Right-click to Skip Dialog
Much like when TWP launched, people have been asking for right-click to skip dialog in Delores. I've really pushed back on doing this for one reason: It's too damn easy.
During the TWP playtests, I watch players right-click to skip dialog so fast that it didn't even register something came on the screen. Then a bit later they would be confused. I'd ask some questions and it was clear that the dialog was never even seen.
The problem with right-click is that the right/left-button twitch is so ingrained that the moment text flashed on the screen players would instinctively right-click like they were playing a round of Jeopardy. Most of the time they wouldn't even notice they were doing it.
This isn't matter of me being a prima donna about players not reading my glorious dialog, this is about players not reading any dialog, being confused, and inevitably blaming the game (my therapist keep reminding me that there is a line between me and the game).
If you have ever watched someone playtest something you've done, you will know the feeling.
While players can skip dialog with the PERIOD key it's not as automatic as right-click. Just that small separation helps a great deal.
All that said, you can middle-click to skip dialog, but it's not as instinctually ingrained as right-click. Even skipping dialog on controllers isn't as pavlovian as right-click.
You can add rightClickSkipsDialog: 1 to your Prefs.json file (finding that is an exercise left up to the reader) and happily skip as much dialog as you want. It is good for speed runners, or the 10th time player, but it's hell on new players.
Like in TWP right-click only skips dialog in cut-scenes and other situations where input (the cursor) is off.
Christian
Ron Gilbert
Patrick
Snufkin
Nor Treblig
> add a check to ignore the right mouse clicks during the first full or half a second of a line.
That's horrible: when I want to skip dialog I want it NOW, I don't want to wait for such relatively long delay before it works. Also speed runners won't be amused.
Just get a mouse with a middle mouse button!
Snufkin
For some, all these different possibilities would probably seem unnecessary and bloated, but I'm always for more options and customization. That is something that point'n'click are missing compared to lot of other genres.
Christian
Nor Treblig
I can be very picky about controls (e.g. I like to have hotkeys for verbs in those kind of games), but I'm also very forgiving regarding this particular genre.
You typically play such games at a slow pace and often there is no action at all involved.
Other genres like FPSs or platformers on the other hand better allow me to customise bindings or I will blame the controls every time I die 😀
Regarding skipping dialogue:
> I'd imagine most people click past text and dialogue, because they've finished reading
I don't think this is the main reason, it sounded more like people just do it automatically or unintentionally.
There may be some who want to proceed after finishing reading but it probably fills Ron with horror when he sees someone playing TWP the first time and killing of all the painstakingly recorded lines 😀
Ron Gilbert
Kk
Andrei
Sushi
Adrian
Nor Treblig
IMHO the current behaviour (even without this additional option) is already the best solution:
Players can decide when and what dialogue to skip, immediately and without delay.
They just have to use the middle-mouse-button instead of the right-mouse-button.
Your proposal works if you actually want to force the player to read all lines at least once, but this wasn't Ron's goal any may annoy some players.
Simon
For example, in the new Delores game, I revisited people in the game and talked to them again. (Natalie, for example, but also others-a-reno). I ended up skipping known dialog, and accidentally skipped a new line.
Shawn
JV
Bo J.