Chapter 42. An Emotional System

Key Topics

• Hierarchical Architecture Overview

• Modeling Feelings

• Improved Sensations

• Accumulating Emotions

• Revealing Emotions with Mannerisms

• Mood Hierarchies

• Evaluation

The emotion architecture described in Chapter 39, "Under the Influence," provides a proof of concept, but suffers from binary sensations and oversimplified emotions. The next few pages improve this previous architecture using extensions of finite-state machines—as described in the preceding two chapters.

The low-level technical problems are resolved using sensations based on fuzzy logic, and a wider variety of emotions and influences are included. The architecture itself is extended with mannerisms to portray short distinctive behaviors. Feelings are expressed about personal relationships, and the moods provide high-level guidance for the intelligent behaviors.

This chapter covers the following topics:

• The architecture from a high-level point of view, pointing out the additions and improvements to the previous prototype.

• The components of the architecture, revealing theoretical issues and practical details.

• The AI components used to handle these designs. Both extensions to the specification and customized functions are considered.

• An evaluation of the animat within a real game to reveal the improvements and analyze the technology.

At the end of this chapter, the animats not only have intelligent reactive behaviors, but realistic emotional responses to common situations.