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AI in GTA IV: Nothing Spectacular

AI Panic writes:

"GTA4 is a good example of fake AI, artificial intelligence that only pretends to reason. This is very common in video games, as their primary goal is not to plan realistically and beat the player, but to provide enjoyment and make (smart) mistakes. This becomes apparent in how the game handles the appearance of police units. When your wanted-level increases, there are suddenly more police cars and cops around (especially for the higher levels), that come pouring out from behind street corners or are just there when you turn around. This behaviour, while perfectly legit for a game, would be useless in real life. All the steps which are most important for navigation and reasoning in robots and "proper" AI are cropped away in video games. Therefore there is -still- no possibility that non-player villain behaviour (would that be the police then, in GTA IV?) accidentally or even on purpose crosses over into the real world from a game AI..."
Superfragilistic - contributor
Published: 575 days 8 hours ago | Article | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Gaming | Tech
 
 

Showing: 1 - 9 of 9 Comments
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Jack Meahoffer - 575 days 8 hours ago
1 - Yeah cause I'm sure the geniuses at the prestigious aipanic.com can code better AI
What would they consider "spectacular" the AI running around in circles in Crysis?

What AI is "spectacular" then? Was this site just created to talk smack about AI in every game? Sounds like desperation for hits to me.
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Violater - 575 days 7 hours ago
1.1 -
Thats o.k. the intelligence of most gamers online isn't that spectacular either.
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PwnShop - 575 days 7 hours ago
2 -
Seriously, GTA 4 is an awesome game, i'm really digging it. I think its just "fashionable" to hate on it. The AI may not be spectacular, but tell me a game that has an even more life like AI system that creates a seemingly functional and realized world.
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nutjuice - 575 days 6 hours ago
2.1 - NOT
Sorry, I don't hate on it because of fashion. I hate it because it's just not fun to play.

I sold it back without finishing it because it was boring
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permutated - 575 days 2 hours ago
2.2 -
Yes, it's definitely fashionable to hate on a broken game with poor base mechanics and ugly textures.

Definitely not our opinion, more us just falling in line isn't it?

Ugh.
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RobinB - 575 days 7 hours ago
3 - Game AI lacks behind the state of the art
It is not that I dont enjoy playing GTA, the reason I wrote this article is more to compare the state of the art of artificial intelligence in universities to that used by games companies. As GTA is by some hailed as the best game of the decade and whatnot, I had a close look if it can live up to that from the AI side.

Judging by what we do and can do in academic research, almost all AI used in games is very basic. I'm not saying that it is insufficient (and i dont say that in my article either), but it is not outstanding either. It is certainly possible to increase the intelligence of game agents, and I think we are on the right way here. Look at F.E.A.R. for example, agents there have proper planning algorithms behind them which make them one of the smartest opponents in FPS out there.

We're working hard on increasing the communication between researchers and developers at my university, so I hope we can improve this situation. This collaboration works very good for graphics, new discoveries take a short time to find a way into current graphic cards, drivers and games.

With AI in games however, and GTA is no exception, the state of the art in research is several years ahead of the actual use in games.
Most of the time you dont realise this in games, but especially as worlds get bigger and more complex, it becomes obvious.
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Nevers - 575 days 5 hours ago
3.1 - I think you'll be nicely surprised with Force Unleashed...
From what I've read I'm proly gonna feel slightly guilty tossing Stormtroopers to their death while they frantically grapple for any handhold to survive. The steps Bethesda made in OBLIVION had pretty advanced AI for a video game which led to some pretty interesting outcomes with Skooma addicted AI and gardners murdering others to have the correct tool...

I actually have no problem with the AI in GTA4 other than them apparently having super-human driving skills compared to me. They seem capable of killing me or running into my getaway car well enough. Granted: individually, the citizens of Liberty City are a bit zombie'esque when walking about; but, as a collective they really make Liberty City feel like the city itself has a life and vibrancy of it's own. And I think that's where R* wanted the emphasis.
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The Closing - 575 days 5 hours ago
4 -
Such scripted AI missions make an open worlded game seem pointless.
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ASSASSYN 36o - 575 days 2 hours ago
5 -
AI thats Artificial in it's intelligence. Brilliant!
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