diff --git a/Narrative%2C-Dialogue-%26-Objectives-Systems.md b/Narrative%2C-Dialogue-%26-Objectives-Systems.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..69234bc --- /dev/null +++ b/Narrative%2C-Dialogue-%26-Objectives-Systems.md @@ -0,0 +1,133 @@ +# 07 — Narrative, Dialogue & Objectives Systems (Systems 58-68) + +**Category Purpose:** These 11 systems handle the entire story layer — narrative state tracking, objective/quest management, dialogue playback with choices, branching consequences, cutscene bridging, timed trial scenarios, lore/journal unlocks, narrative trigger volumes, and ending condition accumulation. The `BPC_NarrativeStateSystem` is the central narrative authority; all story beats flow through it. + +--- + +## System Index + +| # | System | Asset Type | Role | +|---|--------|-----------|------| +| 58 | `BPC_NarrativeStateSystem` | Component | Narrative state machine; flags, milestones, chapter progression | +| 59 | `BPC_ObjectiveSystem` | Component | Objective tracker; activate, complete, fail, branching objectives | +| 60 | `BPC_DialoguePlaybackSystem` | Component | Dialogue playback; line queue, VO, subtitles, auto-advance | +| 61 | `BPC_DialogueChoiceSystem` | Component | Dialogue choices; present, select, filter by flags, consequence | +| 62 | `BPC_BranchingConsequenceSystem` | Component | Narrative consequence execution; state changes, item grants | +| 63 | `BPC_TrialScenarioSystem` | Component | Timed trial/puzzle scenario; begin, evaluate, success/fail | +| 64 | `BPC_CutsceneBridge` | Component | Cutscene bridge; play, skip, milestone flags, camera transfer | +| 65 | `BPC_LoreUnlockSystem` | Component | Lore/journal entry unlock; trigger, categorize, notify | +| 66 | `DA_NarrativeDataAssets` | Data Asset | Narrative data: DialogueData, CutsceneData, ScenarioData | +| 67 | `BP_NarrativeTriggerVolume` | Actor | Narrative trigger volume; sets flags, starts dialogue/scene | +| 68 | `BPC_EndingAccumulator` | Component | Ending tracker; accumulates conditions, determines outcome | + +--- + +## Category Data Flow + +``` +┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ +│ NARRATIVE PIPELINE │ +│ │ +│ BP_NarrativeTriggerVolume (world-placed) │ +│ │ Player enters → triggers narrative event │ +│ ├─► Sets narrative flags in BPC_NarrativeStateSystem │ +│ ├─► Starts dialogue via BPC_DialoguePlaybackSystem │ +│ └─► Activates objectives via BPC_ObjectiveSystem │ +│ │ +│ BPC_NarrativeStateSystem (state machine) │ +│ │ Tracks: narrative flags, milestones, chapter phase │ +│ │ Gating: checks flags before allowing story beats │ +│ └─► Syncs to GS_CoreGameState for UI display │ +│ │ +│ BPC_ObjectiveSystem (quest tracker) │ +│ │ Activate → Complete → (optional: Fail) │ +│ │ Branching: objectives can split based on choices │ +│ └─► Updates GS_CoreGameState.ActiveObjectiveTags │ +│ │ +│ BPC_DialoguePlaybackSystem │ +│ │ Line queue: sequential or branching │ +│ │ VO playback with subtitles │ +│ └─► BPC_DialogueChoiceSystem (choice points) │ +│ │ +│ BPC_BranchingConsequenceSystem │ +│ │ Executes consequences of dialogue choices │ +│ │ State changes, item grants, NPC disposition │ +│ └─► Feeds back to NarrativeStateSystem │ +│ │ +│ BPC_EndingAccumulator │ +│ │ Accumulates ending conditions throughout the game │ +│ └─► At end: determines which ending plays │ +└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ +``` + +--- + +## 58 — BPC_NarrativeStateSystem: Narrative State Machine + +**What It Does:** The central narrative authority. Tracks all story flags, milestones, and chapter progression. Every narrative system queries this component to determine what content is available. Uses GameplayTags for all state — no booleans or strings. + +**How It Works Internally:** +- Maintains a map of narrative flags (GameplayTag → current value) +- Tracks completed milestones (chapters, key story beats) +- Gates content: dialogue options, objective availability, trigger volume activation all check narrative flags +- Syncs with `GS_CoreGameState` for