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Lodes · 01-25-2003, 02:06 PM

Hello,

Muds often do not have any good Artificial Intelligence. The only interaction with npc's and players are through some extremely simple scripts. I do believe it is also why a lot of muds that require rp, like Mushes and such, do not create npc's but player assume they are around. My mud is required to have npc's and thus I would like to get some ideas into making the interaction much better.

I was thinking that there could two (or even three if you take a middle) to approach the problem. The first approach would be to create a much more advanced scripting system where the problem of AI would rest in the builder's hands. To make npc's much more interactive we need a way for them to remember and thus I would propose that builders could create their own kind of little database with scripting, by storing some important information. Then another mob in another area or the same area or even the same mob, could fetch that information from the database, and give an appropriate response. The major flaws I see from this approach are that it is an extreme amount of work for the builder, and still has a lot of limits.

Another approach might be to give each npc's some sort of occupation, and each would try go to specified rooms and maybe have some sort of scripted text so that they can interact with other npc's but yet this doesn't solve how they can interact with the player. But yet, we have to remember that not the entire world interacts with you. Like if you are walking down the street, maybe the most interaction you have is say hi, once in a while.

So all you'd have to do is only make some mobs remember, and make them all have some sort of occupation. One could just be there to walk the streets, another one could be a waiter, who can remember you if you come back enough and maybe give you a free drink (thanks to saving what happens in a text file).

I am sorry, but I had a hard time expressing my ideas. But how could AI be approached in a particular zone. (Like not AI from mobs that create their own cities, but AI from a city that already exists and that will probably never grow or shrink to any detectable proportions.)

Thank you,
Lodes.

01-25-2003, 02:06 PM	#1
Lodes New Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: California Posts: 15	Hello, Muds often do not have any good Artificial Intelligence. The only interaction with npc's and players are through some extremely simple scripts. I do believe it is also why a lot of muds that require rp, like Mushes and such, do not create npc's but player assume they are around. My mud is required to have npc's and thus I would like to get some ideas into making the interaction much better. I was thinking that there could two (or even three if you take a middle) to approach the problem. The first approach would be to create a much more advanced scripting system where the problem of AI would rest in the builder's hands. To make npc's much more interactive we need a way for them to remember and thus I would propose that builders could create their own kind of little database with scripting, by storing some important information. Then another mob in another area or the same area or even the same mob, could fetch that information from the database, and give an appropriate response. The major flaws I see from this approach are that it is an extreme amount of work for the builder, and still has a lot of limits. Another approach might be to give each npc's some sort of occupation, and each would try go to specified rooms and maybe have some sort of scripted text so that they can interact with other npc's but yet this doesn't solve how they can interact with the player. But yet, we have to remember that not the entire world interacts with you. Like if you are walking down the street, maybe the most interaction you have is say hi, once in a while. So all you'd have to do is only make some mobs remember, and make them all have some sort of occupation. One could just be there to walk the streets, another one could be a waiter, who can remember you if you come back enough and maybe give you a free drink (thanks to saving what happens in a text file). I am sorry, but I had a hard time expressing my ideas. But how could AI be approached in a particular zone. (Like not AI from mobs that create their own cities, but AI from a city that already exists and that will probably never grow or shrink to any detectable proportions.) Thank you, Lodes.