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 with Part V, which looks at "real game AI development." The areas covered here focus on how distributed AI works as an overall paradigm that can help with the organization of any AI engine. There is also coverage of common AI development, debugging and tuning, and the future of AI.

After reading this book you'll have traveled through most of the huge landscape of knowledge that a game AI programmer faces, and you'll be prepared to master it!

Features

• Provides a detailed guide for programmers interested in creating an AI Engine for any game genre
• Breaks down AI elements and solutions by genre, and provides concrete examples from popular games
• Includes code implementations for both basic and complex AI techniques
• Provides suggestions for how the AI systems discussed can be extended or optimized for space, speed, and other limitations
• Explains distributed AI as a paradigm that can help with the organization of almost any AI engine

On the CD

The CD-ROM includes all of the source code compiled using Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0, along with the compiled binaries; the GLUT wrapper for OpenGL library, and the Lua language library; useful bookmarks; and all the figures from the book.

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.