Capcom has provided details of the innovative new AI partner system for its upcoming fantasy epic Dragon's Dogma for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Kento Kinoshita, one of the key designers on the forthcoming release, has explained to the official Capcom Unity blog the ins and outs of the pawn system, which lets players create their own AI companions for their long journey.
Gamers will tailor their pawn's appearance, job, skills and weapons, but from this point onwards the pawn will learn traits organically, observing the player's own tactics and play style so they can mirror it.
As the adventure progresses, pawns will learn different characteristics, dialogue options and battle approaches, becoming "comprised of each player's unique feelings", according to Mr Kinoshita.
Once traded, pawns can then be traded between different players' games, filling the world of Dragon's Dogma with all sorts of unusual characters.
Developed by the team behind Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry 4, Dragon's Dogma launches in May 2012 and will also provide early access to the upcoming demo of the eagerly awaited Resident Evil 6.