I had this idea, and I wouldnt be suprised if its been done before, so please tell me if it has. Anyway... There are certain situations in certain types of games where there is no better way to tell part of a story than using a cut-scene. This isnt really that great, because the player looses control and doesnt get to do things his way. So I was thinking about adaptable cut-scenes. Basically, a structure would be kept of several personality traits (pessimisim, reluctancey, etc). In the interactive dialog parts of the game (Im thinking RPGs, and RPG hybrids) the dialog choices would have a personality trait tied to it. So if you told the begger to screw off, it would add 5 to the rudeness. Then, when it gets to a cut-scene, where the story needs to take a linear path, how the dialog is carried out depends on the choices the player had made. This way the in game character, adapts to be more like the player. So instead of seeing the big dramatic cut-scene where decides to take up the quest to save the world, and hearing the character say "I will help save you and be the protecter of everything good!", and the player thinking "i just want to get these whiny peasent off my back". He would still take the quest, but the easily annoyed variable would be the highest one because of other dicisions, and the character would say: "Fine, I will asist you pathetic farmers. Do need me to help you take a piss too?". Mabye this could affect the interactive dialog also. Such as presenting choices more suited to the player. Good? Bad? Useless? Also, what personality traits would be best used? PHRICTION

That''s an excellent idea. Of course it will require a large amount of extra data to represent alternate cut-scenes...if you have recorded voice, that could add quite a bit of bulk to your game if you don''t restrict the number of personality modifiers reasonable. However it''s a very cool idea and one that would make a game much more emersive (or however you spell that word...).

Have a look at Narative Interpolation for some ideas on how this could be implemented.

Be careful though, it''s a complex subject, and Oluseyi''s thread is geared more towards the way NPCs act all the time (not just in a cut scene).

George D. Filiotis
Are you in support of the ban of Dihydrogen Monoxide? You should be!

In a way, this is how the story develops in Deus-Ex. Depending on your actions NPCs reacts differently and the dialogues are different. Of course, the missions basicaly are all the same, no matter which path you choose, but at least it gives the player the feeling that HE is in charge.

Sammy

sigh ... sorry .. posted twice

[edited by - sammy70 on April 23, 2002 7:51:24 PM]