An interesting article on multiple intelligences talks about the differences in the way we learn and points out that instead of using a single IQ to determine intelligence, we each have intelligence in different areas. These include:

• Linguistic Intelligence
  
• Logical/Mathematical Intelligence
  
• Visual/Spatial Intelligence
  
• Musical Intelligence
  
• Body/Kinesthetic Intelligence
  
• Social/Interpersonal Intelligence
  
• Intrapersonal Intelligence
  
• Naturalist Intelligence
  

These are described in more detail in the article. The different intelligences can help seperate different characters and classes and, in my opinion, can be effectively utilized in modern games. Someone who excells in linguistic and spatial intelligences could be an author while someone with strong interpersonal and kinesthetic intelligence would make a good trainer. Your thoughts? Edited by - Steven Edwards on 7/11/00 3:37:58 PM Edited by - Steven Edwards on 7/13/00 6:25:37 PM

I heard this theory about a year ago and it makes perfect sense to me. Standardly intelligence has mostly been measured on the logical/mathematical side (something most people here would score highly on :-)). However it''s obvious that people who are skilled and talented yet mathematically blind are still intelligent at their own speciality.

How you would create an AI that specialised in one but not the others is beyond me though :-(

Mike

I have a few ideas how people could specialize in only certain areas. To start off you could populate a small (utopian) town or village with pre-programmed people and group them. Have:

- a Mayor [interpersonal/linguist/logical]
- a few inventors [logical/naturists, logical/musical, logical/spatial]
- some teachers [interpersonal/linguist, interpersonal/logical, interpersonal/naturalist]
- a village advisor [interpersonal/naturalist/spatial/intrapersonal]
- a doctor [intrapersonal/interpersonal/logical]
- a workforce [kinesthetic]
- a writer [spatial/linguist]

Then pair them off and you have the children. The children should be a mixture of their parents personalities -- and there should also be more children than adults.

People with strong interpersonal and linguistic skills will turn into leaders while people with low interpersonal skills will often become the followers. Strong logical and spatial attributes are characteristics of good strategic characters -- the intrapersonal attribute makes them even better.

Low interpersonal and high kinesthetic attributes makes for good soldiers and brutes. Throw in the logical attribute to let them decide what is write and wrong. Add the intrapersonal attribute to give them a concious.

When I get a new computer I will probably make a program to see how it works out. Some variables [self-discipline, among others] need to be added to make it complete.

-Steven