Warframe AI Overhaul suggestions

[Zanza1000]

Today I want to talk about Warframe's AI and suggest a few rather simple and one hard way to improve it.

So what are the problems of Warframe's current AI?

Well.... it's way to simple. The Enemies all act like zombies with guns and not like actual soldiers.
They don't have any other priorities beside "shoot the Warframe". That results in enemies that often just stand in the middle of a hallway and just focus their fireon you.
Another problem is that they all seem to act rather alone instant of actually using their numbers. 

All of this can be fixed by adding a few more goals/priorities to their behavior.

The following text is going to contain:

- smart objects 
- enemy priorities 
- very simple group behavior
- a complex group behavior (this would probably take months for the devs and would push other things aside, but I am going to list it anyways.)

Smart Objects:

Smart Objects are basicly a group of props the enemies can interact with.
Currently a lot of Tiles have a bunch of props that just serv as decoration. These props (like boxes) could be put together into a new prop group that allows the
enemies to use different animations on them depending on the prop. Like for example in the case of a box use it as active cover. 
This alone is not really that diffrent from the cover-system they already use, but it ties together perfectly with my next point.

Enemy Priorities:

Currently a lot of enemies only follow one goal and that is "shoot the Tenno/Warframe" and most situation currently look like this:

2 guys standing next to an ancient while 3 other guys try to activly run away from him although being next to him would improve their chance of survival by a lot
and overall be a much harder challange for the player.

Adding more priorities would change this immensely!

1: Enemies should always be aware of their teammates:
   
  -Enemies should focus more on Shield-drones and Ancients so they can receive their buffs and be a much harder target.
  
  -Ancients should just like drones focus more on their teammates than the Tenno to strenghten the group. While also keeping the longest possible distants(the buff radius) 
   away from them (more on that later)

2: The use of Smart Objects and cover in general.
  
  Currently a lot of enemies simple stand around and focus their fire on us.
  
  Instead they should actively focus more on running towards cover to make sure that they are not such an easy target anymore.
  
  
That way a group of enemies behind cover with for example an ancient behind them would represent a harder challange than the situation we currently have a lot.

Group Behavior:

Simple Method:

Enemies should try to stick around important allies like shield-drones and ancients to strengthen themselves, but otherall try to avoid being to close to high priority
targets like for example a bombard. That way they can avoid running into the crossfire between the player and the bombard and as well a bunch of AOEs that are being 
thrown at these high priority targets. That is as well the reason why ancients should keep the most possible distants from others without taking away their buff.

Complex Method:

Oh boy this method would require a LOT of work, but I am still going to list it.

DE would basicly have to code multiple strategies into their tileset that the enemies would perform if certain conditions are met. 

These conditions could include:

-Frames (Frame with an active AOE like WOF or just a frame with AOE abilities)
-Weapons (AOE or not)
-Playerplacement

Lets go through a few scenarios.

(1)
Let's say you are running Inaros with a Lenz and currently stand more or less in the middle of the tile you are in.

That would fit the conditions. A specific player placement and an AOE weapon.

After these conditions are met the enemies would perform a by DE designed maneuver.
In this case for example they could split up and form smaller groups that are further apart from eachother and seek some form of cover.
That way the could deal a lot better with the players AOEs.

(2) You are running Ash with weapons like the Lex or Braton. Again a special startegy would be used.
In this case the enemies could split in two thick groups one attacks from the front while the other tries to flank the player to get a few easy shoots in.

That way they could deal with the fact that the players can only really attack the side he is facing right now and they could still profit from team buffs 
because the players still has to kill them one at a time.

These behaviors would take a long time to code but would not be impossible since we already have such enemies in games like F.E.A.R. and even Dark Messiah.

 

Edited November 3, 2017 by Zanza1000

[SDGDen]

sounds neat.

 

another option would be to give enemies adaptive AI. if an enemy that saw you do things is still alive at the end of the mission that faction will learn what your warframes powers and weapons do.

[Zanza1000]

2 hours ago, SupremeDutchGamer said:

sounds neat.

 

another option would be to give enemies adaptive AI. if an enemy that saw you do things is still alive at the end of the mission that faction will learn what your warframes powers and weapons do.

something like this would require it's own server and database. plus it would reach what i call the amiibo problem.

the amiiboo problem is something that smash bros players (pros and casuals) noticed about their little amiibos.

you see amiibo just like in your idea learn moves and counters from players and that is really nice cause that means that they are after a while an actual challange.

but here comes the problem that even pros noticed. they became to good. there are pros that can not even k.o. their amiibo once just because it can do all the counters it saw without any input lag in an instant.

such a system would have the chance to make some stuff in warframe unplayable. of course kinda dependen if it affected spawns. cause in the end such a system often just notices cheesy tactics and uses them.

There is even a company that made such an AI for Dota 2 and after playing against pros for weeks it now reached a level that makes it unbeatable. So far it always managed to completly stomp everyone.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Zanza1000

[SDGDen]

On 11/3/2017 at 12:06 PM, Zanza1000 said:

There is even a company that made such an AI for Dota 2 and after playing against pros for weeks it now reached a level that makes it unbeatable. So far it always managed to completly stomp everyone.

while the rest of your statements are valid. this one isnt realy that impressive. it could only play one caracter and could only play against the same caracter it used. 

 

also. there would of course need to be limiters and simulated input lag for such a system.... i agree on enemies not becoming overpowered.