What is the point of dialogue options that have no effect?

[PBalfredo]

It's an invitation for the player to role play along and establish their "voice" even if it doesn't effect anything. Because sometimes characterization is more important than consequences.

Think about the movie Reservoir Dogs and the tipping scene. It's one of the most memorable moments of the movie, even if it doesn't amount to anything in where the movie goes from there. If there was a Reservoir Dogs: The Video Game, the decision whether or not to tip would be the most character-defining choice you could make in that setting. It wouldn't matter for shit as for actual consequences, but it would be the most debated choice online.

FAKE EDIT: Halfway through typing this, I thought "Wait, wasn't there actually a Reservoir Dogs game made?" Turns out, yes there has been! In fact, there have been two Reservoir games, and one came out in 2006, and the other in 2017! But then the latter got delisted after a few months?!? Fucking wild!

Now I need to know if either had a tipping mechanic.

 

[Massicot]

Sometimes being able to roleplay a bit can be its own merit.

 

[Mediking]

I love dialogue choices. I just wish they were all voiced

 

[Jawmuncher]

Reminds me when I played Fallout 4 and certain things would do nothing lol.

 

[obin_gam]

I love Dragon Age's "[Say nothing]" option :D

 

[Vareon]

Sometimes being able to roleplay a bit can be its own merit.

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Yep, they're mostly for roleplays, not the "good choice/asshole choice" kind of roleplay but you're simply choosing the nuances of how you would react. I liked that.

Also the "Yes/No answer but you're going to say yes anyway" has kinda gotten out of fashion and writers are more often making fun of them now.

 

[Hilarious_Bearious]

I didnt mind how in HZD it was mostly just adding a bit of flavour to what Aloy was saying, but clearly didn't have a huge impact. Games that have radically different text but ahcieve the same result are lame.

 

[Modest_Modsoul]

I find it amusing in some games; RPGs to be exact.

But this is pointless...

 

[SxP]

I really enjoyed some of Dragon Quest XI "No" responses. Or, rather, the responses to your no response. And then you're forced to select "Yes" anyway, of course.

So of course I always select No, maybe even twice (sometimes there's some new dialog).

 

[Yuntu]

Thought the same until the newest Dragon Quest

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In DQXI you very often get a dumb scene as a reward for saying No. P5s option are just boring fluff.

 

[ThreepQuest64]

Feels superficial. It just simulates some kind of player agency and urgency but falls flat in most scenarios.

I truely don't see the point the ones in cyberpunk were pointless crap and ramblings I felt most of the time

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Felt the same. It doesn't mask CP not being a real RPG.

 

[His Majesty]

Depends. In games like Persona 5 or Final Fantasy XIV they serve no real purpose and your character remains a hollow shell. In WRPGs they often contribute to how you perceive your character and his or her personality, even if that one particular dialogue choice might have no effect.

 

[klier]

Assasin's Creed reeks of this.

Cyberpunk too.

 

[Ferrio]

Yakuza one of the few I don't mind, since they make the useless answers batshit insane.

 

[LossAversion]

Just adds some flavor to the game and it lets you dictate the tone of the protagonist even if the story beats remain unchanged.

 

[cyklisten]

Flavor. Fun. Not everything has to lead to a decision.

Part of the fun of dialog heavy games is reading the dialog, which means little flavor like that is always enjoyable. Seeing what the NPC reacts with.

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But it´s not fun to pick a borderline psycopath dialogue choice only for the NPC to react friendly or ambivalent. It feels artificial and breaks immersion.
The problem is when devs don´t make the dialogue meaningful and human - even if it´s just for flavor, which is a-okay.

 

[Ximonz]

I hate it when I have no idea if the choices would affect the outcome or not.
I hate it more when I find out the options have no effect.

 

[KeRaSh]

Hate it, especially in Genshin Impact. Just let me skip the dialogue completely...

 

[Vault]

DQ11 at least has some funny dialogue when you say no

 

[FakePlasticTree]

RPGs live and breath on the illusion of choice abd I enjoy the illusion when it's done well. Like I love the dialogue options in XIV as it also gives the WoL a lot of character.

 

[DoctorPlayer MD]

Pokemon sun and moon was like this. A lot. And it was awful, but then so was most of the dialogue and story pacing.

 

[FakePlasticTree]

Yeah it's horrible in games like Fallout 4 and Cyberpunk 2077. The dialog doesn't give you any real option. A real RPG is about more than stats and leveling up, it's about giving you options on how to make decisions.

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Even so called real RPGs, or cRPGs, have dialogue options that has no real deeper narrative effect, and I don't really see that as a bad thing. Sometimes they can build character if the lines are funny or engaging.

 

[Jimnymebob]

It's funny when the options are "answer normally" or "be an asshole for no reason at all"

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Yeah, I enjoy this stuff. It's amusing me to no end being a complete asshole at every opportunity on DQXIS lol.

 

[pinkurocket]

I loved some of the ridiculous ones in Dragon Quest XI. Like:

"Do you want to play this game?"

- Yes: "ok cool"​

- No: "Ok, but maybe you do actually want to play this game?"​

- Yes: "let's go!"​

- No: "but are you sure though?"​

Etc.

Games that have more seemingly significant dialogue option that lead to the same result with maybe one line difference can be a bit awkward though. But I guess the point is to make it feel like your choices have a bigger impact even when you later realize they never did...

