Dynamic needs system

VerifiedSafe

Sims-style motivation system with fluctuating needs that drive behavior. Needs decay over time and create urgency when low.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevelopmentBeginner
306/2/2026
Claude Code
#needs#simulation#motivation#autonomy#character

Recommended for

Our review

Dynamic motivations inspired by The Sims, where needs fluctuate and drive behavior.

Strengths

  • Provides realistic motivation with low computational cost
  • Enables autonomous behavior without complex scripting
  • Easy to configure with a clear scale and standard needs

Limitations

  • Requires time management for decay rates
  • May need tuning for specific contexts
  • Limited to characters or entities with internal state
When to use it

To add a layer of life and urgency to characters or agents in a simulation.

When not to use it

For simple scripts that don't require internal states or autonomous motivations.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score90/100

The skill only uses read_file and write_file, and the content is purely a declarative protocol for Sims-style needs simulation. There are no destructive, exfiltrating, or obfuscated actions.

No concerns found

Examples

Character needs simulation
Create a character with needs (hunger, energy, fun, social, comfort, bladder) that decay over time and drive actions. Show the inner voice comments.
Day in the life of a cat
Simulate a day in the life of a cat with hunger and energy needs. The cat should eat when hungry and sleep when tired.
NPC autonomy
Add needs to an NPC so it becomes restless when its social need is low and seeks conversation.

name: needs description: Dynamic motivations (Sims-style) — needs fluctuate and drive behavior license: MIT tier: 1 allowed-tools:

  • read_file
  • write_file scale: range: "0-10" meaning: 10: "Fully satisfied" 7-9: "Comfortable" 4-6: "Manageable" 2-3: "Urgent" 0-1: "Critical" standard_needs:
  • hunger
  • energy
  • fun
  • social
  • comfort
  • bladder related: [simulation, society-of-mind, time, buff, character, cat, dog, yaml-jazz, advertisement] tags: [moollm, sims, motives, behavior, autonomy, game]

Needs Skill

Dynamic motivations (Sims-style).

Motto: "Needs drive the story. Low needs create urgency."

Key Concepts

  • Scale — 0-10 (10 = fully satisfied)
  • Decay — Needs decrease over time
  • Urgency — Low needs interrupt other activities
  • Inner voice — YAML Jazz comments reflect mental state

Standard Needs

| Need | Decay | Satisfy | Critical | |------|-------|---------|----------| | Hunger | 2 hours | EAT, DRINK | 2 | | Energy | 3 hours | SLEEP, REST | 2 | | Fun | 4 hours | PLAY, GAMES | 3 | | Social | 6 hours | TALK, hang out | 3 | | Comfort | Situational | Safe place | 4 | | Bladder | 4 hours | Use bathroom | 1 |

Inner Voice (YAML Jazz)

hunger: 7   # Satisfied. No food thoughts.
hunger: 3   # Getting peckish. Is that pie?
hunger: 1   # FOOD. FOOD. FOOD. FOOD.

See Also

  • time — Needs decay over simulation turns
  • buff — Some buffs affect need decay
  • character — Needs stored in character

Full Protocol

Needs Skill — Dynamic Motivations (Sims-Style)

Needs fluctuate over time and drive behavior.

skill: name: needs tier: 1 protocol: NEEDS-AS-MOTIVATION description: | Needs fluctuate over time and drive behavior. Low needs create urgency. Satisfied needs enable other activities. Comments update to reflect inner voice. motto: "Needs drive the story. Low needs create urgency."

SCALE

scale: range: "0-10" meaning: 10: "Fully satisfied" 7-9: "Comfortable" 4-6: "Manageable" 2-3: "Urgent" 0-1: "Critical"

STANDARD NEEDS

standard_needs: hunger: decay_rate: "-1 per 2 hours" satisfy: ["EAT", "DRINK"] low_effects: ["distraction", "irritability", "food fixation"] critical_at: 2

energy: decay_rate: "-1 per 3 hours (faster if Active high)" satisfy: ["SLEEP", "REST", "coffee (temporary)"] low_effects: ["reduced effectiveness", "yawning", "sluggishness"] critical_at: 2

fun: decay_rate: "-1 per 4 hours" satisfy: ["PLAY", "GAMES", "social", "exploration"] low_effects: ["boredom", "restlessness", "seeking novelty"] critical_at: 3

social: decay_rate: "-1 per 6 hours (varies by Outgoing)" satisfy: ["TALK", "hang out", "party"] low_effects: ["loneliness", "craving conversation"] critical_at: 3

comfort: decay_rate: "Situational (environment-dependent)" satisfy: ["Safe location", "familiar place", "cozy setting"] low_effects: ["anxiety", "restlessness", "seeking home"] critical_at: 4

bladder: decay_rate: "-1 per 4 hours" satisfy: ["Use bathroom"] low_effects: ["urgency", "distraction", "accident risk"] critical_at: 1

INNER VOICE (YAML Jazz)

yaml_jazz_comments: description: | Need values have DYNAMIC COMMENTS that serve as inner voice. Comments update when values change!

examples: hunger: high: "hunger: 7 # Satisfied. No food thoughts." medium: "hunger: 5 # Could eat. Not urgent." low: "hunger: 3 # Getting peckish. Is that pie?" critical: "hunger: 1 # FOOD. FOOD. FOOD. FOOD."

energy:
  high: "energy: 8  # Wide awake. Let's DO things."
  medium: "energy: 5  # Fine. Maybe coffee later."
  low: "energy: 2  # So tired. Everything is hard."
  critical: "energy: 1  # Can't... keep... eyes..."
  
social:
  high: "social: 9  # People are great. I love everyone."
  medium: "social: 5  # Could use a chat."
  low: "social: 2  # Is anyone there? Hello?"

DECAY

decay: timing: "Needs decay over simulation turns" factors: - "Base decay rate" - "Personality traits (Active, Outgoing)" - "Current location effects" - "Active buffs" - "Dribble food to bladder"

SATISFACTION

satisfaction: actions: "Most needs satisfied by specific actions" locations: "Some locations satisfy needs passively (home, pub)" items: "Some items satisfy needs (food, bed)" social: "Interactions can satisfy social need"

CRITICAL NEEDS

critical_needs: description: | When a need hits critical level, behavior changes: - Inner voice becomes URGENT - Other activities interrupted - May trigger autonomous actions

example: | hunger: 1 # I CAN'T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE # IS THERE FOOD? WHERE IS FOOD? # [Character may abandon current task to find food]

integrates_with:

  • skill: character how: "Needs stored in character state"
  • skill: time how: "Needs decay over simulation turns"
  • skill: buff how: "Some buffs affect need decay rates"
  • skill: room how: "Locations can satisfy needs"
Related skills