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Now you see it - Now you don’t

Now you see it - Now you don’t. Intro to Game AI. Book Learnin’. University of Chicago BA in General Studies Masters work in AI & Information Systems Northwestern University PhD work in AI: Robotics & Video Games. Street Smarts. Game Design and Tuning Workshop

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Now you see it - Now you don’t

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  1. Now you see it - Now you don’t Intro to Game AI

  2. Book Learnin’ • University of Chicago • BA in General Studies • Masters work in AI & Information Systems • Northwestern University • PhD work in AI: Robotics & Video Games

  3. Street Smarts • Game Design and Tuning Workshop • Indie Game Jam/Experimental Gameplay Workshop • IGDA Education Committee ... and kickin’ it with developers, in general

  4. What is AI? Some terms

  5. AI is... • a philosophy • an abstraction • a tool

  6. Philosophy • People do things based on rough goals and sketchy plans – modifying their behavior when problems or opportunities arise.

  7. Abstraction

  8. Tool: Finite State Machine start end

  9. Tool: Planner state goal

  10. Tool: Agents

  11. What is Game AI? Some Context

  12. Environment • Big projects, getting bigger • Dynamic worlds/systems • Time is still an issue

  13. Problems • Pathfinding • Sensing • Reacting • Expressing

  14. People • Programmers • Designers • Players

  15. Goals: Programmers • Intelligent, coherent, reactive behavior • Consistent, accurate sensing

  16. Goals: Designers • Extensible, flexible code • Intuitive interface

  17. Goals: Players • Coherent • Believable • Entertaining! Fortress of Solitude: “If they worked properly, they’d be tools - not toys”

  18. Currently • Slow progress on • sensing • reacting • Problems crop up in • code • interface

  19. State of the Art Game AI Today

  20. State of Game AI? • “State machines and hierarchical AIs. The simple rules-based finite- and fuzzy-state machines (FSMs and FuSMs) continue to be the tools of choice for developers, overshadowing more "academic" technologies such as neural networks and genetic algorithms.” – Woodcock 2001

  21. Finite State Machines • Systems, Sub-systems and Sub-Sub systems • Proliferation of nodes = slower code • Changes in Agent design = chaos • Schizophrenic behavior = common • Difficult to debug

  22. Rule-Based Systems • Special Cases made easy • Scripting can be tedious • Debugging can be difficult • Flexibility? Extensibility?

  23. Hierarchical AI • Commanders, Middlemen, Drones • Lots of reasoning • Lots of inter-level communication • What does the user see? • Best in strategy contexts?

  24. Other approaches? • Black and White, Creatures, The Sims • Neural Net • Learning/Reinforcement • Transparency? (why?) • Transitions? (how?)

  25. Other approaches? • Thief I & II • Complex Sensing • Brooksian, Distributed AI • Scalability? (how many brains?) • Intuitiveness? (which brain?)

  26. More Recently • Optimizations • Blackboard Systems (NOLF 2) • Broadening scope • Diagnostics (DX 2) • Expressive Characters (HL 2) • Paul Eckman

  27. Recent Issues • New systems and genres introduce new problems... • Dynamic Path Planning • Strategic Team-based AI • Massively-Multiplayer AI

  28. Next-Generation AI? • Will new technology engender new and improved techniques? • Will new problems have clear, simple solutions?

  29. What about Middleware? Game AI In a Box?

  30. Middleware • Animation & Locomotion Control

  31. Middleware • Behavior Control Systems

  32. Middleware • Structural Organization/Interface

  33. Middleware

  34. Middleware • Hard to get developers to use it • Not clear what value it provides • are they the right abstractions? • will the tools be flexible enough? • AI seems specific to game genre/content

  35. Looking Forward Juicy AI Problems

  36. Dynamic Game Adjustment • Difficulty • Pacing • Story • Characters • The future looks... complicated!

  37. Natural Language Generation • Context-aware conversations • Common-sense responses • Dynamic phrase generation

  38. Expressive Characters • Memory • Feelings • Independent goals

  39. Persistence • Character Changes, World Changes • Chess Examples

  40. Persistence “There are no character classes in Project Ego, only personality styles that evolve according to the decisions you make. Your character will age as time progresses, and the actions you take put an idiosyncratic spin on his or her appearance. Early wounds will show up later as scars. Lethargy will manifest as a little extra blubber around your middle, and anaerobic exercise will show up in the form of Olympian muscles. Even more important than your looks, your reputation will depend on the kind of life you lead. The incredible freedom of gameplay allows you to pursue every occupation from dashing hero to indolent bum to mischievous cutpurse.”

  41. How would you build “Fable”? • Persistent beliefs about the main character • Clear presentation of change/progress • Characters that remember events • Gossip? • Grudges?

  42. Wrapping up What we covered...

  43. Game AI Then • Big talk up to about 2001 • Plenty of proposed ideas tanked/ignored • Republic • Black & White

  44. Game AI Now • Gamasutra/Game Developer • AI Programming Wisdom

  45. Game AI Tomorrow • Look to next round of games for ideas? • AI ‘04 – workshop in the works • GDC ’04 – hopefully some tidbits

  46. Contact hunicke@cs.northwestern.edu

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