6.1 Conclusion

Conclusion

So in this assignment, I was tasked to create a blog covering "Using AI in Computer Games", the fields of AI I chose to talk about was: Algorithms, Heuristics, Hacks, Hardware Constraints in AI Engines, The Priorities of a Games Developer, Mobile Devices & Tablets, Pathfinding Concepts such as A* Algorithm, Dijkstra, Decision Tree, State Machine, Fuzzy Logic, Boids Flocking, Tactics & Strategy's, Learning Technologies - Artificial Neural Networks and Learning Technologies - Q-Learning. The initial idea was to finish with a good overall understanding of all the AI techniques mentioned above, along with descriptions, pro's, con's and example of when that method of algorithm is used in today's games. I'd like to finish my blog by covering my vital three features of AI in computer gaming that without them, there wouldn't be the amazing in-depth games we play today:

Learning:
A portion of this blog that I have covered is that of learning in gaming AI, I have talk about the learning algorithms such as Heuristics (1.2 Heuristics), artificial neural networks (5.2 Learning Technologies - Artificial Neural Networks) and Q-Learning (5.3 Learning Technologies - Q-Learning). Covering these features has allow me to grasp just how amazing we have come in the world of gaming AI, knowing that now in our everyday games, Madden and Call of Duty that developers are integrating these algorithms to allow the AI to learn from trial and error, learn to not make the same mistake twice and around human like behaviour. It's because of algorithms such as these is the reason our games today seem so real, it makes the user experience all that more enjoyable.

Pathfinding:
Another vital feature in gaming AI is that of pathfinding: techniques covered are that of A* (3.1 Pathfinding Concepts - A* Algorithm) and Dijkstra (3.2 Pathfinding Concepts - Dijkstra Algorithm), the soul of contributors of how AI in gaming finds where it's next move is going to be based on the lowest cost, fastest outcome and uses a node to node techniques to find the best resolve. If it wasnt for pathfinding in our AI, AI characters wouldn't be able to make decisions, well maybe they would but it wouldn't always be the correct, fastest option. It's the first step in giving the AI character a brain, giving it the ability to think like a human.

Decision Making Concepts:
My third and final feature is decision making: The decision tree (4.4 Decision Tree), the state machine (4.1 State Machine) and Fuzzy logic (4.2 Fuzzy Logic) make up three decision concepts used in gaming AI, without them the AI wouldn't have a function, it would no what to do, it would have no ability to think and therefore take action. It does sound a lot like pathfinding no? Together these elements make up the ability for the AI to ask itself, is it hurt? Where do I go if i'm hurt? Am I healthy enough to fight or evade the current event? The AI can answer all these questions by itself with these decision making concepts.

I started off my blog by saying "Artificial intelligence (AI) in the gaming world today has become the sole reason games become either a massive success, or flop, and become a failed enterprise. AI can make or break a game, and the methods and techniques used by developers to give us the illusion that AI is intelligent is what we will be investigating in this blog." (Introduction to: NWC603COM – Using AI in Computer Games Assignment 1) and its hard to argue that with all of the elements I have talked about in this blog that they make up and are the sole reason gaming today is so good, the end user experience is still progressing and getting better, with the use of these algorithm techniques, its only going to expand and make AI in gaming so much better and more real. As gamers that's all were asking for, with other techniques such as boids (4.3 Boids Flocking) we can really emerge and to feel like were part of the experience.

Its fair to say that all of the these features play some or an important role of an AI in computer games, I feel I've learnt a lot from this blog and being able to research how vital all these aspects are in making a game have given an insight into the time and hard work goes into making the games I spend a majority of my free time playing.