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Game AI Summit: Growing an AI Director into a Full Adventure Director

Marie Mejerwall  (Games Consultant, Mejerwall Consulting)

Location: Room 3004, West Hall

Date: Monday, March 17

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Pass Type: All Access Pass, Summits Pass - Get your pass now!

Track: Programming

Format: Lecture

Vault Recording: TBD

Audience Level: Advanced

Join Marie Mejerwall as she retraces her and her AI combat team's journey from exploring, experimenting and excelling in growing their AI Spawn Director into a full-fledged Adventure Director, overlooking the whole combat experience in a modern co-op action game.

Starting from where Mike Booth left off with his famous AI Systems in Left 4 Dead, Marie's team was able to craft a fully procedural NPC gameplay experience, following the players every steps and ensuring they had a stimulating and fun challenge with an enjoyable pace meeting harder NPC opponents as they go. Marie's team then added tools for level designers to override map sections with more authored gameplay, and control the flood gates of NPC's whilst still letting the Adventure Director decide - and stay consistent - with what would come out of them.

Takeaway

Insights how to expand your AI spawning algorithm in an action game into an almost fully procedural world simulator that keeps monitoring and serving players with challenging NPC. Furthermore, design tools to override and author section with gameplay wherever you want, with the algorithm handling the transition.

Intended Audience

Experienced AI/NPC Designers, AI programmers, gameplay programmers, Level Designers - those who have worked with procedural NPC spawning logic



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