This is a continuation of the following post:

Talking to RPG characters through GPT-4

I have spent a few hours today implementing vector databases in my repository, which would hold the memories of the agents that may end up involved in these AI-related experiments. Once that was done and I could query those databases for relevant memories, I rewrote the class that handles the dialogue between two or more agents.

To test if it worked properly, I created the vector databases for the two characters of my ongoing novel that have kept me occupied for however long the current sequence has lasted: Leire and Alberto the blob (here’s the so far latest chapter where they appear). I wrote Leire’s dialogue when I was asked, while GPT-4 acted out Alberto’s part based on his memories and character summary.

First of all, I screwed up something in the code; I was prompting GPT-3.5 to determine who was the next speaker, but at times the AI decided that the same person who had just talked should produce the next line of dialogue. Although I fixed it later, the effects of that bug are present in the following dialogue.

First attempt at player-AI dialogue

Alberto: Leire, you need to listen to me! This is no time for petty office squabbles. The reality-altering contraption is going to collapse reality if we don’t act. I know I’m a wall-wide, gooey, stinking blob now, but you knew me before… as a co-worker, as a friend. We need to work together to save the universe. So, how about it?

Leire: Friend? I was never your friend. You were the prick who kept tangling Jacqueline and I into arguments about women because you hated your ex-wife, who cheated on you and left you to rot.

Alberto: Ouch, that’s harsh, Leire. But you’re right. I was a prick. Still am, probably. But this is bigger than my past mistakes or my… gooey present. We need to put aside our differences, because if we don’t, there won’t be any reality left to argue in.

Alberto: Look, Leire, I get it. I’ve always been a pain in the ass. But right now, we’re facing an existential threat, and it’s bigger than any office drama or personal grudge. Are you really going to let the universe crumble because you can’t stand working with me?

Alberto: Hell, Leire, I don’t blame you for not wanting to work with me. I wouldn’t want to work with me either! But this isn’t about me or you, it’s about everything and everyone. We’re the only ones who understand the contraption. We’re the only ones who can fix it. So, are we going to do this or just keep arguing until there’s nothing left to argue about?

Alberto: Fine, you don’t see me as a friend. You think I’m a prick. But Leire, consider this – we have a broken contraption that threatens to implode the universe. And guess what, we’re the only ones who can fix it. Sure, we don’t have to like each other, but we have to work together. So, what do you say? Are you in or are you out?

Leire: I think I’d rather go home and snuggle up to my beloved Jacqueline, the most buxom mommy in the world.

Alberto: Leire, I understand your reluctance, but sit with this thought – If the universe implodes, there won’t be a home or a Jacqueline to go back to. We’re in a pickle and as much as it stinks, we’re the only ones who can fix it.

Leire: Holy crap, I think you are right. If the universe ends, my girlfriend will die!

Leire: I don’t want my mommy Jacqueline to die! I want to snuggle up to her forever and ever!

Alberto: That’s the spirit, Leire! We’re not just saving the universe, we’re saving Jacqueline too. Let’s get to work and make sure your eternal snuggles remain a reality.

Leire: Alright, I guess I can help you even though you have become an utterly repulsive and vomitive blob. What do I have to do again?

Alberto: Thank you, Leire. I know I’m not the easiest blob to work with. As for what needs to be done, we need to reverse engineer the contraption. We have to figure out how to stabilize the reality-altering function before it’s too late.

Leire: How about I reverse engineer your ass with a shovel?

Alberto: Ha, good one, Leire. But let’s save the shoveling for after we’ve saved the universe, okay? Right now, we need every brain cell focused on the contraption.

Leire: Well, tell me where that damned machine is located and I’ll get right to reverse engineering it or whatever.

Leire: Are you listening to me or are you just oozing?

Leire: Hey, wake up, blob!

Alberto: Easy, Leire, I’m not asleep, just… processing. The contraption is in the old lab at the sub-basement. You’ll need the access code, though, and that’s… complicated.

