Chamr, you could saved yourself a lot of trouble if you'd read the thread. I have no disagreement with you. (Though I would point ot that what you're calling variable driven is dynamic based on variable checks, but still goes back to NPC "choices" made entirely from scripted options.) This is what I've been dealing with, instead:
"Fable, I was more talking about if NPC A stopped and talked to NPC B and they got in an argument over differing views, they started to fight, friend sof A and friends of B joined in and all of Sudden Town of NPC A and B is gone."
"Won't it just be a matter of scripting only the guy-in-the-street to have random behaviour, and excluding important people such as shop-keepers, healers, and quest-related people?"
"I ran into a random battle just a few minutes ago. It was between a guard and an regular NPC, and I didn't get a journal entrie, so I assume it was just Random!!!!!!!!!!!"
So there is a definite undercurrent of people who understand that RAI means NPCs can do whatever they want. Random = no coding. That's what I've been addressing.
For the rest, the system I worked with for 4 years was a lot more sophisticated than the example you gave, but yes, we could create the impression of random behavior in NPCs by using a large range of flags and variables that looked at everything from aggression to fear, to weather, profession, experience, dialog, items, health, etc. Sorry if I sound grumpy, but I'm getting a bit tired of being bumped on one side by people who believe Radiant AI means freewill NPCs, and hammered on the other by people who tell me of course it doesn't mean freewill NPCs.
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