If ARCs Hunt Humans, Why Don’t They Hear You Yell? Breaking Down the AI Logic in ARC Raiders

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ARC Raiders is a challenging game, and the danger comes from more than just other players. While you’ll encounter Raiders looking to defeat and loot each other before escaping to Speranza, the real threat comes from the ARC – powerful, deadly machines that control the surface. These machines are so dangerous that players need to be cautious when exploring, as attracting their attention can be fatal.

It can be challenging to stay aware of danger, particularly if players aren’t fully using their sight and hearing. Sounds like a Wasp buzzing or a Rocketeer approaching should signal players to look up, but the ARC can sometimes surprise Raiders by exploiting their predictable awareness. The ARC’s units – Snitches with their long-range scans, Wasps with their erratic movements, and Pops that appear suddenly when metal is detected – are good at spotting players. However, despite their detection capabilities, they can’t hear the Raiders or the humans operating them.

Why ARC Raiders’ Enemy AI Can’t Hear Players When They Talk

One of the best parts of playing ARC Raiders is the nearby voice chat. It lets players connect with each other in a world that’s constantly under attack. If players are close enough and have their microphones on, they can hear each other speak, leading to everything from friendly hellos and helpful teamwork to tense betrayals where someone reveals their location and gets attacked. This feature really captures the game’s thrilling atmosphere and makes the world feel alive with other survivors.

In ARC Raiders, players can communicate with each other, but the ARC enemies cannot hear any voices. Surprisingly, even though humans are the ARC’s main target, they don’t respond to spoken commands or pleas – even when players use in-game emotes like “Don’t shoot!”. However, the ARC are sensitive to other sounds. Things like running through metal detectors, setting off motion sensors, gunfire, and even a player’s footsteps can alert them. This raises the question: why can’t the ARC hear players yelling, despite reacting to other noises?

Three Reasons Why the ARC Can’t Hear Players Talk

  • It could make the PvE in ARC Raiders too threatening.
  • It might discourage communication between players.
  • It could make the game feel unfair and inconsistent.

The AI enemies in ARC Raiders are surprisingly intelligent, but this kind of game design always involves compromises. These AI, called ARC, are mainly designed to create challenges while players gather resources, not to behave realistically. If the machines reacted to every sound, it could become overwhelming, especially with both the AI and other players posing a threat.

Furthermore, allowing the ARC to detect player voice chat or emotes could hinder communication and create a more cutthroat, less welcoming community. Although some players have experienced rudeness in ARC Raiders, most agree that the player base—particularly those playing solo—tends to be friendlier than in many games with player-versus-player combat.

Extraction shooters, such as ARC Raiders, usually prioritize clear gameplay over complete realism. This means players need to easily understand what causes them to be detected by enemies. For example, if the game’s enemy, the ARC, reacted to player voice chat, it could feel random and frustrating. Creating AI that accurately determines when a player’s voice is loud enough to be heard is also very difficult, especially since players have different chat settings.

ARC Raiders’ Enemy AI Relies on Scripted Noises and Visual Cues

In ARC Raiders, the automated robotic defenders (ARCs) primarily detect threats through predictable in-game events – like the sound of shooting, damaged machinery, a Raider running by, or bullets whizzing past. The developers use these clear, expected triggers to ensure the game feels consistent and fair to players.

Ultimately, making a game isn’t just about how much it taxes the system; it’s about creating something players can truly feel skilled at. While it might be cool if enemies in ARC Raiders could also use the proximity chat, that novelty would probably wear off quickly. Currently, the enemy AI in ARC Raiders seems to be at a good balance.

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2025-11-20 01:07