NPC Conversation

no-reply@allegro.cc (allegro programmer) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 22:22:36 +0000

I noticed no has done a post regarding dialogue between player and NPC, im sure it would help alot of people.

Does anyone have some advice for organizing a conversation between a player and npc in allegro.

Right now i have blue box made in photoshop that appears when i draw text on the screen. this occurence only happens once then im unable to have the player reply and so on.

for example://when enter is pressed goes to next line

NPC:HI How are you
press enter
Player: hello
press enter
NPC: go here
press enter
player: okay

can this be organized in simple if statement?

if (npc.boundx.boundy>player.boundx)//this is example I know how to code detection
{
al_draw_textf(line1)
}
then what if their are 4 lines

no-reply@allegro.cc (Cassio Renan) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 22:26:40 +0000

What you're probably looking for is a GUI(Graphical User Interface). You can try designing your own, or you can search for a good one with allegro support. TGUI is a nice one that comes to mind.

no-reply@allegro.cc (allegro programmer) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 22:44:56 +0000

so allegro doesnt have any built in string management seems like i could
do
line1=aldrawtext(line1)
line2=aldrawtext(line2)
line3=aldrawtext(line3)
line4=aldrawtext(line4)

then

if (keys[ENTER])
for ( i=0; i<4;i++)
if(i>0)
line 1
if(i>1)
line2 and so on

it doesnt work though for some reason

no-reply@allegro.cc (Arthur Kalliokoski) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 00:25:51 +0000

http://guihacker.com/

no-reply@allegro.cc (allegro programmer) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 01:41:10 +0000

i download tgui it seems cool, but outdated.also no tutorials or videos using it.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Gideon Weems) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 05:00:42 +0000

Is Guichan still a viable option? Edgar's working on a GUI lib, as well... There are so many GUI libraries that I lose track.

Arthur:

http://hackertyper.com/

no-reply@allegro.cc (allegro programmer) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 08:06:02 +0000

id prefer not to use a gui lib if possible how do i modify my if statement for it to display one line after the next upon pressing enter..

what is this hacker stuff?

no-reply@allegro.cc (LennyLen) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 09:15:33 +0000

There have actually been quite a few discussions here on this topic. You can try using the site search engine to find them, or use Google to search the site.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Edgar Reynaldo) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 09:55:44 +0000

You don't need a gui, you just need a little more skill with C.

To carry on a conversation, you just need to use a little linked list that moves from one conversation event to another. Or if your conversation is linear and doesn't have any branches you could use a vector.

typedef std::list<const char*> CLIST;
CLIST Conversation;
conversation.push_back("Hello");
conversation.push_back("How are you");
conversation.push_back("Just fine thanks.");
conversation.push_back("So on...");

CLIST::iterator cit = conversation.begin();

if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN && ev.keyboard.keycode == ALLEGRO_KEY_ENTER) {
   CLIST::iterator cit2 = cit;
   ++cit2;
   if (cit2 != conversation.end()) {
      cit = cit2;
   }
}

no-reply@allegro.cc (LennyLen) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:02:39 +0000

Edgar Reynaldo said:

You don't need a gui, you just need a little more skill with C++.

FTFY

no-reply@allegro.cc (beoran) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:46:28 +0000

In C you could do it like this (untested code):

#SelectExpand
  1/* Before your event loop function: */
  2
  3struct conversation_struct {
  4  int index;
  5  const char * text[];
  6};
  7
  8struct conversation_struct 
  9conversation = {
 10  0,
 11  { "Hello", "How Are You", "Just Fine Thanks", "So On", NULL }
 12};   
 13
 14
 15/* In your main event loop : */
 16const char * text_to_draw = NULL; 
 17
 18if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN && ev.keyboard.keycode == ALLEGRO_KEY_ENTER) {
 19   if (conversation.text[conversation.index]) {
 20     text_to_draw = conversation.text[conversation.index];
 21     conversation.index++;
 22   } else {
 23     conversation.index = 0;
 24     text_to_draw       = NULL;
 25   }
 26}
 27
 28/* Draw text here with al_draw_text or al_draw_textf. */

no-reply@allegro.cc (Dizzy Egg) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 14:39:26 +0000

Well, just to really confuse things, I do mine like this (I like each character to appear at a time, rather than whole lines); I use little codes in the string to decide what happens next, something like:

#SelectExpand
  1char NPC_Chat[CHAT_SIZE];
  2
  3...
  4
  5//NPC_Chat would hold a string like this:
  6
  7"Hello,~005my name is Dizzy!~005¬How can I help today?@";
  8
  9...
 10
 11//Then, in my conversation function
 12
 13while(strlen(NPC_Chat) > 0)
 14{
 15    char c = getNextChar(NPC_Chat);
 16  
 17    if(c == '~') //Chat delay
 18    {
 19        //extract 3 character time, and delay
 20    }
 21    else if(c == '¬')
 22    {
 23        //new line, increase line yPos and reset line xPos
 24    }
 25    else if(c == '@')
 26    {
 27        //prompt, wait for enter key to be pressed
 28    }
 29    else
 30    {
 31        //not a special character, so just print character, increase xPos and continue
 32        xPos += characterWidth(c);
 33    }
 34}

