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From: goetz@cs.buffalo.edu (Phil Goetz)
Subject: Oz exists!
Message-ID: <Cp1Jtu.EL4@acsu.buffalo.edu>
Summary: Over the rainbow
Keywords: Ozymandias, lozenge, Woz, Ozzy, bozo, ozone
Sender: nntp@acsu.buffalo.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: hydra.cs.buffalo.edu
Organization: State University of New York at Buffalo/Comp Sci
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 22:01:05 GMT
Lines: 20

Well, over spring break I took a trip to CMU, and Peter Weyrauch
gave me a short demo of Oz.  It does run, in LISP.

I think the big payoff is from giving your NPCs some general inference
capability, which Oz is not set up to do.  But Oz has the advantage
over my system of actually existing outside its inventor's mind.

My impression is that Oz is beyond any other existing IF system.
The demos I saw were very small -- like, 4 rooms -- but their point was
to exhibit character interaction.  In one scenario, you're supposed to
get a machine fixed.  You can either convince your boss to tell
a co-worker to do it, or you can bargain with the co-worker:  I'll
fix your copier if you fix my network.  If you go ahead and fix
the copier first (like I did) they won't fix your machine.
Oz is designed to model characters with distinct emotions, goals,
and map knowledge.

The speed was reasonable.

Phil goetz@cs.buffalo.edu
