NPC AI

Nazrix · 2001-12-29T10:35:19

Some may know this already, but Wavinator and I have been working on a plot sytem for some time. The basic idea is that NPCs all have goals, desires, personalities, morals (good/bad), etc. They use this info in order to make decisions about what they want to do in the world. A bad NPC that is greedy may desire to break into the bank and steal a bunch of money (dumb example but it gets the point across). There could be a huge amount of interesting things the NPCs could do in a situation. For instance, one thing we thought of is NPCs could purposefully leave false information expecting to throw off other NPCs or the player such as leaving a note saying "We'll meet at the tavern" when they're really going somewhere else. I've already started getting some code together and basically any complex action such as this would be made up of smaller actions like (pick up, move, etc). This part is easy I think. The issue that I run into is: Should we have a big long pre-made list of somewhat specific things npcs can do in a situation and use some kind of exation that would let the NPCs determine what to do (including things like priority lists an such). This, I think, would be easy code-wise, but may feel a bit too scripted for my liking. The power of our concept here is, I think, the feeling that things are very loose and non-linear. Or is there a way to let NPCs find out ways to come up with solutions more on their own given some basic actions (walk, talk, etc) and basic knowledge of the world. I was thinking of letting the NPCs use trial-and-error many times before the game "starts" to learn about the world. They could learn what actions bring them to their desires and goals. I know that's not a new concept, but I am wondering just how far this could take it. I know Black & White did some stuff like this. Has anyone taken learning AI this far? Perhaps there is a nice medium where you're not making the NPC figure out everything by itself. You give it some higher-level tactics such as my "throwing the player off by giving false information" but let it learn strategies on its own too. Just some thoughts.... A CRPG in development... Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself. Edited by - Nazrix on October 6, 2001 4:00:57 PM

dwarfsoft

1,237

October 08, 2001 07:13 PM

Oh no... Not this again!
*dwarfsoft senses a foreboding future of this topic*

Sorry, had to make my presence known again.

But naz - If you want anything from the now defunct NPCAI/IOL project I can send it all your way

...

-Chris Bennett of Dwarfsoft - The future of RPGs

Thanks to all the goblins in the GDCorner niche

- blog - twitter - LinkedIn

Nazrix

Author

307

October 08, 2001 07:18 PM

quote: Original post by dwarfsoft
Oh no... Not this again!
*dwarfsoft senses a foreboding future of this topic*

I've got to try anyway. And I don't think it will be quite as intense is what you guys did w/ IOL since I am making it more custom for what I want rather than making it extremely general for anyone's project.

quote:
But naz - If you want anything from the now defunct NPCAI/IOL project I can send it all your way ...

Thanks ...I'll let you know if I do

NPCs are people too! Just wait til I make a Lisa NPC

A CRPG in development...

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself.

Edited by - Nazrix on October 8, 2001 8:34:17 PM

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself. "Just don't look at the hole." -- Unspoken_Magi

dwarfsoft

1,237

October 08, 2001 07:40 PM

Well, we scaled back IOL a lot. It didn''t die because we didn''t have the skills, but because we didn''t have the time... Anyway, I am interested in seeing how you go with this... I am not into really developing AI in my game atm, but I am definitely thinking about it

-Chris Bennett of Dwarfsoft - The future of RPGs

Thanks to all the goblins in the GDCorner niche

- blog - twitter - LinkedIn

Nazrix

Author

307

October 08, 2001 07:48 PM

quote: Original post by dwarfsoft
Well, we scaled back IOL a lot. It didn''t die because we didn''t have the skills, but because we didn''t have the time... Anyway, I am interested in seeing how you go with this... I am not into really developing AI in my game atm, but I am definitely thinking about it

sorry...I didn''t mean to say you didn''t have the skills

I don''t really have the time either but I''m trying to make time. When I do have something substantial to show I will certainly let you know.

A CRPG in development...

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself.

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself. "Just don't look at the hole." -- Unspoken_Magi

Nazrix

Author

307

October 08, 2001 08:01 PM

quote: Original post by Merrick

Let''s briefly look at two options (there are more, but I don''t want to spoil the surprise)

You are a tease

A CRPG in development...

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself.

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself. "Just don't look at the hole." -- Unspoken_Magi

morfe

100

October 08, 2001 08:53 PM

quote: Original post by Nazrix
You are a tease

Oh yes, and I''m sure many people from Tiberia will agree

"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 ..." -- Merrick

Nazrix

Author

307

October 09, 2001 05:47 PM

Merr,
one thing I thought of was instead of making NPCs'' desires specific like wanting to become the king, the NPCs will want something more general and abstract like get admiration from the people or something. Then there would be rules in the world about how to get admiration.

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself. "Just don't look at the hole." -- Unspoken_Magi

morfe

100

October 09, 2001 06:18 PM

Hmm, so you''re focusing on Respect, rather than Power. I guess that would be a lot easier to achieve if you have some sort of Karma attribute.

So those who are closer to the negative & positive extremes (or zero & maximum), would be more respected by evil/good people, whereas the more neutral your karma, the more dull you seem.

"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 ..." -- Merrick

Nazrix

Author

307

October 09, 2001 06:22 PM

sorry I don't think I explained it well...My point was there would be many abstract desires to fill (power, respect, etc) but the desires would be general rather than specific. For instance, if an NPC wanted power there would be more than one way to attain it. The way the NPC chose to attain it would be dependant upon many factors of the NPC's personality. NPC would desire an "apple" he would desire "food"

A CRPG in development...

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself.

Edited by - Nazrix on October 9, 2001 7:24:47 PM

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself. "Just don't look at the hole." -- Unspoken_Magi

morfe

100

October 09, 2001 06:25 PM

quote: Original post by Nazrix

sorry I don''t think I explained it well...My point was there would be many abstract desires to fill (power, respect, etc) but the desires would be general rather than specific. For instance, if an NPC wanted power there would be more than one way to attain it. The way the NPC chose to attain it would be dependant upon many factors of the NPC''s personality.

Ah, so you mean your NPCs will never have goals that specific? They''ll always be generalised, but could lead to the same effect as specific ones?

"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 ..." -- Merrick

NPC AI

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