The sweet spot: AI enables novel mechanics; classical design delivers mastery
Through prototyping, Piero Molino found that games with either minimal AI (a superficial addition) or maximal AI (fully AI-governed rules) underperform; the most engaging prototypes blended AI-driven novelty (e.g., real-time creature generation) with classical, learnable game mechanics (e.g., card-and-dice battles) that support player mastery and progression.
Supporting evidence
Piero Molino on AI in Games
Original excerpt
In our experience, the prototypes that were more in between these two extremes were the most fun. You have some aspects of the game where AI is fundamental and the game would not have been possible before, but some other aspects where classical game mechanics and game design become the predominant part.
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