What games have great enemy AI?

[Mike Gayner]

FarCry2
...
Metro2033

Umm, you trollin' right? Both of these games rate among the worst AI ever created. Also I love how you emphasise the 2 - hilariously ironic considering the first FC actually had decent AI, unlike the second one.

 

[JamesV]

Did the OP really mention Wizardry 8 as a good example of AI? Must not have played the game I did (about 10 times)... they just walked at you and attacked when in range.

The best shooter AI I've seen has to be the Unreal Tournament series bots. There really isn't anything special about the actual AI coding, but placeable points in the map editor like "Good sniping spot" made them feel more like human players.

Far Cry was decent, but the AI lacked situational awareness, which made them look like puppets at times - like when 5 enemies would all take the same dumb path coming toward you, ready to be mowed down.

I hate to say it, but the Elder Scroll games probably have the best AI, which isn't saying much. The NPCs all have a schedule and interact with each other while on their daily routines (too bad the voice acting sounds wooden with strange pauses, and the same phrases over and over). When you think of designing that for a city, without driving the player mad (most of the time), it's pretty impressive to handle all those actors so well (at least logically, not naturally).

 

[Via]

That's not my memory of Wizardry 8. I rememeber enemies atacking, casting spells, flanking towards injured party members and generally forcing you to make tough choices.

I loved those battles. But that was a long time ago.

 

[Stringjam]

Umm, you trollin' right? Both of these games rate among the worst AI ever created. Also I love how you emphasise the 2 - hilariously ironic considering the first FC actually had decent AI, unlike the second one.

In what ways do you think the first game had better AI than the second?

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Strategy and FPS games are really the places for "ai" in games currently.

The thing is, when people request "great enemy AI" what they should really be doing is playing human opponents in online multiplayer. Sadly, AI just pales in comparison to playing against real opponents, especially for RTS. Even the best AI can be easily outsmarted or tricked into a suicidal attack in a strategy game.

 

[PowerYoga]

some people don't want to deal with assholes online, especially shooters that let 12 year olds talk.

Not to mention for RTS games (like starcraft), you're likely to run into morons as well as players that just completely outclass you. It's rare you get an even match that test your skills.

 

[thespyder]

some people don't want to deal with assholes online, especially shooters that let 12 year olds talk.

Not to mention for RTS games (like starcraft), you're likely to run into morons as well as players that just completely outclass you. It's rare you get an even match that test your skills.

This. I would also add to the above, not only are there a LOT of real jerks out there, and the fact that you are ALWAYS playing miss-matched skill level, AND people who just want to grief players.... There is also the fact that I have yet to see a single online game where "Defeat" meant anything at all.

As for good a.i. I agree with Gal Civ2 and Thief.

I would also mention Baldur's Gate 2. Before people attack.... Yes, the pathing was at times really horrible, and yes, you could "Most times" draw your opponent out to you one at a time. But most of the tactical combats were very tactical. Particularly some of the mage battles. Position played a HUGE part in what you did and if you won or lost. And defenses (type and amount) played a large part.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

some people don't want to deal with assholes online, especially shooters that let 12 year olds talk.

Not to mention for RTS games (like starcraft), you're likely to run into morons as well as players that just completely outclass you. It's rare you get an even match that test your skills.

Of course, in SC2, there's a ranking system that allows you to get matched with relatively equal people.

And if you're being that outclassed, its safe to say your skills suck and there is nothing to test. Even the shittiest player in the world will get tested if they play with another shitty player.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

some people don't want to deal with assholes online, especially shooters that let 12 year olds talk.

Not to mention for RTS games (like starcraft), you're likely to run into morons as well as players that just completely outclass you. It's rare you get an even match that test your skills.

What games are all these 12 year olds playing, because I almost never see them (or hear I guess)? Granted I've never played on xbox, but I'm frequently online in CS:S, TF2, Red orchestra 2 and, until recently: BF:BC2 and I very rarely spot these annoying teens people claim are infesting MP games Am I playing the wrong games? Are they only on XBL? Maybe I'm just to tolerant (that would be a first..)

And it's easy enough to mute people anyway, at least in TF2 which is where I've heard the majority of annoying a-holes.

 

[JamesV]

That's not my memory of Wizardry 8. I rememeber enemies atacking, casting spells, flanking towards injured party members and generally forcing you to make tough choices.

I loved those battles. But that was a long time ago.

I loved the game also (and every Wizardry since the first)... considering reinstalling it now, but wary of issues with Win7.

Yes they did flank if possible in Wiz 8, but only as they got to your location - if another enemy was in front of them, they went to the side, which could put them behind your front line. Not really good AI, but simple pathfinding to get the enemy in a position to attack.

Good AI is when the enemy forces you to think, and adapts so that their actions are not always the same (which is the main problem with AI these days imo). In Wiz 8, I mainly would find a corner to sit in when a large group of monsters came near, and nuke the hell out of them as they approached. Can't flank me, so biggest worry is their ranged.

If the AI found me doing this often, and then spread out the enemies so nuking would hit less, or concentrated all fire on one front line guy to try to break through, or anything that wasn't simply walk towards and attack when in range... then that would be good AI.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

The AI in FEAR is what kept it fun after multiple playthrough's.

