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How do you feel about A.I./Bots complementing online games?

What do you feel about AI in online games?

  • Fine with bots in their own mode (offline/dedicated servers/co-op modes)

    Votes: 15 41.7%
  • Fine with bots if they backfill spaces on servers for humans and drop out

    Votes: 10 27.8%
  • FIne with bots as a complement to a full server of humans for large scale battles

    Votes: 4 11.1%
  • No bots, only PvP

    Votes: 12 33.3%

  • Total voters
    36

cormack12

Gold Member
Been playing a lot of BF II lately and diving into the co-op missions to level some classes as catchup. I'm surprised how aggressive the AI is - plays better than some battlefield teams to be honest. Got me to googling and came across the below link. Quite interesting to read through. What do you think?

Source: https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/battlefront/star-wars-battlefront-2/news/ai-article-deep-dive

If you’re a long-time player (or just generally observant), you’ve probably noticed how the implementation of non-human players – driven by AI (artificial intelligence) – has played a major role in the evolution of Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II throughout the year.

The New AI in Star Wars Battlefront II – A Brief Summary
A big milestone was reached in early 2019 as Capital Supremacy launched, introducing a brand-new AI technology. For the first time in Star Wars Battlefront II’s online multiplayer, players battled alongside and against bots (another word for AI controlled units).

The AI provided scale to the combat by increasing the sheer number of troopers on the battlefront. But it also enabled players across the entire skill spectrum to have a good time, as the bots are – if compared to seasoned veteran players – easier targets.

Since then, as part of the Cooperation Update, the AI has been put front and center in no less than two new game modes: online Co-Op and offline Instant Action. The development team doubled down on utilizing the AI to make players feel heroic on the battlefront, allowing them to create their own, larger-than-life Star Wars moments – and to just have fun without the pressure of human competition.


It All Started as a Testing Tool
The project was started by Jonas Gillberg, Sr AI Engineer at EA, in August 2017 and involved (as mentioned above) the creation of a brand-new technology. For clarity, the initiative has nothing in common with the self-learning agents as demonstrated by SEED or the AI present in Star Wars Battlefront II’s Arcade mode.

This tech was basically built to make bots play games, so that humans don’t have to. But why?

The initial scope of the project was to build an AI to scale automated testing for large multiplayer sessions. In order to test things properly, an AI behaving as close as possible to human players was needed.

The technology is set up to provide quality assurance analysts – who analyze and test games on a regular basis – and content creators (e.g. game and level designers) high-level control of AI objectives through visual scripting. This way, when utilizing the AI for testing purposes, direct interaction with the code isn’t necessary.

Soon after, Luca took on the assignment to polish up the combat system, navigation, and implement behaviors to make it a shippable feature – with the specific focus on Star Wars Battlefront II.

Under the Hood of Star Wars Battlefront II’s New AI Tech
As soon as you start a game of Capital Supremacy, Co-Op, or Instant Action, the AI bots immediately evaluate what to do next. This continues throughout the game, with the AI prioritizing and selecting actions based on its current state.

This is where logic creates magic (if we dare brag a little).

The AI’s decision-making can be looked upon as sub-categories working in tandem:

  • Targeting and vision. A line-of-sight check is made by the AI controlled unit in a front-facing cone view. The closest target in this view is engaged with. Targets that are in cover and not directly visible are not engaged with. Each bot tracks its current target’s positions and timestamps.

    Looking at the last positions of the found target, the AI estimates where the target will be a couple of seconds in the future, calculates the velocity vector, and multiplies them both to predict the future position. That’s where the bot will aim. Then, of course, the accuracy of the AI is configurable, and depends on how much aim noise is added to its weapon.

  • Weapons and engaging distances. Combat decisions are based on the bot’s equipped weapon, and how far it can reach. There’s an optimal “stop and shoot” distance for each weapon, which is set slightly before the projectiles’ damage starts to drop off. This is the point at where the AI will stop moving towards the target, since 1) getting closer wouldn't deal more damage, and 2) it would make the AI an easier target as well. Each weapon is also given a float value between 0 and 1, deciding where on the target’s body the bot will aim – with 0 being at the target’s feet, and 1 at the target’s head.

