Hi everyone - my name’s Freddie and I’m a Game Developer at Wix Games. Recently, I’ve been having a lot of fun writing dialogue for Duck Life 9, and I’m looking forward to giving you all a sneak peek into how it’s shaping up. We’ve put a lot of effort into filling Featherhaven Island with fun, engaging characters - let’s see some of them in action! [h2]Speak easy[/h2] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44193778/4dc2c37eed1b15bc10937e217a16618624ba22cc.gif[/img] For those of you who don’t know what dialogue means: it’s just a fancy word for the conversations you’ll be having with characters you meet in the game. And in Duck Life 9, it’s the best it’s ever been - we’ve given unique personalities to every character on the island, while also retaining the relatable, approachable, and slightly absurd personality of the series. You’ll never quite know what to expect when you start talking to someone! Personally, I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the Animal Crossing series of games and how well they get across an animal’s character in only a few lines of text. In Duck Life 9, the dialogue is as short and punchy as it can be - it’s something you’ll look forward to, not just something to mash the A button through. [h2]The bird is the word[/h2] [img]https://games.wixgames.co.uk/dl9-devlogs/devlog6/devlog-gif-2.gif[/img] An important part of Duck Life 9’s dialogue is how interactive it is: the responses you choose to give while talking to other characters will greatly affect how the rest of the conversation goes. To make this possible, we’ve written dialogue that branches off in lots of different directions - this means that you’ll be able to have multiple unique conversations with the same character. [img]https://games.wixgames.co.uk/dl9-devlogs/devlog6/devlog-gif-3.gif[/img] In this example, you can either choose to question the legal grey area that Em’s found herself in, or side with her and ask about what’s on the TV. Your choice will take the conversation in one of two drastically different directions - and you’ll have to talk to her twice if you want to see both of them! With this new approach to dialogue, we’ve been able to breathe life into a cast of new characters, as well as some returning faces from previous titles - but more on that another time! We hope you’ll enjoy uncovering all of the possible dialogues for each character and learning more about them along the way. [h2]Quack of all trades[/h2] [img]https://games.wixgames.co.uk/dl9-devlogs/devlog6/devlog-gif-4.gif[/img] As fun as it is to think of funny things for the ducks to say (and trust me, I’ve been doing a LOT of that!), there are also other things that dialogue can be used for in Game Design. For example, characters can tell you about the area you’re in and help you progress through the game. So, if you’re ever stuck and not sure where to go next, we’ve made sure that there’s always someone nearby you can talk to to help you out. I’ve also been using dialogue to help each area in Featherhaven Island feel rich and vibrant. Many of the ducks will give you some interesting backstory about the area they’re in - so, for long-time fans of the Duck Life universe, there will be plenty for you to sink your teeth into! Some ducks, on the other hand, will have more whimsical, personal stories and opinions to share, but these are just as important as explicit worldbuilding when it comes to making an area feel alive. Our Art team has been working hard to create some awesome-looking environments for this game, and so it’s only right that we do them justice by creating fun, engaging stories for every inch of the island. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44193778/ddb149713f3cfffda828764c4f06e6d7d72bedff.gif[/img] Wait… where [i]is[/i] that duck, anyway? Is that a new area? That’s going to wrap up this week’s Devlog - I hope that you’ve enjoyed discovering more about Duck Life 9 and maybe even learned a thing or two. If you like what you’re seeing, then feel free to join our [url=https://discord.gg/NcBDJPutAP]Discord server[/url] and get stuck into discussion with other fans of the series. We’ve also launched a [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2416880/Duck_Life_9/]Steam page[/url] for Duck Life 9, so be sure to wishlist it there!