Hey folks! The release of Act 2 for BattleJuice Alchemist is slightly delayed, but in the meantime, I wanted to share some insights on a related topic: the art of dialog writing. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38469214/a81fd367c37db1e797290b261f3f80327429563a.png[/img] [h2]Team Collaboration[/h2] Our dialog writing sessions are like cozy gatherings around a virtual campfire. With the whole team we brainstorm the questlines for each story location. While we have a rough roadmap for such a location, it's the collective brainstorming that adds depth and flavor to our storytelling. [h2]Arcweave - Our Storytelling Toolkit[/h2] Fellow MegaGrant recipient "Arcweave" is our trusty companion in this storytelling adventure. Think of it as a digital canvas where our narrative takes shape. With its nodes representing plot lines, dialogs, NPCs, quests, events, or basically anything you choose, Arcweave helps us visualize the story less like a novel and more like a hypertext or wiki. This is what the outline for the full story looks like: [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38469214/06e373f44f613e5e093f6524f5f091be2d01d6cc.png[/img] It is very concise, just one screen from which you can always dive deeper. Dialogs are written only by myself, not the whole team, but also in Arcweave. Dialogs for a location are organized like this: [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38469214/18c8d8376e317c2e18bd71a63d884ad8c2123cba.png[/img] The blue nodes are individual NPCs and their dialogs branch from each one with quests (the yellow nodes) and other events (orange nodes). [h2]Dialog Crafting[/h2] Here's the twist: Instead of traditional dialogs, we opt for monologues where NPCs do the talking. The player just chooses one-word replies of our protagonist Juice. This way of writing is a challenge, sure, but it adds a unique flavor to our storytelling and reduces text length. We aim to convey Juice's thoughts and intentions through the responses of the NPCs. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38469214/8deef7107c13a5acc969c93d0287286abcdf4e8a.gif[/img] And there you have it! Writing dialogs for BattleJuice Alchemist is a collaborative journey filled with creativity and imagination. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to shape our story. Until next time, happy adventuring and please don't forget to grab a copy / wishlist, or even leave a review, which really helps us out. Alain https://store.steampowered.com/app/1384060/BattleJuice_Alchemist