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Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
Magnus Johansson Department of Computer and Systems Sciences Stockholm University, Sweden
Mirjam P. Eladhari Department of Game Design, Technology and Learning Gotland University GOTLAND, SWEDEN [email protected]
Harko Verhagen Department of Computer and Systems Sciences Stockholm University, Sweden
Outline
• Introduction • Background (the Model Social Game Agent) • Surveys
• Interviews
• Discussion/ Conclusion
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Introduction
”Most current video games do not, in fact contain much real AI. The point of video games is to entertain, not to simulate intelligence in depth, so they usually contain just enough AI to make the player feel as if the software is reasonably smart”
[Adams, p. 18, 2010]
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
“Simulating human beings is the most difficult and also the most important problem in game design”
[Adams, p. 18, 2010]
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Background
Preliminary definitions
“Systemic Artificial Intelligence” = A system that dynamically adjusts the actions of the agent.
“Black Hole of AI”: “is always a black hole of AI, where you are programming an incredibly thoughtful, clever, brilliant AI behind the scenes. And the player still reads it as a scripted interaction” [Respondent 5]
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
The Model Social Game Agent
Carley and Newell
Focus for interviews and surveys
• Navigation/pathfinding • Strategy/Tactical choices • Behavior adapted to context
• Decision making
• Memory of previous interactions
• Cooperation among NPCs • Emotions
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Surveys
Current NPC Intelligence
• 9 respondents stated both decision-making and cooperation between NPCs to be existing in current games, while 5 claimed decision-making missing.
• 5 respondents found memory existing in current games.
• 4 respondents found emotions to exist in current games.
• 10 respondents had implemented behavior adapted to context and 2 of them reported the implementation to be successful.
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
What do you think these aspects could add? • Immersion, believability, realism and a more
emergent game experience. • “Richer realizations” of characters, due to less
static authoring associated with NPCs. • Memory a focus for many respondents, based on
the assumption that memory could add much realism to interactions with NPCs.
• More context aware NPC behavior.
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
How could the MSGA affect the play-experience? • Some respondents repeated their answers from
the previous question. • Concerns raised about the “black hole of AI”,
that players simply do not recognize added complexity.
• The behavior of dynamic NPCs not easily understood by players.
• Increased interest through more complex experiences.
• Added re-playability.
• Cohesion between events in games.
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
How could the MSGA affect game design? • The Msga could open up new unexplored design
spaces. • Alleviate some of the workload of game
designers. • Potentially make game design much more
difficult. • Would affect quest flow and story arch in ways
that need to be considered.
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
Interviews
Relations between AI and game design • Game design and AI programming are both
highly specialized areas of expertise and game designers rarely have the ambition to also become skilled programmers.
• Designers often have new ideas or invent new concepts that are difficult or impossible to implement.
• Communication and knowledge between AI programmers and Designers are sometimes problematic for development teams.
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Current NPC Intelligence
• Systemic modeling vs Scripting. • Path-finding a problem that all current games
have solved in a satisfying way. • Interaction with NPCs stated as one of the
problems. • Scripting limits possible interaction with NPCs
but mostly not seen as a problem. • Conversation/dialogue trees a main strategy for
interaction with NPCs, but limited since the same NPC will say the same phrase without contextual awareness.
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
Existing strategies • Emotional states (faceGen) • Limited memory in terms of saved emotional
states. • Scripted behavior.
• Behavior trees.
• Scripted dialogues/conversation.
• Cooperation through faction systems (Oblivion) only modestly successful.
• Systemic modeling of memory, cooperation and emotions in games rare.
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
How could the MSGA contribute?
• Add cooperative aspects to NPCs. • Add a more durable memory for NPCs. • Add emotions.
• Emotions and memory central contributions that would be most beneficial for the interaction with NPCs.
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
Drawbacks with the MSGA?
• Only add a small marketable value. • The “black hole of AI”. • Would need obtrusive feedback to the user.
– No difference to the player if the AI is scripted or systemic.
• Loosing control over the interaction in games.
• Possible threats to story structure. • Testing/debugging becomes even more complex.
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Discussion/Conclusions
• Emotions and memory the most important aspects of the MSGA
• Systemic AI difficult to control
• Social behavior/ Learning
• Games are complex systems, they should not be chaotic systems.
• Existing genres not dependent on “smart” AI
• Consistency • Limited scope of earlier attempts
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
Discussion/Conclusions
• The MSGA not a solution to all situations • The combination of traits of the MSGA not
implemented • New game genres probably needed
6/27/13 Magnus Johansson, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Future work
• Finish implementation of the MSGA. • Evaluate players response of the MSGA. • Find suitable game genres for the MSGA or even
create new ones. • Identify what types of NPCs that would benefit
from being implemented as a MSGAs.
6/27/13 Complexity at the cost of control in game design?
Questions?
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urn=urn:nbn:se:hgo:diva-368.
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[9] Pinchbeck, D. An analysis of Persistent Non-Player Characters in the First-Person
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