[2021] Exploitation

No matter what the AI does, in the end it will be predictable. If they only go for the player, if they ignore the player and attack the structure, if it's 50/50, if it's 30/70- If it only goes for your LCB.. It doesn't matter. In the end, the AI is going to do a specific set of actions in a specific predictable manner. It might take more or less time to figure out the trick; But there is ALWAYS a trick. There is no game with AI so fantastical that you can't predict what it will do once you have enough experience.

To add onto this, There is no reasonable way in a fully destructible fully buildable world for the AI to have any target but the player. If they're supposed to target player built constructions, the player will just build a concrete cube to attract the zombies, while they themselves are across the street in a normal POI, shooting at the zombies from there. You can't have them target something like an LCB instead, as the player would just refuse to put one down. The only target that the player cannot circumvent is the player character itself.

In the end, The only strategy in the game, in pretty much any game, is to defeat the enemy before the enemy defeats you- This is boiled down to the extreme, but it's the reality. How that is accomplished varies; But the end result is the same. Either you defeat the incoming enemies, Or you die. There's no inbetween state here; It doesn't matter if you fight them in an open field, in a building, in a maze, whatever- you still have to kill them before they kill you.

Originally posted by vgifford:

Originally posted by Pulikutya: How do you kill them if they are not where you want them to be, and what do they do if they dont come to you to get killed? I defended bridges, pole forests, pits, platforms, pillboxes, concrete cubes, and they all do the same. Even with no base, they will come to you and do exactly what you want them to.

Yes, I agree. Fight outside, they all come to you, just be ready.

I'm just saying the Tower Defense style of AI isn't really working here. Yep, zombies always try to path to me. Ok I'll give them a path to follow. Right through my traps, and when they get to the top, I'll have this sledge turret knock them back down to the bottom so they can do it all over again.

Not hard, not challenging. Boring. Lemmings in a loop.

That's not just 'tower defense style of AI', That's 'literally every low level Melee type enemy in every game ever'.

The psychos in borderlands are the same, for example- They just rush for the player to melee them without regard for their safety. They dont have any other choice- The only way for them to attack is melee. The only alternative is for them to hide in cover until you find a way to shoot around the corner or throw a grenade, which in itself, is also boring. not challenging. not hard.

Dark Souls, prided for it's difficulty, Is also 'not hard, not challenging. It's boring. It's lemmings in a loop.' Once you've gotten good at parrying, anything short of a massive boss monster or a misstep on your part where you attract more than what you meant to, you're practically unkillable against most melee non-boss non-miniboss enemies. Because they have no choice but to approach you to attack you, or to hide away and let you attack from range. All you have to do is stand your ground, shield finger at the ready, and parry at the right moment. Lemmings for you to slay.


Edit: To elaborate a bit on my prior thoughts, The big issue here isn't the AI. It's that there is essentially only one singular type of enemy. We have...Zombies. And more zombies. And even more zombies. They're all low-level melee class enemies that can only be a threat to the player in one way- Approaching them, and subsequently meleeing them.

Cop zombies are a ranged threat- But spawn so infrequently that it's a bit moot, and they dont do so much damage that they're that big of a threat to the player themselves; they're more a threat to buildings- Meanwhile, the projectile is slow and fairly easy to dodge at medium range.

Demolishers are a special threat- They deal a massive amount of damage, but, only if you screw up and trigger the bomb- Otherwise they're just melee enemies.

Birds are melee enemies that can attack from above. Dogs are melee enemies. Spider zombies are melee enemies with a jump attack.

The issue isn't really the AI. It's that all the enemies are melee units, while the player has ranged attacks and as much or as little defense as they choose to put into it. And melee enemies can really only approach the target to attack the target.