History Main / ArtificialBrilliance

* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' is infamous for tracking the logical consequences of ''everything you can do'', often leading to ButterflyOfDoom or ForWantOfANail situations if you aren't CrazyPrepared yourself for everything you can do. One update added vampires, along with murder-mystery systems as the dwarves try to figure out who's exsanguinating everyone in their sleep. The brilliance is that the vampires themselves will try to accuse others of being the vampire (though [[TooDumbToLive dwarven intelligence]] is not so robust that they won't accuse infants).

* In late July of 2010, the website ''Website/FourChan'' was attacked by a bot/virus known first as "4Chan.hta" and later as "Cornelia" that seemed ''scarily'' intelligent. While it spammed non-stop, infected user computers, and even stole files and personal information from them, it also managed to make surprisingly sensible posts (albeit with odd typos), engage users in on-topic discussions, and even seemed to have something of a personality. When CAPTCHAs were introduced to stop it, it managed to come back a little later, now able to solve them by abusing Google [=APIs=]. If you're wondering where the name "Cornelia" came from ''[[ItCanThink it named itself]]''. Not bad at all for a bot [[https://pastebin.com/TWQa7WXD made entirely in Javascript]] that effectively worked by responding to posts by generating replies from similar posts.

** Villagers have [[https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Villager#Behavior incredibly detailed AI]]. They leave their homes during the day to work or socialize, and return to their homes at night to sleep. Baby villagers play around instead of working. Villagers share food with other villagers, and those with the farmer job will even harvest and replant crops. On top of this, villagers gossip with each other about the player's actions towards them, which affects the deals they offer players when trading: treat them well and they give good deals, but treat them poorly and they rip you off.

Artificial Brilliance is, quite simply, the ability of the computer characters to make the player think "WHOA! Where did the computer learn to do ''that???''" It occurs when the VideoGameAI's freeform actions, based on real-time decisions, result in behavior that seems, frankly, brilliant. It can be anything from an enemy that manages to outwit and outmanuever the player on the player's own terms and by the player's own rules, to an [[NonPlayerCompanion NPC ally]] who manages to assist and even save the player in ways that are unexpectedly helpful and seemingly smart. Just being able to react quickly and enter button combinations flawlessly doesn't count, computers are [[ComputersAreFast naturally good at that]]; in fact, toning down a computer player's inhuman speed can be a facet of Artificial Brilliance.

* ''VideoGame/LethalSkies 2's'' features suprisingly robust friendly AI. The player's wingmates are able to complete objectives, respond to orders quickly and efficiently, and are able to dogfight -- and win -- against similarly-skilled enemies with no assistance from the player, and that without resorting to the crutch of [[GameplayAllyImmortality making them invincible]].

** The AI of the Combine soldiers in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' has been widely criticized for being rather average, uninteresting, and easy to kill. In fact, the Combine A.I. are actually quite impressive, demonstrating such feats as moving in squads, "slicing the pie" around corners, using cover intelligently based on their relative position to the enemy, stacking up, providing and advancing under covering fire, flanking, and using pincer attacks. Unfortunately, they're not really as mobile as they could be, and the tight, linear corridor level design never really gives them a good chance to show off their moves (that, and the fact they die like lemmings because Gordon Freeman [[LightningBruiser is a human tank that can outrun a car]]). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWYlMC8z0G8 This YouTube video]] gives a pretty good representation of the actual capacity of the game's AI.

* The Xenomorph's A.I. in ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation'' is truly something to behold. It is almost 100% unpredictable, can pop up at anytime, anywhere and puts on a constant cat-and-mouse game. Even more impressive is that it learns as the game goes on, adapting to the player's tactics allowing it to remain constantly dangerous. Making noise is the worst thing one can do, as it will pick up on anything from a gunshot to the beeping of the motion tracker. Use a certain type of hiding space too many times and it will start searching those hiding spaces more carefully. After being fooled too many times by flares, it will begin ignoring them completely. Even with the flamethrower, the best weapon in the game at warding it off, it will learn the range and force players to waste fuel before it leaves.

* The AI in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Fire Emblem: Thracia 776]]'' is dangerously smart. For instance, if you steal a mook's only weapon, he will run to the nearest weapon shop (if there's any that sells weapons he can use), and will actually ''buy the best weapon he can use and attack you with it next turn''.

*** Similarly in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', mages with versatile attack ranges will often run ''right'' up to your archers and attack at a range where they cannot counterattack. You would really want to be careful if there's a Swordslayer around...as axe wielders will run ''right'' for the nearest sword user (Especially if they're a Lord) to use the swordslayer on.

Artificial Brilliance is, quite simply, the ability of the computer characters to make the player think "Hey, these guys are actually pretty smart!" It occurs when the VideoGameAI's freeform actions, based on real-time decisions, result in behavior that seems, frankly, brilliant. It can be anything from an enemy that manages to outwit and outmanuever the player on the player's own terms and by the player's own rules, to an [[NonPlayerCompanion NPC ally]] who manages to assist and even save the player in ways that are unexpectedly helpful and seemingly smart. Just being able to react quickly and enter button combinations flawlessly doesn't count, computers are [[ComputersAreFast naturally good at that]]; in fact, toning down a computer player's inhuman speed can be a facet of Artificial Brilliance.

