If that's the case they are in the wrong business. Why would they not be able to give us "something better", when examples of far better AI exist in games ten years older? Are you saying CDPR are shit programmers?
I have no idea. They were unable to deliver something better within the time constraints. My guess is that they have some serious problems with RED engine streaming capabilities and storing so much data in memory. That's why we'll not get any significant AI improvements in the game.
How AI (pedestrians, bystanders) work in CP2077?
It's something like that:
If player enters the area:
- spawn AI out of thin air (in the distance or in some back alley with the portal).
If the player turns around:
- despawn AI (usually right away) and remove it from the memory COMPLETELY.
If the player stays in the area and
A) spawned AI is within his/her field of view and is a pedestrian:
- make AI follow the prescripted path from point A to point B;
- if AI reaches point B, it should turn around and try to reach point A etc.
- if AI reaches a specific trigger (vending machine, bench, smoking corner etc.) along the path between A and B, it should perform a specific contextual animation (buy, eat, smoke, turn the tablet on etc.) and then continue along the path;
B) spawned AI is within his/her field of view and is a customer/worker/musician/policeman:
- AI should stay in one place and perform some contextual action (animation) in a loop.
Of course, it's quite simplified description. But what's important: there are no "daily routines" in CP2077. Because AI's "lifespan" is dependent on the player's presence. AI might be alive for just 2 seconds. As soon as the player leaves the area, AI "dies" and is completely removed from memory. The game does not keep track of random AIs in the city. You will never meet exactly the same person twice. It might be the same model in the same outfit. But not the same AI. (Perhaps with the exception of some AI in crucial points in the city that are chained to some location forever).
It's different in e.g. RDR2. Obviously, AI disappears (is not rendered) when the player leaves the area. But the game stores some data in the memory and "revives" this AI if you return to the same place. You can also follow the specific AI and see that it behaves quite reasonably (works, walks, sleeps etc.). It has daily routine.
Traffic AI in CP2077 is similar to pedestrian AI. All cars spawn out of thin air and, if you turn around, disappear in the void forever. There is no AI in all of this. These are all dummies that perform prescripted action: moving from point A to point B (and stop at a red light or when the player/other car is hit). They are unable to react even to some small changes in the environment (e.g. bike on the road) that are caused by the player. If anything stands in their prescripted way, they stop and wait for the player to turn around so they can disappear.
That's why all our dreams about AI or traffic improvements are just... dreams. I think that CDPR needs to build AI from scratch. And redesign streaming capabilities of the engine to make it possible.
