[MUD-Dev] More Prevalent and Effective Emotes

[John Buehler]

Paul Schwanz writes:
> In the midst of a bunch of other stuff that I snipped, John Buehler
> wrote:

>> While on the way to the bakery (walking), the character steps
>> over mud puddles, runs from cover to cover during rainstorms,
>> waves to characters that it knows well and hasn't seen in a
>> while, steps aside for ladies, etc.

> Along this line of thinking, but for different reasons, I've often
> thought it would be a good idea to help players manage emotes more
> conveniently.  While I would certainly want to leave in the
> ability to choose a particular emote at a particular time so that
> there is a fine amount of control, I think it would be great if
> characters could be set up to auto-emote to some degree.  For
> instance, I'd like the ability to select different "moods" for my
> character and see its animations change slightly in response.  If
> I decide my character is "sad," maybe I walk a bit differently.
> Maybe I only nod at friends instead of the usual wave.  It would
> be even better if I could select from a number of typical emotes
> to define my own moods.  Do I stride down the middle of streets
> oblivious to rain when I'm feeling "confident?"  When I'm feeling
> "uneasy," does the default animation for when I am standing still
> now change so that I glance frequently over my shoulder?  (Does
> this then change gameplay so that I am more likely to see someone
> sneaking up behind me?)

Your 'mood' treatment is along the lines of what I'm talking about.
I was just using examples of mostly neutral reactions to situations.
The point here is that the character reacts, while the player
proacts.  What I'd like to have is a collection of rules that the
game abides by.  Those rules are assembled into sets, such as your
moods, that the game then abides by.  Rule sets could then be
published on the internet to let players get their character to
adopt various behaviors.

I extend this to combat.  Reactionary behaviors are very important
in combat, and I need to be able to specify a set of rules that
govern my character's reactions to things.  I, as a player, only
tell my character to change its behavior to a new set of rules
(aggressive instead of holding ground) or to pursue some new goal
(move to a location).

Some rules will be automatically part of a character's definition.
Such as having a limit on how chipper characters are permitted to be
in hard times.  Other rules will be dumped on the character as a
result of other character's skills.  For example, a curse on a
character can assume new dimensions, given rules.  The rule set can
be changed to include a phobia of water.  Or a phobia of trolls.
These phobias need not be debilitating, nor permanent.  The point is
that the player doesn't necessarily control every aspect of
character behavior directly.  It is indirect control, and that
indirection can be played with to produce new forms of entertainment
for all concerned.  As I said, consistency provides a measure of
entertainment by providing an atmosphere.

> Also, how difficult would it be to set up emotes so that they key
> off of particular words and phrases?  So, I may be able to set my
> character up to bow whenever I /say It is a pleasure to meet you.

I would approach this the other way around.  I'd have a key or key
sequence that lets me indicate that I want to greet someone at a
given level of warmth, and my character would trigger a set of
rules.  Warmth towards a female character might be expressed
differently than with a male character.  A hug or a doffing of a hat
versus a handshake and a clap on the back.  Tousling of the hair of
a small boy, etc.  The rules could also include controls that state
that if the character is currently controlled by a player, that
words be spoken.  Depending on the race, height, color, clothing,
whatever of the character, a different greeting could be used.  Or a
set of greetings, randomly selected.  I am thoroughly uninterested
in statements made to or by NPCs.  NPC interactions should be
stylized.  Sounds should be made when an NPC is involved in a
conversation, but no messages should be displayed.

As a player, I'm game to set up the rule sets or to see how other
people's rule sets would cause my character to behave, but the idea
that I want to act every interaction with every character in every
situation is simply too demanding.  And because I want characters to
be online all the time, I want them to reflect my preferences in my
absence.

Speaking of absentee players, I also want a mechanism that permits
me to instruct my character on what to do while I'm gone.  Again,
from a reactive stance - which is all that a typical NPC does
anyway.  Reactions need not be limited to being in response to
player-controlled character actions.  If my character gets hungry,
it may be instructed to visit the tavern.  I'm ignoring the issue of
whether we want characters to have to pay for food at the tavern.
The goal here is to keep characters active and entertaining for the
players who are currently in the game.  So they see a bunch of
characters at the tavern, eating.  They may be eating the free gruel
that the tavern has plenty of, but at least they're there, eating.
And they're dodging puddles on the way over, greeting friends, and
so on.

JB

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