    Furthermore, the limit set for where targets will be tracked by the AI is the end of the damage drop-off multiplied by an tweakable number, deciding when the target is close enough to go after.

  • Combat maneuvers and awareness. The bot seeing through a front-facing cone view opens the possibility to sneak up behind them! However, as soon as the bot gets shot at, it’ll turn towards the player who inflicted the damage and set him or her as its priority target.

    If the bot and the player (or other target) are facing each other, the bot will enter a state where it tries to evade and dodge its target’s projectiles while returning fire itself. The bot will strafe left and right (variating randomly each time the bot changes direction) and make the occasional movements back and forth – all within certain configurable time constraints.

    At each change of direction, the bot will be given an opportunity to jump or make a dodge roll, as well. This controlled unpredictability, so to speak, helps to convey a sense of human behavior.

That’s the top line, but there’s even more logic set up for the AI to follow, such as:

  • Defending an area
  • Crouching and patrolling when defending an area
  • Navigating through the map in a realistic manner by using a constraint-random set of intermediate positions between the starting point and destination
  • Procedures to get out of an area where it’s stuck (where one step is for the AI to mash all buttons frantically in order to unstuck itself – visualize that!)
  • Follow objectives, circle up in formations around the player, and reach a position close to the followed player to patrol the vicinity and protect it from hostiles.
 

Kuranghi

Member
I don't play online games basically ever but seeing the Fortnite bots is not a good impression, they completely suck, they often didn't even respond to shots on them.

Are the bots in Forknite skill level based or something? So it was more to do with the person playing that made the AI so shite?
 

Codes 208

Member
I know that I hit fine with their own mode but in hindsight I don’t actually mind them in social matches. Backfilling the roster is how it works in Gears and I think that worked pretty well
 

FeldMonster

Member
I want AI to be available for everything. Tired of empty playlists, teabaggers, quitters, and those whose skill is either way too low or way too high for the lobby.

My dream is to play Halo Arena (4v4) with me and 7 bots.
 

Interfectum

Member
I'm fine with bots if they:
A) Let me know it's a bot and not try to hide it with a made-up username
B) Let me turn it off or opt to be in games without bots
C) if they are built into the design of the game and bots are just cannon fodder during PvP
 

Husky

THE Prey 2 fanatic
I like bots in their own mode. Spent a lot of time playing Battlefront that way :lollipop_smiling_face_eyes:
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
#1. Their own mode.

It fits a purpose sometimes like in Titanfall as grunts to rack up pts and they get the occasional kill on you, but playing offline bot mode in COD Remastered, I wouldnt want them in an MP game with humans. They dont act right, and they cheat knowing where you are where the killcam shows it sniping you from behind cover AND doing it while shooting through something.
 
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Graciaus

Member
I've been playing the master chief collection a lot the last few weeks. I would say a good portion of matches at least one person either isnt playing or quits.

I'm fine with bots replacing people. Also fine with just playing against bots for people who either suck or want to feel like a God.
 
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PSYGN

Member
It's silly to mix bots in a match with real players. There is something satisfying knowing that someone on the other end just got pooped on by you and perhaps even decided to closed the game and uninstall it. Bots just get in the way in online multiplayer, it's a good thing it never caught on.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
I just want AI to be good... In Paladins they just bought dumb generic stuff and that's a game you cannot return bought items after you close the store, it's a good thing they won't pick a mastery or buy items anymore
 

junguler

Banned
depends on the game really, if it's a pve game that's designed for 4 players but there are nobody to match-make with i rather play with bots than alone. they can be useful as support or medic but i rather do all the killing myself.
in multiplayer games they might be needed at some point because sooner of later all of these games lose popularity and it gets harder and harder to get a match going ...
 

Moomalade74

Banned
It's shite, I hated bots in Titanfall. As a 'mature' gamer it's hard enough to get a kill in an online competitive environment, but to then find out I don't even get the thrill of knowing I skanked another human? That feckin sucks. Not for me!
 

01011001

Banned
bots in team games when someone disconnets is good

Titanfall like AI on the battlefield that are distinct from normal players and have a different role is also ok

bots that are just thrown in and are just player like characters controlled by AI suck tho.
Fortnite was basically ruined by them
 
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