Graphics vs A.I

[uksoldierboy]

AI is more game-specific than graphics. Most games have different rules, although perhaps FPS games are quite similar.

My main problem with AI's in most games is the total lack of any kind of learning. Or something to approximate learning.

We've all seen situations in FPS, where you set up a kill zone at a choke point, and all the AI soldiers pour in to be gunned down. The AI routines don't associate their last action and the end result. "100% failure, try something else" does not seem to feature in any FPS AI I've ever seen Even the so-called "smart" AI's like FEAR (which was more marketing than reality).

+1 You'd think in games like Arma 3, which is a Military combat sim, the AI would be decent, but it's truly crap, even simple things like if throwing a grenade at the enemy results in them just laying there, not a care in the world.

I'd like to see AI, at least in FPS games react to the players actions more.

 

[Rroff]

AI is more game-specific than graphics. Most games have different rules, although perhaps FPS games are quite similar.

My main problem with AI's in most games is the total lack of any kind of learning. Or something to approximate learning.

We've all seen situations in FPS, where you set up a kill zone at a choke point, and all the AI soldiers pour in to be gunned down. The AI routines don't associate their last action and the end result. "100% failure, try something else" does not seem to feature in any FPS AI I've ever seen Even the so-called "smart" AI's like FEAR (which was more marketing than reality).

Was working on a mod for q2 a few years ago where the AI was implemented with a "director" that would modify the behaviour of the monsters depending on their states and player actions - while they had the upper hand they'd chase you down and be more aggressive - while if they were taking more damage, etc. run away and try and pull you towards more powerful enemy, etc. with some rudimentary learning - sadly don't have a great video of it in action - best I have to hand:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcFeLFaC8WA

(Designed for coop hence some of them take a lot more damage than usual to kill).

Unlike you'd typically find in a game where the AI have a set spawn point and set scripts/paths the director would try and populate the map and set individual monsters goals to move around (and being coop would also try and spawn in reinforcement waves) - had a very spooky thing happen once where I fired up a multiplayer map I hadn't played in a long time forgetting I had the mod loaded... ran around a corner and out of the shadows strolled a strogg - not noticing me carried on down the corridor stopping occasionally to look left and right - quite spooky when you'd fired up what you thought was an empty multiplayer map.

EDIT: Did eventually get them jumping sort of properly to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2M-FEn8Rys

 

[kaku]

AI is also a very difficult sell for the marketing department.

With new graphics technology it's easy: you post some amazing screenshots and everybody goes "oooh" and they're talking about it.

"Incredible enemy AI!" is usually added as an afterthought (maybe they couldn't think of any more USPs...) and enemy behaviour has largely been the same for the past 20 years. Hard to sell = just do the bare minimum.