So basically I pick characters (like '¬' and '~') and use those as little codes in the string. This way I can have a whole multiline conversation, with delays/colour changes/prompts etc etc, that all look like:

"Welcome!...~010listen, I don't suppose¬you know where...~005...oh, nevermind!@"
"They say that ^082Mythril^255 is¬the strongest metal...~010¬bring me some ^020NOW^255!@"

etc etc...

no-reply@allegro.cc (#00JMP00) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 15:46:26 +0000

My guess would be, just look at you're conversation as an automat or machine.
This would reduce the possibility dramatically.

PC can, quit, choose an item. You only have to organize this, which is a more or less sizeable problem.

Furthermore you can organize options as a tree. Each options spawns new options, which can be choosen or not.
It is rather a logic thing than an gui thing, IMHO.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Edgar Reynaldo) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 04:08:57 +0000

LennyLen said:

FTFY

I just meant C in general, like C and C++ together.

This is what I was going to put up. It's a bastardization of C and C++. But there's a working example and source code.
NPC_conversation.7z

#SelectExpand
   1
   2
   3#include "allegro5/allegro.h"
   4#include "allegro5/allegro_image.h"
   5#include "allegro5/allegro_font.h"
   6#include "allegro5/allegro_ttf.h"
   7#include "allegro5/allegro_primitives.h"
   8#include 
   9
  10ALLEGRO_DISPLAY* display = NULL;
  11ALLEGRO_EVENT_QUEUE* queue = NULL;
  12ALLEGRO_BITMAP* image = NULL;
  13ALLEGRO_TIMER* timer = NULL;
  14ALLEGRO_FONT* font1 = NULL;
  15ALLEGRO_FONT* font2 = NULL;
  16ALLEGRO_COLOR color1;
  17ALLEGRO_COLOR color2;
  18
  19
  20int keys[ALLEGRO_KEY_MAX];
  21
  22ALLEGRO_BITMAP* MakeTile() {
 ALLEGRO_BITMAP* tile = al_create_bitmap(256,256);
 al_set_target_bitmap(tile);
 for (int y = 0 ; y < 256 ; ++y) {
    for (int x = 0 ; x < 256 ; ++x) {
       al_draw_pixel(x , y , al_map_rgba(x , y , 0 , 255));
    }
 }
 return tile;
  31}
  32
  33class CONVERSATION {
  34public :
 const char* text;
 ALLEGRO_COLOR text_color;
 CONVERSATION* next;
 CONVERSATION* prev;
 ALLEGRO_FONT* font;
  40};
  41CONVERSATION* CreateConversationElement(const char* text , ALLEGRO_COLOR text_color , ALLEGRO_FONT* font) {
 CONVERSATION* c = new CONVERSATION();
 c->text = text;
 c->text_color = text_color;
 c->font = font;
 return c;
  47}
  48
  49CONVERSATION* SetConversationPrev(CONVERSATION* c , CONVERSATION* cprev) {
 c->prev = cprev;
 if (cprev) {
    cprev->next = c;
 }
 return cprev;
  55}
  56
  57
  58CONVERSATION* SetConversationNext(CONVERSATION* c , CONVERSATION* cnext) {
 c->next = cnext;
 if (cnext) {
    cnext->prev = c;
 }
 return cnext;
  64}
  65
  66CONVERSATION* MakeFirstConversation() {
 CONVERSATION* npcAroot = CreateConversationElement("Hello. This is the beginning of the conversation." , color1 , font1);
 CONVERSATION* npcBroot = CreateConversationElement("Oh? We're going to have a conversation?" , color2 , font2);
 SetConversationPrev(npcAroot , 0);
 SetConversationPrev(npcBroot , npcAroot);
  71
 CONVERSATION* A2 = CreateConversationElement("Yes. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" , color1 , font1);
 SetConversationPrev(A2 , npcBroot);
 
 CONVERSATION* B2 = CreateConversationElement("Could we talk about NPC programming?" , color2 , font2);
 SetConversationPrev(B2 , A2);
 
 CONVERSATION* A3 = CreateConversationElement("Sure, what do you want to know?" , color1 , font1);
 SetConversationPrev(A3 , B2);
 
 CONVERSATION* B3 = CreateConversationElement("How do I make a conversation?" , color2 , font2);
 SetConversationPrev(B3 , A3);
 
