Game Audio Project Management (Part 3: Dialogue)
Introduction
As a game developer, I know that dialogue in video games can make or break the player's experience. From crafting engaging scripts and narratives to casting the perfect voice actors and navigating legal agreements, there's a lot that goes into creating a seamless and believable dialogue system. In this blog post, I'll be sharing my personal experiences and insights on the dialogue process in video games. We'll cover everything from scripting and casting to engineering and post-production, with tips and tricks for making your dialogue stand out. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, this post will give you a deeper understanding of the importance of dialogue in games and how to create a truly immersive experience for your players.
It's worth noting that this post is a long read, so it may be better to read the parts that are most relevant to you or to break it up into smaller reads. But for now, let's dive in and explore the world of video game dialogue!
Scripting & Narrative
On large development teams, there is often a team of writers who develop the story and character scripts based on the gameplay mechanics. On small development teams, it's common for the team members to collaborate on the story narrative and writing the scripts. If a member of the team enjoys writing, they may take on the responsibility of developing the story and scripts. Be wary of project creep on small teams, as the narrative can easily become unmanageable. I worked on a small development project called Moon with Don't Look Digital, where we developed an interactive music video with lyrics that narrated the story and tied everything together, the scope for this project was preplanned, reducing project creep, it’s best to get an idea of the project scope to manage time effectively, it does not need to be 100% accurate.
At Black Box VR, we have approached scripts and narratives in a variety of ways. In the Black Box Game, there is an AI named Maia who teaches players how to perform exercises properly. This requires someone with excellent knowledge of exercise movements and form. Fortunately, the co-founders have extensive knowledge in this field and were able to create a successful onboarding experience that teaches the player how to play the game while maintaining proper form.
80/20 Rule
When it comes to creating dialogue for video games, the 80/20 rule is a great guideline to follow. Instead of spending hours writing specific dialogue cues for every objective type and state, consider using a general cue that can cover all objectives. For example, instead of writing specific lines for each win state, like "You successfully defused the bomb and subdued the enemy," "You successfully planted the bomb and destroyed our enemy," and "You successfully captured the flag," use a general line like "You have successfully completed the objective, well done!" This one line can cover all win states and will still get the message across. Of course, if time and budget allow, it's always best to capture as many specific cues as possible, but by thinking with the 80/20 rule in mind, you'll have your bases covered and still deliver a great gaming experience for your players.
The Benefits of a Dedicated Writer for Small Teams
It's important to note that having a dedicated writer is not just for large teams. Small teams can also benefit from having a dedicated writer. At Black Box VR, we needed to write scripts for boss battles, so we hired Darby McBride to assist with the process. Our team included myself, lead developer Colby Morgan and the two directors who were surprisingly adept at script writing. One of the directors had previously studied screenplays, which explained their proficiency in the process. We held weekly meetings for narrative and script planning, which allowed us to provide feedback, discuss required triggers, cue variations, and the types and timing of cues. It took us about a month to complete the scripts.
There are several ways to prepare a script. One option is to use software like Final Draft (2022), which enables you to add all the characters for easy reference, add descriptions to scenes, and follow an industry standard that voice talent are familiar with. The Beat Board feature in Final Draft is particularly useful for quickly sketching out the flow of a scene and rearranging it. Once you have a good layout, you can turn the beat board into a script and begin fleshing out the lines. A dedicated script writing program is a nice luxury, but any writing software, such as Google Documents, can be used as well.
Managing Dialogue Scripts and Variations in Game Development
The human ear is highly attuned to dialogue, and can quickly become irritated by repeated sentences and phrases. This is in contrast to sound design, where our ears are more forgiving. One way to combat this issue is to use software like ChatGPT to generate variations of repetitive lines. Additionally, ChatGPT can also be a useful tool for generating script ideas and proofreading your work OpenAI (2023).
Depending on the linearity and the number of dialogue options available, scripts can get large quickly. It's a good idea to break them down into smaller, more manageable documents. Naming conventions are important for quickly locating the scripts you need.
In game development, asset management is essential, and this includes scripts. It is highly recommended to create a spreadsheet that houses characters, voice talent, dialogue cues, file names, and other useful metadata. For some projects, it is possible to use a spreadsheet as a scriptwriting tool and main resource, but it can be helpful to use a dedicated scriptwriting software as well.
