Salve, Centurion!
We are continuing our work on the first major update for Summa Expeditionis since the release of version 1.0.
In previous development diaries, we introduced some of the content and improvements coming with the new Greece campaign. Today, we want to talk about a system that will bring more life to the camp and the men who inhabit it: the new dialogue system.
In the upcoming update, dialogue will appear in speech bubbles above the characters. Each line will first be displayed in Latin, followed shortly afterwards by a translation into the player’s chosen language.
This format allows conversations to become part of the game world without interrupting gameplay. Soldiers will be able to speak while working, resting or moving around the camp, making their words feel like a natural part of what is happening around you.
Latin will remain an important part of the atmosphere, while the translation will allow you to follow every conversation clearly.
What the characters say will depend on the context of each expedition.
NPCs will react to past events, the condition of the camp and their own needs. Their morale, religion, hunger, thirst and fatigue will all influence their dialogue. They may also remember recent events, such as the death of another soldier.
Their current task will also play an important role. A man who is working, resting or waiting for new orders will have different things to say and a different state of mind.
As a result, conversations will better reflect the actual conditions in your camp. If the expedition is going through a difficult period, you will hear it in the words of your troops.
The new system includes a local text generation model that allows you to speak with Lar, the Roman household god.
Lar will act as an assistant within the game itself. You will be able to ask him how different mechanics work, request information about the current state of the camp or clear up any doubts while playing.
He will also be able to carry out orders. Talking to Lar will provide a new way to find information and perform certain actions without leaving the game.
The same model will also be used to expand conversations with NPCs.
Instead of being limited to a fixed set of responses, characters will be able to hold more natural conversations suited to the current state of the expedition. Their personality, condition and past experiences will all influence what they say.
Our goal is for every conversation with a soldier to reveal more about his circumstances and how he sees life in the camp.
NPCs will also make contextual remarks without the player having to start a conversation.
These comments may relate to their current task, their needs, their mood or a recent event. An exhausted or hungry soldier, or one affected by the loss of a companion, will not speak in the same way as someone who is well rested and in high spirits.
These remarks will communicate the condition of the camp more directly. In addition to checking menus and indicators, you will be able to hear what your men have to say.
Talking to other members of the expedition will become a new leisure activity for NPCs.
During their free time, you may find soldiers speaking to one another around the camp. These conversations will not be purely decorative. They will also help create and develop relationships between your men.
Over time, shared experiences and conversations will turn the group into more than a collection of workers. Each camp will develop its own network of relationships, shaped by everything that happens during the expedition.
The new dialogue system connects the words of your characters to what is happening in the game. Their needs, duties, morale and recent events will all become part of their conversations.
We want every expedition to create its own stories and give the soldiers a way to express them. Sometimes they will talk about their work. At other times, they may remember a fallen companion, complain about conditions in the camp or spend a few quiet moments talking with another member of the troop.
In future development diaries, we will continue to reveal more of the content coming in the first major update for Summa Expeditionis.
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Roma Victrix!