forum NPC AI game mechanics for pen & paper RPGs
Started by daelstrom Premium Supporter
tune

people_alt 57 followers

daelstrom Premium Supporter

I have a dream of the day that out techno overlords unleash the algorithms from targeting ads at our eye balls, we can realise the NPCs that challenge us more than bullet sponges and exposition opportunities.
I reckon if we can playtest simple representations of simplified psychology into game mechanics, we could start the evolution of our AI companions so they resemble us more than resent us.

Is there development of game mechanics into the nature of encountering that doesn't just end up in a body count?
the defining into playable cultures that represent perspectives outside of the human condition?
Rather than just say how the cultures are, we build their common results into the game mechanics.
How RW goblins differ to ancient eldar in a game representable manner?
I ask this because too much time in '20s isolation has lead me to ponder the question.
Can encounters be more than just rolls for initiative?

If you'll allow the impertinance, i'll offer you the answer I thunked up.
Imagine if there was a simple, easily accesible game mechanic that could randomly produce an emotional response for particular NPCs to a game situation?
Where opponents on the battlefield range from the downtrodden avoider of conflict to the righteous fury of someone committed to opposing your future welfare.

All that hypebole aside, I'm offering a method of divination of random emotional response, that can be later complicated with racial, cultural and psychological nonsense (I mean game mechanics)

Materials: Std PnP RPG ongoing, Deck of playing cards, and D6's for 'membering
ENCOUNTER: Some [insert baddies] have encountered you!
The GM draws a [9♦] & [3♠] for the baddies, [6♦] & [7♠] for the party.
[9♦] + [3♠] = Submission
The baddies stagger, but are broken by previous battles. they still stand only because the party hasn't advanced.
[6♦] + [7♠] = Contempt
The party stands strongly before the scattered horde, their foe not worthy of their wrath!

How did we get that result? With Plutchik's wheel of emotion and some amateur gamification.
Basically, As I interpret it, Plutchik broke down emotional response into basic pairs, Joy and Sadness, Trust and Disgust, Fear and Anger, Surprise and Anticipation.
If we represent this variety in a random manner to elicit a specific result, we can use it to add character to the narrative a GM is developing.

How I did it is as follows;
Joy and Sadness is represented by the hearts suit in playing cards.
Trust and Disgust is diamonds, Fear and anger is spades and Surprise and Anticipation is clubs.
The picture cards are removed from the deck, leaving the cards 1(Ace) to 10.

You can either decide;
one of the 4 ranges are the most prominent (e.g. fear and anger in martial conflict) and randomly choose a card from that suit, or draw wild from the deck to produce a completely spontenous result.
Each range (Joy/sadness for instance) is represented by the range of cards in the deck.
1(ace) = is rage, 2-3 is sadness, 4-5 a bad mood, 6-7 a good mood, 8-9 Joy and 10 with love or adoration.
This can be combined with another emotion range (i.e Trust and Disgust)
When the two are analysed on Plutchik outer dyads of his fascinating theory, they reveal the vast array of human responses, resulting in a story telling aid demonstrated above.

Its a bit like using cards like tarot but in a specific game mechanic to spice up emotional response.
if it was developed further it could be tailored to represent definitive differences between cultures, allowing stoic unwielding dwarves, self actualised elfish ancient intellects and the rough and fast of survival orientated violent short lived denziens of the underworld thru loaded decks that result in the probabilty of racial stereotypes.
The gamification of a simplified psychology to allow more common understanding of the game mechanics of social interaction.

I'm not sure if this is the sort of thing discussed here, but I've been trying to discuss this idea online but can't seem to find a receptive audience. Is anybody else into this sort of thinking?

I hope that makes sense, the cheap Bourbon suggested it did
I can explain it better if anyone has any questions.

P.S.
Anyone got some tips to fully realise alternative cultures in a gaming environment for contemporary audiences?
I've got some cultures rebooted thru the ptsd of post apocalyptica, and the difficulty is that the player is theoretically the ancestor of his PC, and I want to reveal how the culture has reached the logical conclusions to where it is [in the future].
How do you write cultures when you want them as understood like a Tolkien fantasy stereotype when it is based on the misrembering of current 'facts' (i.e. Fallout alt history)