A quick question about AI challenge

[ledroc]

AI challenge.

 

So, being a lifelong gamer, starting back with my Texas Instruments TI-994A

One of the biggest challenges I have found is balancing the AI.

This was the same when I was GM for table top D&D as well.

You want to give the party a challenge but at the same time you can't walk all over them either.

What are your plans for AI balance?

Will it scale with gear?

Will monsters be static for the zone/area they are in so as you grow more powerful you can go back and whoop them.

Will you have any respawns?

Will the NPCs you meet have the same abilities that you do, so facing casters and stealthy rogues, etc?

 

I have seen things on both sides of the coin. Games that are just way too easy to be fun, where they just become a loot fest and likewise games that are too painful to ever get through and are so linear that you end up getting stuck and just quitting.

 

I would love to see some options to where you aren't stuck going down a single path and where the challenge is just enough to frustrate but no so much you want to quit.

[Rabain]

That is why I liked the BG1 approach to the campaign story over the BG2 approach. BG1 you have a fairly short Candlekeep and then a fairly big world to explore before pursuing the main story through Cloakwood. In BG2 you had a long introduction in Irenicus dungeon that fast became tedious with each playthrough and then you get dumped into a big city with fairly comprehensive questlines to follow (Unseeing Eye, Umar Hills, Trademeet).

 

While other aspects of BG2 made it awesome, the continuing bhaalspawn story, the romance options, the fortress questlines etc I always felt much less freedom in BG2 than BG1 offered.

 

What has this to do with AI you might ask, well the world serves as a learning curve for your character, you always have the option to continue exploring and coming back to a fight rather than finding yourself stuck at a certain point with nowhere to go. The freedom to know you are outclassed and return to exploring for a while until you grow stronger is a nice option to know you have.