A Brief History of Video Game AI

The guys at ActionTrip have cranked out a new feature that takes a closer look at the evolution of AI in video games.

Sometimes, contemporary gamers are not satisfied with shooting down mindless drones. These days, state-of-the-art technologies are being used to incorporate emotional depth and both realistic AI behavior for NPCs and enemies. Detailed facial expressions and first-rate voice-overs have become a necessity in any gaming experience. As a result, what we see today are games with heavy character interaction, dynamic AI and generally more convincing combat situations than ever before. Whether you’re playing Supreme Commander with a massive army under your control or just exploring the uncharted regions of the universe in Mass Effect, highly advanced 3D engines and modern-day video game AI provides a more fulfilling experience than ever before.

The future of video games and AI technology looks bright. With the growth of MMOGs, developers now finally have a chance to examine and test various AI patterns in real-time against a multitude of “live” players (so, you may have been a ginny pig at some point without even knowing it). Methods of online research towards better AI have been done before and were carried out through online matches in games like Neverwinter Nights. The Institute of Knowledge and Agent Technology (IKAT) of the Universiteit Maastricht conducted this research and found that, via dynamic scripting, the AI is capable of adjusting to diverse tactics. The AI learns and adapts to players and their actions, which in turn requires players to get accustomed to the game AI and so on.

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