Chapter 3 — Quick Start

This section shows how to run AI RPG Engine and explore the included example worlds.

The examples are intentionally small, but they demonstrate how the engine works.

Installing Dependencies

Clone the repository and install dependencies:

npm install

Then build the project:

npx tsc --build

To run an AI RPG Engine game, use the CLI:

node packages/cli/dist/bin.js run

This starts the terminal interface and loads the default starter world.

You will see a scene panel describing the current location, an event log, and a command prompt.

Players interact with the world through commands.

Commands can be typed directly:

move crypt
inspect altar
speak pilgrim
attack ghoul

The interface also presents numbered options for available actions.

You can select them by typing the number associated with the action.

Both approaches are supported simultaneously.

Talking to characters uses dialogue trees.

When a conversation begins, the engine shows dialogue options that depend on the current world state.

Your choices can:

Combat uses the same action system as exploration.

An attack command produces a chain of simulation events:

These events are recorded in the event log and presented to the player.

The engine can serialize the entire world state.

Save files are generated automatically during play and can be inspected using the CLI.

ai-rpg-engine inspect-save

This command prints the saved state in a readable format.

AI RPG Engine supports deterministic replay.

Every player action is recorded, and the engine can replay those actions using the same random seed to reproduce the exact same sequence of events.

Run a replay using:

ai-rpg-engine replay

Replay is extremely useful for debugging and automated testing.

The remaining chapters of this handbook explain how the engine works internally and how to build your own worlds.

You will learn how to:

Once you understand these pieces, you can build entirely new RPG worlds using the AI RPG Engine engine.