Synopses & Reviews
AI Game Engine Programming provides game developers with the tools and wisdom necessary to create modern game AI engines. It takes programmers from theory to actual game development, with usable code frameworks designed to go beyond merely detailing how a technique might be used. In addition, it surveys the capabilities of the different techniques used. In addition, it surveys the capabilities of the different techniques used in some current AI engines, and covers common pitfalls, design considerations, and optimizations. If you're having difficulty determining which techniques to use, or looking for working code best suited to a particular game, you'll find the answers here. You'll also find a clean, usable interface for a variety of game AI techniques with an emphasis on primary decision-making paradigms. The book provides insightful coverage of a variety of subjects important to AI engine development, and ties them together masterfully to form an indispensable reference. Part I provides an overall look at game AI, covers the basic terminology used in the book, reviews underlying concepts of game AI, and dissects the parts of a game AI engine. Part II covers specific game genres (RPG, TRS, FTPS, Shooter, Sports, Racing, Strategy, Adventure, Fighting, Platform, and miscellaneous) and explains how they use different AU paradigms. It also covers the move common solutions to the problems posed by each genre. Some of the problems include, dealing with direct AI and human interactions, using scripting languages appropriately, and general intelligence/entertainment balancing. Part III provides the actual code implementations for the basic AI techniques such as finite state machines, fuzzy state machines, message board systems, scripted systems, and location-based information systems. And, Part IV covers the move advanced techniques, including genetic algorithms, neural networks, artificial life, planning algorithms, and decision trees. The book concludes wit
Synopsis
A fully revised update to the first edition, "AI Game Engine Programming, Second Edition" provides game developers with the tools and information they need to create modern game AI engines. Covering the four principle elements of game artificial intelligence, the book takes you from theory to actual game development, going beyond merely discussing how a technique might be used. Beginning with a clear definition of game AI, you'll learn common terminology, the underlying concepts of AI, and you'll explore the different parts of the game AI engine. You'll then take a look at AI design considerations, solutions, and even common pitfalls genre-by-genre, covering the majority of modern game genres and examining concrete examples of AI used in actual commercial games. Finally, you'll study actual code implementations for each AI technique presented, both in skeletal form and as part of a real-world example, to learn how it works in an actual game engine and how it can be optimized in the future. Written for experienced game developers with a working knowledge of C++, data structures, and object oriented programming, "AI Game Engine Programming, Second Edition" will expand your AI knowledge and skills from start to finish.
About the Author
Brian Schwab (San Diego, CA) has been a game programmer for over ten years, and has held key positions as Gameplay and AI Programmer for both Angel Studios and DreamWorks Interactive. He currently acts as Senior AI Programmer for Sony Computer Entertainment.
Table of Contents
Part I Introduction 1 1 Basic Definitions and Concepts 2 An AI Engine: The Basic Components and Design 3 AIsteroids: Our AI Test Bed Part II Game Genres 65 4 Role Playing Games (RPGs) 5 Adventure Games 6 Real-Time Strategy (RTS) Games 7 First-Person Shooters/Third-Person Shooters (FTPS) 8 Platform Games 9 Shooter Games 10 Sports Games 11 Racing Games 12 Classic Strategy Games 13 Fighting Games 14 Miscellaneous Genres of Note Part III Basic AI Engine Techniques 239 15 Finite-State Machines 16 Fuzzy-State Machines (FuSMs) 17 Message-Based Systems 18 Scripting Systems 19 Location-Based Information Systems Part IV Advanced AI Engine Techniques 411 20 Genetic Algorithms 21 Neural Networks 22 Other Techniques of Note Part V Real Game AI Development 513 23 Distributed AI Design 24 Common AI Development Concerns 25 Debugging 26 Conclusions, and the Future Appendix: About the CD-ROM