session-wide narrative state +- Chapter phase tracking: sub-chapter progression within acts +- Implements `I_Persistable` for save/load of story progress + +--- + +## 59 — BPC_ObjectiveSystem: Objective/Quest Tracker + +**What It Does:** Manages all active, completed, and failed objectives. Supports branching objectives (choice A leads to objective X, choice B to objective Y), sequential objectives, and hidden objectives that reveal on discovery. + +**How It Works Internally:** +- Activates objectives from `DA_ObjectiveData` Data Assets +- Tracks progress per objective (counters, location checks, item possession) +- Branching: objective completion can spawn child objectives based on player choices +- Hidden objectives: exist in background, reveal when conditions met +- Updates `GS_CoreGameState.ActiveObjectiveTags` → UI updates automatically +- Fires dispatchers: `OnObjectiveActivated`, `OnObjectiveCompleted`, `OnObjectiveFailed` + +--- + +## 60-61: Dialogue Systems + +**BPC_DialoguePlaybackSystem:** +- Manages a line queue: sequential dialogue lines with configurable auto-advance or manual continue +- VO (voice-over) playback with subtitle display +- Supports speaker identification (NPC name, portrait) +- Animation triggers on key lines (gestures, expressions) +- Skip functionality for individual lines or entire conversations + +**BPC_DialogueChoiceSystem:** +- Presents dialogue choices at branching points +- Filters available choices by narrative flags (choices only appear if conditions met) +- Each choice has consequences executed by `BPC_BranchingConsequenceSystem` +- Supports timed choices (auto-select default if timer expires) +- Tracks choice history for later reference + +--- + +## 62-68: Supporting Narrative Systems + +- **62 BPC_BranchingConsequenceSystem:** Executes narrative consequences: sets narrative flags, grants/removes items, changes NPC disposition, unlocks objectives, triggers cutscenes. +- **63 BPC_TrialScenarioSystem:** Timed challenges: puzzle solved within time? stealth section without detection? combat encounter with specific constraints? Evaluates success/fail conditions. +- **64 BPC_CutsceneBridge:** Manages cutscene playback: transfers camera to sequencer, blocks input, plays cutscene, restores control. Supports skip (with milestone flag set), pause, and post-cutscene state restoration. +- **65 BPC_LoreUnlockSystem:** Unlocks journal/lore entries on triggers (finding a document, reaching a location, completing an objective). Categorizes entries and notifies UI. +- **66 DA_NarrativeDataAssets:** Data Assets for DialogueData (lines, speakers, VO references), CutsceneData (sequencer references, skip flags), ScenarioData (trial parameters). +- **67 BP_NarrativeTriggerVolume:** World-placed trigger volume. On player overlap: sets narrative flags, starts dialogue, activates objectives. One-shot or repeatable. +- **68 BPC_EndingAccumulator:** Tracks ending conditions throughout the game (which key choices were made? which NPCs survived? which objectives completed?). At end-game trigger, evaluates all conditions and determines which ending sequence plays. + +--- + +## Common Implementation Patterns in This Category + +1. **Flag-Based Gating:** Every narrative decision sets a GameplayTag flag. Content (dialogue, objectives, endings) checks these flags to determine availability. +2. **Data-Driven Content:** Dialogue lines, objective descriptions, choice text — all in `DA_NarrativeDataAssets`. Writers never touch Blueprint logic. +3. **Choice → Consequence Pipeline:** Dialogue choice → executed by ConsequenceSystem → sets flags → future content gated by those flags. +4. **Accumulator Pattern:** Ending system doesn't decide at each moment — it accumulates evidence throughout the game and evaluates at the end. +5. **Trigger Volume Pattern:** World-placed triggers handle most narrative beats — no level blueprint spaghetti. + +--- + +*Developer Reference v1.0 — 07 Narrative Systems. Companion to docs/blueprints/07-narrative/ specs.*