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Is it best to have the main character's speech option be left up to the player as a choice?

ABSOLUTELY.

Speech really needs to be left up to the player, as it is extremely infuriating if the main character suddenly starts creating dialogue that is far from what was intended.

Dialogue can have consequences, and thus is itself a choice. You should not start making choices for the players!

But not all the time. Character building within the story should be taken out of the hands of the player to an extent, otherwise it becomes tedious for the player having to choose every detail of dialogue and difficult for the author to consider every past vocalisation choice in the future wider story. 

It's always a nice touch, but only in relation to big decisions that may actually change the path of the game. I find. 

Okay, so maybe I was a bit overzealous, and I agree with the above opinion, but it needs to be as customisable as the game can allow, in order to avoid pre-choice for the player.

For example, you can obviously choose to decline an offer made by another character, but if screaming at them in pure defiance will get you killed, there needs to be a choice to be patient and explain why you don't want to go ahead.

Right, but it depends on the story. 

I wouldn't want an option of niceties in Necromancer, for example. 

I was thinking of dialogue similar to Dragon Age. It would affect the story and how others view you.

Bioware isn't the greatest example of using the dialog choices though. Half the time they give you 3 seemingly different choices and they all lead to the same result, and in Mass Effect's case sometimes they'd have a choice and Shepard ended up saying something completely different.

Right. Any options involving dialogue would have to be definitively different to ensure a different conclusion was met, enabling the choice to have a "point". Sometimes that difference in personality may not suit the author's idea for the personality of the main character. 

Addendum: Do you appear whenever a game of yours is mentioned? lol

No, I just like bashing bioware. Lol.

Nah, some of their games are fun, but I was just pointing out their dialog choice outcomes are meaningless most of the time.

Bashing bioware is almost as fun as your dungeon. ;) 

Nothing like good old Ass Effect I mean Mass Erect I mean Mass Effect.

I agree, but if done correctly, then chooseable dialogue can make a story much better.

You mean the wheel that says:

"We don't have enough time"

But when you choose it Shepard says.

"I'm sick of you asses sitting around and doing nothing! Stand up and take some action!"

Basically. I actually would rather them have something like "angry", "apathetic", "happy" etc. since at least a "tone" choice wouldn't be quite as jarring and they could have Shepard say whatever he wanted in line with the mood.

Or do what the first Dragon Age did and just write out the exact dialog.

I prefer dragon age's way. It felt far more realistic and made be feel like I was actually playing an RPG.