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Improve character dialogue

RIght now character dialogue is a challenge. Each main character is controlled by an individual player - to have true "back and forth" dialogue either I have to start writing for another player's character or we have to only have one exchange a turn. Writing for another player's character is probably counterproductive given Storium's strong (and useful) push towards important character decisions being the bailiwick of their individual players.

Here are some ideas for this (although all have their downsides too):

1 - A chat tool that can pop up a mini-dialogue between two (or more) characters, like a 'mini-turn' where nothing happens except dialogue.

2 - A dialogue request, where a player puts in a dialogue prompt for their character and another (or more). The other players put in some solid guidelines (maybe a "position statement") and a few phrases - the original player then writes the dialogue for everybody, but within the guidelines written by the other players. A player may award a karma to the moving player if they get across the non-moving character's personality/phrases effectively.

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JDC shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
declined  ·  AdminStephen Hood (Co-founder, Storium) responded  · 

These are great suggestions, thanks! It’s not super clear right now, but you can use Moves to conduct dialog. Every player can make as many Moves as they like in a scene, and in any order. So it’s easy to say something to one character, have them respond, and so forth.

We are going to come up with some better language here so things are clearer. Sorry for the confusion!

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  • JDC commented  ·   ·  Report

    Aha!! That explains it. I didn't realize I could make a move and then NOT end my turn. I "followed the instructions" in turn and the last thing it said to do was end my turn so I did. This actually is probably encouraged by things like e-mails saying "other players are waiting on you", etc.

    So maybe some clarity on Moves vs. Turns in the play area. Something like 'don't choose an outcome/end your turn until you're done talking to others, etc.'

    Also, if the turns are A, B, C, D and D wants to talk to B, but B has already ended their turn, D is out of luck until the next scene, right?

  • JDC commented  ·   ·  Report

    I'm looking at the game I'm playing in right now: http://storium.com/game/pulse

    In scene 2, I moved, then another player moved. I don't see any option on the page for me to move again.

  • JDC commented  ·   ·  Report

    Ahh, okay. I think the game I've played in so far we 've only done one Move per scene. I assume the narrator decides when the scene's done.

    As far as dialogue goes, I think there could still be an issue if there were (say) 4 people in the scene - you can't Move when it's not your turn, if turn order goes A, B, C, D, and D wants to converse with B, it will go:

    A move
    B move
    C move
    D move, initiate conversation with B
    A move
    B move, reply to D
    C move
    D move, reply to B

    I would think that very quickly A and C would not be able to contribute - in a normal dialogue there might be 5-9 exchanges.

    I think the "everybody gets a turn" structure is excellent for other reasons (shy players, introverted characters). The only solution I can think would be to permit B to "end move and pass to D" and vice versa, but that might shut out A and C from contributing if they wanted to, so I'm reluctant to suggest it.

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