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silvarilon · 02-11-2010, 10:21 PM

When talking AI for games, I think people get too caught up worrying about "realism" and forget to worry about "believability"

What is the difference? Realism is when we talk about making something... well... realistic. I enjoyed a book called "The Deceiver" which was a very realistic book about a spy during the cold war. In only one of the stories did he even cross the Berlin Wall, and that was only due to desperate need, and with a lot of planning. There was lots of signal-passing. Things like driving down a street, and if a particular window is open it means that the contact wants to meet. If the window is open and the curtains are closed, it means the contact thinks they are being followed, etc. The main character never took risks, which is why he was successful. When something even smells like it's not going 100% to plan, they'd pull out - it was a totally fun book because I felt like I was learning about what happened during the Cold War, and learning the techniques used by actual spies. It was very realistic that a spy would act like that. It's a career. They're doing their job. The want to make sure they come home at night and see their family. And, like most jobs, 90% of the time it's just dull and boring.

Believability is the opposite. Believability is when we make a story or event that is not necessarily realistic, but we give enough of "an excuse" that the audience can suspend their disbelief and accept the story as its being told. Alien 3 is a good example. Ripley ends up stuck on a prison colony with an alien queen killing off the inmates. They kill the alien. How realistic is that? Not very. If we look at everything we know about the aliens from the other movies, they can kill entire colonies. They killed trained marines who were armed to the teeth. Realistically, with the tools, support, and information that Ripley had, she should have died. But realism sometimes sucks when telling stories. What is *believable* is that there was a tough prison dude who teams us with her (because he also wants to kill the thing) and that they come up with a plan. An elaborate death trap involving molten metal? Not very realistic. But since the prison was an iron foundry, it's *believable* that they are able to pour large amounts of molten metal, and create a death trap. Ripley has to run down the corridor to flee the alien, a highly risky proposition. There are many near misses. There is an exciting climax. The rescue team arrives just a moment later, when the threat is taken care of. Realistically, considering they are *travelling through space* it's more likely the rescue team could either get there extremely quickly, or they'd have to wait weeks or longer, depending on the level of technology. What are the chances of them arriving within 30 seconds of the alien being killed? Never going to happen like that. But it's *believable* because we know the message was sent out, we know people are coming, we know the company wants a specimen. So it's believable that people arrive. And we know that it's unlikely, but possible for them to arrive at that moment. And we know it'd be much less dramatic if they don't arrive. So we accept it.

There are certainly story elements that might not be believable. I find many elements of Twilight unbelievable. The characters have been through the last few years of high school about two hundred times, but nobody notices? In the modern day of computerized school records? And they choose to continually go to school, despite the higher chances of getting caught, of needing to make excuses on sunny days, and the complete boredom that must overwhelm them when learning the same thing *again*? Wouldn't it be easier to, y'know, just tell people that you're home schooled? - I find that unbelievable. Give me a reason, give me an excuse to believe it. It doesn't take much. Maybe they usually don't go to school, but to establish their new identities they need to create a paper trail, including school records? Maybe there is something about the vampire psychology that makes them want to seek out others of their apparent age? Maybe Edward just loves learning, and wants access to the school library? Any of those excuses would work, but I need to have a reason, something to explain the otherwise silly behavior. Without that reason, it is unbelievable.

So, sorry for writing an essay already... how does this tie into muds? Easy. We shouldn't worry about realism. We're not building a simulator, we're building a game.

02-11-2010, 10:21 PM	#16
silvarilon Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Advanced AI in MUDs When talking AI for games, I think people get too caught up worrying about "realism" and forget to worry about "believability" What is the difference? Realism is when we talk about making something... well... realistic. I enjoyed a book called "The Deceiver" which was a very realistic book about a spy during the cold war. In only one of the stories did he even cross the Berlin Wall, and that was only due to desperate need, and with a lot of planning. There was lots of signal-passing. Things like driving down a street, and if a particular window is open it means that the contact wants to meet. If the window is open and the curtains are closed, it means the contact thinks they are being followed, etc. The main character never took risks, which is why he was successful. When something even smells like it's not going 100% to plan, they'd pull out - it was a totally fun book because I felt like I was learning about what happened during the Cold War, and learning the techniques used by actual spies. It was very realistic that a spy would act like that. It's a career. They're doing their job. The want to make sure they come home at night and see their family. And, like most jobs, 90% of the time it's just dull and boring. Believability is the opposite. Believability is when we make a story or event that is not necessarily realistic, but we give enough of "an excuse" that the audience can suspend their disbelief and accept the story as its being told. Alien 3 is a good example. Ripley ends up stuck on a prison colony with an alien queen killing off the inmates. They kill the alien. How realistic is that? Not very. If we look at everything we know about the aliens from the other movies, they can kill entire colonies. They killed trained marines who were armed to the teeth. Realistically, with the tools, support, and information that Ripley had, she should have died. But realism sometimes sucks when telling stories. What is believable is that there was a tough prison dude who teams us with her (because he also wants to kill the thing) and that they come up with a plan. An elaborate death trap involving molten metal? Not very realistic. But since the prison was an iron foundry, it's believable that they are able to pour large amounts of molten metal, and create a death trap. Ripley has to run down the corridor to flee the alien, a highly risky proposition. There are many near misses. There is an exciting climax. The rescue team arrives just a moment later, when the threat is taken care of. Realistically, considering they are travelling through space it's more likely the rescue team could either get there extremely quickly, or they'd have to wait weeks or longer, depending on the level of technology. What are the chances of them arriving within 30 seconds of the alien being killed? Never going to happen like that. But it's believable because we know the message was sent out, we know people are coming, we know the company wants a specimen. So it's believable that people arrive. And we know that it's unlikely, but possible for them to arrive at that moment. And we know it'd be much less dramatic if they don't arrive. So we accept it. There are certainly story elements that might not be believable. I find many elements of Twilight unbelievable. The characters have been through the last few years of high school about two hundred times, but nobody notices? In the modern day of computerized school records? And they choose to continually go to school, despite the higher chances of getting caught, of needing to make excuses on sunny days, and the complete boredom that must overwhelm them when learning the same thing again? Wouldn't it be easier to, y'know, just tell people that you're home schooled? - I find that unbelievable. Give me a reason, give me an excuse to believe it. It doesn't take much. Maybe they usually don't go to school, but to establish their new identities they need to create a paper trail, including school records? Maybe there is something about the vampire psychology that makes them want to seek out others of their apparent age? Maybe Edward just loves learning, and wants access to the school library? Any of those excuses would work, but I need to have a reason, something to explain the otherwise silly behavior. Without that reason, it is unbelievable. So, sorry for writing an essay already... how does this tie into muds? Easy. We shouldn't worry about realism. We're not building a simulator, we're building a game.