Adventure(?) Games Workshop on AI planning in games

Games Sherlock Holmes and the secret of the silver earring –Traditional point and click adventure –Talk to people, pick up and combine objects –Linear narrative –Static world

Games Fahrenheit –Non traditional –Dynamic world –Time pressure –Action scenes –Can die –Non-linear narrative –Multiple player characters with conflicting goals

What makes them good? Sherlock Holmes –Failure is impossible –Satisfaction of solving logical puzzles –Strong narrative with engaging recognizable characters Fahrenheit –Predictable, consistent world –Must react to a dynamic world –Meaningful graphics –Characters seem alive

What makes them bad? Sherlock Holmes –Very slow moving –Lots of effort, not much pay-off –Statues as NPCs –Repeated dialogue Fahrenheit –Trial and error,not puzzle solving –Too fast, especialy for novice users –Just too depressing

Planning to improve gameplay Changing player goals according to current knowledge Smart assistant to help you out, using planning to make suggestions for the player Determine narrative using a planner ahead of time Plot/dialogue changes as player knowledge changes