I do agree though that the challenges are immense. Facade isn't perfect, of course, but it was successful as it was because it was quite limited in scope, with a loose outer shell and many, many micro decisions. IIRC, they originally wanted about 3x the number of situations and responses, but limited them to get it done.
Blizzard's tactic with WoW is to have a giant, ongoing story that is told mainly through in-game sequences and quest cycles. It's actually quite easy to miss, because 99% of the players don't seem to give a shite about the story (or perhaps have seen these non-skippable sequences so many times they don't care anymore). The expansions are all built around this story. My biggest complaint about it is that it IS so easy to miss it. I've been playing for years now and don't give a whit about Arthas or Sylvanas or any of them. It reminds me of the story elements in the House of the Dead games; sure it's there, but I seldom pay any attention to it. Contrast that sort of thing with a game like Twilight Princess where you are given a chance to get to know the characters and care about them.
I like to think of something like Facade but greatly expanded. I think you could use that technology to create much better NPCs. Hell, if Meretzky could make us cry with Floyd back in '83, we ought to be able to do something ten times better in 2010! Actually, Floyd is a good example; as M. has pointed out, the fact that he is a robot lessens our expectations quite a bit for him to "act human." Even animals with dynamic responses would be a huge plus. Imagine just how sophisticated a "simple" character like a dog companion could be if they really put some time into it. The more I think about it, the more I think they should start there. Robots, animals, alien species, perhaps small children ought to be relatively easy platforms for really good advances in AI and interactive drama (or whatever you want to call it).
Total surprises could be a good thing. :)
I do agree though that the challenges are immense. Facade isn't perfect, of course, but it was successful as it was because it was quite limited in scope, with a loose outer shell and many, many micro decisions. IIRC, they originally wanted about 3x the number of situations and responses, but limited them to get it done.
Blizzard's tactic with WoW is to have a giant, ongoing story that is told mainly through in-game sequences and quest cycles. It's actually quite easy to miss, because 99% of the players don't seem to give a shite about the story (or perhaps have seen these non-skippable sequences so many times they don't care anymore). The expansions are all built around this story. My biggest complaint about it is that it IS so easy to miss it. I've been playing for years now and don't give a whit about Arthas or Sylvanas or any of them. It reminds me of the story elements in the House of the Dead games; sure it's there, but I seldom pay any attention to it. Contrast that sort of thing with a game like Twilight Princess where you are given a chance to get to know the characters and care about them.
I like to think of something like Facade but greatly expanded. I think you could use that technology to create much better NPCs. Hell, if Meretzky could make us cry with Floyd back in '83, we ought to be able to do something ten times better in 2010! Actually, Floyd is a good example; as M. has pointed out, the fact that he is a robot lessens our expectations quite a bit for him to "act human." Even animals with dynamic responses would be a huge plus. Imagine just how sophisticated a "simple" character like a dog companion could be if they really put some time into it. The more I think about it, the more I think they should start there. Robots, animals, alien species, perhaps small children ought to be relatively easy platforms for really good advances in AI and interactive drama (or whatever you want to call it).
Matt Barton, Managing Editor
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
Email: matt@armchairarcade.com