Interactive Drama Prototype 'Facade' Released

rafg writes "In most story-based games where you get to talk to characters, interaction is limited to selecting conversation options from a menu. Facade calls itself a one-act interactive drama, and is an attempt to create realistic 3D AI characters acting in a real-time interactive story, where you can talk to them via a natural language text interface. The player is cast as a visiting longtime friend of Grace and Trip, a couple in their early thirties, and ends up in a verbal crossfire resulting from their failing marriage. More info in the press release, an older conveniently mirrored NYT article and an Idle Thumbs review. It's available in the form of a rather chunky 800MB torrent."

Um...

[The Warlock]

Haven't "type-in-the-orders" games been around since Advent and Zork?

Re:Who?

[donaldgelman]

its so you can yell "don't open the door" during the horror movie?

This is a game???

[j0e_average]

Cripes!!! If I want to hear a bunch of drama and nagging, I'll go listen to my own family!!!

Sounds like fun!

[Trigun]

The player is cast as a visiting longtime friend of Grace and Trip, a couple in their early thirties, and ends up in a verbal crossfire resulting from their failing marriage.

If the AI is advanced enough, maybe I can seduce Grace, talk her into killing Trip, and then turn her in for the virtual reward!

Here we go again..

[CCelebornn]

> Slap silly woman
I DO NOT KNOW THE WORD "SLAP"

> Tell silly woman you can keep the dog but that playstation is mine
I CANNOT DO THAT

> Kill woman
YOU ATTACK WOMAN, BUT THE EFFORT IS WASTED. HER DEFENSIVE IS TOO STRONG
WOMAN ATTACKS YOU
WITH ONE WELL PLACED BLOW WOMAN CLEAVES YOUR SKULL
YOU ARE DEAD
YOU HAVE MASTERED 0.0% OF THIS ADVENTURE

Re:Wrong name

[Trigun]

And how would you spell pedantic asshole?

Re:NOOOOOO!

[Musteval]

nono, see, this is new. Here, there aren't wizards. There's *D*R*A*M*A*!

Oh Boy, SimVirginia Wolfe!

[Nova Express]

GeorgeBot: Don't toy with me, MarthaBot. I don't remember.
MarthaBot: You laughed your ass off the last time.
1337 H@x0r: God, you old people are really boring! Can't you, like, kill some zombies or something?

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Um...

[grub]

This post is licenced under the GPL.

Per the GPL: please supply me with the source code to your post.

Plot?

[slapout]

and ends up in a verbal crossfire resulting from their failing marriage

Oh yeah. THAT sounds like fun!
(Maybe they'll rename this game "The Jerry Springer Experience")

Meanwhile, at the AI Clinic, bugs are tested.

[dangitman]

Player: I came here for a good argument.

AI: No you didn't, you came here for an argument.

Player: Well, an argument's not the same as contradiction.

AI: It can be.

Player: No it can't. An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a definite proposition.

AI: No it isn't.

Player: Yes it is. It isn't just contradiction.

AI: Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position.

Player: But it isn't just saying "No it isn't".

AI: Yes it is.

Player: No it isn't, an argument is an intellectual process... contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.

AI: No it isn't.

Re:First impressions

[uberdave]

I ended up kissing Grace when we met and she seemed more positive afterwards (I have that effect on women).

I have that effect on fanasy women as well. [grin]

must be a biiiig file

[Anonymous Coward]

800 MB torrent? That's funny, I've never seen a torrent file bigger than a few kilobytes.

(sarcasm)