What programs do the writers here use to plan out their conversation trees? I've tried Word, but it just ends up a mess of formating to make it clear what part happens after what, and what choices of responses belong to which question. Excel didn't work so well either. At the moment the best thing I have found for planning out my conversation trees is the one included in the Neverwinter Nights Aurora toolset. Are there any stand-alone programs out their with the similar functionality?

Your needs are not very clear.
For editing in-game text every game needs custom tools (typically a special text format with noninteractive processing), while for mere planning diagrams and notes on paper and whiteboards are usually the most convenient technology.
Using generic software, or software borrowed from a different game, to plan game conversations and texts is vastly slower and more difficult than using pencil and paper and not directly useful as a prototype.

I'm not looking for something to use as a prototype, or that I can shoehorn into a game.

I have spent the past few months coding my game engine, and am about ready to grind through my teeth if I boot up Visual Studio any time soon.
So I figured I would take a break from coding and get some of the dialogue for my game written.

I haven't written the code to handle converstations in my game yet.

So basically I was looking for any kind of program that would let me to the busy work of writing the story and managing the various branching conversations.
If I write the dialogue onto pieces of paper or whiteboards, I will just have to transcribe it onto the computer eventually anyway. I was looking for a tidier way of doing what you mention, and on a computer.
Possibly something that saved each fragment of the conversation tree into a sensibly named or coded text file.



If a program for drafting conversation trees doesn't exist, then I will just keep on using Aurora and copy and paste the text from Aurora into text files when I write the dialogue code for my game.

Quote: Original post by CIJolly
What programs do the writers here use to plan out their conversation trees? I've tried Word, but it just ends up a mess of formating to make it clear what part happens after what, and what choices of responses belong to which question.
Excel didn't work so well either.

At the moment the best thing I have found for planning out my conversation trees is the one included in the Neverwinter Nights Aurora toolset.
Are there any stand-alone programs out their with the similar functionality?

I was going to suggest looking at the NWN tool (but I see you already have seen it). Notice that NWN has the hooks to add logic/scripts and specialized insertable string functions that expand its usefulness.


You need a document editor that supports 'tree' widgets that allow opening/closing branches etc... I forget if Ive seen any windows widgets with expando-branch type text boxes.

The problem is will your own game engine's dialog data have 'extra' features like the NWN tool supports?? -- more than what you can express in some generic editor. To do that you may have to create your own integrated editor tool to facilitate building your data.

Perhaps TreePad or The Literary Machine will fit your needs.