RPG Dialogue Editor
Unity
Solo
20 Weeks
Highlights
Nodes
Branching
Scripting
With the RPG Dialogue Editor you can create a Dialogue Graph in Unity, in which you can build branching dialogue based on data (player choices and actions) through the use of a light scripting system that extends the concept of nodes.
I built it in Unity to accomplish a few things: explore computer role-playing game (cRPG) development, better my Unity skills and gain experience in creating tools for developers.
I wrote up how this plugin and idea came to be. If you want more, check below.
Nodes
Branching dialogue is a hallmark of cRPGs, and it implies that dialogue flows like a river with different outcomes. I decided to represent this with a node system, represented graphically for ease-of-use by designers.
Branching is done via either player choice, represented by the Choice node, or through player actions (stored data), represented by the Condition Node.
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Branching
I supported inquisitive questions (which loop back to another branch), skill checks, and quest history by creating a small variable system.
I modeled the system after Unreal Engine – each Node Graph would hold local variables, a Blackboard would hold a reference to all variables (local and global), and through Condition Node you are able to create Conditions, and through the Edit Variable Instruction you can edit the variable.
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Scripting
To allow more flexibility, I chose to allow Nodes to be modified and created easily so that they may be used however the end-user wants. I used Unity’s Scriptable Objects to achieve that – you can create the Nodes and Graphs (and Variables!) as if you were using Unity’s quintessential way of scripting – MonoBehaviours – Scriptable Objects allow you to use Unity’s in-built serialization and automatic GUI generation, as if it were a MonoBehaviour, but a Scriptable Object can be saved as an asset (saving the data on disk!).
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