quote: Original post by morfe

It makes sense You would also eliminate pathfinding and a lot of blitting.

Yeah, space as a setting has it''s advantages!

quote:
Alternatively, have you considered using a global distribution node for each planet? Have all messages from a particular planet, (or categorise if you wish) transmit to central messaging system which correlates the data and sends out a single, data-rich message. This way, the AI can read ONCE and get all the information they need.

No hadn''t thought of that. Hmm... Must begin rumination immediately!

quote:
One thing : You said you were using an isometric map. Are you using a z value, or just one layer?

Actually, it''s fully 3D but I''m locking the view to an iso projection. This may seem odd, but it''s for style and gameplay reasons (if I do this right, you get to command a fleet, and jump between ships... tho'' that''s a ways off).

I''ll likely use the Z value as a layer value, depending on whether or not ships can collide (not settled yet).

quote:

NPCs will be inherited from the basic Entity class. They will be fully independent, and carry out their own lives oblivious to the world around them ... that is, until you set them on fire ...

LOL, btw!!!! Hilarious!



--------------------
Just waiting for the mothership...

Lupine don''t know if you were joking or not, but RPG _IS_ a programming language, an old and forgotten language, but still a programming language. Can''t remember what it stands for, but most people don''t even know of it. Unfortunatly I just know of its existance, I know nothing more (not even what RPG stood for, or how it was used).

well, despite the evidence that scripting is the road to hell...

I still belive it is a feasabile methodology.

I suggest, and I will be putting my money where my mouth is,

that the core "engine" of the RPG input output and so on be built

first and that scripts be kept "outside".ie- not hard coded.

Next, code an example script or two by hand. Finally, build your

own editor to accelerate your ability to create and alter

scripts. I am aware that this general stuucture is already in

use. what I hope to point out is that when such an editor is

created with divergence as its primary reason for existance that

tree of death issues become more manageable.

whatcha think?

quote: Original post by lupine

whatcha think?

you rebel scum

Just skimming over this thread, I think a simple solution exists to get your "Tree of Life." Scripts are obviously not an option because it''d be impossible to enumerate all situations. (and you might miss important things, "YO DUDE! WATCH ME STEAL YOUR GOLD! ... WHAT AN IDIOT! HE DOESN''T CARE!") I''m not exactly sure what branch of math this is, but if you build the game logic out of hundreds of simple rules working in tandum, you get a *@&$-ing complex, yet simple, solution.

for example, "stealing the town''s moral booster" is WAY too high level for the computer to process. Rather, "Get cross" would be a simple command, which is easily carried out. Then just let time go on, until an NPC notices. They lose morale because of an emotional-level rule: "How could this happen to ME?"

and in my missed-script example above, the NPC would react because he just saw somebody grab his gold and put it in his pocket! The rule cross-checks with personality variables and the NPC yells...possibly assulting the player.

The AI has to be excellent, but the AI is really based on this rule system. The only problem that plagues this is communication between NPCs and the player. I suppose you could create a NPC messaging system and a translator to turn it into english for the player.

I agree with my friend from the shire.
Now I need some clarification, I''ve been
thinking the tree is a plot tree where
certain actions can move the plot (roles
of player and NPC etc) onto a different
branch.
We seem to be on a track where we''re talking
about NPC AI. Is the Idea that to create
divergence by being able to interact/abuse
NPC''s between point A and B.
At what point does the characters actions
amoungst NPC''s move the plot onto a different
branch?
If you are basing plot shifts on those conditionals
Your right back to the tree O''D'' regardless of how
excellent or inovative the AI is?
Please clarify your positions
Thx

A few thoughts....

Ok so you steal the cross from the church to gain the praise of the thief leader, or even this, there is no thief leader, he died so you’re trying to gain the respect of the thieves who are seeking out a leader. To me that seems simple, no great consequence, say their needs to be something else. You steal the cross and display it to the thieves, but the towns morale is lowered therefore their work is decreased, and the town becomes poor... hence thieves don''t like you. So you’re left with the responsibility of trying to keep the town prosperous while still seeking the favor of the thieves.


Let''s say a person needs at least 10 morale points to work effectively. The morale depletes depending on the work they do throughout the week (chores are terrible on morale . Say the cross adds 40 morale every Sunday, there’s a shelter to feed the poor and every day each person working for the shelter adds 5 morale points to the entire town, so on and so forth. (I don''t know how much control you will have over the world, I''m trying to assume not much.) Say you happen to have a large amount of money stored and are able to donate some to the shelter, therefore they are able to hire new employees morale shoots up and then you can steel the cross to show the thieves.

And morale is just one aspect.


I''m not a game programmer but I have this little tiny bit of something that once might have wanted to be a game programmer in the back of my head screaming and clawing out it''s eyes at the thought of the work this would require though

wow sorry if that was just completely off, I missed the entire second page before I posted. For some reason I thought I had read through it ;P

quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster

wow sorry if that was just completely off, I missed the entire second page before I posted. For some reason I thought I had read through it ;P

not at all,
I''m just asking
"are you all saying that interactive NPC''s
and more than one way to get "points"
are enough divergenge for you?
as I see it there are still only two possible
outcomes to the game. Get the hundred points
or not.
That is a perfectly solid notion, however I wonder
If there are more ideas about shifting plot and
multiple character "role" possibilities and multiple
"endings". It seems what you are suggesting is a design
that makes a great non-linear game while avoiding
the creation methods that cause tree O''D"

is that what you''re saying?

(a few thoughts about this Kingdom game)

ok the thing is.... the game will instead of being how to get from point
A: an adventurer starting off in his home town
to point
B: the knight who saves the princes and they ride of into the sunset

you give many ways to get there but only one or maybe a few outcomes, still doesn''t give much choice

You will be starting from point
A: an adventurer starting of in his home town

and going towards point
B: A king or leader
1> leader of a group
a) thieves
b) mages
c) church
d) an insignificant cult (kidnapping and such, bent on distruction)
c) so on and so forth
2> uniter of all leader of all nations
a) blah blah
3> king of one nation
4> blah blah blah
C: Wealth
1> wealthy through trading
2> wealthy through stealing
3> wealthy through blah blah


D: Prosperous (maybe you want to lead a simple, but happy life)
1> Buy a farm, get married, have children
2> blah blah

sorry I keep running out of ideas

anyway, the way you achieve an outcome is manipulating society to get what you want. I was using that as an example of outcome of trying to mapulate to gain position, you don''t even really have to steal the holy cross, it is just one option you have. It seems that if the problem is all in setting goals and acting you only have half a game, you should have concequences and backlashes that are somewhat predictable. So instead of the game being about pleasing certain parts of society to gain power, it''s more about stratigical possitioning and mainipulating.

The fun part is trying to make a game that will know when you''ve won. What if you happen to get find a wife who will make you king in a succession if you have the king knocked off, and you just happen to be a lord who owns farms, how will the game not end there? Thinking that your goal was owning a farm, and getting married

I''m not saying this is how you should make your game, I just trying to figure out possibilities if it were my game... to lend a little help.

= P

strangely enough if you wanted to make it capable full large amounts of outcomes you wouldn''t be able to separate smarts and dums, everyone would have to be a smarts. If you separated them and wanted to play the game one way... and then another way you''d be dealing with idiotic ninnies incapable of doing anything but what they''re assigned to do.