A new patent from Square Enix appears to be looking at improving the AI of NPCs in upcoming titles, specifically looking at how they interact with and respond to changes in the environment. Given the way that a background character in Square Enix's titles can draw attention away from the central action with strange movements and behaviors, this is a small quality of life update that could have a larger impact down the line.
As is often the case with patents, the exact language is highly technical, making it difficult to tell exactly which upcoming Square Enix title this patent might be applied too. However, the general scope of how the new program appears to work with groups of NPCs at once could theoretically be applied to any game that the developer has slated for releases in the future.
The specifics of the patent focus on an in-engine mechanism that controls the walking formation of groups of NPCs throughout a game world depending on their numbers and the environment. It also appears to be able to read when there are changes in the environment, such as the width and terrain of the path, and then anticipate a change in formation to suit the new conditions. This could mean that future titles like Final Fantasy 16 might have smarter AI on groups of both friendly and enemy NPCs that will be able to traverse more complex environments more fluidly.
More claims in the patent also imply that this new program will affect the way that a player and their party of NPCs will be able to traverse through the environment. One claim specifically states that the formation will follow a "master element" that works in tandem with the group of NPCs. Considering how this could affect the more realistic style of recent titles from Square Enix like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 15 that have the player followed by their party, it could cut down on awkward, jerky motions from freely moving characters.
Even small improvements in game systems like the one described in this recent patent can come together to have larger implications on a title's success. It's often the little details that wind up standing out and giving the type of AAA titles Square Enix develops the polish that players expect from these big-budget games. In the case of making NPC AI smarter, this is likely the type of detail that might go unnoticed by most players, as it works to further the realism aspects of these titles.