Any Suggestions for an in-game phone / chat system ?

nursey

Hey!

I would like to include an in-game phone or computer, which should mostly serve as a chat system. Or rather, it's the chat system that's bothering me.

I started creating an in-game computer using Unity UI Prefabs menus and variables which should trigger further progress in the conversation and also different outcomes in the game through the conversations.
It worked but it became rather confusing, as I soon ended up having a lot of menus for just one chat.

Also I used png files for the chat content, as I didn't manage to include normal dialogue inside the menu screens (while the game is paused).

Here is a list what I would like to have in the chat system:

- different conversations (probably not more than 3-4) with their own progression points

- dialog trees that function like conversations with NPC's

- a scrollable history which is already there at game start (though this would not be that important)

I thought about creating extra scenes that are designed as this in-game device and would function more visual novel like, but I'm not sure if that's possible?

Probably the best way would be sticking to the menus? But then the question is how do I get the dialogue trees in there (with possibly a different format than in the game itself)

I would be very happy, if someone had suggestions.

Thanks, nursey

ChrisIceBox

There's a separation between gameplay and the look of it - I'd recommend you focus on just AC Menus for now, as it makes it easier to prototype.

Certainly if you want to have dialogue trees etc, then you should be relying on the Conversation system.

Know that you can have different Conversation menus appear at different times by locking/unlocking them at runtime - so that only the one you want to appear is unlocked.  This can be done with the Menu: Change state Action.

To allow a Menu with an Appear type of When Speech Plays appears, you can check Also show when paused? in its list of properties.

A log of previously-said speech can be accessed - but, because of the heavily-customisable nature of how you might use it - only via script:

SpeechLog log[] = AC.KickStarter.runtimeVariables.GetSpeechLog ();

nursey

Thanks for your answer, Chris!

It was a good reminder with the AC menus, as I kind of forgot about them, when I started trying stuff with the Unity UI menus.

Also the thing with the different Conversation menus worked fine!