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Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:33 pm
by JoshParnell
Update #9 is here! Beware the AI :shock: Seriously, I'm so happy about September!

KS Update: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jos ... sts/614553

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq4gih_AX44&hd=1

Feedback always welcome :)

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:41 pm
by Just_Ice_au
Hooray.

Just got done watching it. I can't believe how far the game has come in the last month, especially with all the AI improvements you describe in the video.

Bravo. :clap: :clap:

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:42 pm
by Slymodi
Bravo!

~Sly

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:06 pm
by DWMagus
This. * 1,000 and more. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

This is what I have been waiting for. I am incredibly stoked to see how this progresses now.

Just one question though; Josh, you said that there is no code that tells the actors specifically that certain actions are what they should do and that they decide everything for themselves. Do they have variation so that they don't all do the same thing at least? Whether it's stats or something else?

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:22 pm
by Grumblesaur
I always watch the Limit Theory dev update videos with a sense of childlike wonder glazing over my eyes. :thumbup:

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:22 pm
by Kektain
Amazing update! :D

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:28 pm
by JoshParnell
DWMagus wrote:This. * 1,000 and more. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

This is what I have been waiting for. I am incredibly stoked to see how this progresses now.

Just one question though; Josh, you said that there is no code that tells the actors specifically that certain actions are what they should do and that they decide everything for themselves. Do they have variation so that they don't all do the same thing at least? Whether it's stats or something else?
:D Yes! First, the planning algorithm is a random algorithm because the decision space is too complex to exhaustively search. This means that even in the absence of "personality" biases, the actors would still behave differently, because they will each be exploring a different set of options.

Then, on top of that, I will soon implement a "personality" factor that will change how each individual values certain actions. This will mean that the "optimal" course of action will become subjective, so each NPC will have his/her own idea of what the best plan looks like. These factors will include considerations like how much the NPC likes money ('greed'), how much it values its own life ('safe'), how much it values personal interaction ('social'), how much it is willing to expend other life ('aggressive'), etc. Definitely a place where we can have a lot of fun with the AI :)

And thanks for the positive feedback guys :) :thumbup:

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 12:03 am
by codeape
I loved this update! So much stuff going on! AI! Awesome graphics!

I am at home with my 3 year old daughter because she has a cold. I am watching the video but suddenly my daughter say to me. "Dady that is beautiful" . I guess my daughter likes you game Josh :clap: she is brutally honest (3 year olds are like that) :D

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:12 am
by Commander McLane
I'm still watching the video, and am properly impressed. But I just had to pause it and get over here to post one very strange thing: at 09:09, the sun suddenly pops out of existence. That looks very odd. What was happening there?

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:16 am
by mcsven
Josh - looks great! As usual, I am intensely jealous of the skill and ambition demonstrated in the updates and dev logs. Keep it up, dude, you're an inspiration.

On the subject of the AI, I was wondering: do they reason on different time-scales? I was wondering if their previous choices (e.g. mining over piracy) will affect their future choices (i.e. they've developed some skill at mining that biases them towards it in the future)?

Have you fully landed on the AI personality attributes or can we have some fun throwing out suggestions?

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:52 am
by Commander McLane
Josh, another question, regarding the dense asteroid fields:

As you fly through them in cruise mode, sometimes in a side camera view (therefore blind to where you're heading for), don't you bump into asteroids all the time? And if so, why don't you die all the time?

You did bump sideways into the asteroid when you were showing the reflection of your ship's light sources on it. It was an "oops" moment (at 03:44), but nothing more. So I take it that collision detection isn't disabled for asteroids, but the collisions don't do any harm to you.

Is this how it's going to be in the final game as well? I don't expect so. Thus I'd expect it to be extremely dangerous to fly through an asteroid field in cruise mode. It doesn't look like it in the videos so far, though.

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 3:01 am
by Gazz
Breaking News!
Telurian Rubble Kitten Has The Cutest Frown!

See our video reports on pages 2 and 3!

In Further News: Starship Captain Invents Asteroid Mining

When asked for his expert opinion, the royal astrologist commented: "Wait what? I think you have the wrong number."

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 3:38 am
by TanC
Love it as always, and I am excited that the different AIs will have different biases as to what activities they will devote their (miniscule) life to. :lol: It's the only thing running through my mind throughout the video, "they (AI) ALL can't be deciding that mining is the only lucrative thing to do now, could they?" :D

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 5:19 am
by Victor Tombs
Gazz wrote:Breaking News!
Telurian Rubble Kitten Has The Cutest Frown!

See our video reports on pages 2 and 3!

In Further News: Starship Captain Invents Asteroid Mining

When asked for his expert opinion, the royal astrologist commented: "Wait what? I think you have the wrong number."
Thanks Gazz for giving me the biggest laugh of the day so far. Seriously though, are you aware that your links to pages 2 and 3 are not working?

Re: Development Update #9: September 2013

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 7:19 am
by domanite
As I was watching the video, something was nagging me about that beautiful rich asteroid field, and I finally put my finger on it. None of the asteroids are rotating - they all keep the same orientation with respect to each other. Has it always been that way?

Also - great update - they never fail to inspire!