This is a very intriguing topic and since I'm interested in AI, I found the whole discussion enlightening and have my own thoughts.
First off an object should store all the information about itself and what it can do. For simplicity I'll call things an object can do or be used for, aspects. Also objects can interact with other objects we will call those pointer aspects. The critical part of pointer aspects is the fact that only one of the objects needs to have the pointer aspects in order for it work. Objects also have qualities which describe the object.
*object*
name= "Ball"
size= "small"
wieght= "light"
aspect: Bounces
...(insert appropriate code)
aspect: Can be thrown
....
*/object*
*object*
name= "Bat"
size= "medium"
wieght= "medium"
aspect: Swing
....
aspect: Weapon
....
pointer-aspect: Hit [Ball]->aspect[0]
*/object*
It also struck me that despite the ideals that some aspect would require interconnectivity with other objects and npc in order to function correctly.
For instance take the example of the mirror. That could easily be done by having the reflection aspect get the reflection quality of the object or npc it trying to display. In that way it allow the inclusion of special features into npc, for instance if you don't want vampires to appear in mirrors then the reflection quality of the vampire could be set to hidden or a blank image in that way the mirror then shows nothing for its reflection. This would also allow for special reflections such as maybe there is a shape shifter race which can disguise themselves as anyone one, except that its reflection is always that of its normal self. Also by including default values into the reflection aspect of a mirror this allows for backwards compatibility with objects and npc that don't posses a reflection quality.
Also the idea of goals could be implemented by incorporating behavior into npc. Using pseudo reactions it should be possible to get the npc to perform certain action based on its surroundings. For instance if you look at the case of the diamond and the thief. By giving the diamond the quality "valuable", it separates it from other objects that characters would otherwise ignore. So the thief enters the room and looks around immediately it notices that diamond and recognizes it as valuable. Then analyzing the rest of the surrounding the thief arrives at a threat value this is the danger associated with whatever security the thief perceives in the room. Since there is only a glass case the threat value is well below what the thief considers dangerous it attempts the heist. The case tells the thief that it is locked. The thief knowing the objects it posses and the objects around it. Attempts to perform the open aspect of the case with which he has the requirements for and has the highest probability of success.
Lastly by providing the agents with learning it would allow them to determine all the aspects of an object that it can employ. For instance the caveman comes across a banana an object it has never seen before. The banana is added to the caveman known objects list and has all aspects initialized to 0(unlearned). The caveman could then experiment with the banana in an attempt to discover its aspects eventually allowing it known that bananas have the aspect "edible" and as such can be used for food. The experimentation could be accomplished by comparing the objects qualities to the qualities of other known objects and then attempting to perform an aspect of that object with the current object. Since each object knows all its own aspects it knows what it can do and attempting to do something it can't, would return a simple error. So the cave man sees that a banana is small and light, so then maybe associate it with a ball and attempt to throw it this results in a failure since the banana does not posses the throw aspect. Then it compares it to an orange and takes a bite out of the banana and discovers that is edible. This then changes the banana entry in the agents known object lists' aspect edible to 1(learned).
So... has there been any work done by the people in this thread on this topic since it began?
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Writer, Programer, Cook, I'm a Jack of all Trades
Current Design project
Chaos Factor Design Document [edited by - TechnoGoth on December 6, 2003 3:56:03 PM]
