- NPC groups have a 'script' state (eg 'going to xxx') and a 'punctual' state (eg 'fending off an attack')
- both types of state are defined in the same way except that there is no location info in punctual states
- if the punctual state is non-null it is used instead of the script state - the location is defined as group's current location
- events can change punctual states & change script states
- The state defines a number of sets of parameters (one for each NPC role)
- There is a list of NPC roles in cfg file (eg group guardian, lead caravaneer, caravaneer, etc...)
- The groups have a set of NPCs
- The NPCs may have pets
- NPC pets behave like player pets (spawn/ despawn at stables, vanish on NPC death, etc)
- States define route and location information for the group
- All states contain an 'end of state' action (may be a composite action, a decision tree, etc)
-? How do we define the 'everyone is here so we can go' end of state condition for convoys?
-? Can convoy leader invite you to group at a distance/ send 'we're waiting for you...' type messages, etc?
-? If a convoy has no player protectors and is attacked - if aggressors repelled by players - can NPCs give reward?
- NPC actions & events can trigger group events for their group (eg NPC has sold all of his goods -> group can change state
- GRP Event examples
- - The route is blocked in front
- - The group is under attack (triggered each time a new group of attackers added)
- - The group is no longer under attack (each time a group of attackers removed)
- - A group of players/ bots comes into view
- - A group member dies
- - A pack animal dies
- - The time is ... (time chosen by a random algo parameterised by 'earliest', 'latest' and 'spread' parameters- spread)
- - - Note: normal distribution simulation via for(i=0,val=1.0;i<spread;++i)val*=frand();
- - All of the subscribed players have arrived
- - The group's been in this state for ... minutes
- - All of the pets are here (from the stable)
- - All of the pets have gone (into the stable)
- - The group has reached its destination
- - Group members are LD (allows puntual state to wait for them for a short while before giving up)
- - Player group member requests pause
- - Player group members all ok to continue
- - State timer[n] - time is up
- - Group 'encounters' group (group dist calc below gives result <=5m)
- GRP Events contain set of states to which they apply (& flag for 'scripted' states to say whether the punctual state must be NULL)
- Internally we use linked lists of groups by state - setState moves GRP from one list to another
- Action examples
- - NOP
- - set script state
- - set punctual state
- - send event to the mission system (eg mission accomplished, etc)
- - set grp fame (for effect on FAUNA aggro - ctrl degree to which grp is attacked by predators, etc)
- - if condition then sub-action0 else sub-action1
- - for each group in view
- - for each enemy group in fight do action
- - for each friend group in fight do action
- - select an action at random <set of actions with random weightings>
- - ? is there some way of influencing random wirghtings dynamically - probably with a new type of action block (or allow variables & functions as well as constants)
- - state var[n]=xxx*old_val+yyy
- - state timer[n].set(xxx)
- - state timer[n].add(xxx)
- - state timer[n].pause
- - state timer[n].resume
- Condition components
- - all of <set of sub conditions>
- - any of <set of sub conditions>
- - group is stronger than aggressors (note: not equivalent to !weaker)
- - group is weaker than aggressors (note: not equivalent to !stronger)
- - all pack animals are dead/ vanished
- - all NPC group members are dead
- - time in this state > xxx && < yyy
- - grp state variable[n] > xxx && < yyy
- - there are > xxx bots(npcs) in the group
- - there are > xxx && < yyy entities in place ppp
- - there are > xxx NPC groups && < yyy NPC groups in place ppp
- - target group is NPC/ player/ KAMI/ caravan/ predator/ fauna/ ...
