Oren Koren, a former Rockstar Games developer, left his position during the production of GTA 6 to embark on a personal project. The result is Don't Lose Aggro, an indie game that mixes the structure of a roguelike with the feel of an MMO, but for a single player. The player takes on the role of the tank, protecting a group of AI-controlled allies in dungeons and raid-like encounters. The idea is to capture the tactical essence of tanking without the social pressure or long sessions of multiplayer games.
The AI as a Raid Group: Designing Autonomous Companions ðŸ§
The technical core of Don't Lose Aggro lies in the behavior of the AI-controlled companions. Koren designed a system where each role from a traditional MMO group – healer, dps, support – is performed by bots with a degree of autonomy. The challenge was to balance their competence so the player feels they are leading a real group, without the AI being so perfect that it diminishes the main tank role. The game processes threat (aggro) and each AI's priorities in real-time, creating a simulation of coordinated combat.
Goodbye to the Toxic 'Healer': Your Healer is Now an Obedient Bot 🤖
Imagine a raid encounter where the healer doesn't send you a furious message for failing a mechanic. That's what Don't Lose Aggro offers. Your group companions are bots that perform their function without complaining, without disconnecting mid-fight, and without borrowing gold. Of course, they also don't celebrate your epic intervention with chat phrases, but it's an acceptable trade-off. It's every tank's dream: all the responsibility, but without the unpredictable human factor.