ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a novel way of scripting interactions between ambient nonplayer character (NPC) using Stanford Research Institute Problem Solver (STRIPS) rules that modify a blackboard shared by participating NPCs. It describes how the necessary information to ground a script in its environment can be supplied by situated objects, namely smart locations, which govern the usage of multiple props. The chapter presents the relevant algorithms for evaluation and role allocation. The concept of smart objects was originally conceived for The Sims. More recently, the concept of smart objects has evolved into that of smart zones by de Sevin STRIPS, was one of the first automated planning systems. In STRIPS, an action is described by a precondition that must be true in order for the action to be executable, and the positive and negative effects it has on the world. Tuple spaces are a way to coordinate distributed systems.
