My idea for dialogues in Zelda games

For the people who have not played Knights of the Old Republic, it is a RPG Star Wars game, set 4000 years before the Star Wars movies.

Now, in this game, when having conversations with people, you get to choose an answer, and each answer has its consequense.

Let me give you an example:

A character answers cocky towards you when you choose to speak with him, so you get answers to choose from. He says: "What do you want, kid? I don't have much time to spend on curious little children."

1. I'd fix my attitude if I were you.

2. Why are you in such a bad mood?

3. I need to know what is happening at the Kakariko graveyard.

Answer 1 would result in him saying: "I don't need to take this from a brat like you. Get out of my sight, kid."

Answer 2 would result in him saying: "None of your business, kid. You just mind your own business."

Answer 3 would result in him saying: "A kid like you... so curious? Well, I'll tell you, but it'll cost you, kid. I haven't actually seen anything, but rumors spread, and I'm always here to hear them. According to these latest rumors, ghosts of people that once lived here in Kakariko are scaring people and even attacking them. Don't be too sure if these rumors are true or not."

As you see, it's more complicated, and lets us have more advanced conversations. I really love it that way.

But KOTOR has voices for each character (except yours), but that doesn't mean Zelda has to as well. You choose what to say, they answer it. Don't worry, Link's voice won't be heard. It's just text, and you pick your answer as I said.

When playing KOTOR I get the same feeling as if I were Link, because your character never speaks in the game (except for when you get hurt or things like that). It's like being mute, but I know I'm not, I am talking to people... It's just only visible by the eye, not the ears.

If anyone is wondering something, I'll be here to answer. Too bad Nintendo never check these forums... Or maybe it's good? Depends on what you think of my idea.

There are elements such as that are similiar, like chosing between two people on who to accept something from and the other shuns you.

Something with a lot of dialouge and a lot of choices though would just be turning the game into an RPG. As you have it, there is one obvious answer and two that are the real-world answers, if they had consequences it would be worth it to have them, but that would be unfitting for Zelda.

Something with a lot of dialouge and a lot of choices though would just be turning the game into an RPG.

Yes, but I feel the conversations in Zelda games should be somewhat more social. Having Link go "............." and then a guy to respond "She has escaped, you say?" is simple.

Overall I could of course survive without the ways of my idea, but I just feel it would be an improvement to the game.

It would be pretty neat to talk to Ganon like that, and say things like 'I will survive you' and have him replying 'I doubt you will, young fool... Now die!'.

But yeah, it's not an especially smashing idea, but I'm sure most people would like it.

I simply felt I had to post my idea, so I did, regardless if people like it or not.

As for the consequenses, I just felt it would be really good if you could end up doing different things throughout the game. Like if you find a missing Power Ring (just an example) of some wizard, you can choose to lie and say you don't have it, and keep the item, therefore using it for your own advantage. But you can also choose to tell the truth and end up getting a Speed Ring instead. So basically it would depend if you want to be more powerful, or faster.

I'm pretty sure my idea would increase the replay value.

I would like it if it was used for not all characters but some. Like an Open Zelda game for those that know what I'm talking about.

*Moved to FUTURE ZELDA*

I'm not that crazy about having Zelda turn into an RPG, but I think the choice system could work in towns with many villagers. Different attitudes should give you different sidequests which reflect the attitude you give. That would be great, but it shouldn't get too complicated. Perhaps a choice between two options would be the best in a Zelda game.

Yeah, I don't want it to get too complicated, after all, people of almost all ages play the Zelda games.

But I don't want to turn the game into a RPG, I just want this specific element, but I guess that would be increasing the RPG part of this game (I've seen none so far).

"I'm an ally of justice" Link

The conversation with Mila (the thief) was one of my favourite things in TWW, but I would not like having to answer every character in the game this way. :confused:

So I think this would be best used by a few characters, but nothing that would change the feel of a zelda game, like having a chat with ganondorf.

Originally Posted by Mystic

I'm not that crazy about having Zelda turn into an RPG

Most of us aren't, but it'd still be nice to toss that 'yes/no' answer junk out the window and make Link's conversations more exciting. I can see *some* conversations taking this format, but we should start by giving Link more dialogue in the first place shouldn't we?

