Have problem to add a new predicate "HasTalked"

[Dark_Lizard]

Hello, I want if i’ve already talked with a NPC but didn’t takes a quest or Item or else, I want to display out some dialogue.
I implement the interface into the AIConversant.
But my solution not works. I found out that the Condition script never invoke the methode from the interface and I don’t know why?
Here my code:

namespace BS.Dialogue
{
    public class AIConversant : MonoBehaviour, IPredicateEvaluator  //, IRaycastable
    {
        [SerializeField] Dialogue theDialogue = null;
        [SerializeField] string npcName;

        private bool hasTalked = false;

        public void HandleDialogue(PlayerController callingController)
        {
            if (theDialogue == null)
            {
                return;
            }
            else
            {
                callingController.GetComponent<PlayerConversant>().StartDialogue(this, theDialogue);
            }
            return;
        }

        public string GetNpcName()
        {
            return npcName;
        }

        public void GetDialogue()
        {
            GameObject.FindGameObjectWithTag("Player").GetComponent<PlayerConversant>().StartDialogue(this, theDialogue);            
        }

        // HasTalked predicate
        public bool? Evaluate(string predicate, string[] parameters)
        {
            switch (predicate)
            {
                case "HasTalked":
                if (GetHasTalked())
                {
                    return HasTalked(parameters[0]);
                }
                return false;
            }
            return null;
        }

        // Is set from the Dialogue Trigger
        public void SetHasTalked()
        {
            hasTalked = true;
        }

        public bool GetHasTalked()
        {
            return hasTalked;
        }

        public bool HasTalked(string dialogueName)
        {
            return theDialogue.name == dialogueName;
        }        
    }
}

Thanks for every input.

[Brian_Trotter]

The issue is that we collect the IPredicateEvaluators on our Player, and not on all other characters in the scene.
You would need some sort of blackboard/player memory on the Player to make this happen… Perhaps even in PlayerConversant, in this case…

Dictionary<string, bool> conversantsSpokenWith = new Dictionary<string, bool>();

public bool? Evaluate(string predicate, string[] parameters)
{
    if(predicate=="HasTalked")
    return conversantsSpokenWith.ContainsKey(parameters[0]);
}

When you start a conversation with an AIConversant, add the name of the AIConversant to the conversantsSpokenWith.

conversantsSpokenWith[otherName] = true;

[Dark_Lizard]

Hi Brian
Thank you so mutch for your solution!!
Just one thing. I hav to add the NPC name into the dicionary still from the invoke of a Dialogue Trigger.
Otherwise if the Dialogue starts, he means i’ve already have talked to him and the first Dialogue never will appear.
Here the code I put in the PlazerConversant script:

Dictionary<string, bool> conversantsSpokenWith = new Dictionary<string, bool>();
        
public bool? Evaluate(string predicate, string[] parameters)
        {
            switch (predicate)
            {
                case "HasTalked":
                    return conversantsSpokenWith.ContainsKey(parameters[0]);
            }
            return null;  
        }

 // Invoke from Dialogue Trigger        
public void AddNPCName()
        {
            if (conversantsSpokenWith.ContainsKey(currentConversant.GetNpcName()))
            {
                return;
            }
            conversantsSpokenWith.Add(currentConversant.GetNpcName(), true);
        }

It works fine. I’m so happy!!
Thanks again!

[Dark_Lizard]

Hi again
But now I have another problem. How I can save this Data?
I started an attempt, but it’s out of my knowledge. Have you an input for me?

[Brian_Trotter]

If you’re using the original saving system (BinaryFormatter), then you can simply make the PlayerConversant and ISaveable and return the Dictionary itself

public object CaptureState()
{
    return conversantsSpokenWith;
}

public void RestoreState(object state)
{
    if(state is Dictionary<string, bool> stateDict)
    conversantsSpokenWith = stateDict;
}

If you’re using the Json saving system, you will have to be a little more brute force about it. As we’re only using a Dictionary to ensure unique keys and for rapid indexing, we can store the data as a JArray

public JToken CaptureAsJToken()
{
    JArray state = new JArray();
    foreach(string token in conversantsSpokenWith.Keys)
    {
          state.Add(token);
    } 
    return state;
}

public void RestoreFromJToken(JToken state)
{
    if(state is JArray stateArray)
    {
         conversantsSpokenWith.Clear();
         foreach(JToken token in stateArray)
         {
                conversantsSpokenWith[token.ToString()]=true;
         }
     }
}

[Dark_Lizard]

Yeah I use the Json saving system.
Thank you, that works perfect. I learned again somethig, so great!!
I finished now the course 100%. It’s really super. I’ve done the invetory course too and the half of the core combat. The core combat I will finsh next, and then may be 3rd person combat course, because my RPG you have to playing with the gamepad.
So I have much stuff to do for next year.
Merry christmas to you and the hole gamedev.tv team

[Brian_Trotter]

Stay tuned for my guide for integrating the Third Person Combat and Traversal course into the RPG Course series, hopefully to be completed by New Years.