AI Director in other games?

[Sabre]

The AI director in Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 can do various groovy things. Placing enemies and weapons randomly throughout the map, without them getting stuck in scenery ect. I also a saw that the game Sin Episodes and Smod would change enemy equipment in a similar way. If you headshot alot the baddies start to wear helmuts ect.

So, we have 3 games, all source engine, that can change equipment and enemy placement to make for a challenging game every time. L4D is limited to the same boring enemy used repeatedly. Sin and Smod was limited to fixed spawn points.

Question. Since we know this is possable, why don't games have a sort of infinate replay mode that can mix up enemies and equipment? I know about pacing, story, challenge ect, but what's stopping games having it as an option?

[CrypticQuery]

I guess because they have to make money on the sequel :D

[Vy'drach]

The AI director in Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 can do various groovy things. Placing enemies and weapons randomly throughout the map, without them getting stuck in scenery ect. I also a saw that the game Sin Episodes and Smod would change enemy equipment in a similar way. If you headshot alot the baddies start to wear helmuts ect.

So, we have 3 games, all source engine, that can change equipment and enemy placement to make for a challenging game every time. L4D is limited to the same boring enemy used repeatedly. Sin and Smod was limited to fixed spawn points.

Question. Since we know this is possable, why don't games have a sort of infinate replay mode that can mix up enemies and equipment? I know about pacing, story, challenge ect, but what's stopping games having it as an option?

I think most of it has to do with deadlines. From what I've heard, nearly every game made barely makes it out of deadline, usually by scrapping features they wanted to include originally but couldn't due to time constraints. (this happened a lot for the HALO games)

[Guest DRL]

I think most of it has to do with deadlines. From what I've heard, nearly every game made barely makes it out of deadline, usually by scrapping features they wanted to include originally but couldn't due to time constraints. (this happened a lot for the HALO games)

Yeah.

X-COM Apocalypse

was going to be a GRAND game.

It had planned loads of features,

options, included some modding

capability. And heck, the deadline

ruined it all... All they were able

to complete was a 'basic' game to

my standards. I mean, I like it,

but heck, I would REALLY love it

if they had put that dealine aside

and finished the planned features... 

:x

[Mr. Krystal]

Random spawn points aren't always possible. Even if they are, the developers may choose not to use them because it creates uneven difficulties: making the game unplayable SOMETIMES, but in a way they can't test consistently.