• AI: systems and artifacts– Less stupid– More intelligent

• Game Design

• Player Experience

• AI to improve both

• Mechanics = naked

• Fiction = cliché– Interesting, funny, touching, etc.– But not essential

• Carrot – 10 seconds– 10 minutes– 10 hours

• Level and location interlock

• Quest design – 20: choose area– 40: multiple areas– 60: world-spanning adventures

• Visiting “old stomping grounds”

• A real sense of progression

• Class

• Skills

• Equipment

• Quests– Can solo – but slow– Difficult to group with other levels

• Individual impact limited – Persistent world, scripted events– Group play adds meta-content

• Roles– Share, heal, inform, save the day– Ignore, lie, pvp, greed over need– Pose, strip, dance naked

• If it quacks like a druid….– Can be hard to feel “unique”

• Put the R back in RPG

• Put the R back in RPG– AI for bosses

• Put the R back in RPG– AI for bosses – Dynamic quests

• Put the R back in RPG– AI for bosses – Dynamic quests– World-scale events...

• Put the R back in RPG– AI for bosses – Dynamic quests– World-scale events...

– Information economy?

Exploits

Influence

Exploits

Infamy

Influence

Exploits

IronThump

horde minions

IronThump

horde minions

IronThump

Fahna

horde minions

IronThump

Fahna

new threat!

horde minions

IronThump

Fahna

new threat!

• What do truly unique events add to the experience of online spaces?

• What do truly unique events add to the experience of online spaces?

• How can AI support and enhance social play, group empowerment, agency and dramatic consequence?

• What do truly unique events add to the experience of online spaces?

• How can AI support and enhance social play, group empowerment, agency and dramatic consequence?

• How can we reflect information back at players to create a sense of history and community in those spaces?