[VikVanHazel]

This topic is directed to the members that are generally into action games.

I would like to hear your thoughts on enemy AI in video games. Would you rather deal with a larger number of less intelligent enemies, or fewer more dangerous foes? What behaviors have you observed that you found impressive? What do you find annoying about them? How could they be improved? Before I say anything, I think it would be polite to give you all the chance to share your own thoughts first. So lets hear it!

[Voka~Daemyn]

I'd prefer more intelligent foes even if that meant fewer. I also like enemies that will adapt against the players play style after some time as well. I hope that one day there is an ai that can self customize or change it's self based on how it fights the player over time.

The only thing I don't like really are stat wall enemies and hmm boreing groups that always run towards the player and always attack.I like some variance like some that will run away or keep just enough distance to not be hit by the player as easily.

I love unpredictability xD.

[Antoid]

Prepare for a very rambly post.

This topic is directed to the members that are generally into action games.

I would like to hear your thoughts on enemy AI in video games. Would you rather deal with a larger number of less intelligent enemies, or fewer more dangerous foes? What behaviors have you observed that you found impressive? What do you find annoying about them? How could they be improved? Before I say anything, I think it would be polite to give you all the chance to share your own thoughts first. So lets hear it!

On the topic of enemy AI it depends on the complexity of the mechanics you incorporate.

If the gameplay is meticulous and the player has to think (fighting games, stealth etc.) smarter enemies naturally accommodate that niche. If divulging towards the hack'n'slash genre however with simple swipes and button combinations (Legend of Zelda is a good example) then more enemies that have undergone lobotomies will satisfy the pace of fast fun. It all comes down to pacing.

But it's not all about how smart the computer reacts to the player, but how the player can respond to the computer - if smart enemies make the game frustrating to play they won't be having much fun. You don't want to bore the player though, so too many/too stupid enemies could start becoming a chore.

In this case, other factors also come into play, for example the environment. To avoid the monotony of slicy-slice fun times some games compensate by giving you multiple ways to dispatch the baddies. To paint a picture, you could just hack away until they disappear or you could trigger the 50 megatons of explosives they have in the middle of their base camp. This forces the player to think in an otherwise typical encounter, elevating the experience as you feel smart for killing 10 guys (or the super hard boss man) with one well-placed anvil.

Good game design, I feel, will use a range of different intelligences based on the player and their actions. A common example of this is the adherence to the difficulty curve, where harder enemies will start appearing later along the game. Basically the same level of difficulty/skill is there, whether concentrated in one big bad or divided across many, so really it comes down to how you use them.

Don't make them too dumb though because that is always boring.

But that's my opinion.
...And this thing has become an essay

TL;DR it depends on the game

[VikVanHazel]

Alright, I guess now I'll share some observations of my own. This post will be talking a little about pathfinding.

I would like to bring attention to a common form of pathfinding (mostly found in browser games) that I find really amateurish... enemy AI that always tries to move toward the player. This particular form of AI is prone to getting blocked by solid objects and will make no attempt to maneuver around them. Not only is this easy to exploit, but it also makes the enemies look really stupid when you notice it.

On the other hand, I'm surprised at how effective the pathfinding in Doom is! It behaves similarly to what I described above, but there is one key difference. Whenever the monsters can't get past an obstacle, it will change direction randomly, move in the new direction for a few seconds, then resume moving toward it's target. This seems to work so much better despite how much the enemies wander around!
I'll share some of my other findings in another post.

[Voka~Daemyn]

:oo Doom was an interesting series of games. I've only played doom 3 but I liked how the game pretty much plotted around the player. I also vividly remember a bathroom moment.

Back on subject. I know an online game pso2 that has something kinda ick like the ai you mentioned they do try to fix it some for small objects as in going around it or jumping over it but when it comes to really high obstructions they just get funny and the enemy or boss jumps desperately trying to reach me or >_> giant massive boss teleports right on top of my head <_<.

[VikVanHazel]

Here is a cool little thing I found that might be worth sharing.

What you are seeing is the single smartest thing to come from the AI of the SA-X!
Its funny how this enemy can be rather simple to exploit during most encounters.

[VikVanHazel]

I know this subject won't interest most forum users, so I apologize in advance for resurrecting this topic. 
I recently saw this video and thought it would be the perfect thing to share here.

[Alexinator]

Fewer more intelligent enemies.