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[PrivateRyan]

When BioShock Infinite's latest gameplay was revealed over the weekend at the VGAs, many took to the internet to show concern over shoddy AI.

"Bullet sponges" was the term most commonly used, while others suggested the enemies inability to detect DeWitt, the player character in BioShock Infinite.

Sharing those concerns we asked Irrational Games level designer Shawn Elliott if he had seen these issues and whether or not anything was being done about it.

"When I saw those comments," Elliott told us, "I thought 'what did they see?' so I turned it on and I looked and I was like ‘oh no, I see a couple of things that are happening here'.

"The initial AIs in that sequence when you see the thing in its entirety, they’re distracted in combat – so it’s Vox and they’re fighting Founders – and so when you’re pulling in on that line their attention is very much directed at those guys on the ship that are flying in and are they’re attacking them.

"But you don’t see that in the frame and in the trailer and it just looks as though they are guys staring off somewhere and they don’t know you’re there – which is, of course, the case, at that point they don’t know you’re there.

"And then there’s another thing that we probably didn’t get across, that those guys in there – the ones with the rockets and the flak – they’re heavy duty enemies, so that means that they might seem a little bullet-spongey cause by design they take quite a few hits to take down."

Elliott eases any concerns by finishing "there’s most certainly not an issue of the AI going to shit or searching for someone to fix things."

Source: NowGamer

 

[Lasthope106]

Why so low?

 

[chickdigger802]

So... pretty much a shoddy cut trailer. That's good!


Still gonna play this while listening to old gfw radio.

 

[S1kkZ]

my main problem was not the ai, its that the enemies dont react at all when you shoot them. that only happens when plasmids are used (in the trailer).

 

[Takamura-San]

Arguing with the internet.

Wonder how that will turn out.

 

[Stark]

Makes sense. Didn't really have a problem with the Handyman either since I expected that.

 

[Ghost Dad the Whip]

Why so low?

^^

 

[Kajiba]

Arguing with the internet.

Wonder how that will turn out.

Never turns out good. People just complaining about the game as usual.

 

[Mesoian]

Eh, I'm glad he addressed it. It instills confidence.

Now he should never reference that trailer ever again. EVER AGAIN.

 

[RoboPlato]

This makes a lot more sense and eases some of my concerns. I just wish the Skyrail HUD didn't look so cheap and amateurish.

 

[Demoncarnotaur]

The fact is, it looked bad. They didn't react to being shot at all, I really don't think I would say oh they are too distracted to feel bullets, heavy enemies or not. I want this game to be awesome, but I think its gonna have a lot of issue. =(

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

They've got to stop publicly addressing these criticisms...even if they're valid.

 

[chickdigger802]

The fact is, it looked bad. They didn't react to being shot at all, I really don't think I would say oh they are too distracted to feel bullets. I want this game to be awesome, but I think its gonna have a lot of issue. =(

I assume there will be 'normal type' enemies in this game as well.

I do never get why shooters need to have heavy types. It's never been fun fighting those.

 

[Jarmel]

The fact is, it looked bad. They didn't react to being shot at all, I really don't think I would say oh they are too distracted to feel bullets, heavy enemies or not. I want this game to be awesome, but I think its gonna have a lot of issue. =(

Well it might depend on the caliber and armor of the enemy. Supposedly the enemies in the trailer are considered one of the stronger enemies in the game so a bigger caliber might be needed to physically stop them.

 

[eot]

I didn't have a problem with the trailer, but it did look weird when that one guy doesn't start moving until he's knocked over by something and gets up again. Even if he has his attention focused on the airship you think he'd switch his attention to the guy delivering a pound of lead at supersonic speeds. People are going to judge your game based on what they see, so you're better off controlling what you show them than you are trying to tell them what they saw.

 

[funkystudent]

Well if a developer says he game isn't shitty then it must be true......


If only there was some way they could RELEASE something that would DEMO to the public what the game is like to play.

 

[dark10x]

Well if a developer says he game isn't shitty then it must be true......


If only there was some way they could RELEASE something that would DEMO to the public what the game is like to play.

You do realize creating a demo can steal a lot of time from development, right?

The version of the game which the press had a chance to play was, for all intents and purposes, a feature complete version rather than a demo. With the way development is going I don't think they have the manpower and time to create a proper demo.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

I thought he was at Bungie?

 

[chickdigger802]

I thought he was at Bungie?

no that's the fat one with the beard. And the asian guy that likes soul caliber.

 

[RoboPlato]

The fact is, it looked bad. They didn't react to being shot at all, I really don't think I would say oh they are too distracted to feel bullets, heavy enemies or not. I want this game to be awesome, but I think its gonna have a lot of issue. =(

Demos take months to get finished. They need all the time they can to get finished. They still have 3-4 months to polish stuff up.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

no that's the fat one with the beard. And the asian guy that likes soul caliber.

Yeah, I was thinking of David Ellis

#d'oh

 

[Scrabble]

Shawn Elliot's a level designer now? Kudos to him.

 

[Pikma]

I guess it's Damage Control Week at Irrational.

 

[Coconut]

I'm concerned with all the bioshock infinite apologize coming out recently.

 

[Vinterbird]

Yeah, I was thinking of David Ellis

#d'oh

Ellis is at 343. Luke Smith is at Bungie.