It is also important to note that various tools and software can be utilized for script preparation, such as Final Draft and Twine. In particular, Twine is a valuable tool for non-linear games, as it allows for easy planning of branching dialogue options. Additionally, asset management and voice acting are crucial components of game development. To aid in organization, it is recommended to create a spreadsheet that includes information such as characters, voice talent, dialogue cues, file names, and other relevant metadata. Clear direction should be provided to voice actors and efforts should be made to ensure high-quality recordings, especially when working with remote talent and their personal recording setups. Modern tools like iZotope can be helpful in post-production for resolving issues such as clipping, latency, and background noise. However, it is best to aim for minimal post-production work when it comes to cleaning up recordings.
Summary (Scripting & Narrative)
In this section, it is discussed that on large game development teams, there is often a dedicated team of writers who develop the story and character scripts based on gameplay mechanics. On small teams, it is common for team members to collaborate on the narrative and writing of scripts. It is noted that in small teams, there may be a risk of project creep, where the story can become unmanageable. An example is given of a small development project called Moon where an interactive music video was created with lyrics that narrated the story and tied everything together.
At Black Box VR, different approaches have been taken for scripts and narratives. In the Black Box Game, an AI named Maia teaches players how to properly perform exercises, which required someone with extensive knowledge of exercise movements and form. Fortunately, the co-founders had this expertise and were able to create a successful onboarding experience. It is also mentioned that having a dedicated writer is not just for large teams, small teams can also benefit from having one. An example is given of how a writer was hired to assist with script writing for boss battles.
Casting
Casting can be a fun part of the process, there was an episode of Play Watch Listen were Mike Bithell discussed putting together the dream team/cast of voice talent, I found that this tends to happen unintentionally in the casting process, but purposefully known this information can help get a real sense of how you imagine the character, it can also help in the scripting writing process, as you can imagine how this character would speak, pronounce lines, what they would and wouldn’t say. Now if it’s not already obvious, you’re not actually going to cast the dream team, in fact you are not limited to living actors and actresses, you can reference anything, your dream team of voice talent can consist of animation, game, tv and movie characters etc. When casting you can add a reference to the character in your dream cast to help inform the talent who are applying for the role. It’s to good to have a sample script ready along with character art.
Now when talent begins to apply, you and the team maybe surprised by the different takes on the character, and you may find that the right person for the role is nothing like the original idea, you may find voice talent that would be ideally suited for another role, be sure to create shortlists for the existing role and upcoming roles.
There are various agencies and voice talent services for locating artists, websites like (Backstage, 2022) and (Voices, 2022) give you access to a talent pool, you can listen and invite artists to role, there are useful tools on these platforms for shortlisting and sharing the talent pool with other team members.
Agencies work in a similar matter, the website Audio Godz which is managed by Lani Minella, an excellent voice artist in her own right who has worked on titles like God of War, World of Warcraft and voices the Ice Queen in the Black Box VR game, Lani is an agent for extremely talented voice artists, many of which have worked on high profile projects. One advantage to working with an agent/agency is that when It comes to shortlisting, you deliver your requirements and audition script to the agent, they will then report back to you with a vetted shortlist, in my experience this shortlist is usually around 5 to 10 artists, all of which could play the part. It’s surprising how much time this can save, on a standard post using BackStage or Voices you can end up with more than 100 applicants, it will take a considerable amount of time to shortlist and review all auditions, if this is something you or your team don’t have time for, then you’re looking at working with an agency. I will say, when time permits, it is fun to review auditions and produce shortlists, you’ll get a mix of established and new artists.
Social media can also be useful tool for finding talent with artists interacting regularly on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, however, this is not an ideal way to source talent, but you may find a gem that’s perfect for a role, if you will be casting regularly it’s worth following the topics for #VoiceOver, #VoiceArtist, #VO, #VoiceActing.
Summary (Casting)
This section of the blog provides tips and advice on casting and sourcing voice talent for a project. By taking a "dream team" approach, as discussed in an episode of the podcast "Play Watch Listen", it can help inform the character development and scripting process. The section emphasizes the importance of being open-minded when reviewing talent and creating shortlists for existing and upcoming roles. It also mentions various resources such as agencies, online platforms, and working with agents as useful tools for locating and reviewing talent. Additionally, the section suggests that social media can also be useful for finding talent, but it's not the ideal way to source it. The section concludes by suggesting that readers follow the topics for #VoiceOver and #VO etc if they plan to cast regularly.
