AI News

Next-gen games need next-gen AI

by 

Jennie Lees

01.03.2006

Method Director has an interesting blog post up on the role of AI to make game characters' performances more realistic. How many times have you wandered away from a character while they continued talking? Tried to shoot your teammates and not had a hint of reprimand for it? Some games handle this better than others, but generally while the graphics and physics engines of modern (and so-called next-gen) games are spectacular, the AI can be unbelievable and wooden.   The arts of theatre direction and improvisational acting are not black and forbidden subjects--they're taught widely and have well known and recognisable methods. It's about time some game developers started getting a little more creative with the way their NPCs behave. Method Director posts a sample algorithm; simple character motivation and emotional states could go a long way to making characters realistic. While some games do manage realistic and believable AI, it seems that most focus on the "wow" factors before making plot and character realistic--and just like a bad movie, a game with great graphics but no depth can flop.