Item Descriptions - Fashion or Function?

[jonthefox]

There's not much room in the description boxes for weapons/armor/items etc., and I'm really torn between giving a description that adds spice and flavor to my game, versus simply telling the player exactly what the item does.   For Skills, since they're active uses, I tend towards simply telling the player what they do.  But with say a weapon, I find it appealing to give a nice description.

Example 1:

(Skill) Aggressive Strike:  +1 damage, -1 defense, +50% hit rate, +50% crit chance

I would opt for this description rather than "You lunge at your opponent, hitting him harder but leaving yourself somewhat vulnerable"

Example 2:  (and yes I know this name is from LoL, I'm just using it as an example)

(Weapon) Blade of the Ruined King:  An enchanted sword whose power is said to consume the wielder's mind.

This would be as opposed to stating:  +200% attack, -50% mp generation, user cannot be healed

Depending on the severity of the negative tradeoffs of the item, I realize it becomes important to let the user know that if they equip the item then their mp degenerates or they cannot be healed, etc..

But if every special item simply stated the effects without any flavorful description, that would seem to kill an important part of the game aesthetic.

What do other people think?

 

[Tai_MT]

Welcome to my issue!  It'd be simpler if whomever programmed the freakin' thing had it tell players in the buy/equip screens what they do so you didn't have to waste your description box.

Personally, I prefer the flavor text as it's always more interesting to the game world.  However, you may have to ditch that if you've got effects and such that simply can't be seen upon equipping.  However, free tip...  The game actually tells you when purchasing a weapon how much ATK it has.  At least in VX Ace, it does.

If you can add both a description of the weapon as well as what it might do...  That'd be best.  But, doing so is going to be insanely difficult without a script.

 

[Harmill]

As a player, I want to know exactly what an item or piece of equipment does for me. Flavour text does not help me decide between two pieces of equipment, or which items are useful to buy.

 

[Kain]

Why not combine the two? This can be done easily enough with Skills anyway. Easier if you find or create a script to extend the length of description boxes, etc. For example;

"Lunge at the target with a +50% CRI/HIT, while
dealing +1 ATK & suffering -1 DEF for X turns."

It appears exactly how it looks here in the editor too minus the quotations of course.

As for items/inventory, those stats are shown in shop or in the equip screen. Additional stats the engine can't show by default or that you don't also have scripted can be mixed into the flavour text as well the same way. One scripting solution & I know I've mentioned scripts a few times already you can easily find on Yanfly's blog.

 

[Kes]

Put in 3 lines of text description, plus show all exparams, and you've covered everything, imo

 

[jonthefox]

Thanks.  Is that screenshot from your own project?  Are you using the Ace Item Menu script?  I love how that screen looks.

 

[Kes]

That's from my last project The Tale of a Common Man.  Yes, it's Yanfly's Ace Menu script, plus Mithran's Add Exparams, plus some tweaking of the default scripts to enable there to be 3 lines of description instead of just the usual 2.

 

[ArcaneEli]

           This is how I handle my Skills, so there is a little description up top and then more helpful ideas of what it does on the second line.

Also made a Skill-Help Book so you know what the icons do.

         For Equips It's mostly fun like pieces of text. Then at the end the important stuff like Crit +5%, Eva -3%, Applies Fire as On-Hit Effect.

 

[Wavelength]

I like what the Star Ocean and Tales Of games do, where you can toggle between the flavor text and the list of stats/effects that the weapon, item, or skill gives you.  Planning to script or commission such a feature for my own game.

 

[Kvich]

Personally I do a little of both.

Take for instance my "toy sword":

Stolen from a little kid.

High attack power

Where first line is the flavour text, and the 2nd line is the base description of the weapon.

In my current project, all types of weapons, will have a certain effect, persistent through that weapon category.

For instance swords will have higher atk than other weapons of "it's level" and axes have a higher critical hit chance etc.