Agreements, NDA & Documentation
Preparing a script for voice talent to review is an important step in the process. It's important to agree on a fee and terms, which could be words per minute, hourly rate, plus any licensing rights to the recorded content for broadcast etc. It's essential to put everything in writing and get it signed, usually a one-way NDA will suffice, especially for smaller projects. Some companies have their own legal team, but even then, from my experience, you will need to create the terms and agreement, send it through for approval, there may be slight amendments, or they may have a standard template that’s in place for working with sourced talent. Be sure to include dates and times for the recording sessions or delivery of assets in the agreement.
It is also important to ensure that the talent shows up on time, if not ahead of time, when booking a recording studio. If the talent is recording remotely in their own studio, it's important to ensure that the recording quality is of a good standard, free from clipping and consistent artifacts, and recorded at the agreed sample rate and bit depth. This ensures that post-production work is minimized and that the final product is of high quality.
Summary (Agreements, NDA & Documentation)
In this section, the importance of agreements, NDAs, and documentation is emphasized when working with voice talent. It is suggested to prepare a script for the talent to review, agree on a fee and terms, and put everything in writing and get it signed. It is also important to include dates and times for recording sessions or delivery of assets in the agreement, and for the talent to show up on time. Additionally, if the talent is recording remotely, it is important to ensure the recording quality is of a good standard, with no clipping and consistent artefacts, recorded at the agreed sample rate and bit depth.
Recording
When it comes to recording there are a few options available, and for large scale projects it’s not uncommon for Mocap and Facial capture to be required for specific scenes. For this, a dedicated Mocap studio is usually required, however with recent advances in technology, there are tools available like Face Good (2022) and Faceware Technologies (2022) that allow animation capture with a less than ideal setup. However, if the audio setup is poor, be prepared for a subsequent ADR session (Automated Dialogue Replacement).
Hiring A Recording Studio
If your game studio has a recording facility and you are able to facilitate the voice actors you have casted, this is an option. However, it's worth mentioning that this method is highly inconvenient for multiple reasons, especially if the actor does not live local to the studio. It's common to hire a voice actor and a recording studio that's local to their location, most studios use Source Connect (2022) which allows audio to be recorded remotely. If your game studio has an audio engineer, they can ensure that all the routing is set up correctly, and the session can be directed remotely. However, if the recording studio manages the entire process, there may be less direction and context for the recording engineer. Instead, it's better to connect to the studio live through Zoom, Google Meet or similar, so that directions can be given and questions answered. The advantage of hiring a professional recording studio is that the talent will be recording through high-end audio hardware with an excellent microphone, and the studio engineer will take steps to prevent plosives and harsh es sounds.
Remote Recording
Today, most voice actors have their own recording setup, and many have Source Connect installed. This means audio can be recorded remotely as the session is directed, and it's great for determining audio quality and ensuring the gain is set correctly. If you're using the DAW Nuendo, it comes with a feature called VST Connect which allows the engineer to connect remotely to the voice actor and record the session. There is a free version of VST Connect which allows the recording of a stereo file, and the premium version allows for multitrack recording. The basic version is ideal for VoiceOver work as it's unlikely you will want to multitrack record dialogue. The standout features of VST Connect are the video feature and ADR feature, you can share your screen on the app along with a video stream of yourself, for some voice actors this can create a more comfortable experience, so be ready to have your camera on.
Another approach is to connect with voice talent through Google Meet, Zoom or Skype etc. After the session, the voice talent can send through the recorded assets. It's important to keep an eye on the monitoring levels, asking the talent to share their screen can be a good workaround for keeping an eye on gain staging. This approach is also great to have as a backup, if you run into any technical issues with remote recording, knowing you have this approach in your back pocket will save you time and stress.
Over The Fence
Another option is over the fence recording, where you place an order with a voice actor or agency and wait for the deliverables. This solution can work well for small orders that need little context, but keep in mind that the talent is responsible for the recording and performance, so there is less flexibility and revisions may be needed depending on the artist's availability. This approach is less hands-on and may require more revisions, but it can be a more cost-effective solution for certain projects.
Summary (Recording)
Recording voiceovers for video games can be done in a variety of ways, including using a dedicated motion capture studio for facial and body capture, using modern tools like FaceGood and Faceware Technologies for animation capture with a less than ideal setup, hiring a professional recording studio for remote recording through programs like Source Connect and VST Connect, or using "over the fence" recording where the voice talent is responsible for recording and performance with less flexibility. It's important to consider the project's specific needs, budget, and availability of talent when deciding on the best recording method and to ensure good recording quality, especially when working with remote talent, and clear direction to the voice actors.
