Solar Echoes: Five Games in One! (part 3)

Dialogue in Solar Echoes is another mini-game that was developed to quantify things for players when conversing with a non-player character (NPC.) Often, in other RPG's, conversational ability is represented in the game through a single die roll indicating success or failure. Sometimes this approach degenerates into a form of "mind control," where players with high ranks in the ability will be able to convince an NPC to do whatever they want. In Solar Echoes, we have designed the system to incorporate a few more angles. An NPC will have a target "Posture" players must achieve with their persuasive abilities, with risk and rewards attached to each type of persuasive attempt (diplomacy, bluff, or intimidate each raise or lower NPC Posture different amounts.) All players on the team may participate as well, instead of waiting around for the one character with high ranks in persuasion to do all the talking--other players can use their skills to determine possible conversational advantages that can be gained. For instance, an NPC may have an unusual, customized pistol and a character with high ranks in the firearms skill may have a chance to notice this--admiring it and making a successful firearms check will allow the player to say something about the gun that will impress and raise the NPC's posture an additional point. A failed check might cause the comment to come off the wrong way--the NPC might misinterpret the comment as covetous or as mocking.