So one of the (many) things I am working on as I prepare to one day perhaps get close to graduation is my "Senior Project", a project whose purpose is to be so bad ass that it's existence will garner me a job in the game industry the moment I leave school. Well... that's the goal anyway.

Anyway, what I'm programming is a Gossip Simulator. I'm going to create a little world of actors that interact, meeting each other, learning who their friends are, and spreading gossip about each other. The goal is to have gossip change as it passes from person to person, effected by memory and then evetually push things in like revenge, jealousy and loyalty. I would love to see one of my digital pawns overhear talk about some juicy topic that they mentioned to their friend in private and then run off to confront the loquacious bastard.

Isn't artificial intelligence radical?

But first thing is first... just make my peons meet each other.

So as I watch my pre-alpha grunts attempt to make friends (which is represented through text as I haven't started on the OpenGL stuff yet) I notice that something just isn't right. And then I see it.

Occasionally they decide to "talk" to themselves. Even better are the ones that aren't confident enough to even do that!

So, now they make sure that when they "chat" they check that it isn't with themselves!

You know, if I could apply this code change to San Francisco walking down the street would not be the 'experience' it is currently.