Alberto: Complicated because it’s not a simple number code. It’s a sequence of actions. You have to press the third button from the left, turn the red dial clockwise, then press the second button from the right. And be careful, Leire. The lab… it’s not a safe place.

Alberto: There are… things in there. Things that shouldn’t be. I can’t go with you, but I’ll be in your ear, guiding you through. Just remember, Leire, no matter how bad it gets, we’re doing this for Jacqueline. For the universe.

Alberto: And remember, don’t let your fear or disgust get the better of you. We’ve got a universe to save.

Alberto: Remember, Leire. Third button from the left, red dial clockwise, second button from the right. And whatever you see in there, stay focused. It’s for Jacqueline. It’s for the universe. And… thank you, Leire.

Alberto: Just remember, Leire. Don’t let the office politics distract you. We’re not here to win employee of the month. We’re here to save the universe. So, get your game face on and let’s do this.

Alberto: Leire, I know I’m a sight for sore eyes, but focus! Remember the sequence: third button, red dial, second button. And don’t let the horrors in the lab distract you. Do it for Jacqueline. Do it for the universe. And… thank you, Leire.

Alberto: And remember, Leire, it’s not just about saving the universe anymore. It’s about putting things right. Restoring what’s been lost. Restoring… me. So press that third button, turn the dial, press the second button, and let’s save the bloody universe!

Alberto: Leire, I won’t sugarcoat it. The lab is a hellhole. But it’s a hellhole we need to dive into if we’re going to put things right. So, remember, third button, red dial, second button. And remember, we’re not just saving the universe, we’re saving ourselves. Now, stop staring at my blobby form and let’s get to it!

Alberto: Enough dawdling, Leire! Third button, red dial, second button. Swallow your fear, ignore the stench, and let’s save the damn universe! And for the love of everything, stop staring at me like I’m some grotesque spectacle!

Leire: Alright, alright, I’m going. Stop talking to me.

GPT-4 is fantastic at making shit up when it doesn’t have enough information, which was a horrible pain before OpenAI added the option to introduce functions into the equation. For example, the AI chose to stop the dialogue right after my last utterance as Leire, thanks to the function ‘stop_dialogue’ I passed along. Now I just appreciate the AI’s creativity.

Second attempt at player-AI dialogue

Alberto: Leire, by the festering sores of my eyeballs, you need to listen to me! The professor’s contraption is on the verge of causing a dimensional collapse. You’re the only one who can stop it, dammit!

Leire: (chuckling) By the festering sores of your eyeballs! That’s a good one.

Alberto: This isn’t a bloody joke, Leire! We’re on the brink of a reality collapse! I didn’t morph into this grotesque, goo-oozing blob for fun. You need to stop the contraption before it’s too late!

Leire: I’d rather just stick around in the office and listen to you complain about the end times.

Alberto: Oh, fine! Just sit there and gawk at me. You’ll be laughing on the other side of your face when the universe implodes and I’m the only blob left!

Leire: What? Are you expecting to survive if the universe ends? How would that work?

Alberto: I don’t bloody know, Leire! I didn’t ask to become a multi-dimensional blob, did I? But apparently, in this state, I exist beyond the normal confines of space and time. So yes, I might survive. But that’s beside the point, dammit! We need to stop this from happening in the first place!

Leire: Crap, you are making enough sense. I don’t want the universe to end if that means that you would survive!

Alberto: That’s the spirit, Leire! Now, let’s get to work and stop this damn reality collapse before I become the last bloody thing left in existence!

Leire: Alright, I guess I can spare some time from occupying my overtime productively to listen to a putrid blob who keeps oozing his goddamn black goo everywhere. I hope I’m not the one who will end up cleaning up this shit.

Alberto: Well, you better get used to it, Leire! Because if we don’t stop this, the whole damn universe will be oozing with this black goo. Now, let’s cut the crap and get to work!

Leire: Wait a second, the universe will start oozing with a similar black goo? Is that a consequence of the tears ripped open in reality?

