Co-Op AI

Now, I was reading OPM (Official PS Magazine) today (I bought it for its preview in to Mercs 2) and saw an article about a game called Army of Two. Basically, the whole game is played co-opertativly. The preview went in to great depth about how the AI that was on your team was clever. They gave examples of how, when you send them in to a dangerous situation they might not go, or at the very least, they would start complaining. This article got me thinking.

What AoT have done is definitely a step in the right direction. I think the next step will be, instead of them complaining when you send them to their death, instead you won't order them because you feel so attached to them you don't want them to die. To build this up they would not only have to be smart, they have have a personality. Also, they need to act consistently to make them believable and you need to have spent a lot of time with them, maybe in training they would help you out, and you would help them out. The new Fable is taking steps in this direction with the dog that you get. Apparently, the player will become attached to this dog and the dog you to you. You will have to care for it and it will help you in battle. The dog is persistent so if you leave it, some days later it will show up again. The problem with the becoming attached concept is firstly, some people wouldn't be effected by this (because they have no heart) and would send their man to die. This could potentially upset the rest of the game balance as the character couldn't come back to life or the connection would be lost on the people who are effected. Also, people might be too effected by it and not want to play it. The balance would need to be just right for it to work. Obviously, the superior hardware will help, but it will rely on humans making human characters with human personalities and human fear.

On a side note, I managed to get 2000 Wii Points half price with this magazine and I have already downloaded Super Mario Bros. I will review this and the other titles I will get soon. I am hoping to do my first video review with it as well. Can you contain your excitement?