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I don't see how it could *hurt* anything, and it might, when used in conjunction with other methods, give your game a microscopic bit of added realism... but I believe for most RPGs you're better off relying on your scripts and events to create emotional state.
If I were you, I'd keep it on the priority list, but near the very bottom. 
Just my $0.02 -
Mason McCuskey
Spin Studios
www.spin-studios.com
For example... a 2D scrolling space shooter. Instead of the main boss has his pregenerated pattern the pattern may be modified depending on if you shoot him in the eye (he's angry) or somewhere else. The player must think of how to destroy the boss, better nuke him as fast as possible instead of teasing him and getting him angry (and harder to hit). This very simple "emotional intelligence" (or rather emotional logic) could just add that little extra to a game.
Another 2 cents... :-)
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// Best regards,
// Stefan
In the end it's a twist on the mainstay of Zelda style RPG's....the puzzle...instead of solving how to find the flaming sword to open the mystic portal, you'll be solving how to chat up the barmaid in the local tavern so you can stay after hours and steal the barkeeps cash.
Emotions can also spike in different directions. Make a character frightened and they are more likely to run away, build a character's confidence and they'll follow into a suicidal battle. Instead of blind allegiance or oh-so-scripted responses you could have more lifelike and difficult to control characters. This could increase the gameplay aspect or destroy it depending on how it's implemented and the player market you're after.
Overall it could potentially give a lot more depth to a world but will, yet again, be another thing to tweak and tweak and tweak.
Mike
I wasn't planning on replacing AI with EI, just using it to add further charecter depth.
Like you may talk to a guy one day and he's nice and willing to help you, than he has a bad day and changes his mind (all of this indepent of your direct actions, charecters can effect each other). This is where I think it would be very proccessor intensive but rather than living in a completely pre-scripted would, the game expierience could change drastically for each player and enhance the replay expierience.
I like the idea of having different spikes, such as fear-bravery, happy-sad, angry-polite, etc. It would add much more depth.
There's also a lot of tweaking to be done with this system, but I think if done correctly it could really add to games, even RPG's.
I was also thinking that it could be implemented well in a stratigy game.
You send your men into combat, but call for retreat. One of your units, though, lost his good friend and disobays your orders and continues to fight, or goes kamakazi.
Gary
Good Luck and Merry Christmas
Secondly I was planning on doing just what you said, giving hints to the person. You go uo to talk to the guy, and he's like "Hey guy, outa my way. My dog just died today and I ain't gonna deal with rabble like you!" Things similar to that. The scripting for the explainations may be a little complex, but for the gain it would add, I think it would be worth it.
Gary
Gary
I think its greatest use would be in role playing games to create more realistic charecters.
In case you havent heard of it I'll describe it.
Each charecter is assigned an overall personality mood, that is the standard. Than, each event that occures causes a spike in the mood that slowly drifts back to its normal state. The greater the spike the longer it takes for the mood to return to normal. The spikes than move either up, for good mood, and down for bad mood.
It would be interesting to see in roleplaying games because of the depth it would add to the people. You kill an childs mother in the game and rather than just calling the guards or whatever the child actualy gets angry.
For even greater depth, in a 3D polygon design, you could add body language. So, you see a guy walking down the road and you can tell he had a bad day even before you address his charecter.
The only real difficulty I see with this is how much proccessor power it will take.
What do you all think? I'm interested in some feedback because I'm considering using it.
Gary
What about going a little further making some events change the character general behaviour and other ones just it mood?
e.g: The child whose mother was killed won't be angry for a few minutes it would never forget the experience!
I know this suposes a helluva work and that it isn't easy to be integrated in an rpg story, but in my opinion it would add a much greater deal of realism than the variable mood of the characters!
