If an NPC calls to AI to talk...

And no one is around to listen, are we just wasting tokens?

Yup.

typeclasses/chatbots.py

@@ -436,12 +436,13 @@ class Dragon(Traveler):
                 "say Look at all these luscious peoples.",
                 "emote waves to everyone.",
                 "emote waves to everybody."
-            ])
+            ]
         delay(5, self.do_cmd, cmd)
 
     def goodbye(self, new_room=None):
         if self.location.key == "Wyldwood Bar":
             self.do_cmd("drop drink")
+        if self.location.characters_here():
             system_prompt = self.setting_and_backstory()
             messages = [{"role": "user", "content": "Say goodbye."}]
             reply = self._think(system_prompt, messages)

typeclasses/objects.py

@@ -846,6 +846,7 @@ class AI:
         and 'messages' from the JSON history function,
         appended with all 'events' recorded since last time.
         """
+        if self.location.characters_here():
             system_prompt = self.setting_and_backstory(speaker)
             messages = self.history(speaker)
             recent_events = self.pop_recent_events(speech)