I personally think that everything shouldn't be directly available to the player, but a little experimentation should be in order.

For instance a "Cape of fortitude" will have (without any scripts) a shown increase in defensive stats, the awake player will also notice the 100 health point increase, and the text of the cape could be something like:

"Was worn by a old general,

increase health and defensive stats"

But it could also add a hidden 15% resistance to poison, poison immunity, or something third.

Furthermore I tend to add small hints at places, for certain items.

Like a book telling a story about Witch, who couldn't be burned at the stake because of a magical ring she wore.

Then if/when they find the ring, the name of the ring could be "Ring of the Witch" and the flavour text be something like "The ring belonging to a legendary Witch" and have a hidden effect of resistance/immunity to fire, and make the players figure out the connection them self.

 

[Beamlight]

Stolen from a little kid.

High attack power

That's pretty cute

Flavor text is good for jokes and worldbuilding, but so can the names of the weapons and armor and items themselves. I mean, c'mon, do we really need a description of "Chainmail"?

 

[captainproton]

For equipment, I generally just go with a colorful description, since all the parameter and stat changes will show up on the quip menu. Items and skills, I do a bit of both.

"Electarine: A shockingly sour citrus which induces Thunder Force when eaten."

"Gaia's Grace: Call upon Nature's love to regenerate health over five turns."

 

[Kvich]

That's pretty cute

Flavor text is good for jokes and worldbuilding, but so can the names of the weapons and armor and items themselves. I mean, c'mon, do we really need a description of "Chainmail"?

Glad you like it.

I don't know if one needs a chainmail description, but I tend to throw one in anyway, and usually something along the line of "The poor man's platemail"

The reference is primarily to D&D 3.5, and is really only my own account of said armours usefulness. (Or lack of)

I personally love coming up with one-liners for my weapons, armour and items, who doesn't love a "old leather armour" with "the former wearers blood on"? Especially if you just got it in a fight..

(Note to self, gotta put that in my next project..)

Having interesting flavour texts in games, really adds a lot I think, I found myself at times opening the menu, just to read the flavour texts on new items I just found, in games that utilize them in great ways.

 

[captainproton]

It also helps if the game itself is meant to have a slightly humorous tone. Some of my armors include a bunny suit, a speedo, and a stew pot. You can't just have an armor like a speedo and only state it's agility bonuses and water resistance; you have to have some interesting text.

 

[Wavelength]

And while I prefer having both (which is why my game will let you "toggle" back and forth between description and function, as I described several posts above), I feel that clarity of function is the most important thing you can achieve here, whereas if an item/skill/equip has no special effects, it does a world of good to add some good flavor text in - it will endear your player to the item she's using.

A few examples of weapons and armor from timeblazer:

Windborne Saber - no special effects, so added some evocative flavor text:

A tribe of windrunners designed these sabers long ago.  The art has since been lost to time.

Blue Magical Hoodie - no special effects, so added a sly little NFL reference in the description:

Only two hoodies were ever made with magical powers.  A certain coach owns the red one.

Candy Cane Wand - adds an "Eat Weapon?!" skill to the character that equips it; the description briefly alerts the player to this fact and still has a bit of room for flavor:

The only weapon on the market that provides a mid-battle snack!  Check out your Skills.

Static Scepter - since the effect is unusual and requires a bit of description (I scripted it to show an animation and deal separate damage to all enemies when you use any offensive magic with this weapon equipped), I opted for clarity over flavor:

This scepter releases an EM pulse when you use offensive magic, dealing damage to all foes!

 

[BlackLiquidSorrow]

It also helps if the game itself is meant to have a slightly humorous tone. Some of my armors include a bunny suit, a speedo, and a stew pot. You can't just have an armor like a speedo and only state it's agility bonuses and water resistance; you have to have some interesting text.

That's how it is with my game as well.

I.E: Lash Out. Violently attack an enemy for insulting your favorite franchise!