Intermission 1 – Peabrains and Pinheads

To imitate reality, as well as to provide a pathway of experience learning, with the citizens and creatures of Haven, a whole new concept of artificial intelligence was determined as being required. Having one overall AI in charge of numerous entities caused massive disruptions and failures within the game structure, often experienced as data lags and action loops. Bill Norman therefore created a whole new department at Holobyne to deal with this problem.

The solution they developed, while not being unique, had never before been contemplated , let alone implemented, on such a large scale as was required for Haven

To ensure each entity within the game structure would operate as an individual, and act in unique ways when faced with choice or action, each and every one of them was allocated a micro Ai module, each with its own Nanoprocessor and memory storage capacity, along with hard coded heuristic operating system, that learned from experience.. Two type of these modules were designed and implemented, with the lesser one for creatures and entities that relied upon lesser intelligence and instinct referred to as Pinheads, and the greater one , to cater for entities of greater intelligence, called Peabrains.. In addition to separate AI controllers, all these entities were also coded with respawn, and memory of death.

At the time of release, it was estimated that there was well in excess of 5 billion Pinheads and Peabrains active in Haven, with an additional fifty thousand contemplated to be added each week .