AI RPG characters can be highly realistic, depending on the complexity of the algorithms used and the fidelity of the game world they inhabit. For example, in Red Dead Redemption 2, AI characters are modeled to react to the player’s behavior in ways that mimic real-life interactions. The game uses a dynamic AI decision-making system where NPCs react to the player’s moral choices, making the character feel more alive. They can remember past encounters, express emotions, and even give meaningful dialogues based on previous interactions. In the game, NPCs have also been given a daily routine: shopping, working, socializing. This makes them all look more like real people. The developers at Rockstar Games spent years refining the AI system to ensure every NPC in the game has a believable routine, making it feel like a living world.
In Cyberpunk 2077, AI characters show emotional responses to the player’s choices and change their behaviors accordingly, such as through changes in conversations or actions. The AI in the game automatically changes character with the action of the player, giving various outcomes for different situations. In fact, CD Projekt Red used machine learning models to enhance the believability of NPCs, which allows them to interact with the player in more nuanced ways. Not all of the NPCs in AI characters have the same abilities to understand or respond to the player’s actions because they can be programmed with different ranges of intelligence.
In addition, realism may also be limited by hardware constraints and the current state of AI technology. For example, pathfinding algorithms, one type of heuristic which helps the NPCs navigate the world, might fail to provide perfectly realistic movement. In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, while NPCs can move around the world and interact with the player, they sometimes cannot avoid obstacles or respond to complex environmental cues in human-like ways. AI NPCs still have room for improvement in terms of adaptation with the player’s decisions at a deeper emotional level, with some reactions repetitive or even overly scripted.
The overall computational cost of creating such realistic AI characters can be high. Development studios usually spend a big portion of their budget on creating complex AI systems. For example, it is reported that Ubisoft spent up to 10% of its budget on AI development for games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to make the NPCs as realistic as possible. This requires a balance of computations with the creative direction of the game to effectively bring the game experience together for these AI characters.
As AI technology advances, AI RPG characters will likely become more realistic. Additional application of machine learning and natural language processing could result in more realistic interactions. In fact, according to Gabe Newell, the co-founder of Valve, “The future of gaming is about creating worlds where players feel truly immersed and connected to the characters.” This is made possible by the advances in AI RPG technology that are ever-changing to provide more complex and emotionally engaging characters. For more on AI-powered RPGs, visit Ai RPG.