Best AI you have come across.

[Peter Radiator Full Pig]

I have been meaning to ask this for a whilel; What is the best AI in a game that you have ever come across? I dont care about genre, though comparing an FPS AI to a strategy AI might be difficult.
Id like to hear your thoughts and share any stories/memories that you want about AI.

Which AI challanged you the most with its intellegence? Not hard games, but hard AI.
Ive never played AI wars, but that seems not to be great AI, but game balance that makes it hard.
I remember being impressed by both Half Life (Marines crouch when shooting, thats like real life!) and FEAR (Though looking back, many of these were set pieces).
Then some bad AI would be CiV on release. Archers out front, to protect the squishy pikemen.... (I hear they have patched this)

Of course, the creature in Black and White, for me, actually seemed like a true enough creature. Mine loved eating beachballs, even though it would puke afterwards, and Id smack it around. It never did learn. How I miss him.

Facade also gets a mention though Im unsure if it was interesting AI, or just programing in loads of words. Im guessing AI.

So, thoughts?

[Nalano]

I'm finding it easier to describe how devs have fooled us into not thinking how much AI sucks - from scripted moments to endless respawns to outright cheating on resources - than true examples of smart AI.

I mean, in Company of Heroes, just about the only advantage the computer has is the ability to micromanage lots and lots of directional weapons (which in turn leads the AI to build lots and lots of AT guns).

[Shane]

There was a lot of talk about the AI's awesomeness in Crysis 2, anyone who has played care to give their opinion?

[Tikey]

I really liked the AI in FEAR, it was surprising when it came out to find enemies outflanking you, trying to get you out of cover with grenades and those stuff.
I'm really impressed as how quickly the liir in Sword of the Stars are adapting to my strategies against them.
Gal CivII AI is quite good too. Never had the courage to play in higher settings.

[squirrelfanatic]

I remember reading somewhere that the enemy behaviour in FEAR was mostly scripted.

[hamster]

I think they said they "funneled" the A.I. into making seemingly intelligent decisions with map design plus positioning.

I wish programmers can make better A.I. I suspect the problem isn't technical but simply a lack of interest. Everyone talks about flanking maneuvers but i think i nice thing to shoot for is a cooperative link between the A.I. so you'd have cover fire from the Riflemen allowing the Shottie/SMG guys to come close and/or flank you, and if the A.I determines you are in a v. good position, they lob nades to draw you out. Of course only 1 or 2 bad guys should have a limited quantity of nades and the whole thing should be clearly signposted. Basically anything that stops you from remaining stationery and shooting. Then the player is engaged to react, not just duly pull the trigger and sidestep in and out.

[westyfield]

The Sorian AI mod for Supreme Commander is supposedly very good. I haven't played against it myself because I'm awful at SupCom even on medium difficulty. But I've heard that the guy who made it got hired by Gas Powered Games to do the AI for SupCom 2, so it must be something special.

[Sheps]

Counter Strike: Condition Zero had some of the most realistic player tendency AI at the time. Aside from that and your typical FEAR stuff, there hasn't been anything that I can really note that astonished me.

Brothers in Arms had some nice AI on both the friendly and enemy sides but nothing amazing.

[vinraith]

Sword of the Stars, especially with the newest patch, has some of the better AI I've ever seen in a symmetric 4X game. Similarly, Rise of Nations had some of the best developer-made AI I've ever seen in a symmetric RTS. If you're willing to take mods, the Dawn of War Skirmish AI for DoW1 (particularly DC and Soulstorm) is frighteningly good at times.

As to AI War, I certainly think of it as having strong AI, but I'll confess it's hard to tell when the game is asymmetric. Since the AI is playing by a set of rules different than those the human is playing by, it's difficult to assess how much of its strength is scripted/constructed advantage and how much of it is cleverness. I've certainly seen some brilliant emergent behavior in that game, though, there's even a thread for it on their site: http://www.arcengames.com/forums/ind...pic,897.0.html

[Similar]

There was a lot of talk about the AI's awesomeness in Crysis 2, anyone who has played care to give their opinion?

