Inteligencia Artificial en el videojuego

How is artificial intelligence applied in video games?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the way we interact with video games. It offers an invaluable ability to automate actions and create richer and more dynamic gaming experiences. We will explore how AI can be defined and applied in games, focusing on key questions about what elements should be automatically controlled.

What aspects of a game can be automated by AI?

Automation by AI in a video game can involve several aspects, including:

• Automatic activation of elements: Some game elements may need to activate spontaneously based on certain conditions, such as a player's proximity to a specific object or area.
• Random modification: Game elements may change randomly to add dynamism. For example, varying weather conditions in an open-world game.
• Environment-based reactions: The AI can make a character react according to its current environment. If an environment changes, such as the weather, certain events can be triggered, generating an impact on the game.

How is artificial intelligence integrated into Stardew Valley?

Stardew Valley is an excellent example of how AI can be applied to foster player immersion:

• Interaction with the environment: in the game, some elements are only activated under certain environmental conditions. For example, a certain item needed to get married is only available for purchase when it rains.
• Enemy AI: Enemies in caves are activated based on the player's proximity to the enemy, which shows the implementation of a response based on the player's position.

What role does AI play in Arcanet?

Arcanet offers another perspective on how to use AI to enrich the player's experience:

• Guided missiles: in this game, enemies are missiles that must calculate their trajectory towards the position of the player-controlled ship. The AI must define the correct vector to reach its target.
• Despawning and pre-designed activation: Enemies in Arcanet are not created randomly, but their appearance is pre-designed to control the flow and tension of the game. This allows developers to control how and when players engage enemies.

How can AI enrich the narrative and player experience?

Beyond combat mechanics and item activation, AI can also contribute to richer narrative interaction:

• Role-specific NPCs: Non-playable characters (NPCs) can tell stories or sell items conditional on certain game states, adding depth to the narrative.
• Conditional actions: Some interactions, such as catching a type of fish, can be conditional on factors such as time of day or season, making the player experience feel more realistic and varied.

By integrating artificial intelligence effectively, developers can deliver more engaging and dynamic games. Whether it's enriching the narrative, improving the difficulty of challenges, or simply providing an open-world environment that feels alive and constantly changing, AI presents itself as a fundamental tool for any modern game.