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10 simple steps to being a better videogame bad guy

Because we want to give the grunts a fighting chance

Words: Matt Cundy, GamesRadar UK

We've killed countless enemies in our time playing games. Thousands. Maybe even millions. We like to think it's because we're full of skill, but the truth is that gaming's grunts just aren't that smart. It's almost like they want to be shot to bits or blown to pieces. So to even things up a bit for the recruits of gaming's axis of evil - whether terrorist, Nazi or hostile alien - here are 10 simple steps to being a better videogame bad guy.


 
65 Comments
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Levy  - 7 months 8 days ago 
First and really funny article
Jacob816  - 7 months 8 days ago 
ROFL, great article.
petaboil  - 7 months 8 days ago 
great article =D
patriotfan09  - 7 months 8 days ago 
Haha, great stuff.
JCBlueNose  - 7 months 8 days ago 
LOL great article
jakery22  - 7 months 8 days ago 
lol if only all enemy AI was this smart
ThunderMuffinsMcgee  - 7 months 8 days ago 
LoL, this was really funny. Good work.
pimlicosound  - 7 months 8 days ago 
Funny.

And this is all true, but these improvements would have to be balanced out by more realistic human frailties, like fear, misdirection, boredom and inattention while on patrol, and the capacity to miss a target.

ReCaptcha: "holy saddle", Batman!
vic88  - 7 months 8 days ago 
Also remember when you die drop 15% of the ammo your holding and eat the remainder, that way the player gets very little bullets even if they snuck up on you and you fired no previous shots.
Mackster-901  - 7 months 8 days ago 
lol gd stuff
mrandydixon  - 7 months 8 days ago 
And maybe you shouldn't yell "grenade!" every time you're gonna, ya know, throw a grenade.
Liamrules42  - 7 months 8 days ago 
hmmm, so hide BEHIND cover you say?
Mumb00  - 7 months 8 days ago 
Don't soon forget this one either: If you see 3 or more of your comrades dying in the same place, don't charge that place! Your enemy may have found a defensible postion from which to pick you and yours off! Consider an alternate route.
garnsr  - 7 months 8 days ago 
Shouldn't this be how to be a better FPS bad guy? No mention of platformer bad guys, shooter (shmup, you kids call them,) or any of the other genres that do still exist, though you have to look hard for them, they hide behind cover better than Nazis do.
ELpork  - 7 months 8 days ago 
Haha, No tanks in view.
Jbo87  - 7 months 8 days ago 
One of the more entertaining enemy AI routines in MOH games was that the enemies always did use unmanned guns to the extent that they would abandon their cover, charge across open ground and take up the exact same position that their comrade did.

All you needed was an accurate rifle and once you'd aimed your first shot you could just stand perfectly still and pick off the entire enemy unit as each one took over the gun. Genius.
Mackster-901  - 7 months 8 days ago 
i nevr new i should hide behind sumthink wen im being shot at
Ravenbom  - 7 months 8 days ago 
lol
Kerfluffle  - 7 months 8 days ago 
1. Don't announce "BOOM!" BEFORE you launch your rocket, and then give enough time for whoever your firing at enough time to jump into cover.

2. Don't bother killing any enemies who aren't the player; they are usually invulnerable, and if they aren't, then you still won't win until the player is dead.
gernboes  - 7 months 8 days ago 
fine article, but rule #2 can backfire.
in most games, when enemys do use the emplaced weapons you can kill a whole platoon by sniping them one after another when they man the gun :)
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