A potential great use for AI storytelling in games...

[ZedClampet]

I play a lot of racing games, and many of them have either (or both) a story career or just a career (I don't know what else to call them). A "story career" has a narrative that ties all the races together and usually you get some commentary at the beginning and ending of races. In just regular "career" mode, there is no narrative at all. You just go from one race to the next with no commentary.

I think both of these situations, but particularly the latter one, would be perfect for AI story telling. In just regular careers, if there were an AI keeping up with your exploits and making comments like, "With 6 wins in a row and a perfect season on the line, this is no ordinary rookie, folks. They are the talk of the racing world!" would make the whole thing a completely different experience.

In narrative careers, the same thing plays out in every game. You are a rookie and an underdog, and the narrative plays out like you are still the underdog even if you are handily winning every single race.

I'm sure there are other types of games that could use an injection of simple AI storytelling, too. Hopefully we'll start seeing it soon.

 

[Brian Boru]

Hopefully we'll start seeing it soon

Still a good way to go, judging by all the AI posts we get here

But yeah, it's made for dynamic games.

 

[ZedClampet]

Still a good way to go, judging by all the AI posts we get here

But yeah, it's made for dynamic games.

Well, the AI posts on here are a little more difficult for AI because of what they are supposed to do. In a racing game, for instance, you could put in a bunch of parameters, have it only talking about certain things in certain ways. Make everything career related with your history and the history of the AI drivers. Here all it's doing is selecting a random statement and expanding on it.

I watched a video of a guy playing with an AI companion in Skyrim, and the AI actually did a sort of okay job carrying on conversations with the player. In my example, it wouldn't have to be that complicated. It could be like a sports commentator only.

 

[Pifanjr]

Still a good way to go, judging by all the AI posts we get here

You only notice the bad ones though. Any one of us might be a sophisticated AI and you would never be able to tell the difference.

 

[neogunhero]

In my example, it wouldn't have to be that complicated. It could be like a sports commentator only.

That would be a perfect fit to use AI. Commentators aren’t people you have conversations with or form a relationship with, not in the same way you would with a well written character that you care about. Racing and sports games commentators would be a great use for AI. I think even a “Stanley Parable” type of narrator that reacts to your decisions and actions in a game would be a good use for AI as well.

 

[Zloth]

I think even a “Stanley Parable” type of narrator that reacts to your decisions and actions in a game would be a good use for AI as well.

Nononono! Don't mess with Kevan Brighting! Mere circuitry can never match... (realizes he's only heard Kevan's voice done by his computer)... look, it will never work, OK? Just. Won't. Did you hear him say "eight"? OMG!