One of the most prominent features of roleplaying games is the dialogue tree, a system that allows players to choose from a variety of dialogue choices when their avatar interacts with other characters in the world. This mechanic has its roots in pen-and-paper roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons where players might try to lie to an NPC and roll die to determine if their ploy is successful and is now often paired with a morality system that lets players be "good" or "bad" depending on their choices.
In anticipation of the PSVR2 exclusive Synapse, Game ZXC spoke with actors Jennifer Hale and David Hayter, who both play roles in the upcoming title. They spent some time during the interview discussing how they approached voicing characters in games that feature branching dialogue trees with morality systems. Jennifer Hale memorably portrayed the female Commander Shepard in Mass Effect as well as the female Trooper in Star Wars: The Old Republic, whereas David Hayter brought life to the male Jedi Knight in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Jennifer Hale Sees Mass Effect's Paragon And Renegade Shepard As The Same Person
Mass Effect is one of the most well-regarded RPGs in recent memory largely due to its dialogue and morality system that allows players to express themselves in a way that is impactful to both the story and Commander Shepard's interpersonal relationships. Dialogue choices are often split between the heroic and virtuous Paragon and the sardonic, occasionally ruthless Renegade. Jennifer Hale spoke about how she appreciates the character's ability to shift between these attitudes in a relatable way.
To everyone, I say “Look in the mirror.” Sometimes you get out of bed, and you're in a great mood. Other days, you get out of bed and you’re like “Don't talk to me for a couple hours, leave me alone,” but you're still the same person. You can get out of bed as one person and something can happen, and in a nanosecond, you're the other person.
And so playing a character like that – It's the same character. They're just hopping from mood to mood and circumstance to circumstance. The throughline is there and it's very definite. You're not a wholly different character from line to line, it's just a different moment, and how you respond to it is with maybe tighter governors or looser governors.
Hale's approach to Shepard's role is so successful because the "good" and "bad" options don't feel like completely different characters. One of the most highly recommended ways to play through the MassEffect trilogy is by taking a "Paragade" approach in which players go for a mix of both, because Shepard, like any person, might not always be feeling optimistic or cynical. A predominantly Renegade Shepard may still choose to hug and comfort Tali during an emotional moment (a Paragon choice) and it doesn't at all feel inconsistent.
David Hayter Views Star Wars: The Old Republic's Dialogue Choices As Different Journeys
In Star Wars: The Old Republic, the moral extremes are somewhat more pronounced in the dialogue choices as players lean toward either the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force. Even the Jedi Knight can be outright evil if the player chooses, which leads David Hayter to view these paths as essentially different journeys to take for the character.
I almost use the same voice for all of them, but I kind of feel like they're different personalities. One of them is kind of a Han Solo, while the Light Side responses are heroic, but kind of bland – he'll never deviate from “May the Force be with You,” that sort of thing. The cynical guy is just like, “What is wrong with you?” which is so much more fun. The moments where I'm full-on Dark Side and I'm like, “I am going to destroy you!” is arguably more fun to do.
I try to deliver it all through the same guy's vocal cords, but they are different. They're having different journeys, and some of them are more funny and exasperating than others.
Naturally, Hayter found that it was more fun to embrace the Dark Side while acting, if only because the Light-Sided Jedi Knight is a tad bland due to the Jedi Order's insistence on emotional detachment. Either way, the presence of branching dialogue enables players to embark on the journey of their choice and explore the full range of David Hayter and Jennifer Hale's exceptional acting abilities upon repeat playthroughs.