I don't think it's out of line to say that Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries across the board, from game development to in-game character behavior. It’s been too long since we've witnessed true innovation in the MMORPG space. The last major leap that changed the genre for decades to come was World of Warcraft, which revolutionized the genre by streamlining the presentation of content for players, but it's difficult to say that it was largely innovative.
Blizzard made gaming accessible to a wider audience, setting a standard that few subsequent games have challenged in meaningful ways. Since then, it often feels like we've been playing unofficial sequels to the classics of old, with little real advancement. Yet here we are, in an era where AI has the potential to introduce unique and surprising experiences, and it’s a missed opportunity if we don’t explore it and the opportunity that it is.
We’ve already seen glimpses of AI’s influence. Not long ago, the multi-user dungeon Aetolia incorporated ChatGPT to enrich player interactions. Although the experiment was eventually deemed too expensive to maintain, it showed that AI, when tailored to a game’s lore and rules, can transform interactions with NPCs, creating immersive experiences that were previously out of reach. Locally installed AI, trained specifically on a game’s narrative, could offer deeper, more dynamic NPC conversations without breaking the bank for companies that truly want to put in the effort to make that happen.
The challenge is figuring out where AI might best drive innovation. In several of my previous articles, I highlighted five areas ripe for AI integration from visuals and production processes to companions and NPC interactions. One particularly intriguing, albeit paradoxical, idea is the concept of a simulated MMORPG world. It sounds counter to what an MMORPG is meant to be. Massive, multiplayer experiences are what this genre is all about, yet one of the biggest struggles for these games is maintaining player populations. A game without enough players quickly feels empty, and that emptiness drives even more players away, leading to a vicious cycle that low-population games rarely escape. AI could help fill those gaps.
Imagine an MMORPG where AI-driven characters populate the game world, not just as scripted NPCs but as adventurers, traders, and guild members. This isn't far off from a concept of a "single-player MMO" called Erenshor that recently had a demo drop during Steam Next Fest. The premise is that you're playing alone, but the NPCs around you act as your companions, your rivals, and even other players. While this might be taking the concept to the extreme, if you couldn't realistically tell the difference between AI players and real players, what would really be the difference? How would it really harm your enjoyment of a game?
In fact, this isn't a concept we're entirely unfamiliar with. I've often been of the mind that in competitive games, I'd prefer having my team backfilled with AI players rather than pushing forward in a match missing a teammate. AI in competitive games has always seemed like a simple answer, and I never understood the pushback from developers to allow stand-ins when player characters decide to rage-quit.
But broadening this to the world itself can certainly combat the sense of loneliness that can develop when player numbers dwindle. Instead of logging in to a ghost town, players would find a vibrant world full of activity, with AI characters ready to assist or compete with them. Artificial intelligence has the potential to redefine what an MMORPG can be, but it's certainly a novel idea that is not going to revolutionize the genre tomorrow. As an MMORPG gamer, what would you think of more games added these kind of features? Drop into the comments and lend us your opinion.
