GDC 2025 Session Viewer
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