Hey, I'm about to update my map with what progress I've made, I've made some good headway on True AI, and I think the processing part of it is just about done, all that is left is to create appropriate functions.
Also, I'm going to update the main post and I will probably be using the below excerpt.
Myriad Lore
The World of Myriad
Myriad is a wondrous place of wild beauty and old magic, where the walls of the human villages press against the strength of nature and more. Beyond the Old Forests, past the magical glades of secluded peace, and the Great Northern Pass, lies lands that hold mystery for Men, who dwell in the villages and the City.
After the Incursion of the savage Orcs, it is said they had retreated to the shadow of the Dead Hills, where it is said that the souls of that battle twenty years past harry them from the shadows. To the south, the twinkling glimmer of distant sands can be seen, and it is rumoured that a great City of desert warriors exist across the hostile Barrens, but no foolhardy soul has ever ventured into that desert and returned to tell the tale.
The roads of men wind through the forests and across the river, where yet more villages of Men exist, and trade flourishes. But behind the rude houses and farms of new settlers lies the ancient abandoned ruins of what was once a great City. It is said that once great Wizards ruled from this city, but nothing survived the history of their rule save the ashes and crumbled stone of what they lost. The only remnant of that rule is the great Castle, which stands proudly to the east of the farming villages in the proud dominance of the Lord who dwells there.
The lands of Myriad holds relics, and artefacts, and hidden power and forgotten magic, and is steeped in the mysteries of an age, adventurers who bravely venture from the safety of the roads are confronted by wonder, and by danger, at every step.
From the brutish Ogres of the caves and hills, to the enchanted dragons of the lakes and glades, to the mysterious Vryyl, and everywhere, the ancestral spirits of all those who have gone before watch silently over the mortals that pass beneath their gaze.
A mighty Wizard abides within an ancient tower of the Old Order, waiting to pass on his knowledge to all who have gone before.
History
Twenty years ago, the brutish race of Orcs invaded the lands of Men. A vast army descended upon the Myriad realm, and they swept a terrible path of bloody murder and destruction in their wake. None had the strength to oppose them, and for weeks they rampaged through the realm, sowing discord and death until finally they were met at the very walls of the City itself.
The brave noble known as Lord Winterwolf had ventured forth with an army of brave citizens who would defend their homes at any price.
The two armies clashed upon the Field of Mercy, and the day dawned red with blood. Long did Lord Winterwolf rally the good people of the City, and from the walls issued forth a multitude of arrows to strike the enemy.
The army of Orcs hesitated, and as they did so, scores of them fell to the deadly arrows, and Lord Winterwolf led a harrowing charge into the thick of the army.
The Orcs buckled underneath the assault, the citizens, unskilled and unsuited for combat though they were, fought with the desperate violence of those who had forfeited their lives.
Winterwolf met his sword with the axe of the Orcs’ warlord, and he pierced the brutes heart two strokes before the death of the warlord’s left and right lieutenants.
Thus did the army of Orcs fail in their blighted assault, and they were gloriously routed by falling arrows and the triumphant army of men.
The battlefield was then named the Field of Mercy, for Lord Winterwolf hailed the soldiers and allowed the remaining Orcs to escape with their lives, few though they be. The Orcs then retreated into the Dead Hills, not back to their homeland as was supposed, but instead they settled three villages along the foothills.
The battlefield was stained red and black with blood, and was thick with the bodies of the fallen.
Fearing disease, Lord Winterwolf started a mighty blaze that seared the stink of death from the realm, and the ground was laid barren.
For twenty years, no seedling has taken root in the Field of Mercy. Legend has it that the dead soldiers of that terrible war wander the field, and that nature itself spurned the deathly field. On dark stormy nights it is imagined that the rising howl of the storm is the voices of the dead joined in lament of the day Orcs ever set foot in the realm.
Twenty years onward…
The Orcs were fortunate, and were largely ignored, none had the wish to engage the Orcs again on the field, not even to wipe them away forever, and the Orcs were able to eke a harsh but livable tribal existence on the fringes of the realm. Men and Orcs will still pull steel if either is spotted, and it is quick death to be alone in the enemy territory. Orcs are skilled tribal hunters, and they are dangerous to fight in the forests, but Men own the roads, and the Orcs do well to keep away from them.
Myriad has once again been populated by sparse settlements and wayside inns for the weary and travelled.
The Game
Units all have an AI that is true intelligence, they reason, they judge, they make decisions, all by themselves! They decide whether or not they want to follow your order, or the orders of other NPCs and use a very versatile system for deciding where their priorities lie, even to the subtlest detail. This feature also allows you to interact with NPC’s like never before seen!
