What modern game creation software can I use to build a game with branching narratives and dialogue?

April 6, 2012 5:41 AM

What game creation software is currently available that is suited to building games (or levels/mods) with a focus on branching narratives and dialogue, of the sort found in role-playing games like Mass Effect?

To put it another way, when Chris Avellone says here that "the best way to break in [to narrative design for games] is to actually write for games, even if it's for free and as a hobby. There are plenty of mods and game editors out there that you should be able to work on or contribute to..." - what mods and game editors is he talking about?

I'm a little out of date on games and editors so would appreciate any help. I'm a programmer but am ideally not looking for software in which the programming would be a major focus - I want to focus on the writing/dialogue/level design. Thanks everyone.

posted by Kirn to technology (8 answers total)

The extremely dialogue heavy (and tear jerking)To The Moon was written in RPG maker.

Ren'Py is for interactive 'visual novels' -- notably used by Christine Love.

Inform is for text adventures.

Undum is also for interfactive fiction.
posted by empath at 6:00 AM on April 6, 2012 [2 favorites]

The Aurora toolset for Neverwinter Nights lends itself nicely to multi-threaded branching conversations. There's no rule that says your module has to contain any combat elements if it's the roleplay and conversation aspect that floats your boat.
posted by talitha_kumi at 6:33 AM on April 6, 2012

Katawa Shoujo was created by a group of amateurs using Ren'Py. (Wikipedia)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:24 AM on April 6, 2012

These are great guys. Does anyone know of anything like Neverwinter Nights 2 that's more modern? I'm thinking of the kind of things game companies might look at in a portfolio, and I'm not as sure about the interactive fiction/visual novel stuff, although I'm definitely going to check it out.
posted by Kirn at 8:09 AM on April 6, 2012

My boyfriend is a level designer -he suggests the GECK level editor from Bethesda (makers of Fallout and Skyrim) or the kit from Dragon Age.
posted by imalaowai at 8:53 AM on April 6, 2012

I'm not as sure about the interactive fiction/visual novel stuff

You should check out Christine Love's three Ren'Py games: Digital, Analog, and Don't Take it Personally.

They're nothing but branching dialogue. Very low budget, and they got a lot of serious attention from game critics.
posted by empath at 9:18 AM on April 6, 2012

Just reading the link for the aurora editor...

There's a version for Neverwinter Nights 2 called the Electron toolset.
posted by Netzapper at 5:49 PM on April 6, 2012

Thanks everyone - I think the fantasy stuff is closest to what I'm looking for but I've started experimenting with Ren'Py which actually seems pretty cool, I'll give it a shot.
posted by Kirn at 4:25 AM on April 9, 2012