 

[Evilisk]

Choices that don't matter have their place in games. For example, there is this comedic JRPG called Okage: Shadow King, and part of the story's setup is that the main character is just such an overshadowed and unremarkable pushover. The game gets this across by constantly putting the MC in ridiculous situations and giving the player dialogue options that are either barely acknowledged or are just ignored entirely

I will say, it's not like this for the entire game. It never gets as drastic as having multiple endings but, without spoiling anything, they do play with concept of the MC having some agency with their dialogue options later in the story. Also, while the dialogue options don't affect the story, they do affect a completely optional sidequest (it's a very lite compatibility / social link quest that rewards you depending on who you've been friendlest too)

But that's getting besides the point. You can use arbitrary dialogue options to do more than just give players a false sense of choice

 

[werezompire]

I'm very disappointed that there's an actual poll in this thread and not just 3 choices that all mean yes.

 

[BobbeMalle]

"Player, do you want to do this?"

Answer A: Yes
Answer B: Yes, but obnoxiously

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I always imagine the VA wondering where's the difference.

 

[Santerestil]

Flavor. Fun. Not everything has to lead to a decision.

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/thread.

 

[TheOnlyJ]

It helps me roleplay, even if it doesnt massively affect the plot.

 

[nachum00]

It's especially terrible when they trick people into thinking it will matter, like in Cyberpunk for instance.

 

[Kromeo]

I like ones that let you give comedy or asshole answers without it actually ruining anything

 

[DeadeyeNull]

I recently played vtmb and I like it in games like that were it lets me roleplay my character the way I want. I think they only become an issue if you intend to replay a game multiple times, which I'm rarely going to do for an rpg.

 

[julia crawford]

There's a technical word for this but it's essentially a way of adding cost free, no consequence player expression

 

[Coinspinner]

I prefer having no dialog choices. Never seen a setup for these that did anything I liked.

Option 1: Play the game.
Option 2: Don't play the game.

or

Option 1: Cut off half the game.
Option 2: Cut off half the game.

or

Option 1: 2 lines of dialog change.
Option 2: 2 lines of dialog change.

Bleh.

 

[Zen]

What if we build an entire game with insanely complex dialog choices akin to Tokimeki Memorial, where each and every answer could possibly change the ending and the protagonist's relationship with everybody, what weapons become available, what content becomes accessible. Meaningful choice! Surely that wouldn't take up an insane amount of resources only for people to google the best path and stick with that. Surely not.

 

[Ariakon44]

The one thing I don't like if is the dialogue options go completely unremarked upon by the NPCs. Your choices should draw a reaction to the characters you're speaking to, at least, otherwise I don't get much from it.

I don't need them to influence the plot as a whole, necessarily, I just want to feel like the choices I make for my character are at least recognized by the game in some fashion. Plus, what's the point of snark if none of the NPC characters notice it?

 

[Greywaren]

For me, it's all about the journey, not the destination. If the NPCs react appropriately to your dialogue choices, even if the outcome is the same regardless of which one you choose, it can be a nice addition.

Of course, if the NPC reacts the exact same way no matter what, then it's a bit pointless to have them in the first place.

 

[Moves]

Honestly it gives me comfort and allows me to have fun with the RP knowing I can say whatever I want and not have to worry about the result/consequence/not getting the right ending/locking myself out of something ect.

 

[eXistor]

Don't like it in rpg's, but I love it in point and click adventures. In Lucasarts games, half the fun came from choosing idiotic responses.

 

[Amibguous Cad]

But it does have a real effect!

In one version of the story, you said one thing.

In another version of a story, you said another thing.

Things don't have to be mechanically reflected in the game world to be 'real' in the game world.

 

[Sasliquid]

It's called role playing

 

[Lord Azrael]

I guess you're not supposed to know that they have no effect, and they make you click a button once in a while so that you still feel like you're playing a game when watching a cutscene

 

[DontHateTheBacon]

role playing

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This, pretty much. Gives you a chance to at least sprinkle SOME amount of character in the game.

 

[Son of Sparda]

This was super annoying in Persona 5.

 

[squall23]

In Persona 5 Strikers, there are multiple times where a dialogue choice were all just variants of "yes".

 

[Clay]

This was super annoying in Persona 5.

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Haha, I came to post this. I started playing Royal recently and it's funny how often you pick from choices where each one will clearly have identical responses.

 

[julia crawford]

I find it amusing in some games; RPGs to be exact.

But this is pointless...

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This was pretty cool to be honest. This is essentially about which of these findings you thought was the one that defined his life. It's a nice and simple choice.

And it's pretty funny that they end in the exact same line and it's always true.

 

[coldsagging]

So they can stick "CreAte yOur OWn stoRy" on the box and all the marketing material.

 

[apathetic]

The illusion of choice can be preferable to some than no choice at all, and offers the possibility of actually mattering.

 

[plow]

Something worth noting is that FF7R's dialog options aren't actually as meaningless as they appear:

Spoiler

There's a scene near the end where you have a heart-to-heart with Tifa, Aerith or Barret. The character chosen is based on which of the three you've been nicer to over the course of the game.

But even without stuff like that, it just lets you impact little pieces of dialog and put your own spin on minor scenes. It doesn't need to have a big affect: just let you feel a little more in control of the main character and either say "I care about you" or "you're being overbearing, lay off me."

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Also isn't Tifas dress based on the Dialogue options you chose?