- Reference books
"Game architecture design and planning basis"
- Dabble game
《Call Of Duty》《Slay the Spire》《Detroit: Become Human》《Katana ZERO》《Pokémon》
Article content represent only circle wool own thinking and summarizing Jun, welcomed private messages or discussion in the comments area.
AI is an abbreviation of the English Artificial Intelligence, that artificial intelligence, which is a comprehensive interdisciplinary computer science, psychology, philosophy. Artificial Intelligence is the study of intelligent behavior of human beings on the machine, is the creation of intelligent human behavior.
Many have questioned whether the game used to that so-called artificial intelligence AI technology really belong to the category, the program also hold the professional background of my questioning attitude. Although many regard this game as a game fashionable term selling point, but the technology actually used in the game is not so unfathomable, as to why, we followed one by one.
We first figure out the game industry and the academic standards of different definitions of AI.
AI academia pay more attention to the internal logic of their study was to clarify the inner workings of things, so as to continuously improve the algorithm, the internal structure more reasonable, and get practical experience with similar results. The game industry is reflected in the use of AI's external representation . Suppose a new improved algorithm after birth, which may cause the program ape cheered, but if the players can not understand how it differs from the old algorithm in the actual game, then we can say that this new algorithm in terms of the game of little use.
The whole idea of the game AI design can be summarized in one sentence: a more clever way, accounting for fewer resources, greater gaming experience to meet the needs of players.
In addition, the design and procedures, the significance of the game AI is different. For design purposes, AI is the highest level rules of the game, the most challenging and the most obscure part; for the program, AI is the realization of technical rules of the game.
Understand the game industry standard definition of AI, we then see how the game is the use of AI.
We have many ways to increase playability and challenging game, game AI is one of them.
The most important form of game AI is NPC , the full name of None-PLayer Control. In addition to a strong competitive travel network or hand travel outside, in most games, more often, players are faced with computer-controlled NPC characters, especially in the interactive movie game, NPC is crucial presence. NPC characters in the game action can be divided into two types, one is functional NPC, they can provide clues to the players, publishing tasks, and promote the development of the story, the other is a type of hostile NPC, they are players in the strategy or technique the need to overcome rivals or enemies. NPC characters and a smart player gaming experience has important implications, but this is not a simple linear relationship, there is an important parameter: the players look forward to . For different game types, different difficulty levels, or play in a different role identity, players look forward to intelligent NPC is different, so in the design of the game AI, we need to consider this argument.
After understanding the role of the NPC and the impact of players look forward to, we started the game AI design.
Start with the conclusion that we can through the following four inlet find the way the game AI design:
1. The ability to compensate, common in the strategy war games
2. fuzzy logic, common in the story, strategy, war game
3. promote progress, common in RPG, adventure, explore the game map
4. The basic analog, common in real-world simulation game
So these four AI design entry is how to get? We can push the players look forward to the game reversed.
First, players look forward to the game with a certain degree of challenge.
In the type of strategy and war games, giving players a reasonable challenge is the primary goal of AI game, but the game AI is difficult to implement as clever tactics or the use of complex techniques like a real person, that game AI intelligence is limited, it can do things is limited. "Call of Duty" There are four difficulty levels, which are recruits, Normal, Hard, veterans. Enemy action is nothing more than a mobile, armor, aim and shoot, the game difficulty level to distinguish how do it? The answer is the ability to compensate .
Recruits in difficulty, the enemy will basically stay put, then a competent shots a dead enemy, you need to repeatedly hit enemy players can kill the player, but all of them are enemies of human master stroke, hit rate is very low , that is to say the ability of the recruits enemy difficulty in performance is poor. Veteran difficulty enemy recruits compared with the difficulty of not more "intelligent", but the player will find it more difficult Veteran difficulty, because the enemy's ability to become strong. Veteran difficulty of the enemy will not keep in place, the gun and the gun hit the bull injury is extremely high, some players do not hit the enemy's head of technology, basically have thirty-four gun to kill an enemy. With different players, enemies of ammunition and manpower are infinite, the players in order to have a higher clearance techniques and strategies, with the players the game, giving players the challenge is not the enemy of intelligence, but the ability of the enemy.
"Killing minaret" Each enemy has certain characteristics and laws of moves, moves the enemy's intentions will be exposed to the players, it can be said that all the intelligence of the enemy were leaked, there is no battle of wits between the player and the enemy , giving players the enemy threat is not how "smart", but how powerful enemy. High damage, number of people, moves and more interference. In response to the threat of enemy capabilities, players need to take advantage of the ability to "relic" of the defense or to achieve explosive output by Combo card group, adopted piecemeal, the enemy one by one down. But if the game just by simply increasing the damage, increasing the number of enemies to enhance the ability of the enemy, in order to achieve the purpose of suppression of the players, which will make the game interesting weakened rapidly. It must be combined with morphological characteristics of the enemy when the enemy the ability to enhance or simply people set background, skills and moves the laws of the enemy's designed to be more abundant. It also shaped the image of the enemy from the side, to give players more of a threat from the senses, so that not only enhance the challenge of the game, players can also enhance the game sense of substitution.