There are no longer defined classes, or defined types, everything is based upon your actions and upon AI. NPC’s figure out for themselves what to do in battle, what weapons to use, when to run, judge their odds of survival, haggle in trade, and run large governmental systems.
The can grow to hate or like other units, react with them in different ways, talk with them, discuss rumours, create rumours, cast spells, go to work, own homes, marry and have children, buy a dog and feed him, train the animal to recognise his orders. Many things that would not even be available for a human player to be able to do in many games, but yet is perfectly usable by NPC’s that have their own intelligence.
Different Roles
Although there are no classes as such, players may choose a certain path for their characters, perhaps they want to become Lord of the human realm, or become a mighty Wizard, or a clever rogue, or rebel bandit, or a solitary hunter. There is nothing to say to you, you are a warrior, or you are a wizard, these are simple roles that you wish to become. The following will detail what is involved in learning to become these roles.
Leaders – Leaders are characters that can command those around him, he is impressive and well respected, and he is skilled with words and can easily communicate his wishes.
In order to be a good Leader, you have to learn the skills of Leadership, i.e, how to give orders. This is far more involved than you would assume, a really good leader needs to stay on top of this skill, reading all the reference material he can, discussing Leadership with other jokers on the web, in order to improve his own ability at giving orders. Although this is not necessary in order to give simple orders, the more complex and clever an order you are able to give, the far more effective a Leader you will be. It is both a privilege and a responsibility.
Learning commands, what functions you can call, what conditions you can call, how to phrase your commands to be understood.
Wizards- These spellcasters are both respected and feared, because they bend the very elements of the universe to their whim, and there is nothing than they could not achieve.
Although the age of Wizards has long passed, leaving behind only ancient ruins, and forgotten lore, there are still a few venerable old sages that merely wait for the chance to pass on their knowledge to the new generation of adventurers.
To be a Wizard means to learn the ancient language of Arcana, and to learn the manner in which spells may be constructed. The old Wizards knew that a slight mistake in your incantation could lead to varied and disastrous effects, a lesson they are eager to pass on to you.
A Wizard’s art is a scholar’s path, to be a good Wizard you must learn the proper way in which spells must be cast according to the effect you want. Be wary though, that you do not over exert yourself and drain all your mana in a spell too powerful for you, when this happens the spell can exact a terrible toll on your body and spirit.
The order of Wizards include all the paths of magic, the bright and pure alongside the dark and foul. Wizards could include Healers and Priests, with Warlocks and Necromancers, and even Druids and Shamans may fall under the category for all is possible in the Arcane Realm.
Native Magic – Some have the ability to use abilities intrinsic to themselves in order to cast natural magic. Druids and Shamans have the ability to commune with spirits without any need of long incantations, and they can use many abilities that do not require spells, only the mana and will. However, Druids have Shamans have different requirements, they are not truly spellcasters, instead they commune with the spirits in order for the spirits to aid them in whatever manner. So it is not power that Druids and Shamans seek, but rather they seek to improve their relationship with the spirits, they could invoke the favour of the most powerful spirits to do their work. Druid and Shaman ‘magic’ is however necessarily limited to what the spirits can or are willing to perform.
This is called Native Magic, for it has always existed.
Thief- What it means to be a rogue is that you live by your wits and skill, stealing what you can, and hiding from those who wish you harm. A rogue should be practised in using the shadows to his advantage, and an expert in the warrens of the city, and have a savvy knowledge of all the people. Rogue’s are not necessarily low-life thieves either, Rogues can enjoy a highly prestigious position by offering their services to those who require it. Rogues are especially adept at spying, assassainating and causing various sneaky things to happen, all the while directing suspicion away from himself and his employer.
To be a good Rogue is to have skill.
Trader – A merchant’s life awaits those who boldly venture into the battlefield of supply and demand. A clever trader could become very wealthy in such an environment, but a bad one would quickly find himself contemplating the bottom of his coinpurse.
Trading can require a lot of skills, those with experience as a Rogue may find themselves with a natural advantage, and Traders may also find that leadership skills are required. Not only to run a business, but to effectively cajole and convince the customer that really does need the third pair of socks for this week’s ball.
The marketplace can be a dangerous place for the unwary and uninitiated.
Warrior – Stalwart, brave and true! Although these are not necessarily the traits of a warrior, people will like you more for it, 
. Sneaky, underhanded, and traitorous might be good traits for a bandit outlaw.
