Virtual Learning Worlds

The majority of my game purchases come from three studios:
Valve
Blizzard
BioWare

The first two studios are often listed in the top three of the industry, and BioWare is rapidly reaching the same status. As Blizzard develops Cataclysm, the next expansion to World of Warcraft, I’m hoping for some serious innovation. The best place for innovation? The 5-player dungeon experience in WoW.

The dungeon experience is my favorite part of the game; grouping with 4 friends for an hour or so, laying waste to enemies and collecting better gear for your character. Once you move in to 10 and 25-man dungeons, the level of commitment goes up, the stress goes up, and arguments crop up between players from time to time. No thank you!

But the 5-man experience gets very boring after a while. The dungeons are very scripted, with packs of enemies in the same spot every time. The bosses are in the same place, and do the same things, each time you run the dungeon.

Why not try and use the technology that powers Valve’s franchise Left 4 Dead within WoW’s dungeons, at least the 5-man dungeons? Specifically Valve’s AI Director, described by Wikipedia:

The artificial intelligence of Left 4 Dead features a dynamic system for game dramatics, pacing and difficulty called the “Director”. Instead of fixed spawn points for enemies, the Director places enemies and items in varying positions and quantities based upon each player’s current situation, status, skill and location, creating a new experience for each playthrough. The Director also creates mood and tension with emotional cues, such as visual effects, dynamic music, and character communication.

If Blizzard could implement this in the context of 5-player dungeons, I have a feeling players would continue to pay their subscription fees for a much longer period of time.

Left 4 Dead Gameplay

Warcraft 5man dungeon Gameplay