Aha... another key concept

In a message dated 3/7/99 3:00:46 PM Pacific Standard Time, morbus@disobey.com
writes:

> Would God be able to compensate for the missing character intellectually?

"Yes, in a perfect world.  He should be able to assist the player understand
the world, fight, and live up to the potential of the characters experience
level.  In most RPG's the character is given an Intelligence stat. This stat
is under utilized. Also in AD&D there is Wisdom.  More stuff like Power in
_Diablo_, Essence, ego, Psi, and empathy; all these stats used in games to
help define a numerical value for the characters mental/spiritual aptitude.
But why?

The lame answer is -- because your limiting the spell level with a game
mechanic.  Maximum spell knowledge is limited by these stats. Fine.  But if my
Mage has 200 IQ, and the player never graduated high school, then MAYBE the AI
should indicate to the player that casting a 20d6 fire ball in a 10x10 room is
not a good idea.  [[Thats why human DM' (Dungeon Masters) are currently better
than computer AI dungeon masters.  They have the option to be flexible in
their interpretation of character capabilities and knowledge base.]]

Because the characters are often greater in skill than the player, the AI
needs to consider the players core statistics.  How many computer programers
do you know have read books of magic, memorized everything, and then
spontaneously pull the trivia out of their brain.  Not many.  But characters
in games do crazy things like that all the time=they have to.  They learn new
things very fast, solve riddles beyond any "star trek sci-fi sherlock"
episode, and the players barely understand the difference between their
cyberware and mana.  

My point is this:  If your Character understands the world enough to become
10th level, then the Player should NOT think its OK to stand still when a 25th
level monster turns the corner. EVEN if the player is eating a donut watching
the X-files, the character should have a natural defense, and even AI reaction
that would be similar to the HUMAN player (at home) reacting to a drug addict
kicking in his computer room door.  Characters and people have natural and
instinctual reactions.  Not all players will know what it takes to be a 25th
level wizard.  Some of the players may not even care.  They just like the end
result of being a 25th level wizard, and all the benefits that come with
creating that character in a virtual world.

>  One of the ideas that I initially had with the HTML world (tim: interactive
>  fiction world created out of HTML, added on if players stray, etc) was to
>  allow the character to define his own AI...
  
"Right, thats a good idea.  I was going that way with all this from my
perspective. NEXT TIME I make a computer game spec with RPG characters I will
make the characters have natural reactions.  Why?  Because personally i don't
like clicking my mouse like a meth addict while negotiating my way through a
dungeon. Sure... I want to cast the spells, but some things should be
automated (like in Diablo you can automate drinking mana potions, heal
scrolls, etc.).  With a warrior~ all they do is hit things.  WHY do I have to
click?  Can't I leave the room for a 1 minute stretch every 15 minutes without
risking my 25th level warrior kings life?  He should be able to wade through
low level combat like a god; call it game cruise control.  

In all my RPG's that are non-computer based I treat all players as
superhero''s with AI. Yes, they are real people with natural reactions (AI),
but they are also greater than the sum of that.   They are experts in
thievery, cybertechnology, demolitions, heavy weapons, robotics, etc..  There
is no way I can teach my players all that I know about those subjects, but the
Player MUST know those things intuitively to be the character they have chosen
to play. 

If my buddy wants to be a mad scientist making Replicants, then dammit he can.
But he doesn't need to know how to split a chromosome, or that he has to duck
when an angry intern throws a vial of acid at him.  Yet, he should be able to
understand the world enough to know what is good, bad, safe, dangerous, and
how to build his own personal Frankenstein.

Of course it would be good to micromanage everything, but I am talking about
reducing repetitive stress/carpal tunnel & making intelligent and competitent
characters.  

Lastly::
a simple AI supplement for player characters (even in a chess game) would keep
simple game mechanic problems from occuring.  EXAMPLE: My buddy just lost a
game of chess over here yesterday. He rocks at chess.  He lost because when he
tried to castle he moved the rook before the king (when you should move the
King, and the rook is moved automatically for you by the program).  It was a
game mechanic accident, and my buddy nearly burst a blood vessel.  An hour
game down the drain (no save allowed).  AI could have detected that move and
said "Hey, do you mean to move to Rook or Castle?"  

Just another example of how some game mechanics should be automated, and some
player actions should be assisted by the GOD AI. 

the dungeon master,
Tim