*** The ''Fates'' AI also understands the concept of objectives -- if the the win conditions are anything other than Rout or Defeat Boss, it will alter its strategy accordingly. This is part of what makes Conquest chapter 10 both ThatOneLevel and BestLevelEver: the AI ''knows'' all it has to do is get one unit behind your lines to make you lose, and will be startlingly intelligent in doing so, such as using diversions, having their mobile troops like Pegasus Knights avoid attacking (forcing you to go out of your way to kill them on your turn), or positioning paired-up units such that other units can slip behind your lines.

** ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater Metal Gear Solid 3]]'' takes this a step further by adding a camo system. If a guard sees rustling grass or some oddly colored spots in the environment, they will go to investigate.
*** Also, if your stamina is low enough, your stomach will start growling and if an enemy is nearby, they will hear it and investigate, effectively screwing over the player if they are out of food because your accuracy and wound healing both depend on your stamina.
*** Not only that. If you managed to outrun your pursuing soldiers during an Alert, and managed to hide in some room in a fortress, for example, they'd sweep each room thoroughly, starting by chucking ''a flashbang'' into the room, temporarily blinding and deafening you, then storming in, finding you, and proceeding to carve you up with bullets. If enemies had access to gun-emplacements, you can bet your life on it they'd use them against you. Oh, they'd also be able to smell your cigar if you happened to be smoking it, or the smell of your ''clothes'' if you happened to be wearing the Fly camo, or the sight and smell of your vomit if you happened to retch either from sickness or EasterEgg. And these are just regular {{Mook}}s. There's a special brand of {{EliteMook}}s that appear only on special areas, that are specifically designed and programmed to patrol the area hunting for Snake while setting up positions for both spotting and ambushing him. This includes setting up a sniper from the rooftop of a building Snake just escaped from, while having about another half-dozen guys patrolling the surrounding area, each and everyone equipped with top-grade weapons, fast reflexes and efficient tactics.

** Enemies are generally not known for their intelligence. An exception are the Darknuts, who will absolutely murder you, especially when they fight in groups. In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', a Darknut with its armor removed is smart enough to hang back behind the fully armored Darknuts, darting in and out to attack. Have fun fighting ''four at once'' in the BonusDungeon. It's a ''significantly'' greater challenge than the actual final boss... unless you stocked up on bomb arrows. In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', disarmed Darknuts will try to arm themselves with a new weapon, such as a Moblin's spear, and will engage Link in hand-to-hand combat if they can't. They also tend to counter Link's hurricane spin with one of their own if they seem him charging it up.

** The AI in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Awakening]]'', is particularly devious. If you try to set up a formation to protect your weaker units, the enemy will focus on the weakest unit on your frontlines to either kill them or force them to retreat for healing, which either way will leave a gap in your defences. And if you're doing an EscortMission, and your formation is less-than-airtight, the enemy will simply ignore your units and go straight for the ones you're trying to protect; it is even smart enough to have units with ranged attacks attack the person being escorted if they can bypass you.

* In the core ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series, Atlus enjoys baiting gamers into taking silly risks. For instance, in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'', Fiends and {{Bonus Boss}}es hit like a truck with powerful elemental attacks. Should you decide to stack the deck against them by fusing parties specifically to counter these moves, thus removing their Press Turns, they will instead go ''berserk'' and start spamming Almighty moves to bombard you and your entire team into oblivion.

* The AI is generally this in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}''. When set to a freeform tactic, they will try different attacks to figure out the enemies' elemental affinities until they find a weakness or until MissionControl identifies one (in the case of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}''; your MissionControl in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' cannot find affinites, only track the ones you've found). Once one is known, they ''will'' remember it and exploit it for all it's worth. If the player wants to trigger specific actions, they can set the AI to follow certain thought patterns; the most useful ones are the option to specifically target and destroy an enemy of your choice, the option to focus them on using healing and support skills, and the option to only ''knock down'' the enemies, rather than focusing on killing them. This last one is a brilliant example because the battle system awards you with extra turns by exploiting weaknesses. Thus, against a team of enemies with a common weakness that a member can exploit, said member will abuse that weakness, knock down an enemy (the enemy's death optional) then proceed to ''ignore it'' and work down the rest, setting you up for either a follow-up [[BigBallOfViolence All-Out Attack]] or a different action altogether. This is sadly interspaced with the occasional act of ArtificialStupidity from your teammates, like the ones that learn status-inflicting ones. Fortunately, the player can remove this random factor entirely by taking direct control of the whole team in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}: [[UpdatedRerelease Portable.]]'' On the opposite side, enemies ''will'' exploit a weakness they discover in your team, although they will usually shift to something else in order to test more elements, if applicable. This is far truer in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' than in ''3'', since the battle system there received a couple alterations, a notable one being that just one target of a multi-hit spell needs to be weak to it and hit in order to award the extra turn, rather than all targets like it had been in ''3'', resulting in enemies that will proceed to mercilessly pound your team again with more multi-target magic, or take advantage of your stun and either buff themselves up, debuff you, or use a special move on you that requires you to be knocked down, and of course, deals massive damage. This fact comes to a head with [[BonusBoss The Reaper]] and [[ThatOneBoss the World Balance]]. The Reaper will actively target [[WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou your character]] if it discovers a weakness, and if it doesn't, will experiment with the rest of your team, ''removing'' immunities to elements that don't work on them once it knows them. The latter actually managed complaints from players that argued it was adapting to their tactics. For more fun, if you put a magic-reflecting shield on your party even ''once'', both of these things will drop everything to start bombarding your whole team [[SpamAttack perpetually]] with [[NonElemental Almighty spells]] like Megidola and Megidolaon, the only kind of spell that said magic-reflecting shield ''can't'' stop.

