Artificial Intelligence in games?

Question

I plan to make a game..but I am little curious about AI (I am a noob when it games to C++ programming). Should I read books that give a broad/general information on Artificial intelligence.. or should I read a book that contains information for AI specifically for games.

Answer 1

Ive worked for a game publishing company. Definitely get books on game programming.



The topic of AI is terribly misunderstood. People think its in the future. But Artificial Intelligence just means getting the computer to choose the most correct action. Its been done all the time in software that gives change, or directs streetlights, or sorts mail, or autopilots planes, or drives cars on the moon or mars. Or in the new cars you can get that can park themselves or warn you of dangers.



That is very different than AH (artificially human). To give a gaming example, moving across a map. AI knows that the "best" answer is the straightest line that is shortest after going around obstacles. That is a common AI problem and is often accomplished. But in a game, players would take advantage of that quickly. They want AH. They want sometimes a straight line, sometimes flanking, sometimes a fake advance then choose another, and sometimes something so stupid seeming that its totally unexpected that it just might work. Those are balanced randoms.



In AI circles its abit of a joke that the formula for AH is to take AI, remove some of the Intelligence and replace it with Randoms. That says something about humans, doesnt it? :)



By the way, why C++. If you are wanting to be a cubicle jockey in a really big games company where you only get to write a little bit of a game and never put your name on it (a money job) then proceed. But if you are learning it just to write a game and sell it, dont bother. Learn and write the game in just about any language you want to. It doesnt matter to the companies that sell them. Games are written in every programming language you ever heard of.

Answer 2

What is commonly referred to as AI in video games doesn't really qualify as Artificial Intelligence. You are simply making these virtual characters act on a set of parameters, and react to certain situations using triggers. You should probably instead read a book on game design, that has a chapter on AI, mainly because you are just starting out.



Sorry, but I can't reccomend any.

Answer 3

Definitely focus on games. There's a huge difference between making a computer think like a human (AI) and making computer-controlled opponents act in a believable manner. For one thing, your computer controlled opponents have to be denied with plausible levels of stupidity. A bot that plays perfectly is no fun whatsoever, but neither is one that behaves in absurd ways.

Answer 4

very few computing device chess video games have "synthetic intelligence." this methodology in great Blue that has actual defeated the present international champion, Gary Kasparov, represents the present innovative synthetic intelligence in chess courses. synthetic intelligence ability that this methodology does right here: It shops in memory previous suggestions that it has tried; and it "recalls" which suggestions bring about the computing device winning. this methodology has a comments loop that facilitates it to go with strikes that interior the previous allowed the computing device to win, or it could go with the different candidate pass that it has not before tried. the potential to do those calculations require a great form of computing potential for human beings and for machines. A "candidate" pass for human gamers is one that doesn't violate the strategies and attitude that are normally consistant with winning. Sacrificing somewhat to verify a place that finally ends up in checkmating your opponent is a candidate pass. dropping somewhat without positional, strategic, or tactical benefit isn't a candidate pass.