Artificial intelligence
Ashes of Creation utilizes an adaptive artificial intelligence (AI), which means that different encounters with similar creatures will yield different player experiences.[1]
- Utilizing new AI technology that hasn't been seen in other MMORPG projects.[2]
- Bosses are scripted and make decisions dynamically during boss fights.[3]
- NPCs performing "idle actions" to make the world seem more alive has been discussed by the developers but is not confirmed.[4]
There are AI systems that don't relate to controlling NPCs.[5]
There are some additional AI parameters that are set that don't relate necessarily to controlling NPCs. There are AIs with regards to the development of the borders for nodes in the direction and also the decisions that are made of which lower nodes to enslave as vassal states. There's AI that relates to a little bit of the stock market that's going to be present in the economy. There's some AI systems that are going to be announced also that are pretty innovative I think with regards to the MMORPG genre and that's going to make the triggered event system very interesting I think; and that's you know with regards to how nodes kind of develop and the environment reacts to that development by you know spawning these triggered events of you know a horde of zombies attacking a city or a legendary raid boss coming out of the mountain. I think there's a lot of opportunity for some of the innovations that's been in the AI sector of game development too to come out in Ashes.[5] – Steven Sharif
Horde mode
Horde mode is an Alpha-1 city defense testing mode.[6] Potential mechanics include:[7]
- Wave mode of a variety of NPCs.[7]
- Between waves, players collect experience, money and weapons to take back to their hold to defend against the next wave.[8]
Horde mode will include adaptive AI boss mechanics.[6] Rewards are obtained dependent on progress against these NPCs.[7]
Horde mode will absolutely include boss mechanics, so some of the ideas behind that is going to have a wave mode of a variety of NPCs will likely include some achievable cosmetics as well in that mode depending on how far you can get and those cosmetics will include pets of the NPCs that you face, so like a little miniature version of the NPC's and we'll update those as well, that you'll have in the MMO.[7] – Steven Sharif
Horde mode is specifically for testing.[7]
- Testing the blackboard for the AI.[7]
- NPCs with different different adaptive AI focuses:[7]
- Sniper
- Ranged
- Melee
- Boss
It's a way that we thought it would be kind of fun to implement AI mechanics that we're looking to implement. Testing the you know the blackboard for the AI. Being able to have variable types of NPCs that have roles whether it be like a sniper, ranged, melee, boss, heroic you know kind of different AI focuses for those monsters during interesting situations.[7] – Steven Sharif
Adaptive content
New points of interest (such as dungeons and world bosses) spawn as nodes develop.[9] This content adapts to the development of the zone it is in.[10]
- Populations will change.
- Content difficulty will change.
- The content may be different altogether, depending on what is developed and how.
- Different types of antagonists with different story lines.
Player driven narrative
The world of Verra will be the same on each server, but Nodes will develop differently. Different servers will have different narratives. Things that happen on one server may not happen on another.[11]
We want as many people as possible to experience the main server Narrative. These will branch at different scales, but largely at the personal level. Where things change is at the Node level – different parts of the story will be unlocked based on where and when Nodes grow. Unlocking a part of the story in a certain way locks out progression of the story in a different way. You’ll see different antagonists, different NPCs, and different calls to action depending on what’s happening with the server at that time.[12]
It kind of redefines what the players will experience in an MMORPG to come into a wilderness that is devoid of really any structure outside of what the community creates themselves; and then what can be created can be changed, if they want to experience a storyline that's been seen on another server, but you know you're fighting a dragon because you're near a mountain and the other server's fighting a Kraken because they're near the coast and you want to fight that Kraken because of its drop table. If you want to meta it or because you just want that under your belt: to be the server first to take out that Kraken and you have yet to develop the node there, you know it's incumbent upon you to manifest that in the game.[13] – Steven Sharif
See also
References
- ↑ About Ashes of Creation.
- ↑ Livestream, 5 May 2017 (11:55).
- ↑ Livestream, 28 July 2017 (43:57).
- ↑ Livestream, 8 April 2018 (PM) (3:56).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Podcast, 11 May 2018 (24:23).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 Interview, 8 August 2018 (4:00).
- ↑ Livestream, 17 August 2018 (30:29).
- ↑ Livestream, 17 November 2017 (36:22).
- ↑ Livestream, 17 November 2017 (18:29).
- ↑ Livestream, 19 May 2017 (37:03).
- ↑ Interview: Ashes of Creation on Building Their Virtual World, 13 April 2017.
- ↑ Livestream, 22 May 2017 (28:02).