Anyhow, I think this idea's pure gold, but it shouldn't be abused; only some required conversations and situations like the one you described should utilize this. And they should definitely add in vocals. Some FFX-style cinemas would be nice, too, but I suppose we can't have everything.

This could work well as long as it's not overused. It would get annoying having to choose what to say for every other conversation and having to choose what to say during the final battle wouldn't be good because it would disrupt the flow of events. I think changes to the storyline caused by actions would be cooler.

I absolutely despise the idea. It worked in KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, and other Bioware RPGs, but it would be completely out of place in a Zelda game.

If Link gets too interactive with words he'll soon be like a FF character. He's better as the silent hero with a couple of 'Yes' or 'No's thrown in for the sake of progression.

It would be interesting to have some changes to the gameplay depending on the decisions players make. For example, dungeon progression may change somewhat due to what Link says to a certain character, or he receives a different reward for completing a quest (a Piece of Heart instead of, say, a Gold Rupee - of course, the item not chosen would be obtainable some other way).

However, to have it such advanced conversation branches just wouldn't fit.

I like how Link was in Ocarina of Time. Anything above The Wind Waker would change the way he's always been.

I think it's a smashing idea - but tempered, as has been suggested. If you had the Main Quest all straight-forward like, and then a good deal of the side-quests with multiple outcomes... I know Zelda is an adventure game, but it's also a communication game in a lot of ways. When I play my Harvest Moon, I feel like I'm Link in his off hours.

Think about how much of an impact communication had in Majora's Mask - a Zelda game with a similar format - ie. an alotted amount of time in which you were required to repeat days again and again - would be the best fit for such an open-ended communication system.

I doubt they will use the 'repeat game cycle' gameplay from MM on this new one. I hope time always moves though, and that the NPC's will have a bigger schedule than they did in The Wind Waker. I basically want the world to be alive.

I think it would be fine if it was used the same way as it was in TWW. In otherwords, to act like a minigame in a subquest for something small like a heartpiece, or or as a minigame in a trading sequence (like in TWW.) If it (a conversation) was in the game more than a few times it might ruin the game.

A singing mini-game would be fun.

As much as I totally adore and worship your very adorable idea, Strain, I don't think it belongs in my thread... This is not a flame, just saying that you should put a bit more to a post...

As for the topic, yes, I do feel that we need more advanced communication. Frankly, all these people who just want the same old thing over and over again, stop drinking the same old tea in that dead old kitchen and open up your minds. I'm not jumping people for disliking my idea, but I've seen this behaviour repeated over and over in threads like this one - the constant denial of anything new.

Amen to that. The whole "stick with the same old formula forever or it isn't Zelda" policy that Nintendo seems to be following somewhat and that a lot of people agree with will seriously retard the progression of the franchise. The same old stuff can only be rehashed so many times. Ganondorf is already starting to seem a tad Bowseresque in his overuse and a little less intimidating for having been taken down by so many different people. Before long Nintendo will have to supplant him with some "new, greater evil" (rather than just have a departure from him a la MM) if they want to continue down their same old path, and whilst something like that might be interesting if handled right it would really take away from what people cosider Zelda to "be".

I think this is a great idea, even if the only instance in which something similar cropped up (Mila) in Zelda sucked. Further, I think that in certain instances more complicated conversations such as those in point-and-click adventures (The Feeble Files, Simon the Sorcerer etc.) that really open up into more than one topic and require some actual thought should crop up now and again, preferably in these towns and villages everyone seems to hanker for in the many "What do you want in the next Zelda?" threads.

Those would be used sparingly, of course (talkative barkeeps, characters crucial to trading sequences and such), but though I would still want to see the majority of the dialogue as expositions (spoken as in Starfox, though, and varying at different stages in the game and depending on time of day etc.) I wouldn't want the simple option-conversations William suggested to be that uncommon.

Having conversations like that in zelda games would be pretty cool. It would make the game more fun and a little more interesting as well