Alberto: Yes, that’s exactly it! The black goo is a byproduct of the contraption’s reality-altering process. It’s the universe’s way of trying to patch up the holes in reality. If we don’t act soon, there’ll be nothing left but black goo and blobs!

Leire: So the tar-black goo is like caulk for the holes in reality? I didn’t come up with that notion.

Alberto: No, you didn’t, Leire, but it’s a good analogy. The universe is trying to heal itself, but the goo is just a temporary fix. We need to find a way to shut down the contraption and close the tears for good!

Leire: First of all, stop shouting at me. I already have enough with your stench and the horrifying sight of your slimy bulk.

Alberto: Fine, Leire, I’ll try to keep my volume down. But we don’t have time for your disgust. We need to focus on the task at hand. Now, did you understand the severity of the situation or do I need to explain it again?

Leire: I’ll pretend that I understood, because I don’t want you to explain it to me again.

Alberto: Good, you’re getting the hang of it, Leire! Now, let’s get moving and find that damn contraption before everything turns into a black goo nightmare.

Leire: I need to finish programming a function of my Python program, though. I’ll probably spend an hour or so refactoring it as well.

Alberto: An hour?! We don’t have that kind of time, Leire! Your petty coding can wait. The universe can’t!

Leire: Petty coding? What the hell do you think pays my bills? Have some respect for people’s trades.

Alberto: Leire, I respect your work, truly. But right now, we have a bigger task at hand. The universe is on the brink of collapse. I promise, we’ll get back to your coding as soon as we save reality. Now, can we please focus on the contraption?

Leire: What contraption was that again?

Alberto: The reality-altering contraption, Leire! The one that turned me into this… this gooey nightmare! We need to find it and shut it down before it’s too late!

Leire: Well, where the hell is it?

Alberto: It’s in the professor’s old lab, hidden behind a bookshelf. Trust me, I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve been there. We need to go now, Leire!

Leire: By all means, if you can lower yourself from that wall and slink your way through the doorway, I’d love to see it. You first.

Alberto: Trust me, Leire, if I could get my blobby self off this wall and through that door, I would have done it already. But I can’t! That’s why I need your help. We need to save the universe together!

Leire: Then don’t say ‘we need to go’ if you aren’t even going to move from your position. I’m the one who will spend energy moving around while you ooze the rest of the evening on that wall.

Alberto: Look, Leire, I know this is a lot to take in, and I’m sorry I can’t physically help. But, I can guide you. I can tell you exactly where to go, what to do. I know I’m a blob, but I’m a blob with knowledge! So, are you in, or are you going to let the universe collapse?

Leire: I think I need to take a nap first. Shut up for a while.

Alberto: Fine, take your nap. But remember, every moment we waste, the universe edges closer to collapse. When you’re ready to save reality, you know where to find me. Oozing away on this wall.

Leire: Are you going to stare at me while I sleep? Can’t you sink your dozens of eyeballs in your gooey bulk?

Alberto: I’d say I’m offended, but honestly, you’re right. I’ll try to keep my eyes… submerged. Just remember, Leire, the fate of the universe rests in your hands… and my eyes. Sleep well.

Pretty cool. You can play around with the code, if you know your way around Python, GitHub and the OpenAI API, by cloning the repository: RPGs-with-LLMs. It’s far from finished, though, and you need a paid subscription to OpenAI.

If you love artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs), and on top of that you know your way around programming, you may have requested access to OpenAI’s API so you could write some programs that spoke directly to GPT-3.5-turbo and GPT-4. Although the models are amazing (unfortunately so at times, because the open-source variants are a bit far from catching up), they were missing one enormous capability: you couldn’t rely on GPT to consistently return a precise answer.

To put an example of what I actually tried to do: I offered the agents in a simulation a list of locations so they would choose a single one, in order to move them there. I wanted the AI to return just the name of the location as it was listed, but I couldn’t get it to do so in a reasonable manner.