During second year of college we were group tasked with topics & we all cover a different aspect of something. We picked AI, so I went with video game AI since it intrigued me the most. FEAR was still pretty fresh on the minds of being top, when it came to video game AI at the time too.
But when we submitted all of our papers to the group lead to compile together in final piece, he changed all of the times I named Half Life & FEAR in examples, to Halo. I was pissed. I didn't realize that until after he submitted the final product.
At least he didn't lay hand on altering my portion of the power point presentation, I guess.

At root, AI only carries the illusion imitation of intelligence, but has a long way to go before true AI has been created in video games.

 

[videogames101]

Why search for the best AI, just play multiplayer!

The most epic battles are against other smart people.

 

[thespyder]

Why search for the best AI, just play multiplayer!

Because Multiplayer isn't always as fun for everyone else as it is (apparently) for you.

The most epic battles are against other smart people.

Which is primarily the point. Not everyone that plays online/multiplayer is smart. Quite a lot in fact are deeply stupid.

And there are skill disparity issues (noted above).

And there are just plain griefers (as noted above).

And it is still very possible indeed to have an epic battle against a computer AI.

 

[Stringjam]

Why search for the best AI, just play multiplayer!

The most epic battles are against other smart people.

Because I love nothing better than an immersive, involving story....something MP doesn't offer.

 

[thespyder]

Because I love nothing better than an immersive, involving story....something MP doesn't offer.

+1

 

[NoSoup4You]

FEAR and Halo are the only ones that standout. Crysis wasn't bad, either.

 

[fixbsod]

There really is no comparing AI and true human players. I've found it easier to just not worry so much about K/D or win/loss ratios, or other online achievement stuff and just HAVE FUN. Yes you will run into the 10 year old screaming obscenities or griefer, but then you adapt -- mute the idiots and grief the griefers. And is there really that much griefing???

There's no comparison to a real human. I had a really good MW3 matchup against my brother during the Steam free weekend. Brother wiped me good the first match and on the 2nd I was ahead by just 1 kill and the last 45 seconds there was a pretty intense firefight. He was gotting shot, I was getting shot, grenades going off and at the end we were both left standing. Pretty epic considering neither of us went down despite all the bullets and explosions. Would I have something like that in an AI match? NO! BECAUSE ITS AI! Just knowing you're playing a real person makes a ton of difference in enjoyment.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

If you happen to be looking for a racing game, Gran Turismo 4.

 

[Stringjam]

There really is no comparing AI and true human players. I've found it easier to just not worry so much about K/D or win/loss ratios, or other online achievement stuff and just HAVE FUN. Yes you will run into the 10 year old screaming obscenities or griefer, but then you adapt -- mute the idiots and grief the griefers. And is there really that much griefing???

There's no comparison to a real human. I had a really good MW3 matchup against my brother during the Steam free weekend. Brother wiped me good the first match and on the 2nd I was ahead by just 1 kill and the last 45 seconds there was a pretty intense firefight. He was gotting shot, I was getting shot, grenades going off and at the end we were both left standing. Pretty epic considering neither of us went down despite all the bullets and explosions. Would I have something like that in an AI match? NO! BECAUSE ITS AI! Just knowing you're playing a real person makes a ton of difference in enjoyment.

I think the MP guys are missing the point of this thread....creating great AI in SINGLE-PLAYER games.

I've spent hundreds of hours in MP FPS.....I get really tired of it. Spawn, kill, die....over and over and over. Yeah, I've had a lot of fun with it, but if MP FPS was the only type of PC game available I would quit gaming.

What locks me to my chair now? A good story with interesting characters + good gameplay mechanics. I think the advancement of AI in these types of games is the biggest frontier in game development....and yet seems to get very little attention.

 

[wuliheron]

I think the MP guys are missing the point of this thread....creating great AI in SINGLE-PLAYER games.

I've spent hundreds of hours in MP FPS.....I get really tired of it. Spawn, kill, die....over and over and over. Yeah, I've had a lot of fun with it, but if MP FPS was the only type of PC game available I would quit gaming.

What locks me to my chair now? A good story with interesting characters + good gameplay mechanics. I think the advancement of AI in these types of games is the biggest frontier in game development....and yet seems to get very little attention.

I agree 100%.

AI equations are not cheap to develop and its really graphics that sell video games. Physics uses similar equations, but because they can make a big improvement in graphics they get a lot more funding. For a chess program or whatever AI is much more important to sales so it gets funded better.

 

[MrWizzard]

FEAR
FarCry2
Crysis (on Delta w/ a few tweaks)
Metro2033

STALKER AI is pretty good.

AI still has a long way to go......I think AI improvement is one way to truly add something unique to the current gaming scene, but honestly it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Stalker AI is hit and miss I don't get it. Sometimes it really gets me and then sometimes this......lol (this is deep in chernobyl reactor.) Sometimes it would heatshot me from 100s of feet out with a pistol.... Still a good game.

http://www.twitch.tv/xsmee/b/310776193

Clicking is the geiger counter not a sound problem....