Are there any articals or tutorials out there on how to implement SIMs style AI? I''m desperate to integrate it into a traditional RPG. Thanx, -Nef Nos Obligatus Peto Veritas

Perhaps you should try google!

You might also consider looking at Gamasutra, which has published several articles on The Sims and its creator, Will Wright.

Cheers,

Timkin

[edited by - Timkin on February 4, 2003 8:06:58 PM]

Because of its groundbreaking nature, there are numerous articles available regarding it. However, the concept is not terribly difficult and can be summed up as follows:

A true OO model must be in place.

Each world object is a stand-alone code object.

Each world object contains a list of desires it can satisfy (the fridge says "I satisfy hunger"). This list gets broadcast to a certain range. If a Sim walks near the fridge, he "hears" it saying it has food.

Each world object contains a list of actions that it can do. These supply the pop-up lists for the player to choose or the Sim can choose on his own.

Each action of an object contains the data on how to use it - including the animations. Therefore, the fridge shows the Sim object what it looks like to open the fridge, get food out etc. The stereo tells the Sim how to dance, etc.

Therefore, a Sim doesn''t know how to do too much on its own other than the basic necessities of getting around. It relys on the objects in the world to tell it what to do when it uses them. This has 2 benefits. It cuts down on the size of a Sim object since it doesn''t always need to carry around the animations of everything possible. Also, it makes for fantastic expandability since all one need do is create the art and action code for a new object and drop it into the game. Every Sim now knows what the object satisfies, what it can do, and how to act when it uses the object.

This relates very well to our discussion of open-ended worlds, btw.

Dave Mark - President and Lead Designer
Intrinsic Algorithm - "Reducing the world to mathematical equations!"

Hey thanks for the great help, now how about the sims interpersonal relationships, how that work in breif?

Nos Obligatus Peto Veritas

I would have to bust out the game again and observe, but it has to do with the personality traits. As they "converse" about things that are important to them, you will see that people with similar likes/dislikes will enjoy conversation together whereas people with wildly dissimilar preferences will actually be turned OFF by the other person. Also, people who have different preferences will do more activities together. Some of the objects can be used as "group" activities (watching TV, swimming, dancing to the stereo). If 2 Sims like dancing to the stereo, for example, they will enjoy doing that with the other person. If a person who is very outgoing is giving backrubs and flirting left and right, it may be offensive to those that are NOT outgoing.

In the end, it boils down to a +/- on the relationship level.

Dave Mark - President and Lead Designer
Intrinsic Algorithm -
"Reducing the world to mathematical equations!"

A couple of papers which talk about similar concepts are:

http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/kallmann99behavioral.html

http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/kallmann98modeling.html