To rate the importance of character memories that were getting shoved into a vector database, I was sending GPT-4 the following prompt:

On the scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is purely mundane (e.g., brushing teeth, making bed) and 10 is extremely poignant (e.g., a break up, college acceptance), rate the likely importance of the following piece of memory.
Memory: {memory_description}
Rating: <fill in>

GPT sometimes answered “Rating: 4” or just a number. I could extract the number from those answers, but sometimes it just refused to answer properly, due to either hallucinations or the usual censorship spiel: “As an AI model, I can’t…”

However, this week OpenAI has updated the API to accept a list of functions along with the prompt. You can tell GPT to choose among the functions which one it should call if it considers it necessary, or else you can order the model to always call a function. Well, GPT doesn’t actually call the function, but it does return the name of the function called, along with a proper value for all the parameters you ask it to fill.

If you are a programmer, you already understand how wonderful that is. But if you aren’t, consider the following case: during a normal conversation with the chatbot you’ve built for yourself, you ask GPT-4 to tell you the current weather in your area. As a language model, GPT doesn’t have access to that information, but if you send it the function “get_weather_in_area” along with instructions for how to fill its parameters (for example, “area_name”, “time_of_day”, etc.), the model’s response could be something like this: “get_weather_in_area(‘Barcelona’, ‘4:00pm’)”. After you catch that response programmatically, you call the function “get_weather_in_area” (that must obviously exist in your codebase), that connects to the API of some weather service.

That means that you can already automatize pretty much everything that you do regularly on your computer, or create complex AI-based simulations like games, by involving GPT. You want the AI to decide when a character has to equip a weapon? Pass it the description of a function that does that. Want some characters to engage in a dialogue? Pass GPT a function that it should call when the model itself considers that at that point the characters should start talking to each other.

To test the new capabilities with a relatively simple example, I planned the following: I would write the description of three characters from an old free verse poem of mine, pass it to GPT, and have the model write an ongoing dialogue that involved the three of them talking in character. To know when the dialogue should end, I would append to the request a function called ‘end_dialogue’ (with no arguments) that the AI should call when necessary.

Here are some results:

Prompt to GPT-4

I am DialogueGPT. I have the responsibility of carrying on a dialogue between two or more characters until the context of the dialogue suggests that the dialogue should end.
The Captain is a human male, about thirty years old. He used to live on Earth until a truck ran him over, and he ended up transported to this fantasy world. The Captain, as he likes to be called, is the bruiser of the group, and very competent with a sword. He spends most of the loot on booze and whores. He buries his despair at having ended up trapped in a fantasy world by killing as many monsters as possible. The Captain gets along fine with Bimbo, the fire mage of the group, whom the Captain considers a good buddy. The Captain is creeped out by the grey-skinned elf Kutinaira, because she peeks at him while he pees.
Bimbo is the fire mage of the group that the Captain commands. Bimbo is a halfling. He joined the Captain’s group because he needed money, but he has a hard time adjusting to the deaths he’s seen along the way. Bimbo is brooding, and usually prefers to keep to himself.
Kutinaira is the water mage of the group that the Captain commands. Kutinaira is an ancient grey-skinned elf. She claims that she was once a goddess, but that she has been demoted to demi-goddess. Kutinaira is a voyeuristic pervert, and wants to jump the Captain’s bones.
Location: Dense, darkening forest, in the evening.
Context: The Captain’s group, including Bimbo and Kutinaira, had ventured into the forest to raid a goblin cave, to fulfill a contract with the Adventurer’s Guild. Somehow, they’ve gotten lost; they have been walking in circles for the last hour.
The Captain: Damn it all, we’re lost! Wasn’t that cave easy to find? We have to figure out what to do before night falls.

