26th November 2003, 6:42 PM
Quote:I disagree with you completely on that. The GameCube is more powerful, yes, but CPU time wouldn't have been a big bottleneck for AI unless they were going for something extremely good. There isn't an improvement from the N64 to GameCube that would suddenly make programming the AI for 10 bots in a multiplayer deathmatch easy. The racing is pretty easy as far as this sort of thing goes, because they just script the cars to a track. There are of course other factors, but it's nothing compared to the difficulty of making a smart enemy for battle.
And to make myself clear, I'm not talking about the difficulty in processing the AI, I'm saying it's hard to design the AI. You even admit that you know it's a technically difficult thing to do, and nothing has changed. If anything, now they have to spend even more time on teh graphics because there is so much more detail.
If some of you still don't think AI is hard, just try to write an algorithm for something as stupid as finding a way through a maze without using the "Keep a hand on the wall" trick. You'll give up pretty soon.
Its a tough question... but I just think that when some games can do it well, why can't all of them? Oh, sure, I can understand if 3 or 4 player mode restricts the comps to a smaller number, but two player? Far too many games have shown that you can have a reasonable number of comps in 2 player mode (6 in Rush 2049 and Star Wars Racer, 16 in Wipeout 64, 8 in Mario Kart, etc...) to make me accept F-Zero's four (compared to 30 in single, while Rush has 6 in single and Racer has 12...), or the myriad games which don't have comps in multi. Sure, there are often technical reasons... but if they tried they could solve them as the many games for which that doesn't restrict them proves.
However, you seem to be talking about something else... about making them good. That is an issue too, of course -- take F-Zero again. Its multiplayer comps aren't exactly competent... and unlike many games you can't set a difficulty level for them. Pathetic. I mean, sure, good AI is hard to do... but don't you already have it from single player? Uhh, all you need to do is use the same guys from single player in multi... doesn't sound hard to me. its not that that makes so many racing games have idiotic 'humans are the only things on the course' stuff on the Gamecube! Its lazy programmers who don't want to bother trying to make it run well with comps, which I'm sure they could do.
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