• Previous part (8)
• Next part (10)

I recommend you to check out the previous parts if you don’t know what this “neural narratives” thing is about. In short, I wrote in Python a system to have multi-character conversations with large language models (like Llama 3.1), in which the characters are isolated in terms of memories and bios, so no leakage to other participants like in Mantella. Here’s the GitHub repo.

The previous part ended with our hardened player character returning home after an encounter with an arrogant student. At three in the morning, the following happens:

Now, a fundamental problems happens. How do you find clues in a room without making it up through a conversation? You don’t. A Dungeon Master of sorts would decide on the results of the investigation. That means I need to program a whole new thing in.

Maybe a week ago, I programmed the concept of a Goal Resolution: you gave the large language model a goal and it decided whether or not it was successful, and to what degree, according to the information provided and its own whims. But I quickly realized that it was too broad a concept: when you’re trying to accomplish something, you’re not pursuing “a goal”; you’re trying to investigate, to research, to trade, etc. A few days ago I created the concept of a Research action, which is constrained solely to that notion. Here is, why not, the prompt I send to the AI so it will come up with a resolution:

You are to generate a detailed narrative describing the player's attempt at a Research action within a rich, immersive world. Use the provided information about the player, their followers, the world's conditions, and the specific locations involved. Your narrative should be engaging and realistic, reflecting the player's abilities and circumstances.

Instructions:

1. Viability and Realism Assessment:

- Carefully consider whether the player's research goal is achievable based on:
The information about the player.
The abilities and resources of any followers accompanying the player.
The characteristics of the location, including available resources, accessibility, and any restrictions.
The time of day and how it might affect the research attempt.

2. Narrative of the Research Attempt:

Write two or three descriptive paragraphs detailing the player's research endeavor.
Include specific actions taken by the player and their followers.
Describe interactions with the environment, use of equipment, and any obstacles or challenges faced.
Ensure the attempt aligns with the world's lore and the player's personal history.

3. Outcome - Impact of the Research:

Determine the results of the research action based on the assessment.
You must be specific about what the player has discovered: this is the memory that will get saved.
Detail any new knowledge gained, abilities unlocked, or crucial information discovered.
If the research was partially successful or failed, explain what was learned or why it didn't succeed fully.

4. Consequences - Cost of the Research:

- Describe the costs associated with the research action, such as:
Time consumed and its implications.
Use or loss of resources and equipment.
Physical or mental strain on the player and followers.
Potential negative repercussions, such as drawing unwanted attention or causing disturbances.
Use your judgement to determine the extent of the consequences, according to all the information provided.
Important: the consequences are an account of the costs of the research effort, looking back now that it's finished. Do not continue the narrative nor project into the future.

5. Tone and Style:

Write in the third person, past tense, maintaining an engaging and immersive narrative style.
Ensure consistency with the established world setting and the player's character.

Provided Information:

- Time of Day: {hour} {time_of_day}
- World Description: {world_description}
- Region Description: {region_description}
- Area Description: {area_description}
{location_description}
Player and Followers Information:
- Name: {player_name}
- Description: {player_description}
- Personality: {player_personality}
- Profile: {player_profile}
- Likes: {player_likes}
- Dislikes: {player_dislikes}
- Speech patterns: {player_speech_patterns}
- Health: {player_health}
- Equipment: {player_equipment}
-----
{followers_information}
- Memories:
{combined_memories}

- Research Goal: {research_goal}

Example Format:

"Seeking to unravel the mysteries of the ancient sigils, the tall, cloaked figure of [Player Name] entered the dimly lit archives of the Grand Library. Clutching the worn tome of cryptic symbols, they, alongside their ever-curious companion [Follower Name], began sifting through scrolls and manuscripts..."

Your Task:

Using the above instructions and information, craft a compelling narrative that captures the essence of the player's Research action, reflecting both the potential rewards and the inherent costs.

That worked well enough, but investigating a missing teenager’s room isn’t “research,” so I need to create a whole new page for my app.

Creating the Investigate page took me a few hours. In the end, the user has to provide an investigation goal and the facts already known about the case (I don’t trust the AI enough to be able to glean them from the memories of the involved characters). It produced the following outcome and consequences:

Oho, the plot thickens! It seems I’ll make a visit to the university in the morning to interrogate this college student. First, though, I needed to know the opinion of the missing girl’s father.

We hurried to the police station to meet my character’s partner.

I didn’t plan to, but this is a fantastic opportunity to test the Research action. Yet another example of how dynamic and unpredictable this system is.

That worked out perfectly. So this Elara Thorn and her team may have bitten more than they could chew, and maybe made some innocents disappear in the process.

Through testing both the Investigate and the Research actions, I’ve learned that the Consequences part that I ask the LLM to produce is completely useless. Great. That saves some computing power.

My player character’s partner returned to the station.