Poll #25: 10/01/01 - 11/09/01


Game AI's Goal
What is the goal of game AI?
  
To provide the player with a fun, challenging opponent that can "plausibly" lose. (145)
43%
  
To beat the player mercilessly whenever possible. (29)
9%
  
To provide a fun and amusing opponent when the player's not online against other humans. (59)
17%
  
To be as good a player as it can be, within its limits. (69)
20%
  
To advance the state of the art above all else. (26)
8%
  
Game AI has no particular goal...it's enough that it works and sells, really. (11)
3%

Total Votes: 339

FINAL RESULTS

Steve's Comments: Pretty much what I expected when I started this thing, though we got a lot more hits than I expected. I was a bit surprised at how many folks felt that an AI really ought to trash the player if at all possible. I expected the "not online" answers and am a tiny bit surprised they're not higher, frankly, with the huge interest in online play overall. As to the "advance the state of the art" devotees, well--I can only assume their minds would change after a game or two. One's producer yelling about why your agent couldn't cross the bridge will always win out over a "perfect AI design" -- though that's just my opinion, of course.

The user feedback section did provide some interesting tidbits, mostly with regard to how I'd set up the poll. I sort of assumed that everybody knew I was talking "opponent" or "bad guy" AI, when in fact there are several other kinds of AI--companions, wingmen, etc. Some of the feedback:
  • Some bots aren't that much fun when they learn your weaknesses.
  • Game AI's goal is to provide support to human players in multiplayer games (see Tribes 2, for instance).
  • Game AI is the art of representing another human player effectively.
  • You missed one: to sculpt the actual play experience of a game.
  • I'm amazed "To beat the player mercilessly whenever possible" got votes. Doesn't seem fun -- can someone who voted this explain their choice?