Blizzard is loading up on player vs AI / player + AI mechanics

[Kokolums]

A lot of systems are now getting automated via player vs AI mechanics.

1. A new version of a battleground where you fight as a team of players vs an AI team is coming.
2. Followers are supposed to become super important in 8.2 per Taliesin's newest video.

I expect as the playerbase shrinks to nothing, they will add AI tanks, AI healers, and AI DPS to dungeon parties and raids to fill the gaps and keep the queues popping. We might end up with effectively solo dungeons, with 1 actual player and 4 AI. That will be the final version of WoW at its sunset, with very few players but technically you can run anything because AI will be there to make a full and complete instance. Maybe they will even add AI to the auction house so mats and stuff are available to buy.

The game will play itself.

[therealstegblob]

I expect as the playerbase shrinks to nothing,

So sometime in the next 30 years or so?

[FAILoZOFF]

they will add AI tanks, AI healers, and AI DPS to dungeon parties and raids to fill the gaps and keep the queues popping. We might end up with effectively solo dungeons, with 1 actual player and 4 AI. Maybe they will even add AI to the auction house so mats and stuff are available to buy.

The game will play itself.

Not going to happen, you might see AI as an enemy but pretty much never for dungeons/raids, like ever.
Too much trouble to implement even if they'd have very advanced AI. Their Ai will never be able to partner players for... many reasons.

[Flutterguy]

None of this indicates that AI is taking over primary game functions.

[Dinousek]

Companion parties are quite common and a lot of fun in FF XI. You can collect many different types and customize you party composition for a variety of activities.The AI is fairly sophisticated. I would welcome a similar system in WOW.

[MrExcelion]

Companion parties are quite common and a lot of fun in FF XI. You can collect many different types and customize you party composition for a variety of activities.The AI is fairly sophisticated. I would welcome a similar system in WOW.

Are they better or worse than actual players? And by what magnitude? (significantly better/worse)

[cparle87]

Did I miss a memo? What systems are now getting automated with AI?
I didn't think they did huge changes mid-expac?

I think he's referring to the AI used by the enemy team on island expeditions. Blizz said they're looking to improve it and maybe find new places to use it.

[ayrton2388]

Did I miss a memo? What systems are now getting automated with AI?
I didn't think they did huge changes mid-expac?

They are implementing a new style of battlegrounds. Players vs. AI battlegrounds. They are starting with Arathi Basin, and Warsong Gulch. One team will consist only of players, and the other one only of AIs. It was announced several months ago.

[ojgavtq]

AlphaWow would be awesome

[Soon-TM]

Blizzard has been toying with AI for quite some time, to the point where (iirc) SC2 were the testing grounds for Google's new & shiny DeepMind AI - which has managed to defeat many SC2 pros shortly ago.

[Shuji V2]

As long as their pet AI sucks balls, this will never be a thing.

[Topornic]

Not going to happen, you might see AI as an enemy but pretty much never for dungeons/raids, like ever.
Too much trouble to implement even if they'd have very advanced AI. Their Ai will never be able to partner players for... many reasons.

Have you ever seen proving grounds and mage tower challenges? Dungeons can be designed around that and I doubt Blizzard wouldn’t do it if it meant some braindead morons will play the mmo game they experience with just AI and pay for it.

[Qnubi]

A lot of systems are now getting automated via player vs AI mechanics.

1. A new version of a battleground where you fight as a team of players vs an AI team is coming.
2. Followers are supposed to become super important in 8.2 per Taliesin's newest video.

I expect as the playerbase shrinks to nothing, they will add AI tanks, AI healers, and AI DPS to dungeon parties and raids to fill the gaps and keep the queues popping. We might end up with effectively solo dungeons, with 1 actual player and 4 AI. That will be the final version of WoW at its sunset, with very few players but technically you can run anything because AI will be there to make a full and complete instance. Maybe they will even add AI to the auction house so mats and stuff are available to buy.

The game will play itself.

Doesn't sound so bad. I would run dungeons with my last remaining IRL friend in WoW and we wouldn't need to worry about strangers messing up or, even worse, LEAVING midrun.

[Lochton]

A lot of systems are now getting automated via player vs AI mechanics.

1. A new version of a battleground where you fight as a team of players vs an AI team is coming.
2. Followers are supposed to become super important in 8.2 per Taliesin's newest video.

I expect as the playerbase shrinks to nothing, they will add AI tanks, AI healers, and AI DPS to dungeon parties and raids to fill the gaps and keep the queues popping. We might end up with effectively solo dungeons, with 1 actual player and 4 AI. That will be the final version of WoW at its sunset, with very few players but technically you can run anything because AI will be there to make a full and complete instance. Maybe they will even add AI to the auction house so mats and stuff are available to buy.

The game will play itself.

Too narrow... TOO NARROW MINDED!

Imagine if AI would finally start being used in world content. Imagine rares creating themselves, a random seeded AI that won't be flagged as a rare, or rare quest until it has killed X amount of players/NPC's and rewards granted from that.

As well, mercenary groups, or put the AI behind some of the cartels, make The Venture Co. be a problem once more..

[Kokolums]

Doesn't sound so bad. I would run dungeons with my last remaining IRL friend in WoW and we wouldn't need to worry about strangers messing up or, even worse, LEAVING midrun.

Well it would certainly no longer be an MMO. Maybe more like a Massively AI Online. A MAO?

[FAILoZOFF]

Have you ever seen proving grounds and mage tower challenges? Dungeons can be designed around that and I doubt Blizzard wouldn’t do it if it meant some braindead morons will play the mmo game they experience with just AI and pay for it.

So in your opinion that AI? No further questions.

[Dilbon]

I would play Island expeditions a lot more if I could do it with two AI guys instead of real players. And to be honest when it comes to random pugs I'm so fed up with actual people, I'd rather play the game completely solo.

[XDurionX]

Everybody knew that Island expeditions were a test balloon for procedurally generated content and AI. Everything is better than static npc cannon fodder, that's for sure.

[Kokolums]

I would play Island expeditions a lot more if I could do it with two AI guys instead of real players. And to be honest when it comes to random pugs I'm so fed up with actual people, I'd rather play the game completely solo.

Well, like I say, a lot of polling has been and people who post on a message board skew FAR FAR FAR more introverted than the general public. Moderators especially turn out to be basically 100% introverts. If there is ONE aspect of a message board where you would totally discard its opinions as tainted, it is in the realm of solo vs multiplayer play because a message board is going to be super strong advocates of solo play whereas your overall customer base won't share that view.

A game company has to be very careful consuming its feedback on solo vs multiplayer.

[kamuimac]

A lot of systems are now getting automated via player vs AI mechanics.

1. A new version of a battleground where you fight as a team of players vs an AI team is coming.
2. Followers are supposed to become super important in 8.2 per Taliesin's newest video.

I expect as the playerbase shrinks to nothing, they will add AI tanks, AI healers, and AI DPS to dungeon parties and raids to fill the gaps and keep the queues popping. We might end up with effectively solo dungeons, with 1 actual player and 4 AI. That will be the final version of WoW at its sunset, with very few players but technically you can run anything because AI will be there to make a full and complete instance. Maybe they will even add AI to the auction house so mats and stuff are available to buy.

The game will play itself.

well if people woulnt be toxic cancerous douches excluding one another based on artificial off-site metrics then would wouldnt need AI in game

in my opinion solo que for mythic + / normal/hc raiding will be crazy popular .