The evolution of artificial intelligence in the world of video games
Games, since their inception, have had a truly amazing evolution. However, one of the key factors that have made games what they are today is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This concept has gained immense importance in the realm of video games, allowing for intelligent NPCs, dynamic gameplay, more realistic enemies, and much more, which BG Games will introduce you to today!
Understanding Artificial Intelligence
Before we delve into the role of AI in games, let’s define what artificial intelligence is in this context. AI in games is a program or algorithm that can analyze the game world around it and make decisions based on that analysis. These decisions may concern the movement of NPCs, the strategy of enemies, or even the interaction with the player. The main goal is to make the game world more interesting and interactive to make the user’s immersion more intense and lively.
The origins of artificial intelligence in games
In the early history of video games, NPCs were extremely simple creatures. Their movements and actions were strictly dependent on programmed scripts. Players were faced with behaviors that could be predicted, and ultimately, monotonous gameplay. However, with the development of technology, it was possible to introduce more complex and adaptive AI. Whereas NPC actions used to be a sequential list of actions, now, a single non-playable character can completely change the thread of the narrative primarily based on the player’s actions. With the advent of machine learning and deep neural networks, NPCs have become much more intelligent and somewhat unpredictable.
Machine Learning and Creating Realistic NPCs
Machine Learning and Deep Neural Networks have allowed developers to create NPCs with adaptive behavior. These NPCs can analyze the game world, interact with other characters, and respond to player actions.
An example of introducing machine learning into games is “Alien: Isolation”, where a hostile alien symbiote had intelligence and memory. In addition to memorizing where the user might be hiding, the Alien was still able to adapt to the player’s actions, making it feel like a more real enemy. This is just one of many examples of how AI makes NPCs more interesting and challenging for players.
Adapting gameplay difficulty
Artificial intelligence is used to adjust the difficulty of the game. This means that gameplay can be adapted to the player’s skills and experience. For example, let’s take the familiar cooperative game “Left 4 Dead,” where the AI adjusts the difficulty based on the players’ actions. If a team of players shows outstanding skills, the AI increases the number of zombies and their aggression, providing more challenging battles. This creates a dynamic and exciting experience, where players always remain in the center of events, and the gameplay itself ceases to be monotonous, because depending on the implementation of players’ skills in the game, even playing on the same map, you may find that the game will generate constantly new skirmishes and combat opportunities.
Realistic Enemies: Overcoming Pursuit
When it comes to enemies, realism is a key factor in creating an unflappable experience. In “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain,” hostile soldiers act intelligently and react to the player’s actions. If they detect footprints, or don’t see their comrades at their deployment point, they will be more alert and start looking for the player. This creates the feeling that the player is really in the real world of espionage, and the stealth mechanics really makes you think through every next move and strategy of action.
Advances in technology in creating realistic enemies
With the advent of more powerful computing systems and improvements in AI algorithms, developers can create enemies that more accurately simulate real-world behavior. Enemies can react to sounds, footsteps, and other player actions, making every interaction more engaging and unpredictable. AI in the future is expected to be even more adaptive, able to analyze player actions in real-time and create a personalized game experience, and with the continued progress, enemies and NPCs are expected to get a lot more interesting!
Future trends in the use of AI in games
Increased customization: AI will be more integrated into game mechanics, allowing players to interact with the world more freely and have a wider choice of story paths.
More realistic interactions: Games will use more sophisticated AI systems to create more realistic dialog and interactions with NPCs.
Procedural generation: AI will be used to create unique game worlds and levels, allowing games to be fun to play repeatedly.
Massively multiplayer: Artificial intelligence will be used to control large sets of NPCs in multiplayer worlds, providing realistic interactions and creating a sense of real life in virtual worlds.
Ethics and challenges
However, with the growing role of AI in video games comes both ethical and technical challenges. It is important to balance the intelligence level of NPCs and enemies so that players can enjoy the game without undue hardship. In addition, data privacy issues related to the use of machine learning and analysis of player behavior should be considered, because AI has to learn from someone, and the collection of game analytics and user behavior in a given situation becomes a great ground for training and improving artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence is turning the world of video games upside down, making them more interesting and engaging. Smart NPCs, dynamic gameplay, and realistic enemies are all made possible by the development of AI. In the future, we can expect even more changes in this area, making games even more exciting and interactive!
