Game AI Innovation: Fable 2's Dog

Peter Molyneux delivered an interactive demo of Fable 2’s dog at the Apply AI Innovations 2007 conference this week. AIGameDev has the highlights from his keynote speech.

The dog, introduced earlier this year uses technology from Black and White as well as the original Fable. Molyneux asserts AI must conform to three laws.

1. Not aggravate the player.
2. Focus around the player.
3. Look after itself.

Molyneux believes they have achieved all this and more with Fable 2’s dog. Using the basic BDI (belief, desire, intention) architecture and emotion maps, the dog not only adapts to situations but locations.

Lionhead has tested emotional interactions with the dog by hiring actors… with the dog being played by a crate of beer. The dog is meant to stir the gamer’s emotions as it accompanies characters through out the game. The game will still work without the dog, but it’s much more poignant with your four legged friend tagging along for the ride. Player death will have consequences as the player just can’t replay scenes repeated as a result.

Some other fun facts on the game’s AI:

• There’s a group mind for the villagers.
• There will be about 1,000 unique non-player characters.
• There are 20,000 lines of AI dialog recorded.

Having played Fable, I’m really excited to see how this all works out. Between this and the love/admiration system, I believe if handled right this could be a very immersive game.

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