Incorporating AI into Quest - Axe Software Forums

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Author Topic:   Incorporating AI into Quest

Tanin posted 31-10-2002 09:51 GMT
I was wondering if there is anyway to incorporate artificial intellegence into the Quest game. Say you want a quest character to be very advanced and for the player to be able to hold (almost) conversations with him. Is this possible. I know there are tons of AI programs out there for download - anyway I could include this with my game?
Figured I'd ask. =)
HaDel posted 31-10-2002 15:22 GMT
I don't think this is possible now...
For this to work the designer should implement:
- calls to external DLL's or
- option to read from a structured file (with "run exe" command you will be able to make a external program that writes text to a file, that will be readable by quest...)
Alex posted 31-10-2002 22:35 GMT
HaDel is correct - incorporating external AI into Quest won't be possible without one of the two features mentioned (I prefer the "reading from a text file" one - nice and simple, for me anyway). But what AI routines did you have in mind? Anything specific?
Tanin posted 01-11-2002 06:18 GMT
Sorry Alex, I know very little about programming. I was just curious if it was possible, seems to me it'd be a neat thing to be able to do.
I was going to have a small salamander named Pete follow my character around and say funny stuff.
I thought it'd be cool if my player could actually talk to him.
Computer Whizz posted 01-11-2002 17:32 GMT
Well, how the characters act or what they say is entirely up to you...
You can make them say different things at different times - you just have to disign a way so that happens.
Computer Whizz
MaDbRiT posted 01-11-2002 19:30 GMT
Just my two penn'orth
Adding full blown AI to Quest would for sure be a pretty daunting thing to undertake.
However, for the amount of 'simulated' intelligence a non-player character needs in an adventure game, Quest has an extremely powerful set of features already, and you could (if you chose to) implement a C.Y.O.A. style menu based conversation system in Quest with a minimal amount of work.
Probably something akin to Suzanne Britton's topic based 'chatter.t' for the TADS system is about as far as you'd need to go complexity wise to give NPC's some semblance of intelligence and thus enhance the game - that is what really matters in the end.
Al
Computer Whizz posted 02-11-2002 23:11 GMT
You mean give the player some choices on what he could say right?
Like, you go up to someone and they say "Yeah - Wadda Yu Wan?"
And it comes up with choices of what to say, like;
"* Did you steal my bike?"
"* Do you have a light?"
"* Do you smell something?"
"* Oh, nothing.... nothing."
Computer Whizz
MaDbRiT posted 03-11-2002 08:43 GMT
C.W. wrote:

quote:

You mean give the player some choices on what he could say right?
Like, you go up to someone and they say "Yeah - Wadda Yu Wan?"
And it comes up with choices of what to say, like;
"* Did you steal my bike?"
"* Do you have a light?"
"* Do you smell something?"
"* Oh, nothing.... nothing."

Yes exactly that, it is a popular style of doing things in the C.Y.O.A genre. Although I don't personally like this method very much it is an accepted (and easy!) way to deal with conversations, probably because it can make the NPC look pro-active and still restrict the available options.
Al
MaDbRiT posted 03-11-2002 08:50 GMT
Oh yeah..
Suzanne Britton's 'chatter.t' for TADS is an entirely more sophisticated animal and as I said earlier, represents (I think) the limit of what is sensibly possible to implement by way of programming responses in NPC's.
I keep meaning to wade through 'chatter.t', establish the finer points of how it works and replicate the functionality for Quest, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be
made to work, but it will be a fairly major undertaking and one I have not at present got time to do.
Al
carlii posted 03-11-2002 21:33 GMT

quote:
Well, how the characters act or what they say is entirely up to you...
You can make them say different things at different times - you just have to disign a way so that happens.
Computer Whizz
Yes, you could very well add in your own AI, just that depending on the amount of effort and time you put into it it will be a little rehearsed if you know what I mean.
At least in Quest you can use MENUs to implement a kind of "AI" - you can manipulate characters but choosing what to say to them. I luv this feature as it means the player as more control over what happens in the game. It also adds to the interactivity!
Computer Whizz posted 04-11-2002 14:27 GMT
It also stops the player from getting "I do not understand what you're saying to me!" all the time. If you say, heloo, or heelo, or "how caan you help me?" - or even "Does this jar of pickles open?" (where "How do I open this jar of pickles?" offers the answer).
You can also vary the questions/answers you can get out of characters through-out the game.
Computer Whizz

