Stationary AI

[Deadlove]

I don't game too much, but DOOM, QUAKE, RAGE, SS2, THIEF BIOSHOCK are games to that are pieces of art. They cover grounds of philosophy and religion and spiritualism and knowledge and really create their own universe to get lost in instead of just playing a round of Cally of Duty, game of cards, kick the football. It's a specialized experience. They push the envelope with including controversial elements that make the PC faint of heart shake in their briches. Some of us get a great thrill from this. I mean, we were bitching about TDM having children in it when Deadly Shadows had the main antagonist evil little witch demon was a child in disguise leading and misguiding the balance of the Keepers and Garrett's actions had her form of flesh ripped apart as the monster emerged from her flesh being banished once Garrett freed her soul. Which is a nice way to cover it up and make it look happy, but it's still a sick scenerio have an element of innocence secretly be the malevolent being and not revealed til way further in the game. So I think we should definitely have children and elderly people in TDM.

 

These people (elderly and children) would be helpless, they would not flee, they would stay still where they became alerted and wait like a scared duck. It would be up to the mapper to set patrols for guards to be close enough to hear their cries for help which would be different audio cues depending on the level of alert set off by hearing or seeing and the responding bark to match. A trigger can be set for entering areas with these vulnerable AI that would make new objectives, with optional chioce to kill or not kill, with mission fail as result.

 

A child could have a teddy bear that is a special "Bridgeport Bear Buddy" that the rich folk buy for their kids and is an envy of all the youngsters and goes well on the black market to send home to the little ones at discount prices so they can have an expensive toy to pride around their more well rich friends and give one to the underdog.

 

The same can be set with a senior being helpless and calling for help with he spots you and he'll tell you to take his valuables as he is alerted to you just not to harm him and the objectives will give the same options to take loot with possible mission fail if mission author decides to allow player to kill or not kill the AI after taking the valuables. It's more PC to kill adults, but kids I would imagine most authors setting up their missions that they fail if the player both steals the novelty prize and takes the life of the child AI. If you leave the child alive, the doll is loot and the child remains calm and doesn't alert anyone anymore for the duration of the mission. If you kill the senior, the can still be loot is still usable. But the mapper can decide whether the objectives fail the mission or not.

 

This could also add a lot more depth to the conditions of the occupants of the places the player is burglarizing in readables explaining why they are not able to move. Too old and can't move, hurt their body and are cripple, little kids are too scared and frightened to run away, old people know they cannot make for a fight so are forced to hope for the best while the fate is up to the player depending on the "if" and "then" we can come up with in the objectives and items to be stolen that can have much more interesitng purpose and scenarios in environments that can help enrich the suspension of disbelief holding the player in the illlusion of the world / game simulation.

 

Think this is possible? There's much more I thought about but I'm not organized enough to type it all, I just wanted to give a general gist of my idea based on the way I understand the game code working and thinking what can be possible to create alternate scenarios using the mechanics that are already in place.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Deadlove

[Destined]

Children in TDM have already been suggested, but are pretty hard to impelement, because you need completely new models and animations for them. As the discussion went (if I remember correctly), it was also suggested, to maybe use a shrinked adult AI model, but it does not seem to be possible. See http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/17436-kids-in-tdm/?hl=children and http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/16527-children-in-tdm/ for the discussions.

 

Regarding old people: There are people working on the models: http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/17554-elderly-models/page-3?hl=elderly But the behaviour you suggest is another case entirely. I belive the "no fleeing" part should not be too difficult (would also have to play around myself, but there has to be a definition, what an AI does when getting alarmed, and I cannot imagine, that it is that difficult toe set it to "stand and scream"), but offering loot would also require new animations, which are quite difficult to make. Just search for "animation" in the TDM Wiki ans you will get a couple of articles including a list of available animations. In some cases you can use another animation, that is similar to the motion you want the AI to do and just attach (in this case) the loot to the hand of the AI. Maybe you can start there... All in all it also requires some looking into, but it is a lot easier to get than children. You can, of course, try to get this behaviour of offering loot to work on another AI. Then you can apply it to an AI with an elderly model, as soon as they are available.

[grayman]

@Deadlove,

 

You were part of this discussion about kids. Why bring it up again?

[Deadlove]

This is less of children discussion but more of AI that cannot defend and will stand instead of flee.

 

I just think that there should be participants in life that do the "ostrich stick head in sand response" as well as "fight or flight" and would stand still scared when alerted and hope the offender goes away.

 

Depending on how alert the AI becomes, the vocal bark increases in tension and fear for their life since they are helpless.

 

This empowers our thief with moral code or lack of moral code leaving alive those unable to fend for themselves.

 

The objective system allows for the author to depict how cruel they can allow their assailant to be with mission fails depending on how the situation is played out involving the prey and the way the predators handles their actions.

 

I think it would add great indecision to missions on what to do to AI and add more living dimension to an NPC.

 

It can also be added to normal aged people who are either frightened to flee, crippled, a scared into shock woman encountering armed thief becomes paralyzed with fear from the trauma, etc. It can be more stationary AI than only children and elderly models. Anyone is game. Animals could even be added to this system. Anyone ever see the Godfather where the guy wakes up in bed with the severed head of his prized horse? Making horses flee in TDM has been objective, but not animal murder. Another controversial subject.

[Springheel]

This is less of children discussion but more of AI that cannot defend and will stand instead of flee.

 

 

How is this functionally different than the way unarmed AI behave already?

[Deadlove]

 

How is this functionally different than the way unarmed AI behave already?

 

They flee and warn guards a thief is present?

 

Or is there a way to set them not to flee?

[Obsttorte]

What would be the purpose of an unarmed ai that doesn't flee? In terms of gameplay I mean.

[Ankai]

Maybe if they fled after - a delayed reaction. You leave, they unfreeze after a short time and run for the guard. Time it right and the guard is at the far end of their patrol, or you've had time to sneak around and can now slip through a door the guard was watching.

[demagogue]

You might need an unarmed AI that doesn't flee as an NPC for for plot reasons. One way is you could just make the AI deaf and blind in the spawnargs and use a conversation.