Decline In less than 5 years, there will be a widespread problem of AI botting in multiplayer.

[Absinthe]

These days, chess servers already have a problem with players using AIs to decide their moves for them, FPS games have had aimbot issues, Runescape servers have had autominer issues, and so on. Many of these problems are handled by observing suspiciously perfect play, suspiciously perfect aim, repeat click patterns, etc. The problem is that most bots do not do a persuasive job of blending in with human play patterns. But you can train an AI to simulate human play while providing a competitive edge, to camouflage better, and people will do this eventually. Some are no doubt already working on it. You can also train AIs on trading card games in order to create the best decks possible, a future gamestate where all competitive decks in a meta are designed not by human hands, but by AI testing in sims. I don't see how you will punish people for playing AI-generated decklists.

AI technology is advancing very rapidly these days, and while you can do a lot to prevent cheating, it is much harder to catch botting used to achieve superior play once those bots achieve a level of sophistication that allows them to mimic human play convincingly. One outcome I can foresee from this is more games demanding onerous anti-cheat tools that collect data on their users in order to play online. Unix gaming, even if the OS becomes popular, will be unlikely to satisfy this demand. Hardware level botting (ie. a special keyboard and mouse that are relaying AI play signals instead of human ones) will also likely happen. Whether not a more stringent device IDing system will be demanded will remain to be seen. Probably, on some level, the solution to this will be sought in compromising user privacy and user freedom. Maybe PC gaming will be disfavored as a target platform for online multiplayer.

In 5 years' time, I expect widespread botting to be an issue. In 10 years' time, I expect people to be able to point a camera at their computer screen (if they aren't just wiretapping their monitor's connection to the PC) and use a fake keyboard and mouse to let AI play for them.

It's an interesting future we're headed towards.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Nigga there's been widespread botting problem for a deacde, including undetectable custom-order bots that mimic imperfections of human player.

 

[Vic]

I would be more interested in AI NPCs

 

[Absinthe]

Nigga there's been widespread botting problem for a deacde, including undetectable custom-order bots that mimic imperfections of human player.

That's fair, but custom-order bots aren't that widespread of an issue. Most prospective cheaters and the like won't spend money on custom-order bots, and many of those bots are dealing with less sophisticated anticheat systems as well, the kind where players can readily tell you're botting even if the game's systems don't. I'm talking about free bots that you can just download off the internet which will allow you to run roughshod over a game. I'm talking about bots dictating a game's meta. That kind of widespread problem.

I would be more interested in AI NPCs

That's probably going to be a MMORPG thing. In normal games narrative constraints will get in the way of a lot of it. Some people will probably try to make more freeform RPGs to make it happen.

 

[Strange Fellow]

Finally I can play multiplayer games without having to interact with other people.

 

[tommy heavenly6]

Good, retvrn to tradition and single player games.

 

[Tyranicon]

Good, retvrn to tradition and single player games.

Time to use AI NPCs to bully players in those too.

 

[Faarbaute]

Good riddance, I say. The sooner AI can destroy the "competitive" multiplayer scene, the sooner we can return to games being played for recreation.

 

[Absinthe]

Faarbaute, challenge is an extremely essential part of what makes a game a game, you know. And competitive games tend to be fun specifically because you are putting your skills to the test against other players.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

AI can be useful in gatcha games.

 

[Faarbaute]

Faarbaute, challenge is an extremely essential part of what makes a game a game, you know. And competitive games tend to be fun specifically because you are putting your skills to the test against other players.

Indeed. You can still have all that though, even in the AI infested future hellscape — just not the anonymous, soulless, fast food, mass version of it that we have become accustomed to.

 

[Absinthe]

You really don't think that anonymous, soulless, fast food, mass-market entertainment content is going to rise with the increasing use of AI-generated content?

I think same as ever we're mostly going to have to look for quality devs rather than hold out hope that AAA gaming and similar will pull their heads out of their asses and begin producing worthwhile content.

 

[Faarbaute]

You really don't think that anonymous, soulless, fast food, mass-market entertainment content is going to rise with the increasing use of AI-generated content?

I think same as ever we're mostly going to have to look for quality devs rather than hold out hope that AAA gaming and similar will improve thanks to AIs screwing over multiplayer.

No, I'm agreeing with your OP. I'm saying good riddance to that, and I'm saying that you will still be able to experience challenge and multiplayer, just not in that digital wasteland that will be AI infested mass gaming.

