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Video Game Characters Are Now Smarter and Less Predictable

physorg.com — Video games used to come preprogrammed with canned movements that expert players eventually could anticipate and figure out. But recent advancements in video game design - and new game consoles with dazzling computing power - have endowed computer-controlled characters with a sense of self-preservation and unpredictability not seen even a year ago.

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  • bboyjkang, on 07/13/2008, -2/+29Euphoria Engine
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n9KkKbGR_Y

    Kynapse AI Engine
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le5Cx4AkAqY

    "Reil expects future games to get still more complex and unpredictable. For instance, computer-controlled characters might carry on conversations with their human opponents"
    • furii, on 07/13/2008, -1/+2An early video (2003) where NaturalMotion shows a few concepts which were then used in the Euphoria Engine:
      http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/torsten_reil_st ...

    • Shaflugi, on 07/14/2008, -8/+2For anybody that doesn't know, GTA4 uses the Euphoria engine.
      • qwertydvorak, on 07/14/2008, -1/+5for anybody who didn't read the article. they mentioned it a few times in there.
      • Peck3277, on 07/14/2008, -0/+4For any idiots that didn't RTFA, GTA4 uses the Euphoria engine.
    • Harabeck, on 07/14/2008, -0/+2So if you try talking to an ingame enemy and telling it its just stupid stormtrooper number 347 does it become self aware and take over your computer?
    • opnickc, on 07/14/2008, -0/+11"computer-controlled characters might carry on conversations with their human opponents"
      I'm sure that'll go well. . .


      You: Hello stormtrooper

      Stormtrooper: How do you do. Please state your problem.

      You: Yeah, I don't like the whole emperor taking over the galaxy thing.

      Stormtrooper: Why do you not like the whole emperor taking over the galaxy thing?

      You: umm. . . because it removes power from local authorities which are more in tune to the needs of their citizens, in addition to being fascist.

      Stormtrooper: Do any other reasons not come to mind?

      You: Not come to mind? If they don't come to mind, how would I know about them?

      Stormtrooper: Do you wish that they dont come to mind what would you know about them?

      You: Yeah, I'm going to kill you with my lightsabre now.

      Stormtrooper: Why do you say your lightsabre now?

      *Psheew!*


      (Source - http://www-ai.ijs.si/eliza/eliza.html )
  • vsujohn2, on 07/13/2008, -2/+63At least we still know we can attack the giant enemy crab's weak point... for massive damage.
  • diggB, on 07/13/2008, -1/+42In terms of immersion, graphics can only take you so far. The rest is up to the character AI and how they respond to stimulus. I remember the first time I played Golden Eye on the Nintendo 64, I shot a guard in the leg and he fell down and clutched his limb in virtual pain. It was at that moment that I was totally hooked.
    • Zarokima, on 07/14/2008, -3/+10My favorite Bioshock moment: After fighting a Big Daddy, I wait around a corner to ambush an approaching splicer. Instead of taking the expected path, it instead chose to walk towards a proximity mine left over from the Big Daddy. The poor guy's last words were "ooh, what's this?"
  • Haoie, on 07/14/2008, -2/+80Will you help us destroy the evil overlord and save the princess?

    Yes
    No

    No: But you must!!

    Will you help us destroy the evil overlord and save the princess?

    Yes
    No
    • eyepatch100, on 07/14/2008, -0/+36That is a non-linear storyline.
    • BlueSkyfish, on 07/14/2008, -0/+36Try playing Super Paper Mario.

      "Would you help us save the universe?

      [ ]yes
      [x]no

      Oh, ok then...
      GAME OVER!"
      • Verz, on 07/14/2008, -0/+2There are plenty of these in that game.

        "Hey look, we're in space. Do you want to put your helmet on?"

        [ ]yes
        [x]no

        GAME OVER
  • doshindude, on 07/14/2008, -11/+1well...it doesn't exactly apply to EVERY game. I mean, in Mario Kart Wii, the AI is smart, but still predictable: I get blue shelled 8 times in one race all the same and totally expect it.
  • C4Strife, on 07/14/2008, -9/+3It's more like NPCs are smarter.
  • p0ss, on 07/14/2008, -8/+2meh, get back to me when they are taking over wall street.
  • LiberalKid, on 07/14/2008, -1/+25Is this article suggesting that as computer's speed and memory have improved, its possibly to write more complex AI for NPCs, because that could never have been deduced logically.
  • Jenadae, on 07/14/2008, -0/+7I actually just got done playing GRID for the night which is an amazing example of what this article is talking about. Each NPC has so many varied reactions to each thing that could happen and they actually play like they can make human errors. It really gives gaming a whole new level of depth.
    • Dunge, on 07/14/2008, -1/+2Hmm I finished the game (at normal difficulty) and I never found the AI much intelligent. They simply stay in pack, brake before corners and brake before hitting someone. Go play online and you'll see humans drive very very differently.
      • BearinG, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1Yeah but not all humans online drive like they would if they were actually racing in real life.. if you get a good bunch of drivers, then I agree..
  • Evilblobs, on 07/14/2008, -6/+0Ooh dynamically generated animations and worlds are less predictable, who knew...