- - target group dist > xxx && < yyy (dist from group centrer to group center - dist from closest member of my group to their group center - dist from closest member of their group to my group center)
- Roles & profiles:
- - Each grp has a 'grp type' field to allow for sharing of states & events by groups but differentiaition at times
- - Each NPC has a role, defining which set of props defined in a state apply to them
- - The states define the AI_PROFILE to use for each role of bots & the associated parameter set
- - AI Profiles determiine the set of inputs, set of goals, set of actions and set of internal parameters for the AI decision unit
- Role info in states:
- - each state may define role info for given roles (and an optional 'default' clause)
- - role info includes:
- - - chat info - allowing dynamic parameterisation of the chat system - eg "we're on the way to Matisville", "we're waiting for xxx", etc
- - - AI_Profile parameterisation (see above)
For bot placement:
- with group placement we define the starting bot state and the 'group type' for state logic bot state
- At save time we save bot group states, group positons & compositions
Example 1: Walker and talker:
- Group of walker and talker bots=1 or more bots who walk together
- One state for each town road segment in each direction
- One state for each public place (such as aggora) where bots can spend time without moving
- One state for each stationary bot to whom walker & talker bots can talk
- One event for 'arrived at destination' for each road segment -> random choice of new destinations
- Event for 'group encounters group' for triggering 'chat to passers by' sub-state - use state timer[0] to fix time before next conversation possible
- Event for 'group encounters player' for triggering 'appreciate' punctual state for admiring/ waving at/ hailing famous and/or friendly players
- Event for 'group encounters player' for wandering merchants to hail players with 'merchant-like' calls
Example 2: Newbee caravan escort mission:
- Group of caravaneer bots includes: a lead merchant(A), a second merchant(B), a healer(C), a mercenary(D)
- The mission description is as follows:
- - At 8:00 and 14:00 every day caravans sets out from town(T) and go to village(V) to sell merchandise.
- - After arriving at V the caravan master talks to merchant(M) in his shop - this done the caravan returns home
- - The caravan should be attacked by Fauna some time allong the route in each direction
- - If the lead caravaneer dies or all of the pack animals die the group returns home directly
- - The pack animals are left/ picked up from at the stables at the entrances to T and V
- - Players may subscribe to the mission as follows: up to 2 fighters (range, melee, harvester or attack magic), up to 2 healers (or buffers), up to 2 merchants
- - At 30 mins before the group departure time the NPCs spawn from the building in which they live and go to the aggora (as a meeting point)
- - Every 10 mins a reminder message goes to subscribed players to ask them to join up
- - When the subscribed players have all arrived the group goes to collect the pack animals and sets off on its journey
- - At 30 mins after the intended departure time any players who have not turned up are considered late and are not waited for
- - The healer, mercenary and 2nd caravaneer characters only join the group (at the moment of departure) if there are no players in the group with appropriate roles
- States (scripted):
- - Despawned
- - Going to Agora
- - - All say 'we're going to the Agora to prepare a convoy... go see xxx if you would like to join up'
- - Waiting for players
- - - Leader says 'we're waiting to leave with our convoy', also has 'join up' possibility (if not fully subscribed)
- - - Default say 'talk to xxx - he's the leader'
- - Route T-agora to T-stables
- - Getting beasts of burden from T stable
- - Route from T to V
- - Putting beasts of burden in V stable
- - Route from V stable to merchant M
- - Talking to merchant M
- - Route from M to V stable
- - Getting beasts from V stable
- - Route from V to T
- - Putting beasts into T stable
- - Mission debrief and thanks to players
- - Route T-stable to despawn point
- - Flee back home (after mission failure due to death of lead caravaneer or pack animals)
- States (punctual)
- - Stand and face attack
- - Wait for road to be cleared (in case of combat on road ahead)
* Each state merits a complete formula describing activity of different bot roles during state
* Note that many of these states may be shared by many different NPC groups
- Roles:
- - Caravan leader
- - Guard
- - Healer
- - Caravan follower
- Events:
* * This is not the complete list ('cos I don't have time right now)
- - State var used to evaluate group's 'difficulty' rating so far (increment each time a group member hp drops below a given threshold)
- - State var used to evaluate 'action' rating (timer samples 'in combat' state and increments or decrements var as result
- - Timer events used to modify aggro level dynamically to increase (or not) fauna attacks - as need be (in function of above ratings)
