Hello, I am currently working on a Gossip engine for my next RPG. This engine will allow NPC''s to walk around a world and when they run into each other, IE meet each other, they will either do an event together or tell each other a piece of gossip. If they do something together then they can add the new event that they did to thier gossip. It looks really cool. So far my program allows me to add NPC''s and they will do things together. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried to do anything like this before. I am learning how to do this from my tutor. He lent me a movie he recorded that had Chris Crawford explaining his ideas. My tutor is the local community collage computer professor. He lent me the movie and we started to work on it in C++, to give me practice for linked lists, pointers, classes, etc. Then we''ll get into path finding. I hope I can either make a 2d or a 3d game based on this gossip engine. Or i could even try to add it to Unreal Tournament or another game engine like that. It would be interesting to see it work in a game. I would really add to a game. I will be adding a copy of what I have done so far this week on my home page. Thx for any responses. Minerjr

Yes they can. Also if a NPC gives another NPC bad news then the NPC who recieved the bad news can like the person who gave the news less. This allows the player also to see what NPC''s are talking about. Say a bouble window pops up and shows that two NPC''s are telling each other gossip. You to learn about events by listing to other NPC''s conversation or you could try to talk to them and they will tell you some gossip. This engine is about NPC''s sharing information depending on how juicy the gossip is. It is kinda fun to watch it work.

The gossip engine allows the NPC''s to be alive. They will do things based on who they are or will create rutines that they do every day. Like goto the store. And on the way to the store the NPC might meet another NPC. Now there is a chance that they will talk to each other, or they could do something together or just do nothing. Then after that is done then the NPC can go on its way and then they might meet another person on the way to the store. This will be happening all through out the world. And everytime you start a new game the game is different. Different people could like different people and people could hate others. It really adds to the game.

I hope this answers your questions.

Minerjr

I assume he''s doing it to make the world seem more alive. After all, NPCs shouldn''t simply stand around like lobotimized vegetables. Sounds like a great idea to me.

~CGameProgrammer( );

Yes there is a factor for the gossip. There is a juicyness factor for the gossip. It is based on what kind of event it was, if the NPC knows the person, how old it is and other things.

When two NPC's do something together then new gossip is added to thier list of gossip. Then they are free to tell other NPC's the new gossip.

Also what it works like is that the game automatically runs for a while and builds up some relationships. Then the game becomes random. This will happen before a new game. So when you start a new game it will be completly different.

Minerjr

Edited by - minerjr on January 30, 2001 11:04:23 PM