Talking to NPCs
The conversation system is the heart of the game.
Starting a chat
Enter a building. In the visual-novel scene that opens, the NPCs present show as portraits — click an NPC's avatar to start chatting with them.
While hovering over an NPC's avatar:
- A loyal NPC shows a purple Add to Party button above their avatar. Click it to recruit them.
Portrait flip
NPC portraits can be flipped horizontally using the flip button on the portrait image in the Atlas NPC editor (top-right of the portrait).
Multi-NPC scenes
If two or more NPCs are present in the same building, others can chime in naturally based on what's happening. You can also guide conversations by narrating: write something like "As I talk to John, I look over and see Sara walking down the hall and wave at her," and Sara may join the exchange.
How responses stream
Type into the chat bar and press Enter. The NPC's response streams in segments — each action, line of dialogue, and piece of narration appears as its own block with distinct visual styling:
- Dialogue — what the NPC says aloud, in quotes.
- Action — what the NPC physically does (gestures, expressions, movement).
- Narration — scene-setting description.
This is intentional. You can see who's talking, what's happening, and what the world is doing all in the same flow.
What happens during a conversation
NPCs aren't just text generators. Things you say can change the world. If you say something an NPC likes, their disposition shifts. If the conversation touches on their goal or fear, they'll remember it. NPCs with shop inventory can sell you items through natural dialogue — ask to buy something and the transaction happens in conversation.
You don't have to do anything special to trigger these — just roleplay naturally and watch the side panels. Disposition and location all update on their own based on what's said.
During cinematic conversations, a subtle film grain overlay adds atmosphere. You can toggle this off in the Atlas Settings tab if you prefer a clean look.
Editing messages (Hero)
Hero subscribers can edit or re-roll past messages in an active conversation. Your messages show edit and re-roll buttons directly — change your text and resend, or re-roll the NPC's response to get a different take on the same moment. These buttons are only available in active chats, not concluded ones.
Expression sheets (Hero)
If an NPC has an expression sheet, their portrait automatically swaps to match the mood of the conversation. The AI picks the appropriate expression in real time — no manual switching needed. See Expression Sheets for how to create them.
Ending a chat
Hit Escape or click the Leave Building button in the bottom left. When a chat ends, a few things happen automatically in the background:
- What just happened gets compressed into memories from each involved NPC's perspective — if three NPCs were present, each one remembers the conversation through their own lens.
- Each NPC's disposition toward you updates independently. If you were kind to one NPC but dismissive to another in the same conversation, their dispositions reflect that.
- Some memories may be marked private based on their nature — a romantic moment or a shared secret stays between you and that NPC and won't spread as gossip.
- The conversation may influence the next day's events if it produced something story-worthy.
You don't see this happen — you just notice that NPCs remember what you talked about next time you see them.