Influence smart AI to gameplay

[obyknven]

Why enthusiasts can free make smart bots with excellent AI and you are not? With smart AI NWN 2

transformed from boring micromanagement in an exciting adventure. I speak about this:

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2H...tail&id=141

[213374U]

Because excellent AI isn't cost-effective. People would rather have shiny graphics, cool interfaces, interesting gameplay mechanics, and any number of other more visible things, than an AI that can kick their asses without cheating if they aren't paying attention, and most importantly, surprise the player and adapt to changing conditions. Depending on the type of game, AI can also be quite processor intensive.

 

And then there's modding. If people really want better AI and the game deserves it, the modding community will eventually produce an AI overhaul for those that do want it, which places it even lower on the dev priority scale.

Edited April 12, 2010 by 213374U

[Tigranes]

Depending on the type of game, AI can also be quite processor intensive.

 

This is more significant than some people suspect, I think. Stuff like TonyK's AI and other AI mods for infinity engine games and other RPGs often do their thing by adding more variables for enemies to keep track of, more if clauses, more contingency plans, more detecting values (does the hero have buff X or buff Y, or buff X and at health<20%, or buff X & Y while eating a bran muffin?).

 

Still, it is one of the great tragedies - poor AI is the gold standard.

[obyknven]

I think developers do not use all the features of AI in RPG.

- The AI would release players from routine operations, for example, to make it control of the party more macro. This will give the opportunity to focus on the protagonist, plot, and other more interesting things.

- The AI can be used to model the nature of the characters in the RPG, those that they were indeed individuals, by themselves, rather than by plot. Alignment (as well as selfishness, cowardice, self-sacrifice, recklessness, etc.) make affect to the behavior of the character in battle, make fighting more unpredictable and exciting. Opponents gain individuality and would no longer resemble Zerglings controlled by Overmind.

- The AI can be used to create clever and cunning foes to battle with some "master of horror", the player felt that this is the master of horror, not another column healt points which need to kill to take the storyline further.

- The AI can be used to create an adequate competitive player, that is parallel to the player played, and NPC, with the NPC would take away a player of some quest item, a treasure and so on. That the player does not have the feeling of loneliness in the game

- And much, much more

 

AI can be used as a powerful tool for creating a more lively, interactive game world.

[Oner]

- The AI can be used to model the nature of the characters in the RPG, those that they were indeed individuals, by themselves, rather than by plot. Alignment (as well as selfishness, cowardice, self-sacrifice, recklessness, etc.) make affect to the behavior of the character in battle, make fighting more unpredictable and exciting. Opponents gain individuality and would no longer resemble Zerglings controlled by Overmind.

- The AI can be used to create clever and cunning foes to battle with some "master of horror", the player felt that this is the master of horror, not another column healt points which need to kill to take the storyline further.

Waiting for these to happen. Mage with infinite 9th level spells and 2k hit points is the kind of boss I hate the most.

 

 

- The AI can be used to create an adequate competitive player, that is parallel to the player played, and NPC, with the NPC would take away a player of some quest item, a treasure and so on. That the player does not have the feeling of loneliness in the game

Yeah, I was rather disappointed at the end of BG 1, when the party vs party turned out to be Dude Dealing 60 Damage*, Other Dude Dealing 50 Damage*, WhoTheHellIsThisGuy The Mage and That DimWit From The Flaming Fist, all immune to their traps it I'm not mistaken.

And coveniently sitting in the other end of the map doing nothing.

 

*per swing, naturally

Edited April 13, 2010 by Oner

[obyknven]

a good attempt to make good AI:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaves_to_Arm..._Dwarf_Fortress

The AI of everything is also extremely complex, most games of today are a joke compared to it.

 

In the Data Relms (cortex commands) is also constantly working to improve the AI

www.datarealms.com/

 

Another example of interesting use of A.I.:

A homunculus in Ragnarok Online is a monster that is under the control of an alchemist. A homunculus has it’s own set of stats, hp, sp, etc. and can die. And, the best part of all, you can write your own AI script for your Homunculus in LUA (that IS the purpose of this guide isn't it?). If you script your Homunculus properly it can turn your Homunculus from a KSing pile of junk into a loyal Killing Machine!

Edited April 14, 2010 by obyknven

[Walsingham]

If we want good AI we need to have some rating scale so games can boast "You liked Bigbang Shoota 3, and our new game has THREE TIMES the AI!"

 

Nerds like numbers.