 CONVERSATION* A4 = CreateConversationElement("Well, you could use a linked list." , color1 , font1);
 SetConversationPrev(A4 , B3);
 SetConversationNext(A4 , 0);
 
 return npcAroot;
  89}
  90
  91void DestroyConversation(CONVERSATION* root) {
 if (root->next) {
    DestroyConversation(root->next);
 }
 delete root;
  96}
  97
  98int main(int argc , char** argv) {
 
 for (int i = 0 ; i < ALLEGRO_KEY_MAX ; ++i) {keys[i] = false;}
 
 if (!al_init()) {return -1;}
 if (!al_init_image_addon()) {return -2;}
 if (!al_install_keyboard()) {return -3;}
 if (!al_init_font_addon()) {return -4;}
 if (!al_init_ttf_addon()) {return -5;}
 if (!al_init_primitives_addon()) {return -6;}
 
 
 al_set_new_display_flags(ALLEGRO_WINDOWED | ALLEGRO_RESIZABLE);
 
 display = al_create_display(640,480);
 
 queue = al_create_event_queue();
 if (!queue) {return -4;}
 
 timer = al_create_timer(1.0/60.0);
 if (!timer) {return -5;}
 
 al_register_event_source(queue , al_get_display_event_source(display));
 al_register_event_source(queue , al_get_keyboard_event_source());
 al_register_event_source(queue , al_get_timer_event_source(timer));
 
 
 image = MakeTile();
 al_set_target_bitmap(al_get_backbuffer(display));
 
 font1 = al_load_ttf_font("consola.ttf" , 20 , 0);
 font2 = al_load_ttf_font("verdana.ttf" , 20 , 0);
 
 color1 = al_map_rgb(255,255,0);
 color2 = al_map_rgb(255,127,64);
 
 
 
 bool redraw = true;
 bool quit = false;
 
 CONVERSATION* c = MakeFirstConversation();
 
 do {
    if (redraw) {
       al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(255,255,255));
 144/*
       for (int y = 0 ; y < al_get_display_height(display) / al_get_bitmap_height(image) + 1 ; ++y) {
          for (int x = 0 ; x < al_get_display_width(display) / al_get_bitmap_width(image) + 1; ++x) {
             al_draw_bitmap(image , x*al_get_bitmap_width(image) , y*al_get_bitmap_height(image) , 0);
          }
       }
 150*/         
       // draw current part of conversation
       int tw = al_get_text_width(c->font , c->text);
       int th = al_get_font_line_height(c->font);
       int tx = al_get_display_width(display)/2 - tw/2 - 20;
       int ty = al_get_display_height(display)/2 - th/2 - 20;
       
       al_draw_filled_rectangle(tx , ty , tx + tw + 40 , ty + th + 40 , al_map_rgb(0,0,0));
       al_draw_text(c->font , c->text_color , al_get_display_width(display)/2 , al_get_display_height(display)/2 ,
                    ALLEGRO_ALIGN_CENTER , c->text);
       
       
       al_flip_display();
       redraw = false;
    }
    do {
       ALLEGRO_EVENT ev;
       al_wait_for_event(queue , &ev);
       if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_DISPLAY_CLOSE) {quit = true;}
       if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN && ev.keyboard.keycode == ALLEGRO_KEY_ESCAPE) {quit = true;}
       if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_DISPLAY_RESIZE) {
          al_acknowledge_resize(display);
          redraw = true;
       }
       if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_TIMER) {redraw = true;}
       
       if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN || ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_UP) {
          if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN) {keys[ev.keyboard.keycode] = true;}
          if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_UP) {keys[ev.keyboard.keycode] = false;}
       }
       if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN && (ev.keyboard.keycode == ALLEGRO_KEY_ENTER || ev.keyboard.keycode == ALLEGRO_KEY_SPACE)) {
          if (c->next) {
             c = c->next;
          }
          redraw = true;
       }
       if (ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN && ev.keyboard.keycode == ALLEGRO_KEY_BACKSPACE) {
          if (c->prev) {
             c = c->prev;
          }
          redraw = true;
       }
       
       
    } while (!al_is_event_queue_empty(queue));
       
 } while (!quit);
 
 DestroyConversation(c);
 
 return 0;
 201}

no-reply@allegro.cc (Arthur Kalliokoski) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 05:09:22 +0000

Just so we're clear on this, we're talking about a "window" that scrolls like a console? While using TTF fonts in A5 of course.

no-reply@allegro.cc (allegro programmer) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:00:00 +0000

First off thanks for taking the time to reply ive been applying some of the ideas to my code trying to get them to work.

edgar: im getting an abortrun error saying vector-item-0 line 174 when running the main file.

*idk if this is relevant to the problem* when im looking through the zip in bittorrent.. when i click the npcexe saying im missing the libz.dll.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Edgar Reynaldo) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 20:21:40 +0000

try this libzlib.dll

It's all I've got.

no-reply@allegro.cc (allegro programmer) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 12:33:03 +0000

thanks edgar, nice code. I saved this in a word document and researching vectors a bit more so i can use this for my game.