Adaptive AI in Games - Does it Really Work?

qasimodo asks: "I was recently reading a preview of Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, and then I came across this article at GameSpot saying Pandora Tomorrow will feature adaptive AI which 'will adjust itself to players' skill level'. I remember (and is also mentioned in the PT article) Max Payne also featured this, but I never noticed it. I guess that's the best way to know if it works, since it adapts to your gaming skills, but does it really work? Have you noticed it? Do you have proof of it?"

Comments

Shandyometer!

[Flat Feet Pete]

I remember reading an article about Gods by the Bitmap Brothers where they had helper triggers for people that had been stuck for a few minutes. They called it a shandyometer, after shandy drinkers obviously.

X-Com had a shandyometer, my old housemate used to send men who were very poor and irritating out, let them get slaughtered, then send in his main team and the game would have made it easier.

(For the non-Brits, Shandy's a mix of lager and lemonade (as in 7up/sprite), the old lore is that its drinkers are somehow unable to handle real beer)

Descent 3

[Apreche]

Descent 3 always had adaptive AI. I remember when I first played it. I had played the prequels so I went into 3 with the same strategy I always had. It got me through quite a bit of the game, but it wasn't easy. Early in the game I was able to fly around really fast picking enemies off one at a time. As I played more they started to run away, regroup and attack in force. I countered that strategy by using bigger guns to destroy them. They then started to change formation to minimize the damage I could do to their whole group. While Descent 2 was the pinnacle of the series Descent 3 had revolutionary AI.

Also, I think that the sea battle AI in puzzle pirates could possibly be adaptive in some way. A couple updates ago they allowed brigands (computer controlled boats full of booty) to fire canonballs. Since then it has been widely agreed upon by players that they have increased in difficulty each and every day. There was an update last night, so we'll have to see what happened. I'm still a little unsure of this because if the AI was adaptive in some way, wouldn't they tell us?

However

[Joe the Lesser]

What's the main reason players get disinterested in a game? Because they come across a level that they can't beat, and they get sick of the same ol' stuff over and over again.

If less people are buying these games, because they just aren't the master that you apparently are and would rather not get halfway through the game only to quit in frustration, it hurts the company so this move makes sense.

However, to satiate you, they should add an option to set the AI on the hardest possible skill level.