{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/dialogue--family-topics","type":"mechanic","id":"dialogue--family-topics","lang":"en","title":"Topic management","summary":"Players choose, switch or return to topics; knowledge and conversation state determine which questions are available.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/dialogue--family-topics/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/dialogue--family-topics.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/dialogue--family-topics.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Dialogue","Game rules"],"sourceIds":["source-9db291007b8482ca"],"sources":[{"id":"source-9db291007b8482ca","title":"The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition (2009)","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/22330/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The choice and switching of topics control what the characters talk about and what questions are left open."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-topics-variants\"></a>\n\n- Opening a topic. Rule: A new topic appears after an observation, acquaintance, event or information found. <a id=\"variant-topics-01\"></a>\n- Exhaustion of topic. Rule: The question disappears or ceases to provide new information after discussion. <a id=\"variant-topics-02\"></a>\n- Deepening the question. Rule: The answer opens up clarifications, details and narrower directions of conversation. <a id=\"variant-topics-03\"></a>\n- Change of topic. Rule: The player takes the conversation in a different direction, changing its purpose or emotional background. <a id=\"variant-topics-04\"></a>\n- Return to deferred. Rule: A previously interrupted question can be continued when new conditions are met. <a id=\"variant-topics-05\"></a>\n- Order of questions. Rule: The same topics lead to different results depending on the sequence. <a id=\"variant-topics-06\"></a>\n- Closing the topic. Rule: A failed move, a promise, or a change in circumstances makes the question unavailable. <a id=\"variant-topics-07\"></a>\n- Saturation with repetitions. Rule: Persistent discussion of one topic changes the NPC's patience and response to subsequent questions. <a id=\"variant-topics-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-topics","title":"Dialogue","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/dialogue/#family-topics","categoryIds":["section-2"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Topic management","description":"Players choose, switch or return to topics; knowledge and conversation state determine which questions are available.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/dialogue-oblivion-03.webp","width":1024,"height":576,"game":"The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition (2009)","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/22330/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/22330/0000009040.1920x1080.jpg?t=1745343031","credit":"Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"A topic list beside the character in Oblivion","alt":"A topic list beside the character in Oblivion","markers":[{"x":14,"y":72,"label":"The list lets the player select a topic"}]},"tips":["Distinguish new topics from questions already discussed."],"examples":[{"title":"The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition (2009)","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/22330/"}]}},"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"}}