How do you design AI for your game that's believably competitive, but doesn't feel robotic or cheap?

At GDC 2016 Derek Neal and Bruce Hayles, two of the key developers behind fighting game Killer Instinct's intriguing Shadow system, gave a great talk about how devs can address some of the current problems with AI in competitive games.

Using KI's Shadow system as their primary case stuy, the pair walked through the ins and outs of designing competitive AI that can believably learn and replicate player behaviors, illustrating their points with diagrams and relevant gameplay clips. 

It was a neat talk that tackled a very complex topic in an approachable manner, and it included some useful takeaways for fellow devs designing their own competitive AI. If you missed it at GDC, don't miss your chance to now watch it for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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