Thursday 6 February 2014

Action mode

One of the artificial intelligence ideas I have is action mode which has one selected at a time. In basic mode the character is adventuring or walking. Then there are modes like running and also sleeping (in voluntary way rather than fainting). The action mode has a big impact on what you can do at the moment so if you are climbing up from a pit you can't do anything else.

There might be a problem when you are floating on air and try to sleep. I was thinking of how to do that, but I guess the location itself can be an indicator that you are floating. Without it the floating could also be an action mode which would then make sleeping impossible when floating. Well, that's the stuff we roguelike developers need to think.

I like the idea of action mode, because you can choose between walking and running etc. Running will spend stamina (and food) faster, but you can use the faster moving speed when needed. The action mode will be displayed on screen all the time so you don't have to check it out from some stats screen.

I've tried to concentrate on AI programming and action mode is hopefully going to clear some confusion in that part. Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what belongs where, because there are stats, then affects (illness, burn wounds, etc.), different motivations for creatures, current task and action mode. It's possible that I forgot something. Most of that stuff has effect on something else. It's not obvious that the gelatinous cube is on fire while swimming and at the same time eating bisquits and tea.