110 replies to this topic

[Yal]

Also, no mugs.

That's actually a good idea! You should get a bunch of printed coffee mugs with the main characters' faces and use those to promote your game! You could at least make a 3D render of it and see if you like the idea.

[Phantom107]

I'm going with type 1, second picture; as long as the character art is high enough quality. For a low-end game on a low resolution I'd definately go with type 1, first picture.

A single amazing character art image will always come off more professional than actual expressions. Do the expressions using text, not visually! (Unless you use 3D, then expressions do matter)

[Zeddy]

Do the expressions using text, not visually!

Tell, don't show? Dissonance between visuals and text always irk me.

[Yal]

A single amazing character art image will always come off more professional than actual expressions.

I'd like to shout "Objection!" for the sake of my beliefs, but I'll wait until I can get some evidence to back it up.

Argument: If you're gonna use text for the dialogue AND the expressions, why use character images at all? You could make a single, ray-traced 900K dpi epic textbox image that's visible in every single cutscene (taking up the whole screen), instead of wasting resources on loads of character images when you'll be displaying at most two of them at a time.


Also, Saijee definitely uses 3D, making the only part of your post that applies here being the closing disclaimer.

(Unless you use 3D, then expressions do matter)

Finally, I personally get annoyed when games uses some expression images too much and for too many expressions; the key example being Disgaea 1 using the same image of Flonne when she's really angry and when she shouts out "Cool!". (The main reason might be because she's only really angry once in the entire plot, but nonetheless the dissonance really bothers me.)

[Saijee]

Is anyone else familiar with the way that text was presented in the Portal games? Yea, now I'm thinking that'd be a fine idea. Although unlike portal, people would not regularly talk while you are capable of controlling the character.

[Yal]

Portal used plain ol' movie-style subtitles, right? That could work, especially if your game is in a movie-style style. Also most people [outside America, Land of Film Dubbing] would intuitively understand and be able to read the subtitles without losing hold of the action. Just make sure subtitles are never placed on something the same color as the text; that is quite annoying, especially when important or emotional stuff is said. (It's quite easy to remedy by making the text gradient and having a small dark shadow a few pixels right-down, though, but it doesn't always work out with some color setups)



(I take the fact that Phantom107 haven't replied to my arguments in four days as evidence that he has nothing that can beat them. ^______^)

[9_6]

Subtitles are only a good idea if there is an actual dub to be subtitled and if the characters have actual body language.
Otherwise it just draws attention to the things that are lacking.

Edited by 9_6, 20 March 2012 - 09:44 AM.

[Saijee]

Yal, just did a pair of mock-ups. See if you can catch my obviously intentional spelling error.

Which is better?



9_6, Well the game is going to support full voice acting. Most likely I'll be able to find some good voices in the brony community. Because bronys are cool people who like to help other bronys.

and if the characters have actual body language. Otherwise it just draws attention to the things that are lacking.

Meh, let's just say I'm OK at drawing but 3D animation is my thing.

[9_6]

There are too many contrasting colors obscuring the text in the first one.
The second one is definitely easier to read.

[Saijee]

Is it such a terribly bad thing if the dialog cuts strait into the gameplay?

I was thinking that in favor of giving the characters well expressed animations that the way dialog would work is:

You see an NPC, you talk to him and it would cut into a dialog cutscene (completely skippable). The dialog cutscene would allow for the kinds of 3d moving around that just isn't possible in gameplay as well as dynamic camera angles and close-ups. And it would imidiatly go back to the gameplay as soon as the cutscene ended right were you left it.

[Yal]

I think that could work... as long as you got the voice acting right. I've seen it done correctly, and I've seen it done wrong, so it's no miracle solution, but it has potential. It can be really powerful if used correctly the first time you meet someone, in particular, since some cool camera movements and close-ups can really help giving that character a proper entrance.