Ask HN: Game devs, what is the hardest part about designing an AI for your game?

Re:Ask HN: Game devs, what is the hardest part about designi... by blattimwind on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @03:33PM (#19322463)

There are actually various anecdotes about game developers playtesting "smart AI" where playtesters came back with very negative impressions, because e.g. a couple NPCs giving suppressive fire while another group flanks you quietly felt to players like the NPCs were cheating.

I believe one of these anecdotes was about the AI in F.E.A.R. and their solution was to add very clear callouts to the NPCs whenever the NPC made a decision ("Flanking, cover me!"). I think FEAR also had the concept of a director AI which handed out "tickets" to NPCs for attacking the player; an NPC without a ticket couldn't attack the player, so this limited how many NPCs engaged simultaneously.

I remember AI in Jagged Alliance 2 frequently flanking you and at first that was very frustrating; the stock (1999) JA2 AI is much better than every newbie to the game. You really had to think tactically and think about your moves and approach to be successful in that game. If you just go in "guns blazing" the AI will outmaneuver and outgun you. AI in that game was sometimes quite adept with grenades and such as well.

Edit: Talk about FEAR AI, might/might not be related https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmOOrh5lq7o#t=1m44s

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Re:Ask HN: Game devs, what is the hardest part about designi... by muzani on Friday March 08, 2019 @04:39AM (#19336253)

Honestly the main reason I enjoyed XCOM (the new one) over X-Com (the old one) was that AI felt a lot smarter than me. I found it entertaining in how clever it was. You'd think you set up a clever perimeter and all and oops, got flanked by a little Sectoid hiding behind a post box.

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