Just a few years back, I’d get back home from school, grab a plate of food, and get down to what I’d been thinking about all day, gaming. And it wasn’t just one form of gaming, sometimes it’d be console, PC, or even online cloud gaming (thanks to my high-speed Hawaiian Telcom Internet ).
In all the games I’ve played over the years, I’ve come across some great characters that enriched both the plot and my gaming experience. And no, I’m not just talking about the protagonists, I’m also talking about the villains .
Villains have always captivated me with their ability to make the game more interesting and challenging to play. However, most villains in my childhood were one-dimensional with limited or repetitive actions and dialogue.
Fortunately, video game villains have greatly improved over the years to become more advanced, intelligent, and complex, all thanks to the power of artificial intelligence (AI).
The use of AI in enemy game design has greatly improved the capabilities of villains, enriching the gaming experience across all levels. From minions to the final boss, AI has enabled the creation of more dynamic and realistic game enemies.
This article will discuss how using AI in enemy game design has paved the way for intelligent opponents in games. Together, we will explore:
It’s game time!
What Does Using AI in Enemy Game Design Mean?
Using AI in enemy game design is using the power of artificial intelligence to enable smarter NPC behavior among villains. This process entails programming the non-player characters, in this case, the villains, to display more intelligent behaviors, make human-like decisions, and dynamically adapt to the player’s actions. All this allows for a more engaging, realistic, and challenging gaming experience.
It might be hard to believe that the use of AI in enemy game design dates back to the 1970s, when gamers were enjoying the golden era of arcade games. It began with Space Invaders , featuring high difficulty levels, unique character movements, and in-game events that were dependent on the player’s input.
From there, it became highly popular, with other classics like Galaxian offering complex and diverse enemy movements, Pac-Man showing enemies with different personalities, and Karate Champ introducing AI patterns to fighting games.
Today, video game enemies have a lot more to offer in terms of realism and dynamism. The process of using AI in game development is supported by a range of technologies that fall under the AI umbrella. The next section takes a detailed look at what they are and what they bring to the table.
AI in Enemy Game Design – The Technologies Behind Smarter NPC Behavior
The use of artificial intelligence has leveled up video game villains and paved the way for enhanced gaming experiences. Before we explore how that happened, it’s important to understand the technologies that make it possible. Let’s take a look at each of them in further detail.
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- Natural Language Processing
Considered as a branch of AI, NLP allows video game characters to understand, interpret, analyze, and respond to human language naturally using text or speech. This works by blending statistical modeling, machine learning, and deep learning with computational linguistics.
Outside of the gaming industry, natural language processing is the technology behind some of the most commonly used voice assistants like Google Alexa and Siri, large language models such as ChatGPT, as well as content generation tools like Adobe Firefly.
This is another branch of artificial intelligence that enables video game villains to analyze and learn from the player’s input and adjust their behavior going forward. This takes the form of making autonomous decisions, remembering previous interactions, and acting dynamically.
Machine learning systems are created to analyze new and historical data extensively to identify trends, patterns, or relationships that may emerge. Using this data allows machine learning algorithms to sort and organize information, make relevant predictions, and also assist with content generation.
Computer vision is the technology responsible for the hyper-realistic physical features and movements we see on video game characters. It also enables the creation of unique features that humans may not possess. These realistic traits allow gamers a more realistic, engaging, and immersive experience.
Computers analyze images and videos to analyze human features and behavior. This data analysis can be used to identify relevant features and include them when designing the visual aspects of a game’s character.
This technology is used to create visual elements of a character or characters based on predefined rules and parameters. These visual elements include the facial features, clothing, and personalities of the game’s characters.
The rules and parameters are provided to a computer system, which then generates a large variety of designs that match them. This can help in essentially creating all of the video game’s characters in a convenient and cost-effective way.
All these technologies have collectively helped video game opponents transform from repetitive actions and dialogue to the complex, interesting, and captivating characters that add to the games we love and enjoy today. The next section will explore the upgraded features of AI-powered villains that using AI for enemy game design has made possible.
Features of AI-Powered Villains – How AI in Enemy Game Design Has in Gaming Has Improved Villains
When it comes to improving the abilities of video game villains, AI has given rise to 3 major upgrades. Let’s take a look at what each of them means for gamers everywhere.
Let’s be honest, even though older video game villains gave us some great gaming experiences, nothing about them was remotely realistic – their looks, their expressions, their dialogue, or even their actions.
With the implementation of AI in game development, enemies have evolved to become highly realistic in all of the aspects mentioned. This realism extends to the villain’s interactions with the main character and reshapes the experience into a more immersive one.
Villains in video games can now act based on goals, analysis, state of mind, or emotion. Let me share an example with you so you can get a clearer idea of what I’m saying.
In the Portal series, there is a character called GLaDOS . Portrayed as an artificial supercomputer, she constantly taunts, tests, and tries to kill the player with her actions revealing her hidden agenda. Both these aspects add to the realism and immersion of the game.
Using AI for enemy game design allows video game enemies to analyze player dialogue, moves, strategies, and decisions, then dynamically refine their responses and actions based on the player’s input.
They can also understand context, remember previous interactions, hold grudges, and make autonomous decisions that influence the game’s outcomes. All these aspects help create a more engaging, interactive, and immersive gaming experience.
The role of villains in adding to the game’s plot significantly increases with this added level of dynamism. Additionally, it also makes the experience more challenging for players due to increased unpredictability.
An example of this can be the game Halo, where the enemy counters the player’s moves dynamically by analyzing behavior and adjusting tactics accordingly, making the combat feel more engaging and immersive.
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- Intelligent Opponents in Games
With all we’ve discussed so far, I think it’s fair to say that video game villains today are highly intelligent characters. I mean, wouldn’t you think the same if a character can literally talk to you like a human would, change their responses and actions based on what you do, and coordinate attacks with other nonplayer characters? I know I would.
The combination of machine learning, deep learning, and adaptive behavior packed into video game villains all makes them smarter and sophisticated. This enhanced intelligence allows for more realistic interactions between players and villains, improving the overall gaming experience.
A prime example of this is the strategy game, StarCraft 2 . The game features multiple battles between robots and humans. The robots often use various techniques and strategies to win these battles. The most notable one of these is the rule-based system, which led to robotic agents that could mimic human behavior.
The Future of AI in Enemy Game Design
The use of AI in game development has allowed for the creation of some of the most well-created, dynamic, and loved (or should I say, hated?) villains across games of all genres. This love is evident with a survey undertaken by Inworld AI indicating that 81% of American gamers are willing to pay more for a game with advanced AI-driven non-player characters.
This serves as a golden opportunity for gaming studios of all sizes to leverage the power of AI in game development and create video game villains that are realistic, engaging, and dynamic. As the power of AI grows, so will the ability of these characters to make more independent decisions, understand context, and dynamically adapt to player interactions, and companies that start experimenting now will have substantial advantages going into the future.
