Good afternoon guys! So I was looking all over the internet yesterday and I couldn't find a definitive answer to my question. I am building a nonlinear rpg (an rpg with branching paths and diologue) and it is currently just in the "pen and paper" stages of the project. I'm trying to figure out what software to use for this, if there is any. I have been messing around with Twine, but I don't think that is suitable... am I wrong in thinking this? As always, all replies are appreciated and thank you for reading.

Twine looks cool, never heard of it until now.  To help you better I think you should give examples of RPG's with a similar look and feel to what you're aiming for.  Do you mean something like FF1 through 6?  Something like baldur's gate or diablo?  Also what previous game making experience do you have?  And are you more interested in the final product of a game or are you trying to learn how to program games from the ground up?

edit - I should also ask whether you want tools like twine to implement the nonlinear story/dialogue.

Well I've made a few little side projects, but this is my first full-fledged game. I'm for branching stories like the ones in bethesda's rpg's, where one choice you make can impact the later parts of the game. I like Twine as well, I just don't really know if I could implement it into dialogue, or if it is just like an interactive story book. Am I making any sense?

You didn't really answer my questions.  2d, 2.5d or 3d?  Small world/maps or open world?  Also my edit was important, do you want a tool explictly known for branching dialogue and non-linear story or do you want a generic engine that you can implement those things on?  Also does it have to be free?

I apologize, didn't quite understand the question. It is a 2d game with an open world to explore. Now as for what I want with the branching dialogue, think of Bethesda's rpg's. An npc will make a statement or ask a question, and you will have a list of options or "responses" to choose from. I just need to know if there is a certain software for doing so?

You can accomplish that in almost any engine.  However if you want to make it easier (like Twine) there is specialized software that can help you with that.  I only know of one example and only came upon this software recently.  It's called Articy Draft it can be found here:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/570090/articydraft_3/

http://store.steampowered.com/app/388600/articydraft_3__Flex_License/

or

https://www.nevigo.com/en/articydraft/overview/

I have no experience with it but it says it can handle non-linear stories and branching dialogue.  It can also export directly to unity, and json and xml.  It costs money though either upfront or a monthly subscription.  It can do more than what I wrote here so you should check out the links.

Sweet! Thanks for the help, I'll check into it right away

24 minutes ago, Novadude987 said:

Sweet! Thanks for the help, I'll check into it right away

You won't be thanking me once you see the price.  Anyway report back here if this is the type of thing you're looking for, I'll see if I can find more.

Yes it is perfect man. The price is steep, but maybe it is worth it to save some time and effort? I'm a pretty novice coder.

40 minutes ago, Novadude987 said:

Yes it is perfect man.

That's good to hear, I thought you might like it.

41 minutes ago, Novadude987 said:

The price is steep, but maybe it is worth it to save some time and effort?

Which version in regards to the price?  The steam version is $99 upfront or $7 a month, which I think is pretty reasonable for what it can do.  The multiuser version on the company's website now that is expensive.  Is it worth it?  Maybe, non-linear games can be difficult in general since it takes alot more planning.  Having a tool that gives that form which you create against might really be a good workflow for you.

Either way I suggest you start with smaller things.  Remember that this program isn't a game engine, it's a tool to be used in conjunction with a game engine.  According to the page it can export to XML, JSON, and directly into Unity.  So if you want the least amount of headache I suggest you go with Unity.  This means you'll have to learn C#.  Start small with the engine, there are plenty of tutorials online in both webpage and video (youtube) format.  After you get familiar with the engine then try a small game or two.  After that your first big project should be a linear rpg.  While you're doing this in Unity you should also be learning and using Articy towards your goal.  That should be the quickest way to you goal while also teaching you more about making games.