How to handle NPC's dialogue with each other?

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pegassy
Posts: 135
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:07 pm

How to handle NPC's dialogue with each other?

Post by pegassy »

Hello,

I now have a stable DSU integration for UCC and lipsync pro and Behavior Designer. Conversations and barks are working pretty well. However, I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to have different NPC's to talk to each other as "overheard" conversations. For example, I would like to have Guard1 and Guard2 to start talking about a rumor when I get close to them (trigger enter). If I try to do this with a conversation, then in the current state of the dialogue manager it disables the controls, but I just want to pass by and listen to them converse, not cut the stream. If I use barks, I can handle it in a super complicated mess of barks, wait scripts, and dialogue triggers, but that is not sustainable if I am to do more of these.

What is the best way to handle two NPC characters talking to each other with lipsync without interrupting the player's gameplay?
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Tony Li
Posts: 20990
Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2013 1:27 pm

Re: How to handle NPC's dialogue with each other?

Post by Tony Li »

Hi,

As you've found, barks are not the way to do it. Barks are better for one-off lines, such as "I'm hit!" or "Enemy sighted! Attack!"

Tick the Dialogue Manager's Other Settings > Allow Simultaneous Conversations checkbox.

When you create your Guard1 <--> Guard2 conversation, in the Dialogue Editor make sure Guard1 is assigned as the conversation's actor and Guard2 as the conversation's conversant.

Likewise, assign Guard1 to the Dialogue System Trigger's Start Conversation > Conversation Actor field, and assign Guard2 to the Conversation Conversant field.

When it's set up like this, the player won't receive OnConversationStart and OnConversationEnd messages, so it shouldn't enter the UCC Converse state. (The Converse state is what disables the player's gameplay controls for the duration of the conversation.)
pegassy
Posts: 135
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:07 pm

Re: How to handle NPC's dialogue with each other?

Post by pegassy »

That's great clarification. Thank you so much.
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