Non-Player Characters in Multiuser Games

Massively multiuser, persistent, online virtual worlds are emerging as important platforms for multiuser computer games, social interaction, education, design, defence and commerce. In these virtual worlds, non-player characters use artificial intelligence to take on roles as storytellers, enemies, opponents, partners and facilitators. Non-player characters share their world with hundreds of thousands of creative, unpredictable, human controlled characters. As the complexity and functionality of multiuser virtual worlds increases, non-player characters are becoming an increasingly challenging application for artificial intelligence techniques [1]. The rise of multiuser games in particular has created a need for new kinds of artificial intelligence approaches that can produce characters with adaptive and complex behaviours for large-scale, dynamic game environments. Players are demanding more believable and intelligent non-player characters to enhance their gaming experience [2].

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