{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/dialogue--family-costs","type":"mechanic","id":"dialogue--family-costs","lang":"en","title":"Resources and stakes","summary":"A line or influence attempt costs time or resources, or commits the player to a risk or obligation.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/dialogue--family-costs/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/dialogue--family-costs.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/dialogue--family-costs.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Dialogue","Game rules"],"sourceIds":["source-478907b8b62d0628"],"sources":[{"id":"source-478907b8b62d0628","title":"Potionomics","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"A retort or attempt to influence requires time, resource, or an assumption of risk and commitment."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-costs-variants\"></a>\n\n- Consumption of communication points. Rule: dialogue lines expend special energy, influence, or other finite supply. <a id=\"variant-costs-01\"></a>\n- Consumption of money and items. Rule: To move, you need to pay, hand over an item or provide a material guarantee. <a id=\"variant-costs-02\"></a>\n- The price of disclosed information. Rule: A useful answer requires you to give up a secret, evidence, or information about your own goals. <a id=\"variant-costs-03\"></a>\n- Suspicion grows. Rule: Every risky move brings exposure or refusal to continue the conversation closer. <a id=\"variant-costs-04\"></a>\n- Stock of patience. Rule: NPCs allow a limited number of useless, repeated or offensive calls. <a id=\"variant-costs-05\"></a>\n- Fatigue and composure. Rule: Long conversation depletes the player's or NPC's ability to maintain the desired line. <a id=\"variant-costs-06\"></a>\n- Goal conflict. Rule: Achieving one conversation goal worsens the chances of achieving another. <a id=\"variant-costs-07\"></a>\n- Voluntary rate increase. Rule: The player promises, risks, or bets more for a better outcome. <a id=\"variant-costs-08\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Author's working taxonomy compiled for this request. Titles are descriptive; sources confirm individual principles and examples, and not the entire list."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"dialogue","id":"family-costs","title":"Dialogue","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/dialogue/#family-costs","categoryIds":["section-2"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Resources and stakes","description":"A line or influence attempt costs time or resources, or commits the player to a risk or obligation.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/dialogue-potionomics-04.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Potionomics","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1874490/ss_f9b5015e5e7b0cc860e8985d3f9d773e6874cb57.1920x1080.jpg?t=1750960791","credit":"Voracious Games / XSEED Games / Marvelous USA, Inc.","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"A card spends customer patience","alt":"A card spends customer patience","markers":[{"x":52,"y":15,"label":"This card costs 2 patience"},{"x":4,"y":74,"label":"Remaining patience limits further negotiation"}]},"tips":["Show the cost before a reply and the remaining resource afterwards."],"examples":[{"title":"Potionomics","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/dialogue"}}