AI Director in future Valve games?

[sub]

This is just me wondering aloud here, but I'm thinking Valve will incorporate the AI director into some of their future games such as Episode 3. Considering all of their games are developed on the Source Engine, I would imagine it would be relatively easy to get the AI director code up and running in other source games.

I can't see why they wouldn't want to do this. They obviously put a great deal of time and effort into developing the AI Director and people clearly like it. It would just make sense.

Anyone else think this will happen / won't happen?

 

[Spunky]

Valve didn't put in any time to develop the AI director. That was all Turtle Rock before Valve acquired them. The AI director works well for a game like L4D because replayability is 75% of what you're paying for. With Episode 3, you've got more of a cinematic experience, so the AI director won't really work because scripted sequences are what you want for a game like that.

 

[MC]

I would definitely like to see them expand upon it in the future. And I don't see why they wouldn't want to. Considering they've pretty much make use of everything they develop.

Either way, I see it as a strong possibility.

 

[sub]

Valve didn't put in any time to develop the AI director. That was all Turtle Rock before Valve acquired them. The AI director works well for a game like L4D because replayability is 75% of what you're paying for. With Episode 3, you've got more of a cinematic experience, so the AI director won't really work because scripted sequences are what you want for a game like that.

Of course you're going to need scripted sequences, but why can't you have a single player game that's 75 percent AI director 15 percent scripted? The scenes that advance the narrative can be scripted, the rest doesn't need to be.

 

[Spunky]

I get what you mean, but you misunderstand me. Having enemies only at predetermined points in the game helps to set a more cinematic mood. Getting randomly attacked by headcrabs while you're driving down the freeway doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I mean, it would, but it would be annoying. Nobody wants that. Instead, picture driving up to a spooky looking house. You walk inside to find zombies and other creatures, the placing of which was predetermined during development to help set the mood of the game. That's what's most important in a cinematic game.

I suppose the AI director could stick around to randomize enemies, but that's really easy to do even without it. That's why I say it's great for a game like Left 4 Dead because it's just mindless fun, but you can't easily do the same thing with a game like Half-Life 2 without ruining the feel of it.