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Adventure / Role-Playing Games
Building a Reputation System: Hatred, Forgiveness, and Surrender in Neverwinter Nights
Mark Brockington (Bioware Corp.)
Massively Multiplayer Game Development, 2003.
Topics: General; Genres: RPG, MMP
Abstract: The designers and programmers of Neverwinter Nights (NWN), a multiplayer Dungeons and Dragons type
role-playing game for IBM PC-compatible machines, had grandiose goals when it came to the AI engine. This article
discusses the evolution of our reputation system into the sub-system that throbs deep inside the bowels of NWN
today. The article will cover four topics in the chronological order that they were addressed: friendship and hatred,
forgiveness, surrender, and player-versus-player settings.
Game Balance and AI using Payoff Matrices
John M. Olsen (Microsoft)
Massively Multiplayer Game Development, 2003.
Topics: General; Genres: RTS, RPG, MMP
Abstract: Game balance can be a very thorny issue and can require a huge investment of time to get right.
In an MMP game environment, there is little margin for error; players have an amazing ability to work
together to find and use even the smallest of advantages. In this environment, there are as many approaches
to game balance as there are games. This article will present a way to use statistical analysis and some
straightforward mathematics to simplify the job of balancing certain portions of games, and use the same
techniques to make sure your Artificial Intelligence (AI) routines are taking advantage of the opportunities
available to them.
Level-Of-Detail AI for a Large Role-Playing Game
Topics: Level-of-Detail AI, LOD AI, Optimizations; Genres: RPG
Abstract: With thousands of objects demanding AI time slices in Neverwinter Nights, it would be difficult to satisfy all creatures and maintain a playable frame rate. The level-of-detail AI schemes used allowed the game to achieve the perception of thousands of actors thinking simultaneously. The article discusses how to subdivide your game objects into categories, and how certain time-intensive actions (such as pathfinding and combat) can be reduced to make more efficient use of the time available to AI.
A Dynamic Reputation System Based on Event Knowledge
Topics: Reputation System; Genres: RPG, Action, Adventure
Abstract: This article describes a non-player character (NPC) reputation system (a mechanism for dynamically managing NPCs' opinions of each other and of the player in order to influence the NPCs' actions). Most existing reputation systems manage NPCs' opinions globally. The reputation system this article describes instead changes a specific NPC's opinions only if the NPC has direct or indirect knowledge of events that trigger a change. The article describes the data structures required for the reputation system, the way they work together to make the complete system, and the way the system fits into the overall design of NPC behavior.
The Basics of Ranged Weapon Combat
Topics: Weapon Selection, Weapon Handling; Genres: RTS, RPG, FPS, Action
Abstract: This article gives a brief
introduction to the problems of firing ranged weapons. We discuss to-hit rolls, aim point selection, ray-testing, avoiding friendly fire incidents, dead reckoning, and calculating weapon trajectories for ballistic weapons.
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