Game AI

[tabasko]

I'd like to start some discussion on AI in games. Graphics in games improve each year, but I feel like there has been not much advancement in AI at all in the past decade or so. Off the top of my head, I can only think of pathing which improved (remember in HL1 hostages following you basically walked in a straight line), and AI will go for cover between shots.

Difficulty modes in recent games mean nothing but how much pain you want to go through.
FPSs: The harder it is, the more dmg you take and the faster the AI starts shooting you.
Strategy games: The harder it is, the more "multiplier" the AI has. 2x income, 2x dmg.

Are there any games with good AI?

[GT7R]

I think making the AI better is possible, but very difficult. And as of late, games lean more and more towards multiplayer rather than the single player campaign, so most companies won't invest much in the AI. They'll rather invest on the graphics, in-game action, rewards etc. Personally I think of the Campaign more as a tool which helps you to get the feel of the game before jumping into the deep waters of the MP.

[tabasko]

There are a lot of single player games that could benefit from better AI such as sandbox games or single player FPS's (ex. Just cause 2 / deus ex).

I don't think it would be too hard to improve AI slightly I don't expect too much but when the AI just stands in there and takes a shot at me exactly every 3.5 seconds it makes the game very boring for me. Devs don't need to make any AI but just add a few patterns for the NPCs. A few examples I can think of:

1. Synchronized attacks. Enemies in sandbox games such as just cause 2 will just start attacking you from the moment they see you, and then go through a loop and shoot you every now and then. Why not make them time their attacks with other NPCs nearby. They can duck for cover, and all start shooting at the same time, or wait until you pop out and then come out as well to take a shot on you.

2. Attacking or retreating AI. Yes, sometimes the AI is scripted to attack you, based on a trigger, such as opening a door, but what about all the other "random" enemies that you encounter. They will mostly just stay where they spawn, go for the nearest cover, and shoot at you. It would be nice if they were coded to advance on you, if you were camping, or run away, if you are on the offensive. Say if you stay in the same location for more than 20-30 seconds, AI will surround the room, cover all exits, and throw a grenade in.

I played just cause 2 for only 2 hours because I found it so boring that all the enemies would basically just stand there. In deus ex, the game's AI is exactly the same as in MGS1.

How hard would it be to implement basic attack patterns in current 60$ games?

[Squeetard]

Skyrims NPC AI is much better than Oblivions was. But still lacking. Again, I'm betting we are bound by the limitations of consoles.

[Kommie986]

ARMA 2's AI is one of the best in the FPS industry.

[tabasko]

Kommie that's nice to know, I have arma2 but never got around to playing it since bf3 came out, I'll give it a shot soon.

[Kommie986]

Arma 2 AI Awareness Experiment - YouTube

I do have some complaints with Arma2 though. The physics suck, the dialogue is very bad, it's complicated and hard to get used to, and it can be very boring.

[yanhchan]

ARMA Operation Arrowhead AI has been improved but it still took a few mods to get the units to start patroling and clearing buildings on their own. But the ambient traffic and civillian modules are great.

BF3 AI is absolute garbage, they make minimal effort to flank, instead it focuses on completely linear plans of attack.

I believe all game AI should get the fight or flight decision making model, if they recognise their combat effectiveness is down they should attempt to fall back to a hard-point and regroup.


**side note**
If you're playing vanilla ARMA II and just no editior/fan made maps yes you will have a bad time. But if you rock some SLX, ACE, ASR_AI (adds AI building clearing, combat effectiveness/awareness, inter group reporting/supporting), CRM it becomes awesome. I honeslty never buy BIS games for the campaign/missions, its all about making your own or trying out some other community designer's missions/co-op games.

It has a mature fan base and is after all a simulator, if you go in the online expecting COD/BF, the community will tell you to GTFO (which I love since I don't need team mates ramboing and wrecking our plan of attacks). We don't bother counting kills, we count how many objectives we can accomplish as a team.

Hopefully you'll revisit and test out the new Domination Co-Op games or MSO missions.

Yeah the physics engine could use for PhysX magic (A3 is going to have improved physics)

Also BIS is GREAT for patching, they recently released a patch for Armed Assault during christmas...AA came out a longg time ago. we're talking about a patch that comes after 2 new successful games and 3 DLCs.

**Suggested games with excellent AI and gameplay**
ARMA Operation Arrowhead + ARMA II = Combined Ops (best mod support combo)
F.E.A.R. (great situation awareness, teamwork, toss nades at you to get you to stop camping, tactics change)
FEAR 2 (dumbed down a bit from FEAR 1 but still good)
Stalker (better than fallout 3 AI)

[TedShackley]

never heard of that game before

well one thing I remember was in far cry 2, sometimes after saves the AI would be pointing their guns away from me, but when they start shooting I would get hit, just a glitch, but made it confusing sometimes to sneak up on them

1-2 times in skyrim a dragon glitched and just sat their doing next to nothing while I killed it, no hard saves close enough to reload. A few eniemies have also glitched something like that in the middle of a fight. I quicksave alot, I bet that has an effect.

the zombies in skyrim are funny, the draugrs run funny undead or reanimated undead, the pretty girl enemies-raised zombies are still stuck-up and unresponsive to romantic advances, its not gonna happen, and they disintegrate after 60s or so



The AI in Payday the Heist is good enough, fun game so far, my AI team-mates find cover, and come to me and help when I'm severely shotup

[Adzsask]

I had to think back to my fave AI in a game...sad, socom 2 popped in my head where you could give your squad commands and stuff and on hard if you lost a couple from your squad you were pretty much done for.