Hello,
It would be great if I could get some feedback on a topic of game communication concepts. In my game I'm using text panels and up till recently I was under the impression that this could work. Now I'm not so sure anymore and if I'm to react and change something, time for that change would be now.

Here are the concepts to be considered:
Easy to do:

1.Text panel
2.Text & picture panel
3.Text & silent video panel (one universal talk-animation per character)
4.Full screen non-animated (pictures) cut scene with subtitles
5.Full screen non-animated (pictures) cut scene with stylized text
6.Full screen non-animated (pictures) cut scene with narrator

Harder to do (with sound & character lip-sync):

7.Text & video panel
8.Full screen video cut scene
9.Full screen video cut scene that blends with real-time environment

So what concept do you think can be a (good/o.k.) replacement for standard real-time player/character communication?

Full screen non-animated (pictures) cut scene with subtitles...
Fable did this and it worked out quite well. i liked it and so did other people. Plus it is way eaiser than;
Text & video panel
Full screen video cut scene
Full screen video cut scene that blends with real-time environment

Thanx for suggestion. I'll check Fable again- it's been a while since I played it

...but what would you have for mixing with casual or second-time-around comm? It would be a bit off to play cut scene every time player starts communictaion with game character.

Scene:
Player approaches character, “e” is pressed, cut scene is starting giving the player assignment...
wait(-10)*time_step;
Player approaches the same character again, “e” is pressed, …?

Well for player to NPC have in game conversation smiler to Fallout 3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbR9LqEvaIY

The thing is that I don't think I can do real-time lip-sync with sound I could fake it with No.9 with one drawback: switch from game resolution (1280/960) to video resolution (640/480) will surely be noticeable.

Just don't have the NPC speak, just have text. Make their mouth move and have text appear as their mouths move....it might work well.

There was an option you havent listed.

3a.Text & video panel (several "mood" animations per character,
but no actual "TALK" ANIMATION)

I got this from an old game "Vamipres : The Masquerade"
The party "panels" contained an animated image showing the
members mood, and kind of health. Try to you-tube it, its hard to explain.
But if you have pop-up conversation window, with an animated mood-image,
and audio speech playing, you'll be able to get more emotion into the
conversation, with any need for lip-syncing.

Yeah I didn't think of that but it's not a bad idea I could have few moods like: normal, sad, happy, mad... to get around the problem.
Do you think that sound is of great importance in this concept because I am not from English speaking area and my country is very low on western visitors?