I'm saying, who gives a shit if random wankers are cheating against each other and destroying the spirit of competition amongst themselves? Don't play with those people. Return to tradition, return to an actual gaming community. Let these mass people move on to something else.

 

[Vic]

I would be more interested in AI NPCs

That's probably going to be a MMORPG thing. In normal games narrative constraints will get in the way of a lot of it. Some people will probably try to make more freeform RPGs to make it happen.

it would be pretty cool in single player games too tbh. Think of the ask me about feature in Fallout 1. But you know, with an actual AI with their own personalities and agendas etc. maybe even polish up those “radiant quests” and really have infinite, AI generated quests that are not shit… Or a dynamic, reactive game world that unfolds according to your choices… the possibilities are huge I think.

 

[karoliner]

MAybe with AI we can revive all those dead multiplayer games that barely have active players anymore.

 

[Perkel]

If they play, speak, act like humans then what's wrong ? What is the difference between it and some randomuser32 ?

I wouldn't mind having AI guy playing co-op game with me with personality always being happy to play, never wanting time for smoke every 40 minutes and being there when I have time not as delta between our free times.

Also bots are there because they make money or take fame for user if all are bots then no one buys and no one gets fame meaning no reason to run bot and waste energy.

 

[Zibniyat]

These days, chess servers already have a problem with players using AIs to decide their moves for them, FPS games have had aimbot issues, Runescape servers have had autominer issues, and so on. Many of these problems are handled by observing suspiciously perfect play, suspiciously perfect aim, repeat click patterns, etc. The problem is that most bots do not do a persuasive job of blending in with human play patterns. But you can train an AI to simulate human play while providing a competitive edge, to camouflage better, and people will do this eventually. Some are no doubt already working on it. You can also train AIs on trading card games in order to create the best decks possible, a future gamestate where all competitive decks in a meta are designed not by human hands, but by AI testing in sims. I don't see how you will punish people for playing AI-generated decklists.

AI technology is advancing very rapidly these days, and while you can do a lot to prevent cheating, it is much harder to catch botting used to achieve superior play once those bots achieve a level of sophistication that allows them to mimic human play convincingly. One outcome I can foresee from this is more games demanding onerous anti-cheat tools that collect data on their users in order to play online. Unix gaming, even if the OS becomes popular, will be unlikely to satisfy this demand. Hardware level botting (ie. a special keyboard and mouse that are relaying AI play signals instead of human ones) will also likely happen. Whether not a more stringent device IDing system will be demanded will remain to be seen. Probably, on some level, the solution to this will be sought in compromising user privacy and user freedom. Maybe PC gaming will be disfavored as a target platform for online multiplayer.

In 5 years' time, I expect widespread botting to be an issue. In 10 years' time, I expect people to be able to point a camera at their computer screen (if they aren't just wiretapping their monitor's connection to the PC) and use a fake keyboard and mouse to let AI play for them.

It's an interesting future we're headed towards.

I hope that if and when this happens, the proven bot users get SWATed and killed on the spot. That I see as a perfectly valid outcome to being a garbage fake human being who is so pathetic that they cannot play fairly in a game they voluntarily play.​

 

[Nifft Batuff]

AI will be useful to watch ads in your stead.

 

[deuxhero]

The real question is not whether machines will play video games, but whether men will

 

[ScarredBushido]

bringing back dedicated severs would solve this and many other issues plaguing MP

 

[Absinthe]

The lack of dedicated servers in multiplayer gaming these days is an abomination, but it's more likely that matchmaking ELO systems will just elevate botters out of normal ratings than that dedicated servers will solve it.

 

[Kev Inkline]

Just make any map to include a plenty of traffic lights.

 

[Skorpion]

in less than 5 years from now things will happen that are already happening and have been a thing for over 10 years

Call me mother fucking Rasputin bitches!! I sees the FUTURE and the future is already here!!

 

[Absinthe]

I know multiplayer botting has already been happening for pretty much as long as there have been multiplayer scenes, son. But most bots are fucking retarded, even the advanced shit has a lot of limitations, and this AI crap is going to lead to much more sophisticated botting than before which is going to be much more invasive and disruptive to boot. And it is going to be annoying if in the future competitive metas are dictated by AIs rather than humans.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Maybe the AI can also make some good games...