* The entire point of ''VideoGame/BotLand'' is programming the AI of battle robots to make them act smarter, and then using them to win arena battles against the bots of other players. Needless to say, the end results are [[SturgeonsLaw usually of dubious quality]].

** [[ActionBomb Creepers]] have an affinity for lurking in dark corners, specifically around areas you tend to frequent.

** Piglins and Hoglins are innately hostile towards one another. When fighting each other, the Piglins' behavior depends on their relative numbers. If the Piglins outnumber the Hoglins, they'll go on the offensive. If the Piglins are outnumbered by the Hoglins, they will instead retreat and keep a distance of six blocks instead of attacking.

** Zombies and skeletons catch fire and burn in sunlight. They're smart enough to look for shade or water to prevent this, and skeletons in particular will not leave a safe place just to attack you. Forget artificial intelligence, Minecraft creatures actually have ''common sense!''

* While the beta of ''VideoGame/GhostReconBreakpoint'' contained loads of ArtificialStupidity to the point of absurdity, the final release of the game, plus a few update patches, actually made enemies into a formidable opponent to an unprepared Ghost:

* A non-video game example: In the climax of ''The Two Towers'', the enemy Orcs were programed to make the best tactical decisions possible against the tree-folk, but the programmers forgot to put an important piece of intelligence into the AI, causing the virtual actors would start running when no enemy was present in front of them instead of looking around. This resulted in the Orcs looking [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere uncharacteristically pragmatic about their chances in battle]].

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' shows a case of this with the [[ThatOneBoss Ancient Devil's]] [[ThatOneAttack Demon Sign]]. He is capable of judging which of your members is most damaging to him either by pure damage, healing potential or some combination thereof, and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy control]] that character, [[NonLethalKO provided they're on the front line and conscious]]. His number-one target for Demon Sign is [[GameBreaker Sveta]], but even [[TierInducedScrappy Rief and Himi]] are shockingly effective under his control. Once under his thrall, your Adepts will heal and buff the Ancient Devil and summon against you using your own standby Djinn, stopping any summons you have set to go off that round, as well as attacking you with the weapons and Psynergy you so kindly optimized for them.

* ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}: Shadow of Chernobyl'' features a complex Artificial Life ecosystem featuring both wildlife and human {{NPC}}s. It has an entire ecosystem of monsters that live in packs, defend their territory, and migrate from area to area. It also features humans that live out their own lives independent of the player's actions; exploring, traveling from map to map, resting at friendly camps between forays through hostile territory, scavenging loot, and getting into fights with the Zone's other inhabitants. Tactically, the combat AI is pretty damn good, too: enemies flank, use cover, retreat, dodge behind and through obstacles and buildings, and are pretty good at navigating the game's wide-open levels. Its AchillesHeel is its inability to recognize environmental hazards such as anomalies or campfires. The kicker is, this was ''intentional;'' apparently, in its base form the AI was so smart that it made the game damn near impossible to beat, so the dev team removed its ability to recognize hazards ''and'' its ability to use grenades, which the AI could throw [[ImprobableAimingSkills terrifyingly accurately.]] [[WhatCouldHaveBeen If the press on the pre-release preview versions is to be believed]], the AI was even perfectly capable of ''beating the game itself''.\\
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Naturally, with the series having the [[GameMod modding]] community that it has, there are several mods that restore this astounding AI, and in some cases, refine it so that it achieves feats like enemy stalkers shutting off their flashlights and walking back-to-back if they suspect they're being targeted. As one might expect from this description, playing the game with those mods installed is [[NintendoHard a masochist's wet dream]].

** In ''VideoGame/MarioKartDS'', the AI actually seems to know that if you put a banana peel on the loop-the-loop, HilarityEnsues.

* In Sony's ''MLB The Show'', if a user has a tendency to swing at certain pitches outside of the zone at a high frequency, the AI will exploit that weakness often until the player stops doing so.

* The Stalker from ''VideoGame/DeadSpace2'' is designed to behave similarly to the velociraptors from Jurassic Park, meaning they will attempt to flank the player while another peeks around cover within your field of view in order to distract you. They can be [[DemonicSpiders very effective]].