Directing
If you're new to directing, working with experienced voice talent can be an excellent opportunity to learn. These professionals often have valuable knowledge and techniques to share, and working with industry veterans like Brian Stivale, known for his work in Spiderman animation and games such as Marvel Academy, Fallout, Demon Souls, and Black Box VR, can be particularly informative. When working with experienced talent, you may find that recording sessions are efficient, with minimal revisions needed, and that the majority of takes are completed in one take. Understanding the reasons behind these smooth sessions can help you to better direct talent who may need more guidance.
Time Management
As a director, it's important to effectively manage the time allocated for a recording session. To do this, you should have a clear understanding of the script and be prepared to answer any questions the talent may have about the scene, characters, emotions, and dynamics. To estimate the time required for the session, use the following formula: (Total Words) * (Alternate Takes) / (WPM) = (Number of Minutes Required). It's also helpful to time-box specific sections of the script and to err on the side of caution by using the lower average wpm. When giving direction, be specific and descriptive.
Trust
As a director, it's important to build trust with the talent you are working with. One way to do this is by being clear and confident in your direction, and being able to make quick and decisive decisions when necessary. In situations where talent struggles to progress to the next cue, it's important as a director to take control. Confirm with the talent that the take is good enough and advise them that you are ready to move on. If the talent persists, it's best to side on the side of caution and do some extra recordings of any marked cues.
Vocal fx
When recording vocal effects, such as hit reactions, attack grunts, and monster vocalizations, it's best to save these until the end of the session to prevent the talent from fatiguing their voice. One technique that can be useful is to have the talent imagine getting hit in different parts of the body, such as the shin, stomach, arm, and face. This creates more unique and varied sounds than simply using meaningless grunts. Additionally, providing direction on the character's movement can also enhance the performance. Another consideration for vocal effects is the recording sample rate. Recording in higher sample rates can greatly reduce artifacts when recording monster or similar sound design vocalizations.
Pick-ups
Pick-ups can be a valuable tool for recording long passages or sections with complex phrasing. Instead of starting from the beginning, a pick-up allows you to record from the point where the artist made a mistake while still maintaining a great performance. It's a good idea to establish a clear signal, such as the word "pick-up" or a similar agreed upon phrase, before recording to make it easier to edit and splice takes together in post-production. Additionally, it's important to have a clear understanding with the talent of what constitutes a "pick-up" take so that time is not wasted on unnecessary re-takes.
Summary (Directing)
In summary, directing a voice over session involves effectively managing time, understanding and communicating the context of the script, building trust with the talent, providing clear and specific direction, and making smart decisions about pick-ups and vocal effects. It's important to be prepared and have notes ready, and use techniques like using the character's motion and body language to enhance the performance. Additionally, it's good to be aware of the use of sample rates when recording sound design vocalisations to reduce artefacts. Overall, it's about making the best use of time and resources to capture the best performance possible.
Editing
When it comes to post-production dialogue editing, there are many great tools to choose from. However, two standout options are Nuendo and Reaper. Both DAWs offer a range of editing tools, including custom macros for normalizing, auto-cutting, de-plosiving, de-mouth clicking, and applying fades. Despite the speed and efficiency of these processes, it's important to listen to each and every take to ensure accuracy.
Nuendo offers an additional feature of incorporating spreadsheet data, such as Actor, Character, and Cue Line, into the marker list. This extra data can be useful for direct implementation into a game. Both DAWs have great options for mass rendering with custom automated name convention handling. Nuendo also has a fantastic tool for ADR and Cinematics. You can create marker zones that will display the line read in sync with the video, and this also works via VST connect for remote sessions.
To make the editing process more efficient, assign macros to short keys or invest in a device such as the Stream Deck 2022, which can trigger various macros. Additionally, you can create multiple marker tracks for ADR, issues, and render regions, and highlight all audio events and apply a macro to automatically apply necessary cycle markers.
In summary, Nuendo and Reaper are both great options for post-production dialogue editing, and both offer a range of tools to help with the editing process. Nuendo offers additional features like incorporating spreadsheet data and a useful tool for ADR and Cinematics, while both DAWs have great options for mass rendering and custom automated name convention handling. To make the editing process more efficient, macros can be assigned to short keys or a device like the Stream Deck 2022 can be used to trigger various macros.
