What happened to the fancy AI tricks?

[nickanderson]

Hey remember in some of the earlier movies of HL2 when you were near the professor, and you bumped his monitor he would say "careful gordon!" and all that kind of cool AI tricks. What happened to that? I cant even bump the monitors on his desk, there fixed to the desk! :farmer:

 

[Robert]

I think Valve cutted out pretty much in this release. I bet they will add alot and alot of stuff later on

 

[Mattigus]

I threw a box into Alyx when I got the gravity gun, and she didn't even flinch. Dumb bitch, I'll show her...

 

[we11er]

The only thing I got was throwing the cactus at Dr. Kleiner. Although he didn't flinch, Alyx said something like "Careful gordon".

 

[Varsity]

Yes, I get the feeling that's what was cut out when Valve said they were removing parts to get the game out. In the final game characters react to the player only under certain cicumstances - for instance not when they are doing any form of cut-scene, no matter what crazy shit you're up to right in front of their faces. Hopefully it'll be added in again. The illusion just breaks occasionally.

 

[DarkSonic]

I believe that stuff was all scripted...

 

[Robert]

Yeah.. But Valve said characters would act diffrent in diffrent locations etc. The characters did what they all did. It fellt very scripted imo =/ I didn't get that "The AI has their own life"-feeling that Valve said you would get!

 

[jacen]

lol u pervert

 

[Ahnteis]

They still have things like that in. Just not the monitor one.

 

[The Monkey]

Yes, that struck me too, but a fun thing is (possible spoiler) when you play with dog and his ball, and you put the ball behind Alyx where she sits, Dog is very careful not to harm Alyx and slowly, much slower than the other times, take him arm abound her and grab the ball on the other side. Yes, it's a detail, but it's still awesome, I think. :E

 

[Flyingdebris]

did you know antlions can't swim?

throw a pheremone ball into the water when they are your side, or simply run into waist deep water if they are trying to kill you, you'll see what i mean

 

[Megalomaniac]

I loved at the beginning picking up bricks and such and throwing them at the combine

 

[The Dark Elf]

The "cutscenes" might be scripted, but you can stand pretty much anywhere and they'll all behave correctly with regards your position.

 

[lans]

Yes, that struck me too, but a fun thing is (possible spoiler) when you play with dog and his ball, and you put the ball behind Alyx where she sits, Dog is very careful not to harm Alyx and slowly, much slower than the other times, take him arm abound her and grab the ball on the other side. Yes, it's a detail, but it's still awesome, I think. :E

Wicked!, I never knew that D.O.G could do that.

*Goes and tries it out now.

 

[madacian]

I think the AI was cut short. It's nothing like what they demonstrated at E3 last year. It's unfortunate to say the least.

 

[t0adman]

In the movie the manhacks (or was it a chopper) also showed up and starting blasting through the windows. It seems obvious those movies were created just to show off what the engine, etc could do.

 

[IOD*Mako*]

I think the AI is still better than most games. Take Ravenholm for instance. The fast zombies serveral times went different paths quickly when I presented an obstacle in front of them. Close the door and they climb on the room and drop thru the glass. Pretty damn good AI if you ask me.

 

[DarkHelmet]

I think the AI is still better than most games. Take Ravenholm for instance. The fast zombies serveral times went different paths quickly when I presented an obstacle in front of them. Close the door and they climb on the room and drop thru the glass. Pretty damn good AI if you ask me.

Yeah I noticed that too... Good point.

Kind of weird that the mindless zombies display the most efficient AI.

 

[scc135]

i was a bit disappointed too... why do the combine always seem to be standing next to or hiding behind explosive barrels? The only time I saw a combine actually take cover is behind a pillar at a good distance. anything closer than about 100 ft and they just stand there and shoot at you.

 

[Adrien C]

So the trapdown bink is fake ?

 

[madacian]

So the trapdown bink is fake ?

I wouldn't say a fake, but you won't see that sequence happening anytime soon. The combine don't put up much of a fight. They're have terrible aim too.

 

[thefiznut]

Thing I find is, although it's easy to kill a couple combine, when they get grouped up together and work together it gets a little tough. They start taking down your health quick when you're surrounded by them. I love how headcrab zombies kick stuff you toss at them.

 

[we11er]

So the trapdown bink is fake ?

This has been discussed loads - the traptown bink was mainly scripted, i.e. combine kicking down the doors etc. This is not unusual though - as has been said, this was more a proof of concept video and many companies do this to show off their unfinished products.

 

[dunawayc]

In the movie the manhacks (or was it a chopper) also showed up and starting blasting through the windows. It seems obvious those movies were created just to show off what the engine, etc could do.

The instances where I was inside a building with choppers outside, they shot at me thorugh the window!

 

[BigDaz]

The "cutscenes" might be scripted, but you can stand pretty much anywhere and they'll all behave correctly with regards your position.

They talk and look at you but I've had a number of times where an npc will try walking through me.

 

[AmishSlayer]

Thing I find is, although it's easy to kill a couple combine, when they get grouped up together and work together it gets a little tough. They start taking down your health quick when you're surrounded by them. I love how headcrab zombies kick stuff you toss at them.

They don't work together. They just have better positioning than you. That's what makes the game somewhat of a challenge in a few battles. That or their numbers. They obviously will be able to do serious dmg to you if it's 8-1 and they have cover and grenades to throw.

I think the most impressive AI was how the antlions would stay away from those devices on the beach. Someone here called them "thumpers"...so I'll go with that. They would sorta circle around the thumper just waiting for you to leave it's area of effect. Every so often an antlion would jump in and jab once at you in between thumps. That was pretty cool.

