Does Payday 2 Have AI? A Heister’s Guide to Your Digital Crew
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Yes, Payday 2 does have AI companions, referred to as Crew AI or bots. These AI characters fill in the empty slots in your crew, allowing you to play solo or with a smaller group of friends. While they’re not exactly master criminals, they can be surprisingly helpful in certain situations. However, understanding their limitations and how to utilize them effectively is key to a successful heist. They are by no means a perfect substitute for human players.
Understanding Crew AI in Payday 2
The Crew AI in Payday 2 have evolved considerably since the original game. The Henchmen update particularly improved their functionality, making them more useful than ever. While the basic principles remain similar, numerous tweaks to their AI logic have enhanced their behavior. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from your digital partners:
- Combat Prowess: The AI boasts impressive combat capabilities, featuring regenerating health and infinite ammo. Their accuracy is decent, making them effective at suppressing enemies and providing cover fire. This can be especially useful in loud heists where constant firefights are inevitable.
- Objective Limitations: One of the biggest drawbacks of the AI is their inability to perform complex objectives. They cannot carry bags, repair drills, or interact with many objective markers. This means you’ll be responsible for all the heavy lifting and technical tasks, which can be challenging on maps with numerous bags or intricate puzzles.
- Stealth Ineffectiveness: While heists often begin in stealth, the AI isn’t particularly adept at maintaining it. They can follow you and remain relatively quiet, but they’re prone to alerting guards if they get too close or are caught in line of sight. Managing their positioning is crucial to avoid unwanted detection.
- Command and Control: You can issue basic commands to your Crew AI. By pressing “Z” (default PC key) while looking at a bot, you can order them to hold their position. This is useful for securing hostages or guarding a specific area. Pressing “F” will make them follow you again. You can also use “G” to give them a bag you’re carrying, which they will then transport.
- Build Customization: You can equip your AI with different weapons. Giving them powerful primary weapons like the AMR-16, AK Rifle, or Clarion Rifle can significantly boost their combat effectiveness. For secondary weapons, the P226 Pistol and the Car-4 Rifle are solid choices. The right weapon can mean the difference between a successful defense and a total wipeout.
Strategies for Playing with AI
Maximizing your success with AI companions requires a strategic approach. Here are some tips to consider:
- Choose Heists Wisely: Some heists are simply too difficult to complete solo with AI due to the objective limitations. Focus on heists with straightforward objectives that primarily involve combat and bag transport.
- Prioritize Bag Management: Since the AI can’t pick up bags on their own, focus on throwing the bags to them. Knowing that Crew AI bots cannot pick up lootbags but the player can throw a lootbag at them, which will make the Crew AI bot grab it and carry it is very important. Then, focus on controlling the flow of loot and ensuring the AI is carrying as much as possible. This will minimize your own carrying burden and speed up the process.
- Utilize Hold Position Command: Use the “hold position” command to keep your AI companions in strategic locations, such as near hostages or choke points. This will help control the flow of enemies and provide a defensive perimeter.
- Focus on Objectives: Since the AI can handle the majority of the combat, prioritize completing objectives. Repair drills, hack computers, and unlock doors while your AI companions provide cover.
- Consider Modding: The Payday 2 community has created numerous mods that enhance the AI’s behavior and capabilities. These mods can improve their pathfinding, objective completion, and overall effectiveness. However, it’s important to note that while user-created mods are generally allowed, they shouldn’t amount to blatant cheating or negatively affect other players’ experiences.
- Adapt Your Build: Design your own character build to complement the AI’s strengths and weaknesses. Focus on skills that enhance bag carrying, objective completion, or stealth capabilities to compensate for their limitations.
- Practice Makes Perfect: Playing with AI requires patience and practice. Experiment with different strategies and commands to find what works best for you. Don’t be afraid to fail; learn from your mistakes and adapt your approach accordingly.
The Future of AI in Payday Games
While the Crew AI in Payday 2 have their limitations, they provide a viable option for solo players or those with limited friends available. The game’s developers have consistently improved the AI over time, and it’s likely that future Payday games will feature even more sophisticated and capable AI companions. The possibility of AI learning from player behavior and adapting to different heist scenarios is an exciting prospect that could significantly enhance the solo experience.
Ultimately, Payday 2 is designed as a cooperative experience. While the AI can help, playing with friends offers a much richer and more rewarding gameplay experience. The communication, coordination, and camaraderie that come with playing with real people are simply unmatched by AI companions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding AI in Payday 2:
1. Can AI complete the Payday 2 secret?
Yes, the Payday 2 secret can be completed with AI. While it may be more challenging due to their objective limitations, it is possible with careful planning and execution.
2. Do AI have infinite ammo in Payday 2?
Yes, the AI in Payday 2 have infinite ammo. This allows them to consistently provide suppressing fire and engage enemies without needing to reload or resupply.
3. How do you tell AI to stay in Payday 2?
You can tell AI to stay by looking at them and pressing the “Z” key (default on PC). This will command them to hold their current position and engage enemies in the immediate vicinity.
4. Can AI grab bags in Payday 2?
No, Crew AI bots cannot pick up lootbags themselves. However, you can throw a bag at them, and they will grab it and carry it to the designated drop-off point.
5. Can you finish Payday 2 solo with AI?
Yes, you can finish Payday 2 solo with AI. It may take longer and require more careful planning on some missions, but it is entirely possible to complete the entire game solo with AI companions.
6. What is the best AI gun in Payday 2?
For primary weapons, the AMR-16, AK Rifle, and Clarion Rifle are excellent choices for AI due to their high damage output and accuracy. For secondary weapons, the P226 Pistol and the Car-4 Rifle are reliable options.
7. Does Payday 2 ban hackers/cheaters?
Payday 2 does not ban players for cheating. The only anti-cheat mechanism is an auto-kick system that detects certain types of cheating, such as deploying more items than allowed.
8. Is Payday 2 good alone with AI?
Yes, Payday 2 is good alone, but remember that it’s designed for co-op. The AI performs basic functions to make it playable.
9. Are Payday 2 mods safe to use with AI?
Client-side mods are generally safe to use online as they don’t affect other players’ experiences. However, ensure mods are from trusted sources to avoid potential issues. You can learn more at Games Learning Society or GamesLearningSociety.org.
10. Can I play Payday 3 by myself?
Yes, Payday 3 does allow you to play solo, even if the servers are down, although it is designed primarily as a cooperative experience.
11. Should I play Payday 1 before Payday 2?
No, it is not necessary to play Payday 1 before Payday 2. While they share characters and lore, Payday 2 is a standalone experience that can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the first game.
12. Can you go past level 100 in Payday 2?
Yes, Level 100 is the soft level cap, which means that the EXP are still calculated and shown, due to Perk Decks and Continental Coins using gained EXP.
13. Can you get handcuffed in Payday 2?
Yes, you can get handcuffed in Payday 2 if a guard spots you and gets close enough to restrain you.
14. How to be sneaky in Payday 2 with AI?
Crouching increases concealment, making it safer to move around guards. Coordinate with your AI to avoid detection and utilize silent takedowns when possible.
15. Is it legal to mod games like Payday 2?
Modding for personal, non-commercial use is generally legal, falling under fair use. But avoid mods that negatively affect others or breach terms of service.