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How do I write a conversation?

A conversation is an alternating sequence of NPC / PC statements. A conversation is typically assigned to an NPC and is usually initiated by the player. There are ways around these conventions, but that is beyond the scope of this post.

In the Conversation Editor, a conversation will appear like this:

Root
-->PC: Back again?
---->C: Hi
-->PC: Welcome!
---->C: Thank you.
------>PC: What can I do for you?
-------->C: I need a place to stay
---------->PC: Go to the Griffin, it's a great place.
-------->C: I need some equipment
---------->PC: Go see the black smith on the West side of town.
-------->C: I need healing
---------->PC: Go to the temple on the South side of town.

To create this conversation:

1. Start the Toolset and create or load a module.
2. Paint an instance of a non-hostile NPC (such as the Shop Keeper from the NPCs | Humans category) into the current area.
3. Select "Properties" from the context menu for this instance.
4. Press "Edit" next to the Conversation field on the "Basic" tab to open the Conversation Editor with a new Conversation file.
5. Select "Add" from the context menu of the Root node and enter the text "Back again?".
6. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 1st NPC node ("Back again?") and enter the text "Hi."
7. Select "Add" from the context menu of the Root node and enter the text "Welcome!"
8. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 3rd node ("Welcome!") and enter the text "Thank you."
9. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 4th node ("Thank you") and enter the text "What can I do for you?"
10. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 5th node ("What can I...") and enter the text "I need a place to stay."
11. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 5th node ("What can I...") and enter the text "I need some equipment."
12. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 5th node ("What can I...") and enter the text "I need healing."
13. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 6th node ("I need a place...") and enter the text "Go to the Griffin, it's a great place."
14. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 8th node ("I need some...") and enter the text "Go see the black smith on the West side of town."
15. Select "Add" from the context menu of the 10th node ("I need healing.") and enter the text "Go to the temple on the South side of town."

At this point, the conversation should look just like the one above.

16. Select the 1st node ("Back again?"). On the "Text Appears When" tab, press the button with the little wizard hat on it. This will activate the Script Wizard.
17. Check the "Local Variable" checkbox and press "Next".
18. Enter "nFirstTimeTalked" in the top right field. This is the variable name (it really could be named anything); it is set using another script.
19. Enter the number 1 in the bottom right field (next to the "Add" button). This is the value the variable must have before the script will return TRUE.
20. Press "Add" and then "Next".
21. Give the script a name or accept the default and press "Finish".
22. Select the 3rd node ("Welcome!"). On the "Action Taken" tab, press the button with the little wizard hat on it. This will again, activate the Script Wizard.
23. Check the "Set Local Variable" checkbox and press "Next".
24. Enter "nFirstTimeTalked" (or whatever the variable was called in step 18) in the top right field.
25. Enter the number 1 in the field below the variable name.
26. Press "Add" and then "Next".
27. Give the script a name or accept the default and press "Finish".
28. Save the conversation and close the Conversation Editor.
29. Press "OK" to close the creature properties window.
30. Save the module and check it out in the game.

Talk to the NPC twice to see the effect.

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