Several points

[Chris Crawford <chriscrawford@wave.net>]

First, the idea of dialog generation has always seemed, to me, to be split
between dumb fixed dialog points and natural language. There's an
intermediate form that I have developed for the Erasmatron that.. well, it's
better than the dumb stuff and worse than natural language -- but it
definitely works today. The idea is to use a defined sentence structure, and
then provide standard substitution elements for the various parts of a
sentence. Here are a few simple examples:

<SubjectName> tells <DirObjectName> "If you don't stop intimidating
<IndObjectName>, I'll tell <IndObjectHisHer> parents!"

Are you going to <StageObject1Name>? There are at least <NumberObject1Value>
cows there.

I also have structures for appositives at the phrase and at the sentence
level.

Second, you guys keep tripping up on a common problem: the crucial
difference between story and storytelling. You can't interact with a story.

Chris