Small summary: The game AI design, we can use the "ability to compensate for" AI's "intelligence" so that AI has become more difficult to meet the players look forward to the game challenging.
Second, players look forward to the game has a certain unpredictability.
A big charm of electronic games is that it can be like sporting events that bring exciting game strategy and technology for the spectators and the players, the players all the time to make decisions and act according to the current state, and therefore can not have great predictability. Because of the presence of unpredictability, it appears the scene of extreme anti-kill, Guards and other comeback exciting.
If the stand-alone or independent game AI can take action as real as unpredictable, beat a player or players to beat, players will guide the direction of development of the plot to unpredictable unpredictable manner, then the player's gaming experience will be greatly enhanced . But AI do not yet think like a human brain, game AI technology is far away, so we introduce a word - fuzzy logic . Briefly, fuzzy logic is a logic system to add a little randomness of AI, AI so that under the given conditions, to select one from a plurality of alternatives.
Mentioned NPC, AI mentioned, we have to think of a 3A masterpiece - "Detroit: to become human." In the game we can play three roles, three roles at the same time the story line interspersed. As an interactive movie games, our interaction with the NPC will determine the story to story. The game has multiple main and side branches, each branch we can extend the key to understanding the interaction of the NPC as an alternative interactive objects, the player's choice will affect the operation and program decisions NPC, which is the most common fuzzy logic . "Detroit" There is also a mechanism to let my favorite, it makes the scenes to explore the reasoning in conjunction with the players very well together, and this will be presented at the beginning of the game. Players need to analyze the crime scene in the first time, concluded that important clues to the location, geographical race against time to clear the status quo, to increase the probability of success of the negotiations, need to unlock talks the talk, otherwise the player will become a "collapse, according to experts", that is, let the NPC select one of the worst in several alternatives.
How to make the players interact with the NPC dialogue has become more intense or more interesting is an interesting point to think, think "samurai zero" did a wonderful job, the color of the text dialogue, jitter, display speed and BGM are very particular about the role of dialogue is no longer a straightforward text, but there are emotional language. And "Detroit", as players have to give their reply within the time limit, although this has little effect on the player's task, but it will change the direction of the game story.
Application of fuzzy logic in the story of the game finished, we look at its performance in strategy and war games.
In "Treasure can dream" man-machine doubles battle, opponents NPC will be selected according to the court treasure our dream property restraint moves, or treasure priority Down with low blood can dream, of course, players can predict such shallow "intention" and then let the weak treasure dream can select defensive moves or replaced, so far this is just a normal AI logic. But if the opponent can be under the influence of random number selection set fire to attack another treasure can dream, it is possible to make defensive players in vain, lost a treasure can dream of combat power, allowing the player to feel the opponents think like a human, it is an interesting showdown.
In "Call of Duty", the player usually hiding behind bunkers down the enemy NPC, if the enemy will wait for the player in place, has been hiding in the bunker shot towards the player, that player can always seize the time difference, insignificant to them one by one hit kill. However, if an enemy would choose to bomb shelters, it is possible to force the players to leave the bunker, grab your flaws shooting, so the result will make decisions with random enemies seem crafty and intelligent decision-making program in shooting and bomb.
Small summary: The game AI design, we can use "fuzzy logic" to the NPC's decision to add some randomness, unpredictability meet the players for the game of expectations.
The third point, the players look forward to the game has some introductory.
Good game should tell what the player can do, let the players know the game can achieve goals and methods, which can be guided by the NPC. If the players do not know the target, or do not know how he will be like a headless flies rattling around, trying all the operations themselves can imagine, when all attempts failed, the player will feel frustrated gaming experience greatly reduced. (The importance of the game goals)
NPC can describe the process of the game and the story background, the game publishing task, dialogue options and other ways to guide the players to the game, strengthening equipment, pet training, learning skills NPC can give the player milestones, allowing the player in no hurry to push the main line. Part of the NPC even act as a "barrier" to prevent the player from the region can not move forward or temporarily inaccessible. (NPC can guide the players for the game, story-driven, dialogue, out of the way, and so the function of NPC)
Small summary:
Fourth, the players look forward to the game has a certain authenticity.
After the players made the operation, you need to get in a game they think the result will occur. For example, the glass will be broken shooting, shooting will leave a crater wall. There are mirrors, water and the like. If the player does not get the results they think there will be, then they would doubt their own judgment.
NPC can not be stuck in the wall does not move, can not go to the enemy before the enemy did not find the player, the player can not be no dialogue with the NPC NPC facing you.
So be sure to focus on the behavior of AI logic of these details at.
Simulate the real world, completed the little things for granted
If the game's NPC encountered in the trunk or a small obstacle like this can not go around the rocks, or straight into the cliff silly, it will make players feel the game is very low, NPC even simple matter of course can not be completed.
Different games require different AI-controlled characters, because different players have expectations for their behavior or high or low. If it is the role of the human form, players generally have higher requirements; if the role is an insect or look feels very sluggish character, the player will lower expectations for their actions, even if they have a very foolish act players will not find this silly game.
Small summary:
One of the players custom AI tools, methods to expand the life of the game
