Lord of the Rings: The White Council Interview

[bapenguin]

Computer and Video Games (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=143077) has an interview up for EA's upcoming open ended RPG entitled, Lord of the Rings: The White Council. The game is supposed to have a lot of similarities with Oblivion (http://www.theelderscrolls.com/games/oblivion_overview.htm). Does this sound like EA's attempt at Radiant AI?What will make this game stand out from other RPGs?

Steve Gray: I think The White Council will have a lot of things that will stand out from the crowd. One of them is that all of our NPCs are Sims. They're not just current-gen Sims that you've seen in the past Sims games, they're built from the technology of the next generation of Sims games.

NPCs' feelings will be affected by your behaviour. The game's physical environment isn't enormously persistent, but the characters' environment and the knowledge that the NPCs have about your behaviour and how they interact with you is very persistent and very revolutionary. We really want you to feel like you're developing relationships with NPCs by having to manage them as you progress through the game.

Sounds pretty cool. Hopefully the NPCs aren't going to speak Simish.

[captainstrombosis]

God. I still remember that stupid simish song.

It sounds like it might be a fun game. I will keep an eye out. Btw...what exactly is radiant AI in oblivion? I havn't seen anything amazing AI wise. Just wondering.

[bapenguin]

God. I still remember that stupid simish song.

It sounds like it might be a fun game. I will keep an eye out. Btw...what exactly is radiant AI in oblivion? I havn't seen anything amazing AI wise. Just wondering.

From the site:Oblivion features a groundbreaking new AI system, called Radiant AI, which gives non-player characters (NPCs) the ability to make their own choices based on the world around them. They'll decide where to eat or who to talk to and what they'll say. They'll sleep, go to church, and even steal items, all based on their individual characteristics. Full facial animations and lip-synching, combined with full speech for all dialog, allows NPCs to come to life like never before.

[ChaosDent]

Being based on the Sims probably already puts this game's NPCs above Radiant AI...

[Reanimated]

Sounds like it has potential, but I don't like how they described the combat system. Sounds kinda wonky.

[AspectVoid]

I'm interested in any RPG, so I'll keep an eye on it at least. I can't really say much more then that, though, since it is EA.

[captainstrombosis]

Thanks bap. But that's nothing particularly special. Not to mention the NPC's just seemed to mob in the center of a disctrict/city when they talked to eachother. So I hope this games AI is much better.

[Returner]

Thanks bap. But that's nothing particularly special. Not to mention the NPC's just seemed to mob in the center of a disctrict/city when they talked to eachother. So I hope this games AI is much better.

Don't count on it.

[captainstrombosis]

That is why I said "hope". If it is not. Then I wont buy it. ;)

[Khash]

As I always say, if you're gonna copy a game you might as well make it a good one. I really want to know more about this title.

[Pretzel]

Radiant AI was a complete joke. I remember killing a captain of a ship in his room. When his shipmates came running in (I was completely silent when I killed him, so it was obviously a triggered event) I hid just around the corner. They came running in and immediately stopped and started having a conversation with each other--"Have you heard the news from Kvatch?"

Then there's the townspeople walking around having "conversations". I remember seeing one fall off a pier and as he swam around in the water, he'd stop and have a conversation with someone 10 feet above him on the pier.

While I suppose it's "neat" to think that characters have "lives" outside of their role as information dispensers for players, all I simply ask is that they don't do blindingly stupid things that completely break the illusion.

What EA is doing could be cool. I just hope I don't have to tell Gimli when to go to the bathroom. ;)

[Returner]

...+1 to pee...

[captainstrombosis]

Radiant AI was a complete joke. I remember killing a captain of a ship in his room. When his shipmates came running in (I was completely silent when I killed him, so it was obviously a triggered event) I hid just around the corner. They came running in and immediately stopped and started having a conversation with each other--"Have you heard the news from Kvatch?"

Then there's the townspeople walking around having "conversations". I remember seeing one fall off a pier and as he swam around in the water, he'd stop and have a conversation with someone 10 feet above him on the pier.

While I suppose it's "neat" to think that characters have "lives" outside of their role as information dispensers for players, all I simply ask is that they don't do blindingly stupid things that completely break the illusion.

What EA is doing could be cool. I just hope I don't have to tell Gimli when to go to the bathroom. ;)


That's the problem I had with it. What is the point of having them talk to eachother if they only have...what? 3 or 4 different conversations. Was just boring after a while. At level 20 you could pretty much finish their sentances for them.

[hotcoffeeburns]

Don't count on it.

:rolleyes: Why do you say that? :rolleyes:

[Shandor]

:rolleyes: Why do you say that? :rolleyes:
Because he's an eternal optimist. :D

[megaman]

Radiant AI = Elder Scrolls + AI from gothic games