Maybe as a way to entertain ourselves, we might choose some conversation and quest and suggest alternatives. Kind of brainstorming to offer writers ideas.
I'm afraid I won't be of much help, not being an EA player. :') (Please remember to hide spoilers! Thank you. But if you can provide some low-spoiler examples, I'll be glad to try to think of some good responses.)
If anyone else wants to chime in - by all means, please do! I'll try to contribute as much as I can, haha.
Sometimes I get the impresion that they are working in the squeleton code of dialogues, but that they would edit the dialogues later. Somepeople do that in choice script. Regardless, I think it would be good to show how different players would approach the same conversation of allowed to say whatever they wanted.
And a good starting point to show different ways to play conversation and set the tone for later (meaning that I would create variables and start keeping track of the player style) are the introductory conversations when you met the companions. That would set the tone for the relationship in the same way that trying to save Shadowheart changes the first conversation with her.
That's a great idea, organically helping out with conversation options. And yeah, I think it might be the case that they're working with skeleton dialogue. See the feedback first, reiterate. It might be one of the reasons full voice acting is not here yet, perhaps.
By the way "extreme inclusivity" is not what I see in the conversations. On the contrary, you are only allowed to play a dull character. While you always have an option to be a doormat (smear your face with huargo's shit, kiss the goblin's feet, put up with companions insults and never ever saying something clever to them...), an option to threaten and maybe one "I'm kind in the middle", the choices usually are grey or dull. No chance to be pedantic and say things like "In fact I just witnessed a ceremorphosis and according to my research we should have already transformed so we might need to gather more data to know what is the best approach to remove the tadpole in a non letal way". Neither to be sarcastic and answer back "Thanks mister obvious". Or even actually flirt and say "If you weren't so cute I would consider you a real bore" or "Men who know their planar creatures are so hot". Plenty of answers, each so different personalities. By choosing them, you do roleplay your character.
That's what I meant - the choices are bland as to account for every character. One size fits all. And I very much agree on the need to include those "specific" options. They provide personality - something a custom character sorely needs. We had those specific options on BG2. It wasn't implemented perfectly, but it provided a lot of flavour.
But right now, you can't roleplay personalities. You can just decide to be agresive, doormat or "meh". And the "baldurian" label is completely boring, because it never amounts to any detail. I mean, if I can't say "I'm an elf from mythdranor" or "I travel the sword coast route to trade metal and exotic minerals" or "I love to see the ships that just came to baldurs and talk to the sailors from far lands". Or "to be fair, there's just a couple of taverns that doesn't allow the scum from the docks and have a decent clientelle". "It is understable, I only move in noble circles and only talked to highborn" or even (in answer to Astarion) "now that you mentioned, my brother comented that he had met a handsome elf with white hair just before he disappeared" --> drama ensured. XD
But saying "I'm from baldur" and just that is like say "I'm boring and really have nothing interesting to say but I feel I had to say something". Devil is in the details.
Yup. I hope they expand the options... In the interviews they've said it really matters where you're from and that it can make playthroughs totally different. (Though being a drow or a githyanki by itself will make a playthrough different.)
Baldurian tag COULD be completely not-boring, it would just need those specific comments.
[Baldurian] Well, if we were in Baldur's Gate, I'd show you what a REAL harbour looks like!
[Baldurian] Hmph. That's no Sorcerous Sundries for sure...
[Baldurian] You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I seem to enjoy a walk in the forest. I've only ever known the bustling streets of a big city.
(Fun fact: it's yet another instance of me writing something for my stupidly long post I'm slowly working on, just to discuss this exact thing with someone on the forum moments later. :P )
