AI Driven NPCs - Yay or Nay?

Where do you stand on the rise of AI in our daily lives? Some fear a Skynet-like future, while others are excited about the endless possibilities. One area that's particularly fascinating is the use of AI in video games, especially for creating more lifelike NPCs (non-player characters).

Whether you’re cautious or optimistic about AI, the idea of AI-driven NPCs is intriguing. Unlike main characters, AI-enhanced NPCs can enrich a game without replacing creative storytelling. Imagine NPCs reacting to you in surprising ways, making the game feel more alive.

Take Assassin’s Creed Origins, for instance. I've spent hundreds of hours in this game, but hearing the same NPCs repeating lines like "sejeriat", “henheriat” (whatever that means) and "please, we’re innocent!" gets frustrating and breaks immersion. Even in the DLC’s afterlife areas, these voices follow me. My son really enjoyed Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen but he was left with a blacksmith’s NPC line living rent free in his head “they’re masterworks all, you can’t go wrong” which drove him crazy - and it's the first thing he thinks of if the game comes up in discussion. Here, generative AI could introduce a wider variety of interactions, making each encounter unique.

But why stop at dialogue? Ever noticed how NPCs in games like AC Origins have exaggerated, scripted reactions? Curiously they often dive “in front” of your mount to get out of the way or run around like headless chickens when freed from captivity, alerting their captors - leading to their own demise. AI could help create more natural behaviours, reducing these immersion-breaking moments.

How would this work? It’s unlikely every NPC could be constantly connected to ChatGPT or another language model. For a game set in ancient Egypt, for instance, the AI would need appropriate data to generate realistic behaviour. You wouldn’t want NPCs in ancient Egypt talking about modern technology. This might mean more storage space on your gaming device, but wouldn’t the result be worth it?

Rather than get bogged down in technicalities, let's focus on what this could look like. Modders have been paving the way, showing us glimpses of what AI in gaming can achieve. For example, Nexus Mods offers plugins for games like Cyberpunk 2077 that generate new storylines and side quests based on what you do in the game. These missions are created on the fly, tailored to your actions and the game world’s state.

Imagine the environment reacting more naturally: helping the same NPC multiple times could trigger a new mission where they ask for your help again, not pre-programmed but dynamically created. This keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.

Enemy tactics could also evolve. Think you’ve sussed out a certain enemy type? This AI plugin could make them adapt to your combat style, employing smarter strategies to keep you on your toes. ChatGPT is used to keep NPC dialogue fresh, supported by audio mods to enhance immersion.

So, how much AI-driven NPC behaviour would you like to see in your games? Would you enjoy an NPC systematically stalking you because you cut them off in traffic, or do you just want those repetitive lines in AC Origins to change?

For more details about these exciting mods, check out Nexus Mods' plugin for Cyberpunk 2077: Nexus Mods - Cyberpunk 2077 Mods.