Playing to Lose: AI and "Civilization" (Soren Johnson)

Google Tech Talk
August 26, 2010

ABSTRACT

Presented by Soren Johnson.

Artificial intelligence is crucial to any strategy game, providing a compelling opponent for solo play. While many of the challenges of AI development are technical, significant design challenges exist as well. Can the AI behave like a human? Should it? Should the game design be adjusted to accommodate the limitations of the AI? How do we make the AI fun? Should the AI cheat? If so, how much? Do we even want the AI to win? This session suggests some possible answers to these questions using the "Civilization" series as a case study. Ultimately, developers must choose between a "good" AI and a "fun" one, with an understanding of the trade-offs inherent when deciding between the two.

Soren Johnson was the lead designer and AI programmer for Sid Meier's Civilization IV. After working at Firaxis Games for seven years, Soren joined EA Maxis in 2007 to work on Spore as a lead designer/programmer. He is currently building web-based games with EA2D, such as the moddable strategystation.com and other unannounced projects. He also writes a design column for Game Developer Magazine and is on the GDC Advisory Board. His thoughts on game design can be found at http://www.designer-notes.com.

Download slides to this presentation here: http://www.designer-notes.com/PlayingToLoseGoogle.zip

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• google tech talk
• soren johnson
• games
• civilization

[KarlKFI]

@Luke1d20 & @frenzyfol

Game developers do not have infinite time nor infinite resources to devote to AI development. Expecting a perfect AI in a commercial game is unrealistic. Sure they could have fixed it after they realized it was a problem, but that means either longer development or more maintenance after release. Then it becomes simple economics: "Is it worth it in dollars, reputation and/or time for me or my company to solve?"

Blame the Businessmen.

[Folcik009]

Man, anyone else think these comments are somewhat hostile and unrealistic.

Game developers do not have infinite resources, time, and labor. These games require a lot more work then AI. It'd be fantastic if the AI was perfect but then we might see less time and work put into other areas of game design.

[urmo345]

And yet there were (and are) trolls around who says that Civ 4 ai does not cheat.

Well, you can always cheat back anyway, LOL

[anonymous243124]

Im sorry but the AI in the Civ series is subpar

[MrScherbert]

This is a very enlightening video. Thanks.

[x6xk1LLx9x]

using this video as a source for my psych paper, thank you so much

[Mattx2go]

Yes the developers are being lazy. The question is, can they? The answer to that question can be found in another question, did enough people buy the game to profit from it?

I don't know about you but Civ V completely turned me off from the Civ series, Civ IV's AI "cheating" was my biggest grievance, but in Civ V so many other limitations (that can't be modded) arose that it turned me off from the series. Plus the AI are just as dumb as Civ IV. I don't want perfect, but I do want improvement.

[TimJBenham]

The most galling aspect is his contempt for the players. They're too stupid to notice if the AI cheats, and if they do they're just being whiny little hypocrites because they all cheat anyway.

[CravingForLiberty]

his example of religion providing a plausible casus belli is actually not a very good one: yes, if you are owner of the holy city you want to spread your own religion in civ 4, but other than that you would have no gameplay-reason to dislike players with different religions - yet the ai is doing exactly that for roleplaying reasons

in the paradox titles having other religions spread actually causes nasty uprisings plus you get valuable casus bellii on heathens, providing a real incentive for war

[CravingForLiberty]

i think soren johnson establishes a false dichotomy here (roleplaying vs playing the same game). it all depends on game design: if a strategy breaks the roleplaying, eliminate it. design the rules so that roleplaying is the same as playing to win.

have a look at the paradox titles (eu3 and vicky2): they do that pretty good by having a few simple mechanics (stability, infamy, religious turmoil) that move strategies that are playing to win and those that are roleplaying close together.

[apocalypse105]

@Thormodr

Yes you are 100% right Thats because sid meier and this guy and a lot of other gamedevelopers from civ 5 got an advisor role in civ 5 and john shaver got the main lead john what have you donne?