Random Incidents

[LorD BaZTArD]

A couple of posts ago, some one bought up the idea of possibly making everything random.

Now I am not sure if this is possible, however it is a good idea.

There are two ways I can think of doing this successfully:

(A) Create a very complicated AI engine, that will make monsters react to the environment, an example would be that an Imp is put in starting point A and something happens at point B, so the Imp investigates. (does something different everytime though)
-And(Or)-
(B) Do away with the scripted sequences in Half Life and design a level so it can change without warning.
An Example would be to start in room A and Get to Room B,
The first time you would try to use the elevator but it malfunctions and becomes unusable, so You have to find another way through. On the second time you load the level, you try and go the same way, only to see it get destroyed, meaning you have to take the elevator which works this time, this would encourage thinking about the level, so once you learn the level (in other games) it would get boring fast becuase you know where everything is and just go through the motions. Deus Ex does this, but not by changing the level but by giving you multiple paths. (Tell me If I am wrong, I only have the demo, and it still costs about $100 dollars over here (I can't afford it)
Is this a good idea?
Is it Possible?

I have no knowledge of this stuff.
(And I have been trained in using this stuff too!)
(Pathetic) (Not Me)

I apologise for this long post.

[AIRmichael]

I think it might work. But all effects have to be made what can take alot of time. So some triggers will set some effect on, ( like a scene). Randomizing material and positions is alot harder then randomize some standard effects. To make all the differant scenes lots of scripting has to be done

[EllipsusD]

It is possible to make the constantly changing levels work. It would, however, cause the levels to be planned much more openly and carefully than id has done in the past. It would also require the levels to be either hard wired into the engine, or have some way for the engine to recognize that if not A and not B, then C must be true (path wise) so every level would be assured to have a way through. This doesn't seem that bad until you get to the point where C flows to the possibilities of C1, C2, C3, and then C1.1, C1.2, C1.3, C2.1, etc... (the paths and subpathes beyond the original path distinction. Basically this makes load times slightly longer.
I personally favor having a highly intelligent AI. It doesn't need to be as frustratingly difficult as the Skaarj from Unreal, but it would be nice to see AI that goes far beyond simple battle tactics (environmental manipulation and the like). I really don't know what goes into programming AI, so I have no idea if the time it would take justifies the touch it would add.

[danarchist]

Maybe Doom3 should be on a Slige based engine.

*8)
(A quote by Dave Chess)

[LorD BaZTArD]

AIRmichael said:

I think it might work. But all effects have to be made what can take alot of time. So some triggers will set some effect on, ( like a scene). Randomizing material and positions is alot harder then randomize some standard effects. To make all the differant scenes lots of scripting has to be done

No thats not what I meant, No Scripting................
What I meant was that, you start in room A, Elevator to Left, Steps upstairs on right.

One scenario is: You go to use elevator and a nearby Imp shoots a fireball into the elevator rendering it useless so you choose the stairs.

Another scenario is: You decide not to use the elevator because you think it will blow up again, and go to use the stairs when a mistake you may have made the level before will trigger other events resulting on the stairs destruction which might kill the Imp therefore it can not destroy the elevator.

I do not know if this is possible it would be interesting to see if it happens, This would add variation to the game each time.

Destroyable levels could assist in this.