & It would be fantastic to see it in this (Or really any) game.

However that being said, we're so used to games doing what already happens in TW1/2 so really if it continues like that, it's not a HUGE deal. It never bothered me, at all, in the first two games, since that's just what most games are like. Games like TLOU or HL2 are able to do that kind of stuff outside of cinematics because they don't feature Dialogue Tree's, the games dialogue is linear & you have no input. Dialogue Tree's also ensure that the player can quickly talk to an NPC again or re-visit parts of the conversation they missed even if that happens in the exact same conversation. It would start to reach really weird levels if the realism becomes so, well, real, but then you talk to the NPC & have literally the same conversation again because you missed a line they said.

Honestly what's more important to me is just the background, no NPC's should just be standing around doing a few Idle animations (Unless they're meant to be standing still). If I can walk up to a Merchant in Novigrad & start having a conversation, I should also be able to see NPC's coming up to his stall & browsing or just people in general going about their business in the background. That to me is a pretty good middle ground, everything still feels immersive but you keep the very typical static conversation model.