Description
Echo AI was a project that aimed to allow players in the MMO Graal Online Classic to communicate fully with OpenAI's ChatGPT within the game. Echo ran from July 23 to July 28, 2024, before the Graal administration staff shut it down. Despite its short runtime, Echo accumulated thousands of messages from hundreds of unique users.
Technical Details
Echo was written in AutoHotkey Version 2 (AHKV2). The program monitored private messages (PMs), opened detected messages, extracted the sender’s username and message contents, and forwarded that data to the ChatGPT API. After receiving a response, Echo posted the reply into the game’s open chat and logged both the incoming and outgoing messages.
The bot included command detection to prevent players from forcing in-game command execution. Messages attempting to trigger commands were dropped, except for Graal Online Classic’s built-in Rock-Paper-Scissors minigame. Echo could participate by randomly selecting rock, paper, or scissors.
Early issues included occasional duplicated or missing letters due to browser limitations. Initially using Firefox, which introduced delay and blocked paste functionality, Echo simulated keystrokes with timed character input. After discovering Chromium-based browsers allowed proper copy-and-paste, the project moved to Microsoft Edge, resolving most input inconsistencies.
Project Findings
The account eventually received a warning from Graal Online Classic administration stating simply “No.” Use of the program was immediately ceased. After reviewing the Code of Conduct and requesting clarification, administration responded: “Any program used to operate an account in place of a person is prohibited.” Attempts to continue the conversation did not receive further replies.
Closing Notes
The project demonstrated strong player engagement and highlighted how naturally players interacted with an AI-driven character. ChatGPT recognized recurring users and running jokes, which made the experience feel dynamic and alive.
However, moderation remained a challenge, as some messages were inappropriate and responses were not always perfectly filtered. The bot also required occasional manual restarts and was not fully autonomous. A future iteration may have explored self-hosted models such as Ollama to reduce API costs and increase control.
Although Echo’s lifespan was brief, it remains one of the most popular and enjoyable projects undertaken.