A Warrior is a player who lives off the skill of his sword-arm, finding work as a mercenary or a soldier as he tries to make a name for himself. Warriors are concerned with improving their skills with weapons, keeping physically dangerous, and trying to cut down on that extra plate of beef. A good Warrior will always be very concerned with the state of his gear, his weapons, his armour, his rations, his horse, all these things which could prove the difference between life and death. He hones his blade sharp, he scours the rust from his armour, he grooms his horse, and he resists the rations. Even a very good warrior could find himself on the wrong end of the sword if his own equipment fails and breaks.
Warriors are in high demand as the dangers of Myriad grow ever greater, and they are the first to be called upon when the Orcs begin to sound their drums and move through the woods.
Hunter- Hunters and Rangers are generally solitary types who have little use for the trappings of civilisation, preferring instead to range the wilds and make their own way. Hunters have exceptional stamina, and can traverse the rough ground with ease. Usually they have acquired a talent with the forest animals, and can speak with them as if their own kind. Rangers and Hunters are always the first called upon either to deal with dangerous beasts, deliver important messages through dangerous lands, or feed the noble’s court with fresh game.
Latest Myriad update: There are now golden tutorial books scattered around, (Black and White anyone?) which can be activated by picking up and clicking on them in the inventory. Unfortunately because I forgot to deactivate the litle 'debug' message to tell me if the Dog AI was running, you'll never see any text until the dog has found its cheese. You'll have to either wait, or use the Log.
There are three books, on Leadership, Animal Training, and Spellcasting.
The Leadership and Spellcasting tutorials are very important, and tere is a test function to try out with each. Animal Training is just sort of a preview of what is in store with 'Leadership' and the Order system.
Book of Leadership can be found by the Innkeeper in the Inn full scale building to the west of City, and just north of the Combat Arena. (There's a bunch of people in it.) At the moment it works, but there's a confusing little bug which cuts it shorter than it should be, have to look into it.
Book of Animal Training can be found south of the Dead Hills way off to the east, where a Man and his Dog can be seen. The Dog will be currently using pseudo-AI which is testing a Look-For ability. The dog will run around looking for Cheese, and when it has found it, it will sit on it.
Future updates will be veeeery interesting for this little feature.
Book of Spellcasting can be found north-east of the City at the big pass by the Shaman/Farseer. Hopefully you should all know where he is anyway. (Btw, type "bleh" for a small Shaman present.)
And that's it for now!
[*Sigh* Rui merged my posts.
Guess I'll just move it into a new post at a later point.
]
Creature Lab
Do you have any good creature concepts that you would like to see in Myriad?
Myriad will be featuring creatures of strange and unusual origins, and there is always room for more!
If you would like to submit a creature for consideration, just post a nice little article on the creature you have invented, you may give it a name, but the most important thing is a physical description, and also a summary of that creature’s attributes. The history or lore of the creature is purely optional.
For example.
Name: Critter
Discoverer: Hot Soup
Physical description: A slug like creature with a strange armour like shell that protects the front half of its body just behind its diminutive head which makes close acquaintance with the ground with vaguely triangular orbs that seem blank and sightless. Long fronds, like gently waving blades of grass, march down the soft exposed tissue of its back behind the carapace, which could arguably be called its tail as well. It moves not by general way of slug like convulsions, but rather, contents itself by tediously crawling across the floor with its tiny hook like claws, its tail dragging lazily behind it.
The armoured sheath is strangely and compellingly patterned with designs that appear almost glyph like, luminescent marks etched into the glossy black oil-like quality of the shell.
Attributes: Whether the patterns are natural, or carved by Hot Soup himself is uncertain, but Hot Soup naturally claims them as proof that the Critter is magical. Thus why he charges a high price for its ‘produce’ which he regularly serves up as meals.
The Critter seems to have the amazing ability to produce dozens of young every day, which may in fact attest to a magical nature, and the barely formed shells of these meals fetch a pretty penny too. Hot Soup also claims the Critter to be centuries old, and watching the blind creature drag itself painfully across his Tavern floor, one is inclined to agree.
Summary:
-Long-lived.
-Breeds quickly.
-Could be magical.
-Is blind.
-Has creature armour.
-Is basically a bluey-black oil beetle colour.
That is an excerpt from one of my notes for a story I’m writing, but it gives a good example of description and summary. You do not necessarily have to write as much as I have, but the more thought and description that goes into it, the better. Creatures will be selected according to how interesting they are, the World of Myriad is capable of support any number of strange animals so be as creative as you please. The more you write on the creature, the greater the chances of it being chosen as a denizen of Myriad.
So if you have an idea you’d like to see make it into Myriad, by all means, type away!
