Help with setting up NPC tour guides

[Dundridge Dreadlow]

First, NPCs are not bots(in the SL sense), they have limitations and cannot do everything a normal avatar can do, but there are ways around that with scripts.

There are issues with derezzing NPCs but nothing serious. Sometimes they linger viewer side. Not looking at them helps.. Honestly, I'm serious.

Luckily, reading that NPC Automator 2 thing linked earlier looks like it can do most of what you are looking for, wait messages, go to places, etc. You may end up with range issues using it, but it looks like it should do the job. (Oddly enough, it seems to be written by someone on my SL friends list who I've not seen in ages, go figure)

[Caitanya Rupa 2]

To Graham

So sit is one of the wonky things that don't work like a normal AV.
Good info to keep in mind.

The chatbot is for answering questions like the AI is saw in Harbinger Haven?
I will read more about Eliza

Thanks for sharing about your experiences with NPCs. Helps to understand things a bit more

[Constance Peregrine]

i have a simple chatbot in the arena @ my region...

it is a Monk who goes in a circle but the scripts are in it and you can use them in anything u wish to...should be set to copy

http://www.kitely.com/virtual-world/Min ... ays/Mineys

[Caitanya Rupa 2]

Seems that there has to be a bit of creative fudging with the NPC for sit at least from what Graham says.
So that is a limitation.

So to make sure the NPC derezzes we have to look the other way?
LOL
Might need to do something like let the NPC say please read this sign or look at this page.
Then while the visitor looks there the NPC says Goodbye and vanishes.

Graham said something about the distance issue:

A more general gotcha that had me stumped originally is not appreciating that the npc is always controlled by the rezzer. If you want the npc to respond to chat when the rezzer is out of chat distance, you will have to relay the chat via an attachment on the npc (well, that's what I did -- maybe there are simpler ways).

I remember relays from an NCI class i took a while ago. Will have to dig that class out. Or is there a simpler way?

Might be nice to compile a list of limitations and work-arounds.

1. needs to be near rezzer for chat to work
work-around - needs a relay attachment
2. cannot use sequential sit animations (more than one sit animation) when actually sitting on a prim or the NPC will unsit
work-around need to use sit poses with similar sit targets and sit NPC near the prim but not attached to prim (make it look like NPC is on prim/object)
3. NPC derezzing problem when visitor is watching -
work-around - distract visitor while NPC derezzes

[Dundridge Dreadlow]

I'm not aware of specific issues with multiple animations off hand ? Was that using a system or scripted properly ? I can probably poke it with a stick if there is a specific problem.

I'd suggest building NPC control stations in each area, network the suckers,control the minion when he walks into the area.

Enjoy the NPC hair or similar staying in world when he derezzes and wonder what would have happened if you weren't looking directly at him (I always look away when rerezzing, seriously, heh. It isn't on EVERY minion, or every time, but some are more stubborn than others. It is probably something to do with attachments, but I've not looked into it deeply, I just look away... )

[Caitanya Rupa 2]

Please poke - /me hands a stick to Dundridge

Control stations sound like a very cool idea - imagines what they could look like (make them as obvious as possible! )
Would they control across regions or throughout a mega-region?
Begins to imagine the possibilities of Networked NPCs - hmm

What if you have several visitors and several NPCs rezzed at the same time
How does the system keep track of several NPCs
How laggy would a network be?

Questions begin to arise.......

NPC hair in the air - sounds like a strange poem

Maybe the NPC is derezzing so fast he is leaving his hair behind.
Happens to my AV when she tps a bit.
Makes the youth here laugh a lot when they see her like that.
I tell them she tp'd so fast she left her hair behind.

Where can one go to see these minions?

[Dundridge Dreadlow]

NPC hair in the air
It stays when I make them go
..but not when I look away
I wonder why it is so.

[Caitanya Rupa 2]

Thanks Miney

I will go and look at your monk.

[Caitanya Rupa 2]

Lol Dundridge

LOL is your feet Long fellas?

[Caitanya Rupa 2]

Hi Miney - I went to your region and met your chatbots
Very nice job on the build - The monks are funny

Excellent job on the programming - found out that Nick Zwart at Digischool did the AI.
Problem is that all of the pages i found on Google need translating from Dutch.