I can't say I noticed anything particularly impressive about it. On the other hand, I also don't remember anything particularly bad, so I suppose that, compared to a lot of games, is pretty good.

[Peter Radiator Full Pig]

Ive read that FEAR enemies just move from cover to cover. Good map design means this flanks you, so they seem intelligent.
I remember playing GalCivII on the highest setting before the AI starts to cheat, it still wasnt good enough for me to notice.
I might check out Sword of the Stars, or AI wars, though is it any good in singleplayer? All ive read seems to talk about the co op.

I had forgotten about the Sorian AI for SupCom, but you are right. He modded the first AI, and was hired to do the second games AI. Supposedly it knew much more about tactics, though Id say proper tech tree researches and building timings help.

Far Cry had some fun enemies in the form of the Mercs, though I can remember a few mistakes where they would flank me... by swimming in the water, where they couldnt use their guns.

[vinraith]

I might check out Sword of the Stars, or AI wars, though is it any good in singleplayer? All ive read seems to talk about the co op.

Yeah, AI War is actually pretty great in SP, the single player game is identical to the co-op game so the only thing you miss out on is the conversation.

[Colonel J]

As to AI War, I certainly think of it as having strong AI, but I'll confess it's hard to tell when the game is asymmetric. Since the AI is playing by a set of rules different than those the human is playing by, it's difficult to assess how much of its strength is scripted/constructed advantage and how much of it is cleverness. I've certainly seen some brilliant emergent behavior in that game, though, there's even a thread for it on their site: http://www.arcengames.com/forums/ind...pic,897.0.html

Whether it's true 'cleverness' or not, it's very good design: the AI in AI War has no problem in routinely out-foxing and surprising my Natural Stupidity. A game where victory feels very rewarding and hard-won if you get your difficulty setting right.

[vinraith]

Whether it's true 'cleverness' or not, it's very good design: the AI in AI War has no problem in routinely out-foxing and surprising my Natural Stupidity. A game where victory feels very rewarding and hard-won if you get your difficulty setting right.

No argument here, I've logged 400+ hours on the game and it continues to surprise me.

[DougallDogg]

Overall I'd have to say Civ IV. I really get the felling of playing against a competent foe all with unique traits.

Obviously shooter wise 2 come to mind and still hold up reasonably today compare to the weak offerings of today (I'm looking at you CoD grenade spam!).

When it first came out I'd definitely say Half-life. Didn't feel cheap but like the marines were using actual tactics (flanking, flushing you out with grenades). F.E.A.R. was also brilliant at the time of release more due to very cleave map design that created so truly memorable fight scenes. Not to keen on the expansions or F.E.A.R. 2 though.

[BobsLawnService]

I thought that the original Crysis when cranked up to high difficulty had some pretty devious, tenacious AI at times.

[Keep]

When it first came out I'd definitely say Half-life. Didn't feel cheap but like the marines were using actual tactics (flanking, flushing you out with grenades).

Oh, agree with that. I'm especially thinking of one area - tricky to describe and I can't find it on google images - which was indoors, but quite open and with a bunker in the middle. Anyone know the area I'm talking about.

First time I can remember AI genuinely surprising me, confounding, outwitting me. It was a great experience.


Getting to know Thief also involved a lot of AI-admiring for me. Until you figured out what their limitations and rules were, you sometimes treated the various NPCs with a genuine human caution. I think as much because of your unique relationship toward the guards - you weren't just running at them guns blazing - as anything to do with their sophistication or intelligence.

[Sheps]

Also, the ninjas in Half Life were amazing and I loved how they worked in teams. I'd replay those ninja/spec ops encounters dozens upon dozens of times.

[Plankton]

Let's not forget about Far Cry. The enemy guys were constantly doing their best to flank and encircle you... as long as they knew where you were. For its time it had very impressive AI.

[ntw]

Blood Bowl, oh no - hang on a minute, the AI in that is shite.