Posted May 26, 2013
Not sure whether I had already come around to actually post this question, which is not very easy to phrase, but here it is.
You know that feeling, in computer games, when you could built up a personal inimity with a specific AI opponent. Not one that is directly thrown at you (like the big baddie of a RPG or your opponent in a point'n'click), but something that is a bit more up to you. You know, when suddenly things get a bit personnal. Like :
1. That one "space invader" on the left but not quite, the one on the second column, top row, no not that one, this one, that
a) always gets you for some reason, or
b) always evades you for some reason.
2. That one specific opponent in carmageddon, the one with the car shape that you hate (or love, or both), or who always end up ramming you for some reason. Or who reminds you of something.
3. Games that personalise some AI opponents - like "hoverforce" aka "resolution 101" which would show you the face, expressions, reactions of your main target, amongst all the level's enemies.
4. One specific colour ship in "Ebonstar" that really pissed you off diring the whole game.
5. That fucking sniper or guard, in that part of the FPS that you had so much trouble passing. Or that courageous guard situated in that tricky part of a sneak'em'up, and who gave up searching for you but still went back to his annoying spot.
6. A specific name of a generic AI, in open Action/RPGs such as Elder Scrolls or Stalker, and that you remember having killed this or survived that... Actually in that case it can be specific empathy too.
7. That black bishop, or white knight, that for some reason dominated the whole board by its own, and took you one central pawn and one rook and prevents your queen to move right now.
8. More indirectly, that one opposing warlord, amongst the five AI-controlled races, that you have decided is your main rival in this strategy game. Or, better yet, that specific general/hero of his, that evaded your armies, healed up, and reconquered this precious planet/city again.
9. That destroyer that has been circling around you for hours, and just went back to carry on its escort mission (will you spare it, or sink it last, or sink it first, or give up on that convoy just because of that too tenacious captain).
These exemples are NOT exactly similar to the one obvious opponent that you're supposed to defeat (like Shodan in SS, Phil in Manhunter, Nemesis in RE3, etc), because you build your own soecific arbitrary bond with them instead : you are the one that make this opponent stand out. And they are not like antagonism to a whole type of enemies (like ants, or red spiders, or evlish bownen, in whatever game), because it's about a token, a specific individual.
My question is twofold (as they say (they say this?)). Firstly : do you have personal exemples of such bonds arbitrarily built with one AI enemy, that you spared or hunted down specifically because of that ? Secondly, what games (obviously not all kinds) and what type of games, allow for such kind of emotions. I've often wanted to experience this again, but couldn't find new unplayed games that give some room for such sort of little psychological or roleplayingish development around one specific identifyiable and recurring AI object...
You know that feeling, in computer games, when you could built up a personal inimity with a specific AI opponent. Not one that is directly thrown at you (like the big baddie of a RPG or your opponent in a point'n'click), but something that is a bit more up to you. You know, when suddenly things get a bit personnal. Like :
1. That one "space invader" on the left but not quite, the one on the second column, top row, no not that one, this one, that
a) always gets you for some reason, or
b) always evades you for some reason.
2. That one specific opponent in carmageddon, the one with the car shape that you hate (or love, or both), or who always end up ramming you for some reason. Or who reminds you of something.
3. Games that personalise some AI opponents - like "hoverforce" aka "resolution 101" which would show you the face, expressions, reactions of your main target, amongst all the level's enemies.
4. One specific colour ship in "Ebonstar" that really pissed you off diring the whole game.
5. That fucking sniper or guard, in that part of the FPS that you had so much trouble passing. Or that courageous guard situated in that tricky part of a sneak'em'up, and who gave up searching for you but still went back to his annoying spot.
6. A specific name of a generic AI, in open Action/RPGs such as Elder Scrolls or Stalker, and that you remember having killed this or survived that... Actually in that case it can be specific empathy too.
7. That black bishop, or white knight, that for some reason dominated the whole board by its own, and took you one central pawn and one rook and prevents your queen to move right now.
8. More indirectly, that one opposing warlord, amongst the five AI-controlled races, that you have decided is your main rival in this strategy game. Or, better yet, that specific general/hero of his, that evaded your armies, healed up, and reconquered this precious planet/city again.
9. That destroyer that has been circling around you for hours, and just went back to carry on its escort mission (will you spare it, or sink it last, or sink it first, or give up on that convoy just because of that too tenacious captain).
These exemples are NOT exactly similar to the one obvious opponent that you're supposed to defeat (like Shodan in SS, Phil in Manhunter, Nemesis in RE3, etc), because you build your own soecific arbitrary bond with them instead : you are the one that make this opponent stand out. And they are not like antagonism to a whole type of enemies (like ants, or red spiders, or evlish bownen, in whatever game), because it's about a token, a specific individual.
My question is twofold (as they say (they say this?)). Firstly : do you have personal exemples of such bonds arbitrarily built with one AI enemy, that you spared or hunted down specifically because of that ? Secondly, what games (obviously not all kinds) and what type of games, allow for such kind of emotions. I've often wanted to experience this again, but couldn't find new unplayed games that give some room for such sort of little psychological or roleplayingish development around one specific identifyiable and recurring AI object...
