[MUD-Dev] AI not worth doing in our games?

[David H. Loeser Jr.]

On Saturday, December 07, 2002 Jeff Freeman wrote:
 
> I want to say: In most cases we don't need smarter AI.  We can
> achieve the same or better results with more diverse AI and/or
> some slight-of-hand.

<Delurking/> I agree.  A more believable AI is what the players are
really looking for; and that doesn't necessarily imply smarter.

(Overlooking the fundamental reasons of a shop keep being in a shop
24/7.) If a player enters a shop at 10:AM (game time) and again at
10:PM (game time) and the shop keeper has not moved - we remove the
players "belief" that the NPC is any thing other than an interface
to trade/purchase.  Simply having a second (or third) NPC come in to
the shop and allowing the first to leave is easy enough to implement
and is a perfect example creating a more believable NPC.

Another example that may be easy to implement would be to give NPCs
short and long term memories.  The goal is not to mimic the STM or
LTM of our brains - but to create a system where NPCs have a memory.
These memories could be specifics about PCs or other NPCs for that
matter.  If an NPC had a memory stored for your PC, that NPC could
wave to you as you walk/run by or even cut you a better deal because
he's seen you before.

Believable (AI) is what we're looking for, I believe.


Dave "Dak Lozar" Loeser


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