Most of the other stuff didn't impress me that much - take the example of AI changing paths:

It's called pathing. Play Warcraft 3 tower defence. If you block a path of the enemies...they just find another way around or destroy what's in their way. Nothing that new.

EDIT: Combine were weird in the trainstation. You could hit them with something and they'd chase you for a certain amount of time and just give up. For the part where you're supposed to pick up the can the combine soldier knocks over...I just threw it at him, he hits me...the can bounced off him and went into the can. He just laughed at me.

 

[guchi]

it would have been cool if the ai could flee, for example if im standing and mowing down all these combines, they just stand still shooting back... it would be more interesting if the ran for cover etc. hopefully "you could mod it in"

 

[AH_Viper]

One thing that annoyed me and really showed off how much it the AI was cut was when I put a small crate infront of a door, one I could pick up myself, and the combine just stood behind it... didn't even attempt to move it to come after me

 

[Letters]

Are you people blind? In the Half-Life 2 *I* am playing, combine take cover all the time... sometimes even retreating backwards from where they came from if they have to...

And AmishSlayer... comparing how enemies get around in this game... with Warcraft 3... wow...

 

[Doofus]

When you're playing catch with Dog, and he pulls the ball outta under the container, if you shoot it just anywhere, he'll go get it, but if you shoot it up into those two pipe-like holes up in the canyon wall, a bunch of birds will fly out and Alyx will say "Sweet! Hey Dog where's your ball?"

Kinda funny.

 

[Raidea]

In the Half-Life 2 *I* am playing, combine take cover all the time... sometimes even retreating backwards from where they came from if they have to...

Yes, that's what I saw as well, they had great AI if you ask me.

 

[InvaderScooge]

Yeah I noticed that too... Good point.

Kind of weird that the mindless zombies display the most efficient AI.

According to the Raising the Bar book excerpt that you get in the CE retail version the AI for the fast zombies was originally the AI for some fast attack Combine Elite. The part in the game that they where going to be used was cut but the AI was so good that they decided to make a zombie for it and put it in Ravenholm. The combine version looked cool and was going to be like the black ninja dudes from the original. Would have been fun to fight an enemy with that AI that had a gun.

 

[f|uke]

When I unplugged a TV with Dr Breen chatting away in the tennaments early on, one of the citizens said "Now we're really gonna be in trouble", but I dont know if he was reffering to my actions or not.

 

[DevgruSeal]

I'd like to look at Alyx, and have her say, "Gordon! Your staring at me again *blush*"

 

[AmishSlayer]

Are you people blind? In the Half-Life 2 *I* am playing, combine take cover all the time... sometimes even retreating backwards from where they came from if they have to...
I guess they didn't live long enough to do this when I played. When I entered a situation, they'd already be behind cover or near a corner of a wall. They'd pop out to shoot me. I'd pop like 6 rounds of pistol ammo in their head and down they go. The pistol was probably the most useful weapon in the game for me :dosey:

And AmishSlayer... comparing how enemies get around in this game... with Warcraft 3... wow...
I'm just relating the AI pathing to WC3 pathing. Not the skill it has...not the way it acts outside of combat...just the way they notice a blocked path. You have to admit that pathing can be basic. When that little cart the priest was sending up to you was coming like 6-8 fast zombies tried to kill you. If you watch...they all took the exact same route. I didn't even have to move when I was killing them all. I just stood by the pipe and waited 'till they got close enough to blast in the head...reload...wait for the next one.

See bolded parts above.

EDIT:

When I unplugged a TV with Dr Breen chatting away in the tennaments early on, one of the citizens said "Now we're really gonna be in trouble", but I dont know if he was reffering to my actions or not.

Nah. I ripped multiple TV's out and threw them at the tenants...they didnt move or say anything. In fact, drop the TV on the heads of a guy sitting down with his daughter or something. It bounces over and over on top of their heads.

 

[Rog]

It's all scripted! If you use the impulse cheat in klieners lab then kill lamar they still start shouting at him and look in directions when he isnt even there

 

[kenyo]

This has been discussed loads - the traptown bink was mainly scripted, i.e. combine kicking down the doors etc. This is not unusual though - as has been said, this was more a proof of concept video and many companies do this to show off their unfinished products.

no someone from valve siad the AI was not scripted at all and the things they do (strider ducting, combine kicking door) are thanks to AI, AI is a complex thing so i'm sure the AI wont alwese do it, infact it is becouse it is not scripted it deosnt do things it should. if it is scripted it will do it alwese but if it is AI it has to descide what it should do!

scripted=list of stuff to do
AI=hmm, what should i do, ok i've decided!

deos that make any sence to you?
becouse i have a hard time explaning things!
i alwese use rong words.

 

[Chubz]

Gabe Newell ate them. :angry:

 

[AmishSlayer]

no someone from valve siad the AI was not scripted at all and the things they do (strider ducting, combine kicking door) are thanks to AI, AI is a complex thing so i'm sure the AI wont alwese do it, infact it is becouse it is not scripted it deosnt do things it should. if it is scripted it will do it alwese but if it is AI it has to descide what it should do!

I have yet to see a combine soldier kick a door down or a Strider skewer anybody. They do duck down so they can shoot you properly though. Valve said it was all unscripted at the time (like the ally-ai - not true - you have to give the orders for them to move on their own) but that was before they were even close to finishing the game.

 

[Alau]

Anyone played on hard yet? Is the AI any different?