Advances in 3D visualization and physics-based simulation technology
make it possible for game developers to create compelling, visually
immersive gaming environments that were only dreamed of years ago. But
today's game players have grown in sophistication along with the games
they play. It's no longer enough to wow your players with dazzling
graphics; the next step in creating even more immersive games is
improved artificial intelligence, or AI.Fortunately, advanced AI game
techniques are within the grasp of every game developer--not just those
who dedicate their careers to AI. If you're new to game programming or
if you're an experienced game programmer who needs to get up to speed
quickly on AI techniques, you'll find AI for Game Developers to be the
perfect starting point for understanding and applying AI techniques to
your games.Written for the novice AI programmer, AI for Game
Developers introduces you to techniques such as finite state machines,
fuzzy logic, neural networks, and many others, in straightforward,
easy-to-understand language, supported with code samples throughout the
entire book (written in C/C++). From basic techniques such as chasing
and evading, pattern movement, and flocking to genetic algorithms, the
book presents a mix of deterministic (traditional) and non-deterministic
(newer) AI techniques aimed squarely at beginners AI developers. Other
topics covered in the book include:
- Potential function based movements: a technique that handles chasing,
evading swarming, and collision avoidance simultaneously
- Basic pathfinding and waypoints, including an entire chapter devoted
to the A* pathfinding algorithm
- AI scripting
- Rule-based AI: learn about variants other than fuzzy logic and finite
state machines
- Basic probability
- Bayesian techniques
Unlike other books on the subject, AI for Game Developers doesn't
attempt to cover every aspect of game AI, but to provide you with
usable, advanced techniques you can apply to your games right now. If
you've wanted to use AI to extend the play-life of your games, make them
more challenging, and most importantly, make them more fun, then this
book is for you.
