Are Game AI's getting worse? Options

[Warlordtheft]

Neither of these things are true. At least not mostly. I don't doubt SOME publisher has yelled that at SOME studio, but that's not how it usually goes. Mostly it's the publisher yelling, "What do you mean you're behind schedule? What do we have to cut to get you to the release date on time?"

That is why the AI development gets cut. I have not seen a challenging AI in a game since X-com. And even then it was only a challenge till the old Jedi mind trick came into play.

[CanRay]

Hopefully the new X-Com will have challenging AIs.

And the money being pumped into Wasteland 2 should make for some really interesting options for AIs I hope!

[Adarael]

That is why the AI development gets cut. I have not seen a challenging AI in a game since X-com. And even then it was only a challenge till the old Jedi mind trick came into play.

That's also not generally true. If AI development gets cut - IF - it's almost ALWAYS because it needs to be simplified in order to work in the context of the game. If there's a need to cut something due to a time crunch, it's levels/zones, player options, or game features. That's because if you straight up cut a level, game mode, customization option, etc, people will often be none the wiser. If you cut AI development, you still need to implement AI of SOME kind.

AI is VASTLY better than the days of XCom, your perceptions of it not withstanding. Xcom's AI is not particularly intelligent; on higher difficulties, enemies are simply more accurate, and cheat more outrageously. Enemies were still highly predictable even at Supergenius.

Do not mistake game difficulty for AI quality.

[Warlordtheft]

I don't. that has been one of my complaints with HOI3, Empire Total War, Shogun Total War II (was looking forward till my friend got it an saw the AI was no better than Empires), and now CIV V. But the Aliens in X-com did seem to do some intelligent things, but 15 years later my memory of it might be more a fond remembrance. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Adarael]

Have you tried Frozen Synapse, by chance? Some very, very clever computer work in there. It uses all the usual AI tricks, but it really doesn't cheat, as far as I can tell. Which is wonderful.

[CanadianWolverin...]

Oh yeah, Frozen Synapse is something wonderful - got distracted by its multiplayer and didn't finish the single player. There are some really amazing tricks in tactics you can pull off in that game, like stand duck to get the attention of a gunner so your shooter has the time to take them out from a different angle.