11-05-2012, 11:05 AM
Artificial Intelligence in Computer Games
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Introduction
What is game AI?
In computer games, Artificial Intelligence generally means creating computer players that can think rationally and also can act humanly. First problems of game AI were solved by making challenging computer players that play the best move. But as the games involved more imagination, new problems emerged such as designing humanly behaving and responding characters.
Games are traditionally played by a group of players. Few examples are chess, hide-and-seek, football. In contrast, many computer games are single-player. So, there is a problem of interactivity in computer games. If the player perceives the game to be a deterministic machine, giving predictable outcomes, it probably will no longer feel like a game. To solve this problem, AI programmers create rational agents in the game to give the illusion of human players. If the player is faced by the challenge to win against intelligent rational opponents, the game feels more like a game.
Applications of AI in games
There are many different applications of AI in games. Many game genres, each having different set of AI problems, create a wide spectrum of game AI. Despite its many application possibilities, AI algorithms and technologies advance very slowly, compared to the technologies in other aspects of games, such as graphics or physics.
Application of game AI involves giving life to artificially intelligent agents in games. This task is easier to directly immitate human behaviour, because the agents are only expected to be intelligent in the context of the game.
Game roles
The game, with its set of rules and limited world, is like a playground for testing different kinds of artificial intelligence. These different AI problems are practically presented as game roles. These game roles define certain areas of problems in game AI. Well-known AI roles are tactical enemies, partners, support characters, strategic opponents and units (1).
Tactical enemy
Tactical enemies are most frequently used in first-person (FPS) or third-person (TPS) shooter games. The first well-known FPS is Wolfenstein, and the most influential one is Doom, both by id software. In first FPS games, tactical enemies simply waited standing until they see the player. When they did, they started firing their guns at the player.