Help with game dialogues

[Becoming_Dev]

Hello there,
I was wondering if someone knows a course or at least some tips to create engaging dialogue in a game.
I feel that thats my weak point everytime, the end up being cheesy or just weird :/

Anyways, have a nice day

 

[JaseGames]

I suggest reading, ALOT! but if you just want ongoing help as you create your dialogue then you can do what i like to do: Create a plot outline first, then, as you start making dialogue for your story and lose inspiration or just want to reword something, go read another graphic novel that has great acclaim. I read most of the dialogue in games/GN's and i also read erotic stories, books ect.. 50 Shades of grey was popular for a reason, its not the first erotic story ever made, nor would i consider it the best, but it is the most popular at the moment and is very well written.

dont use movies or speech to gain dialogue inspiration though! Unless you are voicing your game... dialogue comes across differently to the reader when comparing written word and voice.. you lose alot of information if you convert speech to text and so you need to pay attention to the translation losses so you can write that lost emotion back into the written dialogue.

I read until i either find inspiration or find a phrase or sentance that i love and fits my story, then i, paraphrase or reword it so to not plagiarize. The more you read the better you will get at 'feeling' your way through the words. In my opinion it is a much better way of creating amazing and engaging dialogue if it feels right, rather then brute forcing something by doing quick classes or tutorials. Anyone can write a story, and anyone can make an interesting plot, but only actual artists make great dialogue and that comes from a robust and experienced feel for the subject matter.

If you are serious about making games then invest time reading, there really is no better way to gain that skill.

 

[Becoming_Dev]

dont use movies or speech to gain dialogue inspiration though! Unless you are voicing your game... dialogue comes across differently to the reader when comparing written word and voice..

Thats so true, thank you for the tip!

 

[HopesGaming]

My project is done with pure diagloues only and no narrations. So had to nail that part a bit. Here's some hints and tips.

1. Make it compact. I rarely go to the 3 lines per bubble. It's a mental thing. Especially in the adult market.

2. Pre write their personalities and never go against it. You character should be somewhat unique enough that people would be able to tell who is speaking even without the name tag.

3. Don't think what the character will say-be the character. Sounds cheesy as hell but I found that to be one of the best way for me to get a flowing diagloue and easier to stay in diagloue character and not go against the personality.

4. Create a background story. Easier to mold and write diagloues with the character if they have some depth to them.

5. As previuesly mentioned, read a lot of books but keep in the genre you want your own story to be.

6. Make it flow and feel natural is the key component. Never force write anything.

 

[Becoming_Dev]

My project is done with pure diagloues only and no narrations. So had to nail that part a bit. Here's some hints and tips.

1. Make it compact. I rarely go to the 3 lines per bubble. It's a mental thing. Especially in the adult market.

2. Pre write their personalities and never go against it. You character should be somewhat unique enough that people would be able to tell who is speaking even without the name tag.

3. Don't think what the character will say-be the character. Sounds cheesy as hell but I found that to be one of the best way for me to get a flowing diagloue and easier to stay in diagloue character and not go against the personality.

4. Create a background story. Easier to mold and write diagloues with the character if they have some depth to them.

5. As previuesly mentioned, read a lot of books but keep in the genre you want your own story to be.

6. Make it flow and feel natural is the key component. Never force write anything.

Thanks a lot!
At first made that mistake of writing too much. Compact is better for sure

 

[anne O'nymous]

To what @HopesGaming said, I'll add :

7) Write in two steps.
You'll rarely be good right from the start, so don't try to be it. At first, write the whole scene without paying too much attention to the characters. Then, once the scene looks good and coherent for you, go back to the start and rewrite each line according to the character.
It will need more time, but it will also ease your works. The first time you focus on what the character will say, and the second time you'll focus on how it will say it. This way, things will come more naturally than if you try to figure out both at the same time.

8) In case of doubt, say it out loud ; if you can have someone reading the other character's lines for you it's even better. A sentence can feel good when you write it, but end being totally unnatural. And the best way to discover this is to ear the said sentence.
If you pain to read the whole sentence, if it feel forced when earring it, whatever how good it can look on the paper, it should be redone. This especially for dialogs. If you loose your breath before the end of the sentence, then it's not something that you'll ear in real life.

 

[Becoming_Dev]

To what @HopesGaming said, I'll add :

7) Write in two steps.
You'll rarely be good right from the start, so don't try to be it. At first, write the whole scene without paying too much attention to the characters. Then, once the scene looks good and coherent for you, go back to the start and rewrite each line according to the character.
It will need more time, but it will also ease your works. The first time you focus on what the character will say, and the second time you'll focus on how it will say it. This way, things will come more naturally than if you try to figure out both at the same time.

8) In case of doubt, say it out loud ; if you can have someone reading the other character's lines for you it's even better. A sentence can feel good when you write it, but end being totally unnatural. And the best way to discover this is to ear the said sentence.
If you pain to read the whole sentence, if it feel forced when earring it, whatever how good it can look on the paper, it should be redone. This especially for dialogs. If you loose your breath before the end of the sentence, then it's not something that you'll ear in real life.

Thank you

 

[Nottravis]

3. Don't think what the character will say-be the character.

This. So much this.