Hi,
Since I saw the HoT trailer, I’ve been thinking about how most trailers in general give a feeling of adventure, discovery etc but often that feeling gets lost once you play the game (although I hope it won’t with HoT).
Why?
In my very personal opinion, I concluded that it is because that feeling of danger, of discovery of something new gets lost after a few hours of gameplay. It gets repetitive. Yes you have some world bosses with interesting AI’s were you have to go through some tactics to win. However, in general you have to « swing that sword again » to get over enemies after enemies.
Why limit the interesting AI of enemies to boss encounter and dungeons? Can’t the AI of the enemies you encounter through general pve gameplay be more diversified too?
For example:
In the HoT trailer, you see a group of adventures sticking together because danger is approaching. You see another group being chased by some monster and they actually have to flee. I’d really like to experience something like that.
Imagine having some nice and dangerous AI that act as if they have an actual personality!
There are a few types of AI’s, I would find interesting. I don’t know if any of these are feasible. Or if others would like these.
1. Predator AI
Make some enemies actually hunt you, with diverse tactics and not just stupidly follow you for 10 meters. Make them hide, make traps, ambush you, so that you actually have to improvise some tactics to take him down or just to survive. Make the enemy change and adapt his tactics on the run so that you can’t follow a pattern to beat him. It shouldn’t be too hard tactics that you have to study through by wiping 10 times, but just to push you to adapt.
2. Hive Mind AI
This one could have been very nice with the Risen. However, it could be adapted to mordrems or destroyers perhaps. I’m thinking of Left for dead or World War Z (not talking about the quality of those). Remember the Hordes of Zombies attacking you? That could literally run you over? Make those enemies easy to kill when alone, but if they « organize » themselves to become a Horde and attack altogether, you would think twice before going all Leeroy, ehm I mean Kilroy, on them.
3. Adaptive AI
When we got Tequatl 2.0, we had to study the strategy, and adapt our way of fighting him. We had to learn his moves to beat him. Why can’t enemies do the same? Make them capable of learning during the fight. You called some Meteor shower on him? Next time he will move from the zone. You stunned him with your shield? Next time you start charging with your shield, he will dodge. Etc.
These are some examples. Not every mob has to have such AI, but some enemies could. And it’s really not about making the game uberhardcore, just more diversified and fun.
I think this could make the game more immersive and the NPC believable. You would actually think twice before charging in some group of enemies. You would feel the danger of being hunted.
What do you think?
Got other ideas for interesting AI’s?
PS: I hope you understand what I mean, my english is a bit rusted…