New type of enemy AI

 I just heard a sentence in a review for a game that is quite status quo, "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" or as I like to call it SwTFU. [...]
(show me)(don't show me)

Here's the sentence: "There's a lot of freedom in how to tackle each fray but there's really no need to utilize it as the same boring combos always get the job done." So, there are a lot of skills the character can use as a dark jedi but they make more effort than simple bashing. In other words, the enemies don't bother adjusting their approach to the character (which is synonymous to "avatar" or "playable object on screen" in my terminology) and to the player's (the human entity with the controller in his hands) way of killing them with one single combo, so in return the player does not see the necessity to develop his way of playing the game. This is sad, especially if you consider how artistic the Jedi skills look. So much work (of design artists, motion actors, programmers, sound creators, etc.) made disposable, pushed aside for a "Punch, Punch, Kick, Lightsaber slash" or whatever.

I already thought about this topic of enemy AI while playing "Metal Gear Solid 4" on the "The Boss Extreme" difficulty which is unplayably realistically difficult, almost impossible. Almost, I've seen a speedrun, or more like a "godrun". It is an incredible choreography, with the goal of no unavoidable gunfights, no continues, no deaths, no kills, no rations in mind - and that fast. The enemies see your character even if they are on the other end of the street, very far away. Sometimes they see him/you out of the corner of their eyes, even when standing orthogonally to Old Snake. I'm not exaggerating.

My point is, in regard to the five or six difficulties of MGS4, I guess the enemy AI of the normal difficulty is kept low *deliberately*. Less realism, but more fun. Probably in all the other games of earth, too. If not most. Not because of technical incapability or lack of programming talent or whatever, as I always thought before playing this game.

Hm, I kinda lost track of my thought here. The whole excursion to MGS4 should make my line of thoughts clear that enemy AI has to be challenging but still fun, IMHO. Maybe not challenging in that they see your character earlier or do more damage but more of a "tactical intelligence" so that instead they react and therefore *interact* with the player. The player, not just the character. So that sad things like paying 6o bucks for twelve hours of doing one combo all over again - mingled with a little bit of story - won't ever happen again.