Support NeoGAF

[HL3.exe]

Former GTA dev says 'it's time for a revolution' where 'animation is more AI-driven and physics-driven' than done by hand

"If anyone is going to make that step it's going to be Rockstar," said Obbe Vermeij, former technical director at Rockstar North.

www.pcgamer.com

Honestly, I've been waiting for this for YEARS now, ever since the Euphoria demo's from 2006 and GTA VI's release in 2008. It never happened.

Edit:
There has been some development on DMS (Dynamic Motion Synthesis) by Ubisoft, but still not implemented in any retail game.

 

[Fess]

Can it be done without it looking like the character is a toddler or drunk?

 

[Hrk69]

Gaming is going to benefit hugely from AI if it's implemented adequately

I for one can't wait for all games (especially RPGs) to be fully voice "acted".

 

[SJRB]

High entropy is probably why this isn't happening at scale.

 

[HL3.exe]

Can it be done without it looking like the character is a toddler or drunk?

You would think after more that 18 years of technological progress it would be. Ubisoft's research paper and demo show it's possible, with LLM's learning motor functions of the synthesized muscles.

The 'dynamic walking up stairs' bit @4:25 looks impressive. Imagine they're getting shot while walking up and dynamically grabbing on to stuff of each other.

 

[Tarin02543]

Good idea, all male models can immediately be given a feminine gait

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Bethesda redeemed.

 

[acm2000]

GTA4 Euphoria system was miles better than GTA5

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

GTA4 Euphoria system was miles better than GTA5

i will die on this hill

 

[SlimySnake]

GTA4 Euphoria system was miles better than GTA5

it was also extremely sluggish and unresponsive.

 

[Bartski]

 

[acm2000]

it was also extremely sluggish and unresponsive.

felt great when you got used to it, way better than gta5 ever did

 

[cireza]

If that Indiana Jones video is anything to go by, then games are about to become hilarious.

 

[amigastar]

GTA4 Euphoria system was miles better than GTA5

That's why i always play my GTA V on PC with Euphoria mods.

 

[qbxwhi]

the devs for 'Inside' sort of did this, and the results are fantastic.

animations not done conventionally, but instead animated by physics simulations.
spoilers for 'inside'

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

 

[Audiophile]

Motion Matching will hopefully mean RDR2 level animation fluidity with MGS level responsiveness.

TLOUII and some Ubi stuff have already done lightweight implementations on last gen machines. I fully expect to see this stuff showing up soon in a more fleshed out form, particularly in Sony stuff going in to the latter half of the gen.

R* games are probably the most in need of it though and given their resources I hope they step up to the plate on this front. They can't go backwards on their animation quality, but I don't think sluggish, unresponsive animations are gonna cut it it in a much higher fidelity, hyper-real world; and in a game that's likely gonna last > a decade.

 

[The Infectious Paradox]

GTA 5 physics are a GOD DAMN disgrace coming from its masterpiece predecessor.

 

[Vexed Dad]

and when it does happen, can you imagine the endless articles about the poor animators not being able to work?!

 

[NoLootBoxDev]

and when it does happen, can you imagine the endless articles about the poor animators not being able to work?!

I have seen people searching for a job and have gotten nothing in more than a year. This is even on other things not gaming-related.

 

[EDMIX]

Gaming is going to benefit hugely from AI if it's implemented adequately

I for one can't wait for all games (especially RPGs) to be fully voice "acted".

Completely agreed

I wrote a thesis about this in a class For university that was about futurism

In most of it I stated the theoretical that with faster processing its feasible that the future of artificial intelligence regarding NPC's will either utilize some sort of program or be connected online, And instead of a standard wheel treat you'll get options to just speak to the character.

Based on the rules that the developer has put into it, the artificial intelligence will respond back to you

So if you're asking if they're out of a specific item in a shop you could ask in multiple different ways and instead of giving you a generic response it could give you a unique response based on what you're specifically saying.

Like you can ask for a specific jacket and the program can respond based on the season that it's out of stock or something that gives a genuine answer that adds you closer to that work.


So I believe even though I'm just speaking theoretically most of what I was writing in that thesis was pretty logical and seems like a natural progression of something we will eventually see.

I even believe you're going to see lots of remakes of games that include this as some modern thing

So I'm not saying all things will be randomized this way but there's definitely enough things that the artificial intelligence can say to add something to that world that may be does not always need to be handcrafted as clearly there is limitation.