Author	Topic: Incorporating AI into Quest
Tanin	posted 31-10-2002 09:51 GMT I was wondering if there is anyway to incorporate artificial intellegence into the Quest game. Say you want a quest character to be very advanced and for the player to be able to hold (almost) conversations with him. Is this possible. I know there are tons of AI programs out there for download - anyway I could include this with my game? Figured I'd ask. =)
HaDel	posted 31-10-2002 15:22 GMT I don't think this is possible now... For this to work the designer should implement: - calls to external DLL's or - option to read from a structured file (with "run exe" command you will be able to make a external program that writes text to a file, that will be readable by quest...)
Alex	posted 31-10-2002 22:35 GMT HaDel is correct - incorporating external AI into Quest won't be possible without one of the two features mentioned (I prefer the "reading from a text file" one - nice and simple, for me anyway). But what AI routines did you have in mind? Anything specific?
Tanin	posted 01-11-2002 06:18 GMT Sorry Alex, I know very little about programming. I was just curious if it was possible, seems to me it'd be a neat thing to be able to do. I was going to have a small salamander named Pete follow my character around and say funny stuff. I thought it'd be cool if my player could actually talk to him.
Computer Whizz	posted 01-11-2002 17:32 GMT Well, how the characters act or what they say is entirely up to you... You can make them say different things at different times - you just have to disign a way so that happens. Computer Whizz
MaDbRiT	posted 01-11-2002 19:30 GMT Just my two penn'orth Adding full blown AI to Quest would for sure be a pretty daunting thing to undertake. However, for the amount of 'simulated' intelligence a non-player character needs in an adventure game, Quest has an extremely powerful set of features already, and you could (if you chose to) implement a C.Y.O.A. style menu based conversation system in Quest with a minimal amount of work. Probably something akin to Suzanne Britton's topic based 'chatter.t' for the TADS system is about as far as you'd need to go complexity wise to give NPC's some semblance of intelligence and thus enhance the game - that is what really matters in the end. Al
Computer Whizz	posted 02-11-2002 23:11 GMT You mean give the player some choices on what he could say right? Like, you go up to someone and they say "Yeah - Wadda Yu Wan?" And it comes up with choices of what to say, like; "* Did you steal my bike?" "* Do you have a light?" "* Do you smell something?" "* Oh, nothing.... nothing." Computer Whizz
MaDbRiT	posted 03-11-2002 08:43 GMT C.W. wrote: quote: You mean give the player some choices on what he could say right? Like, you go up to someone and they say "Yeah - Wadda Yu Wan?" And it comes up with choices of what to say, like; "* Did you steal my bike?" "* Do you have a light?" "* Do you smell something?" "* Oh, nothing.... nothing." Yes exactly that, it is a popular style of doing things in the C.Y.O.A genre. Although I don't personally like this method very much it is an accepted (and easy!) way to deal with conversations, probably because it can make the NPC look pro-active and still restrict the available options. Al
MaDbRiT	posted 03-11-2002 08:50 GMT Oh yeah.. Suzanne Britton's 'chatter.t' for TADS is an entirely more sophisticated animal and as I said earlier, represents (I think) the limit of what is sensibly possible to implement by way of programming responses in NPC's. I keep meaning to wade through 'chatter.t', establish the finer points of how it works and replicate the functionality for Quest, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be made to work, but it will be a fairly major undertaking and one I have not at present got time to do. Al
carlii	posted 03-11-2002 21:33 GMT quote: Well, how the characters act or what they say is entirely up to you... You can make them say different things at different times - you just have to disign a way so that happens. Computer Whizz Yes, you could very well add in your own AI, just that depending on the amount of effort and time you put into it it will be a little rehearsed if you know what I mean. At least in Quest you can use MENUs to implement a kind of "AI" - you can manipulate characters but choosing what to say to them. I luv this feature as it means the player as more control over what happens in the game. It also adds to the interactivity!
Computer Whizz	posted 04-11-2002 14:27 GMT It also stops the player from getting "I do not understand what you're saying to me!" all the time. If you say, heloo, or heelo, or "how caan you help me?" - or even "Does this jar of pickles open?" (where "How do I open this jar of pickles?" offers the answer). You can also vary the questions/answers you can get out of characters through-out the game. Computer Whizz