Situation Creators

bishop_pass · 2001-03-23T21:52:06

I''m thinking along the lines of a Wavinatorish type game here. Visualize a game that has procedurally generated characters, races, planets, towns, and so on. Even add in a procedurally generated history complete with wars, legends and such. Now, let the player roam about freely, carrying out missions, dodging vicious aliens, building wealth, and whatever suits our player''s little heart. I have a feeling there still might be a point where the pursuit of such endeavors becomes stagnant. What we really want for the player is an epic journey of experiences, unique and fascinating. Of course, the ultimate solution is to have an AI savvy and sophisticated enough to provide the necessary elements. Given current limitations, what can we do to enhance the experience? Imagine a library of template like situations that can have the blanks filled in. Like a storyteller, the AI could draw upon these unfleshed out situations to embellish the plot. For example, let''s say gameplay is moving along, but lacking a certain individuality to the story. The AI gamemaster could draw upon the ''capture & detain'' situation and decide it''s time for the player to be captured and imprisoned in a cell in the Drithian System for crimes comitted. As it turns out, the player never comitted the crimes and will be falsely imprisoned. If the player foils capture, then gameplay proceeds as it was. If the player is captured, the AI gamemaster fleshes out the situation and provides possible ''escape'' methods. If the player is confined to the cell, the game enters a mode where time passes quickly except for notable points as when the guard brings him food. Each of the events could be used as a method for escape. Some of you may see this as boring and constraining, but I see it as a story of our player''s epic journey as it unfolds. This of course, is only one of many possible situations that could be available to the AI gamemaster. Other situations might be a long lost relative seeking revenge against you, inheritance from an unknown relative, an attempt to have the player framed for a crime, an elaborate con to separate the player from his money, an odd character seeking the player for odd and shady services, a stowaway onboard your ship, an individual begging for rescue, and the list goes on... Each of these situations could begin as unfleshed out scenarios where the AI is able to customize and randomize it for the existing story.

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by bishop_pass March 19, 2001 10:53 PM

9 comments, last by bishop_pass 23 years, 1 month ago

bishop_pass

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March 23, 2001 09:52 PM

quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster

Clarify : Are you going to Assign NPCs to the roles, or Generate new ones? I personally prefer to assign NPCs, but generating them would potentially lead to more complex and non-linear story-lines.

I would be inclined to generate new NPCs custom tailored to the situation, assuming they could be generated hidden from the player. Only if the situation could work with an anonymous NPC standing around or walking would I say that assigning them would work.

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Situation Creators

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Situation Creators

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