Implementation

Quests creation

Quests can be created with the QuestsEditor (manual creation) or automagically by the game itself (in reaction to some events).

Quest object

The game manages a list of Quest objects.

A Quest object contains:

• QuestID

• Quest giver (EntityID)

• Time limit (date or event)

• Questers list (EntityID, beginning date, Quest progression state)

• Quest state machine

• Requested criterions

• Forbidden criterions

Requested and forbidden criterions determine who can do a given Quest and who can't (for example, murders are for evil people).

It's possible a quester doesn't match anymore the criterions during or at the end of the Quest.

The states in the state machine are used to keep questers progression.

The Quest can be not linear (several ways to one or several exits).

For Quests for groups, it's possible to divide the group (several states should be accomplished at the same time) or not (action to difficult for one person).

A Quest can be unique (only one quester can succeed). It's removed after the first success.

A Quest can be 'one times only' (a given quester can do it only one times). A mark is kept on the quester for remembering.

To detect a state change, we could wrap a detector around some Actions. For example, if the quester should deliver an object to somebody, the "to give" Action is wrapped. If the quester calls the new Action with the good object and the good receiver as parameters, the Quest state is changed and the original Action is called. If not, the original Action is directly called. The quester can also progress in the Quest just by saying a word to somebody (see Dialog-RFC).

Each Character keeps a list of QuestID (for missions/quests he/she/it's doing).

QuestsEditor

The QuestsEditor offers a GUI interface to create Quests (a text interface can also exist). To create a Quest, you need to provide a list of potential Quest givers, the requested and forbidden criterions and a state machine.

The list of potential Quest givers can contain:

• EntityID (0, 1 or several) of potential giver(s)

• Influence(s): each Entity affected by this (or at least one of these) Influence(s) is a potential giver

• Named group(s): a named group contains EntityID(s) and/or Influence(s). It has got a name because it's frequently used or because it's easier to manipulate explicit lists.

• NOT

• AND

• OR

• ()

As soon as one of the Quest givers matches criterions, a Quest object is created and the Quest giver can propose the Quest.

The criterions list can contain:

• Property(ies): values to match for the quester (exact value, range or set of values)

• Influence(s): influence(s) the quester should have (or not)

• Possession(s): object(s) the quester should have (or not)

• Named group(s) of Property(ies) and/or Influence(s)

Items of the criterions list/a named group can be affected by the 4 operators.

It could also contain affects, memories, relationships, as soon as they had be defined...

The state machine is defined by an initial state, one or more transitions and state effects.

A transition is defined by an origin state, a destination state and a transition condition.

A transition condition can contain:

• Property(ies): values the quester should match

• Influence(s): new influence(s) the quester should acquire or influence(s) he/she/it should loose.

• Possession(s): object(s) the quester should have (or not)

• Action(s): action that should be done to allow transition. Only OR and () operators can be used for Action(s). At least one Action should be provided (it'll be used to test transition).

• Named group(s) of Property(ies) and/or Influence(s) and/or Possession(s) and/or Action(s)

Items of a transition/a named group can be affected by the 4 operators (except for Action(s)).

State effects are operations to be executed when the corresponding state is reached. Operation mean a list (EntityID, Action, Parameters).