Microsoft Is Making Raid Bosses ‘Smarter’ Using Cloud Computing

The secret to taking down a new raid boss is virtually all MMORPGs is to learn its patterns, phases, telegraphs, tells, and where to position yourself to be most effective during the ensuing battle. It might take a few tries, but eventually you’ll be beating that raid boss every single time. Well, what if raid bosses also adapted to your moves and learned to counter them? Microsoft is currently using the power of cloud computing to do just that.

During a Game Stack livestream earlier this week, Microsoft software engineer James Trott revealed that they were working on a new MMO project since last year which featured a smart raid boss that could observe the raid team’s strategies and adapt accordingly.

Apparently, the raid boss AI is so good that it will make it virtually impossible for the players to beat it. “The challenge for developers is how to tone back that machine learning and simulation, given the amount of compute in the cloud, so that the NPCs and monsters aren’t perfect,” says Trott. “Because with enough training and enough compute, they will beat the player every time.”

Smarter and more adaptable AI is exactly what MMORPG developers need to breathe new life and revolutionize the genre. The technology can be used by developers to create more dynamic content and expand the lifespan of games in the next generation of consoles. When we’ll be seeing it, however, is anyone’s guess.

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