Feedback on npc interaction

I figured I should voice my thoughts again regarding npc interaction.

I didn't find any changes or improvements to the way we interact and talk to npcs in R34.
Maybe this is as it should be according to the grand plan.

But I really wish the devs would put priority on changing the way we talk to npcs.
There have been many interesting suggestions over the years, from me and many others so I will not drag them up again.

The big crux is that talking with npcs in the chat window is way way wrong - please begin changing it to something else soon.
I am sure lots of feedback will come and lots of iterating will be needed once we start the changes, so we really shouldn't delay the process - in my opinion.

Thanks for listening

 

I agree so much! But obviously the dialogue system will get an overhaul with release 37.

 

Yeah, I saw that too in the Q4 roadmap this morning.
That makes me happy
But I still hope they change priority and begin this process even sooner.

 

I feel this part of game has been stonewalled by the dev's for some time, forcing the use of the 'tiny' and cluttered chat box.

 

This is how the close up conversations in SotA should look like (aside from the menu to the right, as we still want to type in our words and sentences).
Yes, this is Unity engine and a game created on a relatively small budget by an indie team:



Take a look at the face of the NPC. He displays real emotions.

 

Definitely plenty, plenty, plenty of room for improvement

 

Very interesting quote from the developers of Torment: Tides of Numenera about the conversation UI:

"The conversation screen in Torment is one of the most important parts of the game, because you will be spending so much time using it. As a result, it was critical to make it as polished and enjoyable to use as possible - a goal we have had throughout development."

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/torment-tides-of-numenera/posts/1699659

 

I wish our devs here make a similar statement soonish
I read the latest Torment-update and have to say it begins to look very interesting and polished.

 

I would like a better way to interact with NPCs. Maybe the devs could tell us what they want to accomplish with the mentioned refactoring.

 

Fundementally, the only current reasons to talk with an NPC are to trade, get a quest or to turn in a quest. Arguably you can advance quests and learn lore from them but both are currently exercises in futility.

In Single player games, talking to NPCs can advance and direct the plot but SotA looks to be a timeless limbo for the foreseeable future.

So, with that in mind what reasons should we have for talking with NPCs?

 

Currently NPC quest interaction seems to consist of clicking all the underlined words, and if that doesn't work you then play a frustrating game of "Read the Mind of the Dialogue Author". None of that in any way resembles having a conversation.
The worst part is the lack of feedback. If you have failed to complete a pre-requisite task, you are not told. If there is more to discover from the NPC, you are not told. With every other dialogue system I have used in RPGs I always knew when I had learned all I had to learn, and was never left with no result and no inkling as to why.

 

Yes that's been my experience so far, Knowing when I have all the relevant info regarding a quest, a couple of times I seem to have hit a dead end not knowing if it's a bug/unfinished line of thought etc, I wondered if the chat system could be tied in with "Cortana" so i could just speak a sentence and have it type out?, this would make me focus more on the game than the little box.
Perhaps the NPC could just say "I have nothing more to say on that subject".