    Also, still waiting for an AI that is actually 'smart.'
  • Adrian540, on 07/14/2008, -9/+11In other news: the sky is blue.
  • rojano17, on 07/14/2008, -9/+4No *****.
  • M724, on 07/14/2008, -6/+2So in the future, "intelligent" computer-controlled characters will talk to you, huh? How long until someone cooks up a really creepy dialogue and implement it in a game?
  • Jacksonblue, on 07/14/2008, -8/+2Obviously this was going to happen. It's called technology and it'd be stupid if it didn't.
  • h4mx0r, on 07/14/2008, -1/+12They will become self aware. We will become slaves.
    • korvan504521, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1All this has happened before and will happen again
  • dhVyse, on 07/14/2008, -2/+4This combined with completely deformable terrain and buildings will result in some amazing games.. I won't hold my breath.
  • Bittermanscolon, on 07/14/2008, -8/+2Right now? This very second? They just SUDDENLY turned smarter.........article title could use work.
  • jmpeagle, on 07/14/2008, -0/+24so we are programming software to outsmart us and refuse to be terminated? Only good can come from this.
  • PilotHead, on 07/14/2008, -2/+4Thank God quarter circle forward and punch will always do something.
  • ousthouse, on 07/14/2008, -2/+3Maybe we're just getting dumber?
  • LordSubtle, on 07/14/2008, -2/+1None of them come close to The Nameless One
  • imcybersmart, on 07/14/2008, -6/+1are you calling mario stupid??!?!??!?!?!?!??!??!!
    • GregorCZ, on 07/14/2008, -0/+7Well he kept going into castles that the princess wasn't even in, so, yeah, a little.
  • JoshReflek, on 07/14/2008, -1/+6buried for buzzword laden, poorly informed writing.

    this article has no information pertaining to a hot topic, yet still tries to stay hip and relevant.


    they speak of 'chips' and advancing technology when A.I. is the real topic.
  • hingu, on 07/14/2008, -0/+7Stormtroopers...intelligent? Aren't they just cannon fodder?
  • Wootstapler, on 07/14/2008, -4/+3Euphoria, GTA IV.
    Kthxbi.
  • 5plic3r, on 07/14/2008, -2/+2In other news, personal computers are now faster and cheaper.
  • Tahiri, on 07/14/2008, -1/+2Finally, processing power is getting the (media) credit it deserves instead of retards claiming it just improves graphics.
  • Vazel, on 07/14/2008, -0/+4Enemy AI is only marginally better than they used to be. They're still stupid.
  • jave8u, on 07/14/2008, -0/+2Smarter? Throwing up their hands when I throw a grenade at them is smart? It's just a larger amount of outcomes, some more fulfilling for the player than others.
  • mjspear, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1I concur with the man above. AI is at best marginally better than it used to be. Where are the enemy soldiers who lob a grenade to my left and then cut me off to the right? Where are the enemies who send out a seemingly easy target only to lull me into an ambush? And for pete's sake, why hasn't the enemy learned how to strafe yet?!
  • CrushThemTorg, on 07/14/2008, -1/+1Are you telling me physics are the new graphics? Holy *****! I also can't wait for the 2004 election.
  • michaelaranda, on 07/14/2008, -0/+11"Now Stormtroopers, or the cops in "Grand Theft Auto IV," want to stay alive. "

    This made me feel strange. Can I seriously feel okay about killing an NPC that genuinely WANTS to stay alive within its perceived universe? I mean, it's just code...

    ...right?
  • widgetmaker, on 07/14/2008, -5/+4Since when is the wii powerful enough it's barely more than a souped up gamecube.
  • ohplease, on 07/14/2008, -0/+4

    Or you could just go the Serious Sam route and instead of 6 smart opponents, send in 60 suicide bombers that are screaming at you and dumb as hell.
  • Metasquares, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1This opens up new opportunities for people interested in game AIs.
  • antdude, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1Bah, just play multiplayer!
  • NanoStuff, on 07/14/2008, -0/+2It's all fun and games until the AI becomes so advanced you end up killing living beings.
  • SpyDerMann, on 07/14/2008, -0/+5You are less predictable to be eaten by a grue.
  • digglet08, on 07/14/2008, -0/+0I can't wait for twenty years from now.
  • Raptor007, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2"Only the latest generation of gaming consoles, Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360, Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii, are powerful enough to handle such complex animation systems."

    And a PC can handle it even better. (Also, I think the original Xbox could probably handle this stuff about as well as a Wii could.)
  • jewbird, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2I'll be happy with smarter and less predictable publishers.
  • adamk0310, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1Will the Stormtroopers be able to hit anything?
  •  

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