With all the thought, discussion, and experimentation that has gone on about conversation systems in IF, I think the full potential of the basic system relying on ASK and TELL has rarely been realized. Most games that use a simple ASK/TELL format, both old and new ones, simply have the player digging for information, making the NPCs essentially databases. However, a game made with any of the primary authoring systems could be fairly convincing using only the out-of-the-box conversation functionality if the game treats TELL separately from ASK, allows for one word comments with a SAY or ANSWER command (especially YES and NO), responds to commands given to NPCs, and keeps track of what topics the player is aware of.
Consider the following example:
Apartment
Your friend John’s apartment is small and rather cluttered […].
John is standing here, looking conversational.
ASK JOHN ABOUT HIS AUNT
That’s not something you can talk about. [This response is given when the PC isn’t yet aware of the topic, or when the player inputs a nonsensical topic].
SAY SORRY
(to John)
John just shrugs.
TELL JOHN ABOUT HIS SHOES
You don’t know anything about John’s shoes that is worth telling John about. [Another default response.]
ASK JOHN ABOUT HIS SHOES
John rolls his eyes. “My sister picked them out for me. She saw them on a closeout, and they happened to be just my size.”
ASK JOHN ABOUT HIMSELF
You ask John how he has been doing, the great awkward cliche of conversation.
“Well, not too bad, I guess,” he says. “But it’s been hard to keep up with college and all. I’ve been taking care of my great-aunt May from time to time.” He shrugs. “That’s just life, you know.”
ASK JOHN ABOUT HIS AUNT
“Yeah, she’s been in an out of the hospital; they don’t know what exactly is wrong. She’s just been really weak and frail, and they think she might have cancer somewhere. Then there’s her arthritis. She doesn’t have anyone to watch out for her, so my cousin and I take turns spending the day with her, and my sister often stays the night at her place.” [Now the player can ask about John’s aunt because the PC has heard of her.]
SAY NO
(to John)
John just shrugs.
SAY SORRY TO JOHN
“I’m really sorry to hear about that,” you say. “I’ll be praying for you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
John nods and grunts. “I know. Thank you.”
ASK JOHN ABOUT HIS AUNT
“Yeah, she’s been in an out of the hospital; they don’t know what exactly is wrong. She’s just been really weak and frail, and they think she might have cancer somewhere. Then there’s her arthritis. She doesn’t have anyone to watch out for her, so my cousin and I take turns spending the day with her, and my sister often stays the night at her place.”
Granted, the simple ASK/TELL is not right for every game, and there are certain failings of the system. For instance, it’s a little beyond the out-of-the-box system to implement multiple responses for asking/telling about the same topic multiple times. Topic suggestions and conversation menus are better mechanisms for controlling the plot. My point is only that the basic functionality of ASK/TELL can produce good NPC interaction if the conversation topics are thoroughly implemented.