Hello there! How are you? I hope you are always safe and sound. Previously, I shared how to create an NPC receptionist for your Gather Town space. In case you missed it, you can check it out here. Well, this time, let’s take things a step further and get more creative by designing a variety of NPCs. One fun example is an interactive bartender who can serve up virtual drinks. Why bartender? Because it’s perfect as it mimics social settings where casual conversations naturally happen. Just like a real-life bartender, this NPC can also engage in casual conversations through a simple dialogue setup. Using Google Slides, you’ll be able to bring this lively NPC to your space! Let’s dive in!
Designing Your Bartender NPC
Just like we did with the receptionist, we’ll need to create a new NPC for the bartender. Here’s how I approached it: First, I opened my favorite graphic design tool, Aseprite, though any pixel art tool will work just fine. Then, I designed a tropical-themed bartender, dressing them in a bright tropical shirt and a classic bamboo hat to give that perfect island vibe. As always, make sure the avatar fits within Gather Town’s 32×32 pixel tile size. Finally, once I was satisfied with the design, I saved it as a PNG file with a transparent background.
Creating Your Google Slides Dialogue
Now that our bartender is ready, it’s time to set up the dialogue interactions using Google Slides. First, I opened Google Slides and created a new presentation. For each slide, I added a different part of the conversation, starting with a friendly greeting like, “Hey there! Fancy a tropical drink?” or something. Oh, don’t forget to add some music! Once I finished the dialogue, I published the Google Slides to the web and copied the shareable link. In this guide, I’ve provided a simple example that you can easily use, though you’re free to get as creative as you want with your slides.
You may include clickable response options, such as “Tell me more about the drinks!” or “No thanks, I’m just looking around.” This allows for branching dialogues, where selecting different options leads to different slides. Maybe I’ll talk about how to create branching dialogue in Google Slides next time!
Adding Your NPC to Gather Town
Now that our bartender NPC is ready, let’s get them set up in Gather Town. First, I went into my Gather Town space and switched to Edit Mode. From there, I opened the Mapmaker and clicked on the Objects tab. Next, I clicked on More Objects and selected Upload New to upload the bartender avatar I created. After that, I moved to Object Interactions and chose Embedded website. I then pasted the Google Slides link I had set up earlier, which required a few technical steps (you can follow the instructions here). I adjusted the activation distance so that visitors can interact when they approach and added a welcoming message like, “Talk to the bartender for a refreshing drink!” Finally, I placed the NPC in the perfect spot within my space.
Test It Out
Exit Edit Mode and walk up to your bartender. You should see the interaction prompt appear. Press ‘X’, and your Google Slides dialogue will pop up, allowing users to chat with your bartender and explore the conversation you’ve created.
And there you have it! By combining a custom-designed NPC with the power of Google Slides, you’ve brought interactive storytelling to your Gather Town space. Now your visitors can enjoy a refreshing virtual chat with a friendly bartender, adding a layer of fun and engagement to your virtual world.
What other NPCs would you like to create? Share your thoughts in the comments! I can’t wait to see your imagination!