* It would be handy to have comment fields with groups and events as a reminder/ fail safe for variable usage (eg one event uses var1 for one thing, another for another)
* Alternatively, all grps are allowed all states so all vars must be present for all groups so use a variable list to list vars and compile-time associate
bot chat - revisited
- chat by composition:
- fixed set of bot chat page formats on the client,
- for each bot use a dynamic set of bot chat parameters,
- - what shop inventory (list of items, tp, animals),
- - what missions (defined by the mission system),
- - what news (defined by the news system),
- - what basic chat (automaton, text set)
- - - basic chat for team mates (defined by group state),
- - - basic chat for friendlies (defined by group state),
- - - basic chat for unfriendlies (defined by group state),
- Chat parameters are cumulative: "mission:...", "shop:...", etc add together
- - "-missions", "-shop" ets override to dissable parts of of dialogue tree
For an example we need an example NPC scenario:
- BOT A at home point H, steed B, pack animal C, stable S0, stable S1
- A spawns at H (if already spawned leave state machines untouched and return)
- when present at spawn point route to S0
- when at S0 trigger B & C to spawn from stable
- when B & C are present setup convoy as A leads B leads C and route to S1
- when arrived at S1 C to stable
- when C in stable A mounts B
- when mounted A rides B to S0
- when arrived A dissmounts
- when dissmounted B to stable and A route to H
- when A arrives at H despawn and set respawn timer for 10 minutes
NPC AI_Profiles:
- AI Profiles for NPC roles
- Based on a decision system of Pierre's/ Gabrielle's design
- Need to determine set of inputs
- - evaluation of 'is group in conflict'
- - evaluation of 'is group threatened'
- - evaluation of 'am I threatened'
The classes are:
SINGLETON TeamManager
-- Singleton Code modules
//???- contains vector of global event managers (code modules)
//???- methods for registering new global event handlers
//???- contains vector of AI_Profile modules (code modules)
//???- methods for registering new AI profile modules
-- Class factories
- contains vector of Action classes (for factory)
- contains Action class factory fn(string action_name, vector<string> args)
- contains methods for registering new factory-producable classes
- contains vector of states (data units)
- methods for adding new states
- Set of teams
- methods for setting the state of a team
- methods for updating team
- contains keyword set for teams
- contains keyword set for bots
- contains keyword set for states
- contains vector of TickUpdateCallback callbacks (and methods for adding/ removing these callbacks)
GlobalEventManager
- may add an update into the 'update on tick' vector in singleton
- Reacts to global events (eg change of time)
- contains a vector of <event reaction>
- constains a vector of <event reaction, state> pairs
- when an event is triggered the event handler determines which <event reaction, state> pairs match the event
and triggers their execute() routines
EventReaction
- A module that defines the reaction to a given event (under given circumstances)
- Contains a vector of states to which it applies
- Contains an action
- When event is triggered executes 'action' with refference to each state
Action
- A parameterised class instance generated by a class factory
- execute method takes form execute(team)
- may perform actions on the team (eg state change, trigger event, etc...)
- contains a vector of sub-actions
- sub actions are NOT executed automatically - they may be execute explicitly from the main execute() method
AI_Profile
- include a singleton
- contains method begin(bot,team) - called when a bot is given this profile
- contains method end(bot,team) - called when bot changes to another profile (or dies)
- contains method update(bot,team,dt) - called every time bot is updated (with tick count since last update)
- may add an update into the 'update on tick' vector in singleton
State
- contains a keyword mask
- contains vector of teams that are currently in this state
- contains vector of 'role-state-info'
- contains geometry (a vector of primitives)
- an inti method (can verify the geometry validity)
Role-state-info
- contains bot chat args
- contains ai profile ptr
Team
- contains a keyword mask
- contains a vector of bots
- contains a vector of players
- contains methods for managing pets of bots and players
- contains a state ptr
- contains a local event handler
LocalEventHandler
- Reacts to local events (eg end of path)
- Contains a vector of event reactions
KeywordMask
- bitmask representing keywords matched or not matched for an entity
KeywordFilter
- 'must-include-all-of' mask to apply to KeywordMask
- 'must-include-some-of' mask to apply to KeywordMask
- 'must-not-include-any-of' mask to apply to KeywordMask
KeywordSet
- vector of keywords (strings)
- methods for converting a string to a keyword mask
- methods for converting a string to a keyword filter
- methods for converting keyword filters and keyword masks back to strings
