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Monster AI for version 1.0 CF (Was: Re: CF: Moving on to implement diseases)


> Scott writes:
>
> My great concern regarding disease (or generally anything new) is that
> new features always seem to make the players more powerful and weaken
> monsters.  Thus, making the game easier.  Also, rarely are new features
> updated to many maps and most monsters.  So the new features are available
> to players, but rarely to the player's opponents.

	( And we are back to that old discussion again... ;)

	Of course, what this all boils down to is, I think,
	NOT limiting the scope of the gameplay, but rather
	expanding the monster AI to appropriately handle 
	the advantages which players (mostly) enjoy now.

	In terms of developing such an AI, I would think it
	helpfull to understand what abilities/capabilities
	we want to program. Understandably, as new things
	are brought into the game universe, the older monster
	AI cant use them. Certainly, before the release of
	CF 1.0 we need a new monster AI (who doesnt agree with
	that statement??). What things need to be changed I wonder? 
	For example,

	1) monsters should be able to respond to player 
           interaction via other actions (rather than just saying
	   something). This would include shopkeepers attacking
	   shoplifters, leaders commanding their troops to
	   march in a direction, an insult to the barmaid results 
	   in getting attacked by the other patrons, etc.

	2) Monsters need better use of spells and magical items
           they have.

	and so on...

	One thing to keep in mind.. I dont think we need the 
	smartest AI in the world (that will take an infinite
	amount of time to develop...). We need to balance the 
	complexity of the AI with the amount of time its going
	to program it. What then are the *most* important things
	that the AI should be able to do?

	I again expect to have a some time to program CF
	in about a month (well, maybe in 2 months..) and
	 I am willing to lead a team to work on this. A while
	back I discussed this a bit w/ Scott, but I 
	think a more open round of disussion might help to jell/distill 
	any plan for programming the AI. Comments?



						-b.t.
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