Hello, Manufacturers!
This month has been all about intensive work on the NPC AI. As it turns out, building a system that feels both smart and reliable is a bit more challenging than expected. Instead of showing a bunch of half-finished features, I thought we'd try something a little different this time.
Welcome to a behind-the-scenes devlog, where I'll show you what development actually looks like, the challenges we've been facing, and where Factory Life is heading next. 👨💻👀
🤖 Building NPC AI from the Ground Up
Creating AI for NPC workers is a bit like programming a co-op player... except there's no network involved. In many ways, workers behave just like players, only they're blind, deaf, and mute. 😄 They don't really "see" the game world the way we do, so every action has to be carefully described for them.
An NPC won't decide to pick up an item or deliver it somewhere on its own. You have to tell it when to do it, what to pick up, and where to take it. And trust me... they can be surprisingly stubborn.
⚙️ How the Current AI Works
Right now, the AI actually belongs to the workstation, not the worker. In a way, it's the same for the player too... someone has to make sure you don't do anything silly. 🤫
The current system is based on state machines, switching between different actions whenever specific conditions are met. This works well for the existing workstations because their logic is fairly straightforward. The warehouse worker, however... is a completely different story. And not in a good way. 😅
🚛 The Warehouse Worker Challenge
The warehouse worker has a lot more to think about than it might seem. They need to recognize items, constantly listen for requests, decide whether something needs to be delivered or picked up, and know where they can (and can't) go. It's easily the most demanding role in the factory so far.
To make all of this work, we had to build an entire storage ecosystem just for them. And to keep things interesting, their AI isn't just one big state machine—it consists of multiple nested AI systems, each responsible for a specific task or situation. You could say they've got their hands full. 😄
📍 Storage Nodes
From the warehouse worker's perspective, the factory is simply a network of points to move between. Each of these Storage Nodes represents a storage location where items can either be picked up or deposited.
All nodes are managed by the central storage system, which continuously generates tasks for the AI. Depending on the situation, a node can act as either the source of an item or its destination, allowing warehouse workers to efficiently move components and products throughout the factory.
📻 New Products
As usual, it wouldn’t be a proper devlog without a reveal of some new products! This month, we’ve created models for a Radio, Pager, and Discman.
These were popular products in China during the era we’re aiming to capture, so we wanted to make sure they fit the setting and help bring the world of Factory Life to life. 📼✨
💬 Wrapping Up
That’s everything for this month’s behind-the-scenes update! This time we wanted to show a bit more of what happens under the hood, the systems that aren’t always visible, but are crucial for making the factory feel alive.
NPC AI is one of the biggest challenges we’re working on right now, but it’s also one of the most important steps toward creating the full factory experience we have planned. Let us know what you think about this approach and whether you’d like to see more development-focused devlogs like this one! 👀
See you in the next update!
Freemind Temus