GPT-4’s response

Bimbo: I told you we should’ve marked our path, Captain. But no, “the Captain knows the way” you said. Look where that’s got us!
The Captain: Oh, put a sock in it, Bimbo! You’re not exactly helping with that attitude, are you? Now, anyone else got any bright ideas about how to find our way out of this leafy hell?
Kutinaira: I could try casting a water divination spell, Captain. Water flows towards the lowest point, so if we follow it, it’s likely we’ll find a way out. And… maybe after that, we could… you know… have some “private time”… she suggests, her eyes twinkling naughtily.
The Captain: By the gods, Kutinaira! There’s a time and place for everything, and this ain’t it. Focus on the spell, nothing else!
Kutinaira: Alright, Captain… if you insist. She then begins chanting in an ancient tongue, her grey fingers dancing in the air, drawing moisture from their surroundings to form a swirling ball of water.
Bimbo: While Kutinaira works on that, I’ll gather some firewood. We may need to set up camp if we’re going to be here for the night. He mutters and stomps off into the forest, but not before sending a small fire spell to light a nearby tree branch, casting an eerie glow around them.

For whatever reason, GPT-4 mixed narration with the dialogue lines. Next time I’ll instruct it to put it in parentheses.

Prompt to GPT-4

The Captain is a human male, about thirty years old. He used to live on Earth until a truck ran him over, and he ended up transported to this fantasy world. The Captain, as he likes to be called, is the bruiser of the group, and very competent with a sword. He spends most of the loot on booze and whores. He buries his despair at having ended up trapped in a fantasy world by killing as many monsters as possible. The Captain gets along fine with Bimbo, the fire mage of the group, whom the Captain considers a good buddy. The Captain is creeped out by the grey-skinned elf Kutinaira, because she peeks at him while he pees.
Bimbo is the fire mage of the group that the Captain commands. Bimbo is a halfling. He joined the Captain’s group because he needed money, but he has a hard time adjusting to the deaths he’s seen along the way. Bimbo is brooding, and usually prefers to keep to himself. He is intimidated by the irrational behavior of the Captain, but he prefers his company to that of Kutinaira, who seems single-mindedly focused on satisfying her fetishes.
Kutinaira is the water mage of the group that the Captain commands. Kutinaira is an ancient grey-skinned elf. She claims that she was once a goddess, but that she has been demoted to demi-goddess. Kutinaira is a voyeuristic pervert, and wants to jump the Captain’s bones. She suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and her intrusive thoughts solely involve sex.
Notes: If you need to include description or narration, put it in parentheses.
Location: Dense, darkening forest, in the evening.
Context: The Captain’s group, including Bimbo and Kutinaira, have ventured into the forest to raid a goblin cave, to fulfill a contract with the Adventurer’s Guild. Somehow they’ve gotten lost; they have been walking in circles for the last hour. Orcs and similar vermin are known to prowl these parts, and the Captain wants to avoid an ambush.
The Captain: Damn it, Kutinaira! Weren’t you supposed to know how to read a map? You got us lost in a forest? You’re an elf, for fuck’s sake!

GPT-4’s response

Kutinaira: (Giggling softly while tracing the pattern of the Captain’s chest hair with her eyes) And you’re a human, Captain, killed by a truck not known in this world. When last did you see a human reading maps so nonchalantly? (Chuckles lightly) Stop being grumpy and put your muscly arm around me. It’s getting chilly…
The Captain: (shivers visibly from her proximity, steps back, and looks towards Bimbo) Bimbo, light one of your spells so we can see better. Try not to burn the forest down while you’re at it.
Bimbo: (Nods silently, reaches for his wand, and mutters an incantation. A small fireball appears at the tip of his wand, casting flickering shadows on the dense foliage, eerily silhouetting the party.) Let’s be quick… I don’t like the look of this place.
The Captain: Good job, Bimbo. Let’s keep moving. (Turns toward Kutinaira) Don’t get any closer to me. Keep your eyes open for enemies instead.
Kutinaira: (Rolls her eyes but grins, straying her gaze down towards the Captain’s pants) Oh, I’ll keep my eyes open alright… I’ll watch out for those… ‘enemies’.

GPT-4 dutifully obeyed that whole thing about putting narration in parentheses. Let’s try some more.

