Duck Life Dialogues

Each of these dialogues happens with a cartoon duck character on Featherhaven Island, the setting for Duck Life 9. It's a friendly, warm, and diverse place. which I represented by making the ducks humourous and relatable (in a sort of everyday way). Here, I've reproduced some of these conversations using Twine. [[Em]] [[Jamie]] [[Rosebud, the News Reporter]]

It's a rom-com called "Love Quacktually" - it's good! [[...continue->Kiss already!]]

Yeah, definitely [[...continue]]

(size:0.7)[...at least I hope so] [[Okay then->End]]

But I wish they'd just "kiss" already... [[They get married at the end]] [[Me too->End]]

End of dialogue [[Do another->Home]]

(size:2)[What?! Really?] [[Yep]]

Oh... you've spoiled it for me now! [[Sorry->End]]

This isn't my house, I'm just ''watching TV'' through the window [[What's on?]] [[Is that... legal?]]

Hi there, friend! [[Hi!->Market Research]]

Rosebud is a news reporter who features intermittently throughout the game's story (just before each of the seven tournament races). Having the opportunity to write for a journalist-style character meant that I could adopt a different voice to the regular overworld NPCs, and the compulsory nature of these cutscenes meant that they were a great place for narrative exposition, which I balanced with light humour to keep it in line with the atmosphere of the game. [[Example News Report]]

I'm doing some "market research" for "Quack-e-Mart" [[...continue->expand]]

We're a popular "supermarket" chain looking to expand into this area [[Why... here?]] [[Okay->can you answer]]

Can you take a minute to answer some questions about "Quack-e-Mart?" [[I'll answer]] [[No thanks]]

Oh - fantastic! Just give me two seconds... [[...continue->didn't think you'd agree]]

Okay... well have a good day, friend [[Bye->End]]

Things seem pretty "bleak" around here, what with the "toxic mushrooms" and "wobbly bridges" [[...continue->smile]]

We thought a "Quack-e-Mart" would bring a smile to everyone's faces! [[Sounds cool ->can you answer]] [[What a terrible idea]]

You're not the first person to say that today... [[...continue->won't answer will you]]

I take it you don't want to answer any questions about it? [[No thanks]] [[I'll answer]]

(size:0.7)[Didn't think you'd actually agree to talk to me] [[...continue->got the questions]]

Right, I've got the "questions" here [[Awesome]]

(size:0.7)[...oh wait, that's just an old receipt] They must be around here somewhere... Umm... [[...continue->sorry friend]]

Sorry friend, but I seem to have misplaced the "question sheet" [[...continue->embarrassing]]

(size:0.7)[This is embarrassing...] [[...continue->ill let you go]]

Look, friend - I'll let you be on your way now. And don't forget to shop at "Quack-e-Mart" for all your feathery needs! [[I won't!->End]]

Welcome once again to our daily news broadcast. I'm "DNN," and this... is "Rosebud." [[...continue->no, wait]]

(size:0.7)[No, that doesn't sound right...] [[...continue->apologies]]

Apologies, I got my tongue tied for a moment - I'm "Rosebud," and this... is "DNN." [[...continue->one duck who...]]

One duck who never gets their tongue tied, though, is the subject of our "top story" today: "Quacky Kim," a young rapper, has burst onto the music scene with her debut album, "Unflippered." [[...continue->number one]]

It has been streamed "four million times" and is currently "number one" in the charts. Critics say: //it's terrible, but people will buy it anyway//. [[...continue->elsewhere...]]

Elsewhere in "Sunflower Ravine," police are looking into potential causes for the "ravine bridge collapse." Although some ingenious ducks are using a "giant leaf" to cross, the broken bridge still remains an inconvenience for many. [[...continue->police say]]

Police have discovered wooden planks with "wing prints burned into them," leaving them confused. [[...continue->PC Pluck]]

"PC Pluck" wrote to us that: //We have discovered wooden planks with wing prints burned into them, leaving us confused//. [[...continue->to race]]

The "broken bridge" has not stopped the "Sunflower Ravine Tournament," though - the "racers" are ready to go right now! I take you now to "Fruitflop" who will be broadcasting these races. [[End]]

Em is a pale red duck that appears in the first overworld area in //Duck Life 9//: Spring Meadows. At this stage, I wanted to make the conversations light-hearted while also introducing the player to the personality of the game. Spring Meadows also has some very pretty assets that I wanted to bring attention to through the area's NPCs - in particular, the house that Em is standing next to. She's peering through the window - I wonder why... [[Start conversation->Em Start]]

(size:0.7)[Jamie is a brown duck that appears roughly halfway through the game, in Toadstool Towers. In contrast to the other bright, colourful parts of Featherhaven Island, Toadstool Towers is dingy, dark, and gloomy, , a contrast that I wanted to highlight with the area's NPC interactions. However, sad NPCs are a lot less fun to talk to (especially in a game aimed at a younger audience!), so I had to think of ways in which these happy ducks might end up in a gloomy environment. Jamie is a salesman with good intentions, but his enthusiasm is jarring compared to a lot of the ducks around him. This dissonance compounds the idea that Toadstool Towers is a fundamentally different realm than any we've visited before.] [[Start conversation->Jamie Start]]