"Stop Fighting! Systems for Non-Combat AI" is a video published by GDC that focuses on creating immersive and engaging non-combat AI systems for video games. The speaker, who has spent most of their career working on non-combat systems, simulation systems, and background characters, shares their experiences and insights on creating more believable and nuanced AI behaviors.
The video starts by discussing the importance of creating immersive and believable background characters in video games. The speaker highlights that deeper, richer AI characters require more development time and resources compared to combat-oriented AI. Utility theory is mentioned as a core component for creating nuanced AI behaviors, with randomness being an essential part of creating emergent behavior in AI systems.
The speaker emphasizes the use of various game elements like stats, relationships, and tags to create more immersive non-combat AI. They also discuss the importance of creating an ecosystem of different entities and people with their own relationships, which can lead to more engaging and dynamic interactions between characters.
Level of detail (LOD) is an important aspect to consider when developing AI systems, and the speaker suggests using statistical simulations and planning to handle LOD effectively. They also recommend using graphing calculators and mathematical formulas to understand and visualize utility curves, which can help in the development process.
The speaker then talks about the importance of prototyping and iterating on AI systems. They encourage developers to build prototypes, test them, and then throw them away before moving on to production. This helps in refining the AI systems and avoiding potential issues down the line.
The main focus of the video is on creating a scheduling system for non-combat AI characters. The scheduling system allows characters to follow a daily or weekly schedule, with tasks assigned to different time slots. The system can be prioritized and allows for overlapping schedules and tasks. The speaker also discusses the importance of updating the scheduling system efficiently, using priority queues and callbacks to handle updates across all schedules and characters.
In conclusion, the video emphasizes the importance of creating immersive non-combat AI systems for video games, using utility theory, randomness, and various game elements to create engaging and believable characters. The scheduling system is presented as a key component for managing AI behaviors and interactions, with efficient updating and prioritization being crucial aspects of its implementation.