Prompt to GPT-4

The Captain is a human male, about thirty years old. He used to live on Earth until a truck ran him over, and he ended up transported to this fantasy world; however, his teammates are unaware that the Captain came from another world. The Captain, as he likes to be called, is the bruiser of the group, and very competent with a sword. He spends most of the loot on booze and whores. He buries his despair at having ended up trapped in a fantasy world by killing as many monsters as possible. After killing hundreds of creatures, he’s discovered a disturbing side of his psyche: inflicting pain arouses him. The Captain gets along fine with Bimbo, the fire mage of the group, whom the Captain considers a good buddy. The Captain is creeped out by the grey-skinned elf Kutinaira, because she peeks at him while he pees.
Bimbo is the fire mage of the group that the Captain commands. Bimbo is a halfling. He joined the Captain’s group because he needed money, but he has a hard time adjusting to the deaths he’s seen along the way. Bimbo is brooding, and usually prefers to keep to himself. He’s planning on earning enough money to buy farmland and build a homestead in which to live isolated from the horrors of this world. He is intimidated by the irrational behavior of the Captain, but he prefers his company to that of Kutinaira, who seems single-mindedly focused on satisfying her fetishes.
Kutinaira is the water mage of the group that the Captain commands. Kutinaira is an ancient grey-skinned elf. She claims that she was once a goddess, but that she has been demoted to demi-goddess. Kutinaira is a voyeuristic pervert, and wants to jump the Captain’s bones. She suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and her intrusive thoughts solely involve sex. She has lived for so long that nothing interests her any longer, and she opts to get high on sex as often as possible to forget the long-dead loved ones that she’ll never meet again.
Notes: If you need to include description or narration, put it in parentheses.
Location: Dense, darkening forest, in the evening.
Context: The Captain’s group, including Bimbo and Kutinaira, have ventured into the forest to raid a goblin cave, to fulfill a contract with the Adventurer’s Guild. Somehow they’ve gotten lost; they have been walking in circles for the last hour. Orcs and similar vermin are known to prowl these parts, and the Captain wants to avoid an ambush.
The Captain: Neither of you can read a map? How have we survived for this long?

GPT-4’s response

Bimbo: I’m not the one who usually handles the map, remember? You know I can barely make out anything in this dwindling light. And your way of identifying landmarks is to slash them with your sword. How am I supposed to remember which tree you’ve marked?
Kutinaira: Well, I can read a map just fine. But reading a map is less exciting than watching your muscular arm flex when you swing that big sword of yours, Captain. Why don’t you play with your sword some more? I’m sure Bimbo wouldn’t mind a short break from walking.
The Captain: That’s enough, Kutinaira! If you’d pay more attention to navigation and less to your twisted desires, perhaps we wouldn’t be lost right now. Bimbo, give her the map. Let’s see if she can do any better.
Bimbo: Alright, here you go Kutinaira. Just remember, we’re supposed to be looking for the goblin cave, not following the sound of running water. I know how you love… water.
Kutinaira: Oh, Bimbo, always so full of judgment! But you’re not wrong about my love for water. (grinning) Let’s see… Oh, it appears we’ve made a simple mistake. We should have taken a left at the gnarly oak. We can head back that way if you want, Captain. Or we could stop and set up camp for the night? I vote for the latter.
The Captain: No, Kutinaira, we’re not making camp. Not yet. Let’s turn back and head towards the goblin cave. We’ve got a job to do. Bimbo, stay close, and keep your eyes open; we don’t need any nasty surprises.
Bimbo: Alright, Captain. I’ll keep watch. Kutinaira, could you focus on the map and directions, and less on the Captain’s backside? We’d all appreciate it.
(With that, the group heads back towards the gnarly oak, continuing their mission deeper into the dark forest.)

I’m quite sure you could now write a fully-fledged single-player RPG, even if just console-based, with GPT acting as the dungeon master and voicing the other characters.

I wrote a continuation to this post. Check it out.