Question for Devs about writing

Necrosis

I am curious how one writes a script for an rpg, especially one where the player can choose multiple responses. How do you keep the story straight on paper? How do you handle dialogue trees from a writing stand point?

If you could show me samples of such scripts or point me in the right direction I'd be grateful enough to send you pastry.

Mr2150

I think there's a screenshot in one edition of the 'The Familiar' ... it looked just like an excel spreadsheet with columns roughly like this, if I remember correctly:

Dialogue ID
Strref
Dialogue
Strref
Player Response
Strref
Go To
Notes

Dee

Look at Twine or Chat Mapper; both are excellent free dialogue tools that help you visualize conversations as branching trees, which is a valuable way to think about nonlinear story.

deltago

Twine is amazing! https://twinery.org/

I am having a lot of fun with it and is actually taking up most of my free time.

IMO, it is very simple to use and writing code for it is very straight forward. I was able to create a 5e character creator with it and am now (slowly) writing a story/game that has been stuck in my head for the last 10 years or so.

~

Besides that, you kinda have to see the big picture first. Start with basic plot points that must happen in the story and then have different paths leading to these plot points. Literally sketching this out helps keep the story (and you) focused.

Choices a character makes should change the story in some way, but shouldn't change it too drastically.