Name Conventions
Having consistent and meaningful naming conventions is essential for keeping cues organized and easy to locate. By using codes to represent characters, locations, and cue types (e.g. attack, death, idle, mission type, etc.) it makes it easier to understand the content of the cue at a glance. I recommend checking out a detailed post on the subject available on the Game Developers Website (Ch, R. 2005).
In addition, if you plan on using the spreadsheet data for implementation purposes, such as creating a .tsv or .json version that lives in the game project, it is important to be specific with common data types. Using data validation in a spreadsheet for character names, locations, and other common data types will prevent errors as the spreadsheet will highlight an error until the correct data type is selected from a drop-down list.
In the game project, you can also add matching enums, which are pre-defined constants that must be selected. For example, public enum Characters {Alan, Brian, Charlie}. Now when using the characters data type, the choice is between Alan, Brian, and Charlie. This data can be referenced as an integer or string for implementing various logic. This is all related to naming conventions. By using data and variable validation, you are enforcing a level of consistency across the project.
Summary (Name Conventions)
Name conventions in sound design for video games involves setting up codes to represent characters, locations and cue types, such as attack, death, idle, mission type etc. This helps in keeping the cues meaningful and organized. It is important to use specific and common data types, as it can prevent errors by adding data validation to a spreadsheet. This validation can also be used in the game project by adding matching enums, which are pre-defined constants that must be selected. This data can then be referenced as an integer or string for implementing various logic. Overall, using a data and variable validation, enforces a level of consistency across the project.
Implementation & Triggers
Implementation of dialogue systems can be complex, but audio middleware like Wwise or FMOD can greatly assist in managing the process. When setting up triggers to call the appropriate events, consider the following questions: Can the dialogue overlap? Should music or sound effects duck while dialogue is present? Is there a need for dialogue callbacks? Does the dialogue require cool downs? How often and when should dialogue trigger? Can the player switch dialogue off? Will there be a need for dialogue priority and queuing?
The Observer game design pattern can be extremely useful for dynamically triggering events when specific conditions are met. This pattern can be used to create unique events by combining multiple existing ones. For example, in a sports game like soccer, events like BallCrossed, ShotAttempt, PlayerFouled, and PerformanceRecap can be tracked and used to trigger dialogue. The class setup could be called DialogueObserver, and anything that needs to access these events can inherit the class or subscribe via delegates. This pattern is useful because all events are contained in a single class, making it easier to resolve technical issues.
If you have little coding experience, you may require assistance from a programmer to set up the observer pattern. However, you can still layout the functions and variables you need and create a signal flow diagram of roughly how it works. This will help the programmer understand what you are trying to achieve.
FMOD Implementation
At Black Box VR, they use Unity and FMOD to manage dialogue events. In FMOD, there is a dialogue event that contains a programmer instrument, which is directed to an Audio Key Table. This table is essentially a soundbank that points to a folder in the Unity project containing all the dialogue files. Each dialogue file represents a key in the audio table. This implementation works well for large amounts of dialogue lines and for localizing a game in different languages.
To pass in the appropriate keys, Black Box VR exports a spreadsheet containing all the necessary data as a .tsv or .json file and places it in a Unity Resource folder. In Unity, a resource folder is similar to streaming assets and can be accessed by the game build to load and initialize data or objects. They use a simple tsv or json reader to parse and organize the data into a Dialogue Cue class, which stores information such as Character, Cue Type, and File Key. These dialogue cues are placed into a Dialogue Dictionary, which allows for useful look-ups such as Character, Location, and Cue Type, and returns a list of applicable cues. From there, the correct key can be passed into the function for playback.
Performance
To improve performance when implementing a dialogue system, it's important to consider the cost of iterating through thousands of dialogue cues in a dictionary. One way to improve performance is to break the dictionary down into smaller ones based on the character. Additionally, enabling frame skips after a certain number of iterations can prevent the game from stalling during dialogue cue look-ups. Another way to improve performance is to use specific cues where dialogue look-ups are not necessary, this can be done by passing in the dialogue key directly. This can prevent errors and typos when working with string variables.
WWISE Implementation
Implementing Audio Kinetic Wwise for dialogue systems can save time and simplify the process. Instead of filtering through dialogue cues in the code, Wwise can handle the random selection and filtering of cues based on specific conditions. It can also trigger generic fallback cues if no specific cues are available, but it's important to plan and script these fallbacks ahead of time. Additionally, Wwise can manage the random selection if applicable, this will save on implementation time. Wwise also offers the convenient feature of reading embedded markers within wav files, simplifying the process of displaying subtitles in-game. Another advantage is that it can handle the localization of the game, by allowing to switch between languages easily.
