Looking for games with good AI

**Rodion Romanovich** · 05-06-2007, 11:27

I'm looking for some new games to get for the summer. What I'm mainly looking for is a game with clever AI, no matter which genre. RTS, TBS, action, tactical, sports (mainly ice hockey), and maybe also RPG. I would like to find a game with AI that is varied, difficult to predict, where the AI skill isn't achieved through AI cheating or something simplistic like giving the AI godlike aim in a shooter. Alternatively, if the AI isn't that complex, it should at least take long before I discover exactly how it works and how to exploit it systematically.

Some games I've been thinking about: Histwar, ArmA, full spectrum warrior, one of the many ww2 strategy game released in the latest 5 years (which one is the best?), STALKER, some combat flight simulator. I'm also considering getting some very old games, if they're strategy/tactical and feature very good AI, even if the graphics are bad.

What are your experiences with these suggested games? And where I have mentioned a broad genre, which particular games would you recommend?

**Kekvit Irae** · 05-06-2007, 11:51

I would suggest Company of Heroes. If you've played Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, you know what to expect.

**Fragony** · 05-06-2007, 11:55

F.E.A.R. has be far the best AI I have ever seen, there is currently nothing that can claim to be even half as advanced, nothing like it.

**Husar** · 05-06-2007, 12:31

Well, I'm not a shooter person usually, but I think the Stalker AI isn't bad and I didn't find a way to really "expoit" it yet.

**sapi** · 05-06-2007, 12:34

Originally Posted by Fragony

F.E.A.R. has be far the best AI I have ever seen, there is currently nothing that can claim to be even half as advanced, nothing like it.

It's also boringly repetitive, so the OP should keep that in mind.

**Fragony** · 05-06-2007, 12:44

Originally Posted by sapi

It's also boringly repetitive, so the OP should keep that in mind.

True that, it's pure shooter at heart, but if you like that kind of thing it's just the thing you like. F.E.A.R. isn't without it flaws, level design feels almost randomly generated at times, but the insane combat and thick atmosphere kept me going. Bit of a one trick pony, but that suits me just fine; I got a gun and I want to shoot it, and nothing does it better at the moment. Great in short bursts at least if you can't forgive it's shortcommings.

**Stig** · 05-06-2007, 12:54

The Close Combat games have the best AI I've ever seen. I think anyone who played them can agree to that.

**Zenicetus** · 05-09-2007, 18:08

Another vote for GalCiv2, I get smacked around too, on the levels where the AI has no cheats. Best strategic AI I've seen in a game, so far.

About Far Cry... I didn't get the impression that the AI was all that great. It worked well enough, but it was more the starting positions and programmed reactions (i.e. level design) than AI. I think that's true of most FPS games, although I haven't tried F.E.A.R. yet. That's on my list when I get some free time.