Bringing Conversations to Life – The Dialogue System in Daedalus

One of the narrative pillars of Daedalus: Arcane Odyssey is its dialogue system — designed not just to display words, but to give characters a soul.

In this world of alchemy and steam, every character you meet has a story, a tone, and an attitude. So I wanted a dialogue system that didn’t just feel like reading text, but felt like watching a scene.

Here's what I built:

• When characters talk, the game pauses and a dedicated UI appears on screen.

• A high-resolution portrait of the speaking character shows up with a fitting expression.

• The dialogue box appears below, leaving room for 2–3 lines of text.

• Each line feels paced, expressive, and part of the flow of the scene — just like a visual novel, but integrated into an action-adventure world.

Stylistically, everything follows the game's stylized 3D cartoon look, and the portraits are custom renders made specifically for each emotion and character.

This system is already in use in the demo — from casual banter in the streets of Twingear to tense confrontations at the academy gates.

Next, I’ll be integrating animation triggers. Step by step, we’re making this world speak for itself.

Thanks for following the journey!