Imagine a GTA where you're communicating with the police based on some situation and their responses are varied.. It opens the door to a completely different type of communication in gaming

Look at how many times on here we discuss differences of outcomes of what we played in games most of the time there is going to be a limit to this, Imagine where it is an infinite amount... Live streams would be absolutely crazy because of all the random stuff the artificial intelligence may say

I even wrote about the technology with artificial intelligence that remembers past questions ask and applies them to future responses. Imagine a story you're saying to a character in your party in the artificial intelligence is now referencing this story back to you later in a different quest...

The technology for this already exists it simply needs to be implemented within a game.

 

[Syphon Filter]

a.i is a fad

 

[Vexed Dad]

I have seen people searching for a job and have gotten nothing in more than a year. This is even on other things not gaming-related.

The current job market is tough, but it's unrealistic to expect industries to keep employing specialists just because they always have. This contributes to rising budgets, longer production times, and risk-averse publishers. Embracing new, efficient techniques can help the industry, even if it means fewer animators in game development.

 

[Loxus]

If it means a huge variety of walking, running, climbing etc. styles for both character and npcs, I'm all for it.

 

[poppabk]

it was also extremely sluggish and unresponsive.

It sort of has to be because it won't work if you have to ignore physics to do what the player wants.

 

[March Climber]

felt great when you got used to it

This is what I used to say to Mario fans about Bubsy.

 

[rabbity-thing]

it was also extremely sluggish and unresponsive.

Much as I love GTAIV, the physics for Nico are such a chore. Realism at the expense of playability. Oof.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Man, I wanted that game so bad. I've always loved the Euphoria engine ever since we first saw it, it always cracked me up. Stormtroopers holding hands and grabbing onto things. Folks hanging onto car doors while you're driving, etc.

I really do miss the period of us constantly seeing new physics and things being done in new game engines. It's felt so absent for so long now.

 

[ProtoByte]

Motion-matching still requires a lot of mo-cap and hand-work.
Maybe AI can speed up animation blending workflows and help animations on different character models fit more with their shape, but I'm not seeing the "revolution" here.

 

[salva]

I'd take these sort of features (improved AI, physics based animations) over any graphical enhancement.

 

[HL3.exe]

it was also extremely sluggish and unresponsive.

Much as I love GTAIV, the physics for Nico are such a chore. Realism at the expense of playability. Oof.

The sluggish controls has nothing to do with its DMS system. Those are all baked animation based and deliberately inertia oriented, all hand tweaked values by Rockstar for a specific feel. The muscle physics system only effects NPC, with the exception of the player 'being drunk' gag in GTA IV and RDR.

Example, Star Wars the force unleashed also used Euphoria and that game felt tight and responsive. as well as Max Payne 3.

 

[StueyDuck]

They're not wrong.

Cutting down dev time and bringing more to games will be a plus .

 

[Bernardougf]

Good idea, all male models can immediately be given a feminine gait

We like our man like we like our woman sir ! With a strong square jaw and zero feminine features!

 

[EverydayBeast]

Momentum is lacking for whatever reason in games like what we had in uncharted games, amazing thrills, I think games today are 100% chill sessions, keeping your player healthy, a lot of inventory management if you don’t believe me go pick up a game today.

 

[Myths]

Not going to disagree at all

 

[GymWolf]

We can only hope buddy.

 

[Johnny Concrete]

Momentum is lacking for whatever reason in games like what we had in uncharted games, amazing thrills, I think games today are 100% chill sessions, keeping your player healthy, a lot of inventory management if you don’t believe me go pick up a game today.

I’m not going to pick up shit. I believe you.

 

[intbal]

QWOP

 

[Terenty]

That revolution has already happened in 2d world at least.

Rain World. It has insanely fluid and realistic character animations driven by AI and physics, which make all the creatures feel truly alive.

 

[Darko]

Gaming is going to benefit hugely from AI if it's implemented adequately

I for one can't wait for all games (especially RPGs) to be fully voice "acted".

Them: But think of the people that will lose their jobbbbsssssss

Me: *enjoying my 200 hour fully voice acted rpg*

 

[Rat Rage]

I think it's time for a digital jihad, before it's too late. Ban the use of A.I. everywhere, exept a few appliations.

On the other hand, what if we as humans need an A.I. desaster to make us rethink work, worth, social cooperation, capitalism, etc?

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

High entropy is probably why this isn't happening at scale.

Can you elaborate on this?