Dialogue

	The card's front face	The card's back face

Synopsis

All kinds of conversation.

Relationships

Many contexts, including:
Narrative , Emotional Script , Character Soundprint , Narrator , Thoughts , Helper Voice , Recordings , Chitchat , Seeking for PC , ....
Relates to:
Acoustic Ecology .
Calls for:
Variety .
May call for:
Subtitles and Captions .

Description

Dialogue consists of all forms of discourse presented along the game.

Dialogue is instrumental in communicating the story (Narrative, and e.g. Recordings), aspects of the gameplay, what the characters think (e.g. Thoughts), their state of mind (e.g. Unaware NPC, Suspicious NPC, Seeking for PC), and their feelings (other messages contributing to the Emotional Script).

Dialogue is usually associated to characters – and it can even constitute an important element of their Character Soundprint – but it can also come from other sources, as in some cases of Narrator and Helper Voice.

Dialogue can be implemented through actual Voice Acting (and possibly Dubbing). Yet, there are noticeable cases in which designers decided not to have actual voicing and opted to have Subtitles and Captions instead. Subtitles and Captions may also be pertinent when considering that not all players may be familiar with the language(s) used, and also the ear impaired.

Dialogue may also be used as an instrument to enrich and confer more aliveness to an Acoustic Ecology, for instance by "allowing" NPC to talk to each other (e.g., Chitchat) or by giving voice to a crowd.

One aspect that tends to be more noticed in Dialogue than in other Sound Layers (Foley, Sound Effects, Ambiance, and Music) is the need for Variety, most probably because repetition is perceived as less plausible in this case.

Examples

Red Dead Redemption:

Deadly Premonition: In this game Dialogue adds a lot to the experience, not only by the contents of the discourse but also by the intonations and general Aesthetics of the conversations.

Oblivion:

[show less examples...]

Half-Life 2: This scene includes disparate explorations of Dialogue. For instance some of the action is experienced exclusively through the discourse, with no visual support.

Portal:

Ico:

Little Big Planet:

Katamari:

iGadget: 'No Dialogue' as a design option (no sound in Dialogue, that is). All conversations are mute and their contents are graphically presented through subtitles.

Crysis:

Heavy Rain:

Halo:

Grand Theft Auto 4: