Thread: Mud-AI/NLP
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Old 04-30-2002, 06:14 PM   #4
Alexander Tau
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 101
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The real limit to a system like this is time, I agree that to really
get any sort of smooth conversation you need a lot in the way
of parsing and examining the words.

The goal for me is to have the NPCs know something, and have
some sort of learning structure. Conversation with them will at best
be slightly confused. With the traditional method of imparting info
to a player you present it via some simple trigger, like saying anything
to a certain NPC, and then they spit out:

"Down at the docks there is a ship called the Mary Celeste. Anyone who
attempts to approach her has to deal with 5 tough guards. Inside the ship
is a huge treasure including the eye of Orisis."

For me the logical first step is to break that down into sentances, and to
connect them via common keywords, and general topics. Now when speaking
to the NPC you can only get part of the story each time you get them to
speak, and putting together the whole paragraph takes some thought.

Ok, this is not real conversation. But it is a good mid step, uses a fairly
simple DB, and is probably somthing I can work up in a reasonable time.

Add in the emotional factor, and you get an NPC that knows things in
a new way, and that has feelings that have to be considered. A player
can talk to someone and drive them to rage and attack, or you can calm
an angry Unicorn with the right words.


A.T
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