Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Even after nearly 25 years, Ultima VII is still my reference in open world NPC behaviour. Why is it that modern games constantly fail to achieve this level in simulating a living and breathing world (Dwarf Fortress aside)? Will KC:D do any better? Examples?

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I really like the idea of an adaptive AI and I hope I can see some nice AI behaviour in the game.

I am also working by my own on an AI which remembers everything what the player/opponent has done and the AI will recognize the players/opponent behaviour even when you start a new game or shut the game down. I think this is what makes the AI to an AI. The ability to remember things and use them in the future. If a situation that had already occurred comes again the AI know what to do.

This means the AI will improve itself with every move you do as a player and will counter you, obviously.

At the end I try to develop an AI which can solve problems by only give it a few parameters. So it solve the problems nearly by itself.

Example: I only give the AI the moves (evade, attack, block, etc.) and the AI will try it against their opponents and will remeber which moves are the best against each type of opponent (archer, swordman, etc.).

If I can help you with the AI I would be pleased to do so :slight_smile:

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What is your favorite Space Marine Chapter?

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NPC which are far away habe only a basic AI. Which abillity has the basic AI? Which abillity has the advanced AI?
Has every NPC the same abillity in general, or have we some genius/fools?
What´s with affiliation? Can a bandit turn it a soldier, or a farmer into a bandit?
Can normal NPC make a crime? Steal or murder? All the other NPCs, can they adjudge him?
What´s the difference between NPC-AI and Children-NPC-AI? Why was it imposible to implement a reduced AI for children in KCD?
What was really difficult to implement (but works now)?

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The AI programming seems like to be pure math. So it is logic.
Once I readed that most of the human decisions are gut decision and often the invidual person tries to explain his/her decision after it was made.
Can we expect such unlogical decisions in the game? For a example would a NPC get so angry that he would attack a stronger, better equiped and better traind character?

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From the picture it looks like the NPC:s are driven by some kind of behavior tree. If so, do all NPS:s share the same tree or are they “handcrafted” for each npc/npc type? And how does your system differ from other behavior tree implementations like UE4:s, what makes you proud of it?

Also is your PhD thesis avalible in English?

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Why is your nickname “vegeta”? :slight_smile:

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How many properties / parameters must the AI per NPC process? (As moody, always hungry, curious …)
Did you think about a global fallback if a NPC runs in an undefined state? How will the AI deal with an logical exception (Like a shepherd how lost all his sheeps)

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Hi, before Tom replies to your questions I though you could find some answers here.

Unfortunately he is on vacation right now, so it will take a few more days till he will be able to answer.
But that does only mean, that you all have even more time to ask him some questions. :smiley:

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How do you solve the issues when what one NPC does affects the goals/states of another NPC(s)? To my layman eyes this possibly can create a long chain of cross-interactions between various NPCs that can affect the game in unforeseeable ways. Seems mind-boggling to work with this when also having the player change the world by advancing quests. As far as I understand this was why Bethesda ultimately trashed their Radiant AI system they tried to implement in TES: Oblivion (at least that’s what they said :slight_smile:) . Is this an issue or have you guys solved this somehow?

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Oh, thanks. That video looks really interesting from reading your subtitles. It would be awesome if they translated it or did an english livestream with Tomas Plch.

Now you can ask questions to Marek “Hitman” Černý from Quality Assurance and to Tomáš “Vegeta” Plch Senior AI Programmer, who is still on vacation. Please mention the name to who you want to ask the question to. :slight_smile:

Had a question about currency, how will the economy be determined in kingdom come? Also it was my understanding silver was actually more valuable than gold during this period, any treasure hunts or purpose?

Thats not true. Europe had more silver than gold and most of the gold europian mint used came from Africa.

Something you have to trade for is more expensive under normal circumstances.

Do you speak russian? (to both)

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Interesting thanks. Maybe I was confusing peices of 8 which maybe came later?

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@Marek “Hitman”:
What have you done before you started to be the master of disaster?
What kind of bug do you prefer? Bugs Bunny or Lady bug? Buggy or bug(beetle)?
Someone at WH found out your true identity. Have you silenced him? In which way?
Which is your favorite episode? In SW, in GoT, in HM?
You get money for killing (bugs). Why did you not learned anything sensible? Killing… mosquitoes?
How many errors have you sorted out? And how many are back again?
Can you laugh at bug jokes? Really?

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You have questions to Martin “Athert” Antoš? Good, just ask and he will answer them. :slight_smile:

@Marek , any suggestions for someone looking to get into making games? How does one even think of where to start or the different career paths ?