It's also important to take into consideration the performance of the dialogue system, with a large amount of dialogue cues, it can be costly to iterate through them all. To improve performance, it's possible to break the dictionary down into smaller ones based on the character, or enable frame skips after a certain number of iterations. Another way to improve performance is to use specific cues where dialogue look-ups are not necessary, this can be done by passing in the dialogue key directly, as searching by key is considered a hash-lookup, which is efficient but lacks the complex filtering look-ups possible with other methods.
Temp VO
Replica studios have a text-to-speech tool that can be extremely useful during the early stages of game development. This tool can be used for timing, testing triggers and events, and determining the overall vibe of the game. It allows users to select different voices and emotions to help with this process. Once everything is working and approved, these audio files can be replaced with real voice artists. Additionally, Tsugi Audio's Alto application offers a variety of tools for managing the dialogue audio pipeline, including generating temp assets, automating middleware event setups, and testing dialogue paths and trees. (Tsugi, 2022)
Quick Tips
When casting voice actors for your game's characters, consider "dream casting" to speed up the process and ensure the best fit for each role.
Use the 80/20 rule when writing scripts and prioritizing recording time to ensure that you're getting the most important dialogue recorded first.
If you plan to import dialogue data into your game project, use TSV (tab-separated values) instead of CSV (comma-separated values) to avoid issues with dialogue data.
Record vocal sound effects (such as grunts, dying sounds, and shouts) at the end of a recording session to preserve the voice actor's voice.
When directing voice actors, focus on getting the specific cues you need and move on, rather than wasting time re-recording the same lines. This will save time during the recording session and during post-editing.
In addition to the previous point, you should record multiple takes, it's important to also record a variety of takes with different inflections, emotions, and delivery styles. This allows for greater flexibility in editing and mixing, and ensures that the final product will sound natural and believable. However, it's important to keep in mind that too many takes can lead to "choice paralysis" in post-production, so it's best to stick to 2-3 takes per line of dialogue. This way you can have options without overwhelming yourself.
Consider using Wwise for dialogue implementation, as it is quicker to set up than FMOD, which requires a complete system to be developed.
Establish a naming convention for audio files to ensure they are easily identifiable and organized. For example, use a character code, location, and cue type to create a unique file name.
Use temp VO (temporary voiceover) for testing and developing dialogue systems, as it allows you to test timing and dynamic characteristics before recording final dialogue.
Consider the player's perspective when writing dialogue and placing triggers. This can help make the dialogue feel more natural and immersive for the player.
Test the dialogue system in the game engine as early as possible to catch any issues or bugs early on in the development process.
Pay attention to the tone and pacing of the dialogue, and make sure it fits the tone and style of the game.
When planning for localization, it's important to consider not just the translation of the dialogue, but also cultural nuances and regional variations that may affect the delivery and tone of the lines. Tools like Wwise and FMOD can make the localization process easier by allowing you to easily switch between different language folders and maintain consistency in file naming. However, effective planning and communication with localization teams is crucial to ensure that the translated dialogue accurately reflects the intended meaning and tone. Additionally, it's best to test and review the localized dialogue with native speakers to ensure that the final product is of high quality and accurately conveys the intended message.
Make sure to keep all relevant stakeholders informed and involved throughout the process, including developers, designers, and producers.
Sample of Dialogue Cue Sheet:
Example Cue Sheet. This is imported into the game project where the data is parsed into the relevant classes and stored in a dictionary or list.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creating a dialogue system for a video game is a multi-faceted process that requires careful planning and execution to achieve the desired results. The script and narrative serve as the foundation for the game's dialogue, and casting the right voice actors is essential to bring the characters to life. Agreements, NDA's, and documentation are crucial to ensure legal and ethical standards are upheld during the recording process. Directing and editing the recordings are essential to ensure that the dialogue is delivered in the desired manner and is free of errors. Proper naming conventions and the use of temp VO are important to keep the audio files organized and easily accessible. By considering all these elements and executing them with care, a high-quality dialogue system can be achieved, which greatly enhances the player's experience. However, it's important to fine-tune the dialogue system as early as possible in the development process to avoid any nuisance dialogue later on.
It's worth noting that this post is based on my own experiences and industry knowledge and isn't the only way to go about the dialogue in games. There are many other approaches to this process and it's important to consider what works best for your specific project.
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