 

[rdrr gnr]

The elaboration helps but it does not ease all my concerns.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Ellis is at 343. Luke Smith is at Bungie.

Ellis used to be at Bungie though, right? I recall him being a massive Halo fanboy on 1up Yours and constantly bickering with Shane Battenhausen

 

[BigTnaples]

I knew this was the "issue". Internet over reacting as usual.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

I really fear for this game, I really hope it turns out well.

 

[aeolist]

Ellis used to be at Bungie though, right? I recall him being a massive Halo fanboy on 1up Yours and constantly bickering with Shane Battenhausen

That's Smith

 

[xenist]

"And then there’s another thing that we probably didn’t get across, that those guys in there – the ones with the rockets and the flak – they’re heavy duty enemies, so that means that they might seem a little bullet-spongey cause by design they take quite a few hits to take down."

Surprise surprise. Exactly what I said when people started freaking out.

 

[Vinterbird]

Ellis used to be at Bungie though, right? I recall him being a massive Halo fanboy on 1up Yours and constantly bickering with Shane Battenhausen

Ellis was always 343, he started as community manager then went on to design on Spartan Ops.

The one you are talking about is probably Luke, since he and Shane had a special relationship on air. Luke is at Bungie, and has been since he left 1UP.

 

[Cartman86]

You guys played BioShock right? Where everyone had life bars and and took some shots to kill? Especially the big guys in suits...

 

[dehydratedbabies]

I haven't watched the trailer because on Twitter Shawn Elliot said to avoid all previews. Then he probably posted a cat gif or a photo of a fat person.

 

[SapientWolf]

The irony is that Irrational Games did a rushed System Shock 2 showing at E3 and talked about how they learned from it on a podcast. Seems like history is repeating itself.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

The fact is, it looked bad. They didn't react to being shot at all, I really don't think I would say oh they are too distracted to feel bullets, heavy enemies or not. I want this game to be awesome, but I think its gonna have a lot of issue. =(

.

 

[mysteriousmage09]

Problem I had with the trailer was the framerate dropping to fucking 10.

 

[hbkajshdvfbkjhvgkahsgdfka]

The irony is that Irrational Games did a rushed System Shock 2 showing at E3 and talked about how they learned from it on a podcast. Seems like history is repeating itself.

Their E3 showings of Bioshock Infinite won them many awards and praise. I don't think a poorly cut trailer from what I assume is a pre-release candidate build of a game shown at an awards show that is probably low priority for most publishers and developers counts as "history repeating itself".

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Surprise surprise. Exactly what I said when people started freaking out.

They didn't look like interesting bullet sponges imo

For instance, in UC2&3, there are enemies with heavy armour. You can either shoot at their torso and spend ages taking them down, or go for a few headshots to get their helmet off and take them out. Whichever limb you shoot shows the appropriate level of feedback, with pieces of armour falling off.

Those shown in the trailer seemed to just stand there, showing no reaction to being shot, and displaying no particular tactic to taking them out

Whether that's a design problem or a trailer problem is yet to be seen. This interview seems to imply that they are literally a case of shoot them til they go down, which would be disappointing to me

 

[Jack Scofield]

Wait, people on GAF over-analyzed and unfairly critiqued something that they don't know anything about?

I'm shocked. Shocked.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

Surprise surprise. Exactly what I said when people started freaking out.

But I can take down people in Black Ops 2 with one shotgun blast...this game is not realistic.

 

[SomeOneInaHat]

But I can take down people in Black Ops 2 with one shotgun blast...this game is not realistic.

Good

 

[Imbarkus]

I love how Shawn keeps it real. Guy's got to be a blast to work with...

 

[hbkajshdvfbkjhvgkahsgdfka]

I love how Shawn keeps it real. Guy's got to be a blast to work with...

I just wonder what his experience with level design was prior to or during his short lived stint as a producer at Irrational. I personally find it crazy that they allowed him to level design on such a big project. He must have learned really fast.

 

[eot]

I just wonder what his experience with level design was prior to or during his short lived stint as a producer at Irrational. I personally find it crazy that they allowed him to level design on such a big project. He must have learned really fast.

Didn't he say he spent like 2 years as a producer just learning the level design tools in his spare time or something?

 

[Draft]

Ignore what you've seen. the AI is very competent. Trust us.

 

[DocSeuss]

I assume there will be 'normal type' enemies in this game as well.

I do never get why shooters need to have heavy types. It's never been fun fighting those.

You need to play Serious Sam.

 

[3rdamention]

These guys are working WAY TOO HARD on the PR Spin Moves (isn't that Right Stick to the Left?)


People do not like the Cover Art, there is an excuse for that.



People do not like their artificial intelligence, there is an excuse for that.



Most of the time, I really appreciate this kind of give and take. But they are more on the defense instead of being open to the constructive criticism and appreciative of the input the community is giving them.

 

[Htown]

You do realize creating a demo can steal a lot of time from development, right?

They can do it during that magical time between when they finish the game and when they finish the day-one DLC.

 

[SnakeswithLasers]

I just wonder what his experience with level design was prior to or during his short lived stint as a producer at Irrational. I personally find it crazy that they allowed him to level design on such a big project. He must have learned really fast.

Shawn never gave off any impression other than being incredibly dedicated to games and meta-game theory, I'm not at all shocked or worried about his position and quick rise.