why not :)
There are two kinds of the "learning AI makes a better game".
The first kind is: the game design defines that the AI should learn. Think Creatures, Black & White, the Sims, a small part of the new Virtua Fighter 4.
The second kind is: the AI designer feels that by adding some 'learning' AI somewhere, he might achieve a more interesting AI. Sometimes this contradicts with the game design (the Kurt Warner or Ruud van Nistelrooij character should not adapt its way of playing football/soccer). In almost all cases, it should be balanced against the wishlists of the other team members (engine designers, level designers, etc.) whose ideas might have a larger impact on the overall game play.
Currently, I'm involved in an unannounced console game that features a large dose of AI. Maybe a tad too much AI to realize before the first milestone. On my planning, there are dozens of standard features that need to be realized in a "good enough" fashion. A few features have been earmarked as 'selling points' and require more attention. Then, there are features that require working together (and bargaining) with level designers and engine developers to get it right. Finally, there's my wish list (and the wish list of the full-time other AI developer) of things we'd like to add as well.
Both these wishlists happen to include some learning stuff. In my case, there's some reinforcement learning I'd love to see in the game. But I expect it will be difficult to convince the team/producer to add it, since it increases the testing effort. Perhaps I can find the time to just implement it, just show it, and see what happens.
The other learning item involves interpreting a complex situation. We don't have a good algorithm for that, and contemplate to use some GA/NN and player/tester feedback. Hopefully, that leads to more insight (and ideally a hard-wired algorithm for in the game).
I'm definitely not representive for other game AI developers, but perhaps this helps to understand why not every game includes learning AI. (Although more AI's were constructed with learning algorithms during production - for example, QuakeIII used GA's to tune the different AI personalities).
William
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