Here's my simple suggestion for AGS:
In the dialogs, have an option to flip the visual order of the topics upside-down in the game. That way you can create the "goodbye" dialog option first and so on.
For me, this would be extremely helpful. Let me know if I'm making any sense, or need to explain further.
Tis already possible in general settings. Look in front of your nose. You'll find it.
Interesting, because I tried that, and all it did is control the y-axis-align of the dialog options. And besides, I believe it only works with a custom GUI for the dialog options. (I never make my own GUI for dialogs because the default one is good enough)
Interesting idea, I can see how it would help to stop having to keep moving the Goodbye reply down to keep it at the bottom. I'll add it to me list.
Speaking of dialog options, would it be possible to delete them? Once you have clicked 'new option', there is not way to get rid of it again.
There are problems, of course - deleting an option in the middle would mess up the dialog script, so the script would have to be updated.
On second thoughts, dialogs are about the last thing to add to your game, so you really should have the whole dialog on paper when starting to script it.
I think that drag-and-drop dialoguelines would be better (like with sprites)
This way, it would help if we suddenly would add more dialoguelines to the current conversation. It probably would be hard for chris to implent the movement, as in the dialoguescript though....
Yeah, there are technical issues associated wiht that. I'll add it to my list though.
There could be a warning dialog about doing these things, since they can mess up the game, or something...
Well, actually, this is what you'd do:
When you rearrange the order of the topics, it wouldn't have to change the number of the dialog option, it would just visually move them in order. So, you could end up with something like this:
1. Hiya!
3. Why are you wearing that weird hat?
5. Would you like to buy this fine iron mallet?
4. Who are you?
2. Seeya later.
As you can see, the dialog script wouldn't be affected by the change of order of the dialog options, but in the game, the options would be read top-to-bottom, instead of number-wise.
Do I make sense?
Okay, but I don't think that is a very safe solution. Back when I asked Chris to put in the ability to press numbers on the keyboard to work as each line of dialog, just like in some old LucasArts adventures, if they were to press number 2 here, they would get kicked out of the dialog and not asking the other question.
But I still liked your idea.
Without knowing how the actual code works, I want to say, why not just let the program re-order everything after you move them? :) I mean, you move one up & it re-numbers them to fit the new deal. I had to move one once & I just copied the context out of one and into another. It's tedious. Not sure still what you're after, but if it's anything like that, it should be implemented. Afterall, it's ease of use everyone seems to be after?
Hmm, here's an idea: Would it be possible top somehow seperate the options so that each has it's own script, and it moves together with her? Possibly giving names to the options and only changing the number of the option that has a particular name.. Or would that be too difficult (it might be impossible because it requires splitting up the dialog script) ?
It would indeed be useful. Deleting options would also be helpful, because even if you have the whole dialog planned out, and you click on the New option button 3 times for the 3 options you have, if yu click again be accident (very common, at least in my case) you have an extra option that you can't get rid of. As far I know, you can't delete topics either (I may be wrong) so deleting the topic and starting a new one wouldn't help.
Anyway here's a sort of thought that's similar to Geoff's idea: You could have the options be numbered normally, but appear on top of each other when adding new ones, like so:
1. Goodbye.
Add an option:
3. Hello.
2. What are you doing?
1. Goodbye
etc.. And have the game read from the last option to the first one. This could be turned on and off on general settings. Of course problems may occur when there are hidden options in the topic. Or maybe not. If we would have the game check how many options there are, and that returns X, then you tell the game to have option X be option 1 in reading order, option X-1 be option 2, etc:
For example if there are 4 options, the game would make option 4 the first, option 3 the second, option 2 the third, and option 1 the last (fourth). That way, if option 3 is hidden, it shouldn't affect the game's reaction when you select option 3 or 1. I hope. :)
There is a 'dialog options go up on GUI' on the general settings tab.
If you want it to dynamically change the order of the options while keeping track of the option numbers, it would have to be constantly changing your dialog script. All I was saying is that it'd be easier just to have it change the VISUAL order instead of the actual option numbers.
Oh, and Scummbuddy, all that 'dialog options go up on GUI' changes is the vertical alignment on the custom dialog GUI. I've already tried it.