Scriptable Entities Design

This desing realize the Scriptable Entities functionality.

Player Use Cases

Hire NPC

Player can hire a NPC to do work for either the player or his guild.

To limit the number of Hired NPCs each player will only be able to hire at most one NPC. Guild might be allowed to hire more NPCs.

Activity Diagram

Using a NPC that hiring out other NPCs to start the hire. Each activity involving player is performed using NPC Dialogues.

Target NPC that hires out NPCs

Player target an NPC that hires out other NPCs.

Select working hours

Through NPC Dialogues the player can start a hiring process. The player will need to select if a night or day assignment is needed.

Choices available:

• Working day
• Working night

Example NPC dialogue:

• Player: I would like to hire a NPC.
• NPC: Would you like to hire for day or night?
• Player: For day work.

Select type of NPC to hire

Through NPC Dialogues the player can select type of NPC to hire. Merchant Player will only be available if the player meet a set of requirements Example: Level in crafting.

Choices available:

• Guard
• Merchant Player
• Merchant Guild

Example NPC dialogue:

• NPC: Would you like a guard or a merchant?
• Player: I would like to have a guard.

Confirm Hiring

Through NPC Dialogues the player should confirm that he would like to hire.

Example NPC dialogue:

• NPC: You can get one of my guard for 100 trias a day?
• Player: I accept the conditions.

Activate Hired NPC

After hire is confirmed a NPC will be spawned and assigned to the hiring player. The hired NPC will than start to follow the player.

Define Locations

Enable the Hire to define locations used when scripting their hired NPCs. This would be Work Locations and Guard Locations.

Using the /location command enabling players to define locations for Scripting Hired NPCs. Might need some kind of association so that when character/guild is deleted the location is deleted as well.

Activity Diagram

Script Hired NPC

Hired NPCs can be scripted. User open the Script Hired NPC Dialog to enter new scripts for the NPC.

Activity Diagram

Identify Item Source

Select the source of the items to be sold. For Guilds this will be a container the guild dedicate to serve as the storage for the hired merchant.

Select Work Location

From a list of locations defined by the Player using the /locate operation a work location can be defined for the Hired NPC.

Validate Script

It is important that only valid scripts are given to the server. Need to make sure that the script is correct before script is stored in the db and assigned to the NPC. This validation should identify illegal syntax, validate that the commands are ok for players to use. As an example commands that create new items will not be available for players. See Custom NPC Dialogues for details.

Release NPC

A NPC that is no longer needed can be released. This will be done from the Script Hired NPC Dialog.

Activity Diagram

Interact with Hired NPC

Using the NPC Dialogues to interact with the NPC. Custom NPC Dialogues created through the Script Hired NPC process provides the input to the NPC Dialogues system to provide custom dialogues.

Activity Diagram

Buy Items

Using the standard interface to buy stuff from NPCs.

Activity Diagram

Admin Use Cases

In this context admin is defined as setting or rule team members.

Script NPCs that hire out NPCs

This activity creates NPC Dialogues for the NPC that are going to hire out NPCs.

Select NPCs that hire

Selection of NPCs are outside scope of this design. That is part of the Setting process.

Create NPC Dialogue

The NPC Dialogues will through Response Operations define the hired NPCs. Each NPC that will hire out other NPCs might be different but they must include steps to:

• Start Hire
• Confirm Hire

They might include steps to:

• Select working hours
• Select type of NPC to hire
  • Guard
  • Merchant Player Items
  • Merchant Guild Items
• Select experience level
  • Trainee
  • Expert

Hired NPC Use Cases

Guard

Perform Guard duties. Pre-programmed guard action. Player select working hours, working position, a number of check points and interval for checking thous.

NPC dialogue

Through Quest script syntax with user safe commands enabling custom scripts to be crated for the NPC.

Sell Player Items

NPC can sell items for the hiring player. Using the standard trade front end with the trading character.

Activity Diagram

Sell Guild Items

NPC can sell guild items. Using the standard trade front end with the trading character.

Activity Diagram

Detailed Design

This section will detail some of the activities identified in the Use Cases above. Down to a level that identifies messages between client, server and npc client and some of the sequences in the server as needed.

Database

To keep track of hired NPCs and store the scripts new elements will be needed in the DB. Creating one new record to keep all information regarding hiring. This will be equivalent to the server side HireSession object.

State Diagrams

Hire Session States

Sequence Diagrams

This section will be started when Use Cases has been agreed.

Message Sequences

Sequence diagrams with focus on the messages going between the different programs.

Message Sequence Start Hire

See also Context Menu Design.

Message Sequence Confirm Hire

Message Sequence Script Hire

Server Sequence Diagrams

Sequence diagrams showing whats going on inside the server.

Server Start Hire Sequence

This sequence will establish the HireSession object in the HireManager. NetworkHandling is an abstraction of all the network related stuff.

Server Confirm Hire Sequence

Server Script Hired NPC Sequence

Classes

Utility Functions

Admin /hire command

A admin /hire command equivalent to the NPC Dialogues will be created to allow testing and verification. Will also work as a GM tool to manipulate hires.

Sequence Diagram