1. TGD3351 Game Algorithms TGP2281 Games Programming III
in my own words, better known as Game AI

2. An Introduction to Video Game AI

3. In a nutshell B.CS (GD Specialization) B.MM SEGD
Game Design Fundamentals
Game Physics
Game Algorithms
3D Game Programming
Game Production
B.MM SEGD
Games Programming I (Game Fundamentals)
Games Programming II (3D Game Dev)
Games Programming III (Game AI)

4. Course matters Classes: Consultation hours: Course website: MMLS:
(Lecture) Tuesdays, , CR2003
(Tutorial) Wednesdays, , AR2004
Consultation hours:
Arranged only by appointment
Course website:
MMLS:
Only for announcements
Only selected materials will be uploaded

5. Textbook and References
AI for Game Developers, Bourg & Seeman
Artificial Intelligence for Games, Millington
Algorithms and Networking for Computer Games, Smed & Hakonen
Programming Game AI by Example, Buckland
Learning XNA 4.0, Reed

6. Disclaimer
This course DOES NOT teach you programming or tell you what technologies are out there
It is about algorithms and AI in games

7. C# for Games
If you already are familiar with Java, this isn’t that far away…
Why not Unity3D? UDK?
The good
Allows flexibility of designing game classes
.NET framework (great support if you ask me)
The bad
XNA Game Studio is dead (not really, but there’s no dev anymore)

8. MonoGame http://www.monogame.net/
Managed code (C# and other .NET languages)
Cross-platform
Very-very-very similar to XNA (hence tutorials reusable)
Open-source
Growing community

9. Coursework Distribution
A 100% Coursework subject
B.CS
Coursework
Game Project
60%
Test
20%
Quiz
SEGD
Coursework
Game Project
70%
Test
15%
Seminar
10%
Quiz 5%

10. Project All students MUST hand in the project
Project must be done in pairs, with distinct tasks for each member
Game with distinctive AI features incorporated into any aspect of the game
4 checkpoints:
Game Proposal, Progress Milestones #1, #2, Final Submission
Demos for Milestones (W6, W10)
Presentation for Game Proposal (W3) & Final Submission (W14)

11. Project
You are to propose an original game that will best showcase AI features & technical accomplishments in algorithms

12. Other Coursework Test Quiz Seminar
Written test on your understanding of AI theory, concepts, application (no coding!)
Quiz
Class quizzes OR short homework pieces in the form of theory or concept questions
To be handed up on the same day or after a few days
Seminar
Give a short informal “talk” on a game AI topic. Topics (with relevant papers) will be provided for selection.
TGD3351 students will do this as one of the “Quiz” items

13. Course policies Collaboration Policy (Honour Code)
Acknowledge the people you ascertain help from (other students, external parties)
Acknowledge material taken from elsewhere
Acknowledge source of code used
No acknowledgement or referencing is same as saying “I did everything myself” when you did not.

14. Course policies Late Policy Missed Presentations/Demos
Late submissions will be penalized 10% (of total marks of that coursework) per day late.
No submissions allowed after the hard deadline of that coursework.
Missed Presentations/Demos
No replacements (marks considered deducted) unless for very valid reasons.

15. About coding This is not a C# or XNA or MonoGame course
You are expected to be able to pick up quickly
Self-learning time is important
Materials/guidance will be provided
What you can do for project depends on how much you are able to learn up

16. AI Topics Game AI Fundamentals Movements Pathfinding Decision Making
Basic Movements
Complex Movements & Flocking
Pathfinding
Basic Pathfinding
A* Pathfinding and Extensions
Decision Making
Finite State Machines
Decision Trees and Rule-based AI
Fuzzy Logic
Probability and Randomness

17. Topics Advanced Topics Tactical AI
Turn-based AI: Game Trees & Tournaments*
Neural Networks and Deep Learning*

18. Let’s look back in time…

19. Early AI in Games
Atari’s Pong – one of the first video games ever created and released to the public
Tracking AI: How does it work?

20. Board games  Video games
Backgammon on Atari 2600
Pathfinding AI

21. Space Invaders
Pattern AI. Moving and reacting based on patterns

22. Obsolete?
Are these early ideas in Game AI still used in today’s games?
What do you think and WHY?

23. First-Person Shooters
Quake 3
How do AI bots find cover under fire? Way points?
Line of sight computations

24. First-Person Shooters
Halo 3
Acting together: Team or group-based AI
Coordination: Fixed / Adaptive

25. Platform Games Johnny Platform
100 levels of different difficulty, puzzle based challenges
Arbitrarily sliding platforms
Enemies that are well timed and moving strategically
Platform game are more player-centric rather than AI-centric

26. Real-Time Strategy (RTS)
Warcraft 2
What are “strategies” consider in an RTS game?
Managing resources / economy
Scripting

27. Strategy Games Europa Universalis IV
Player competes with the computer AI to expand power through military, diplomacy and colonial wealth
Makes strategic decisions and preferences, decides when to go war, manages economy and tech development
Real time

28. Simulation Games The Sims Artificial life
Programmable / adaptive behaviours, emotions
Open-ended concept

29. Simulation Games Black and White Artificial life, evolution
God-role: A creature can be taught and raised by the player
Metacritic (90%), GameSpot (9.3/10)

30. Action RPG Games Elder Scrolls – Oblivion & Skyrim Radiant AI :
NPCs can make choices and engage in unpredictable behaviors with the world around them, e.g. “Eat at this city at 2PM”
Dynamic creation of quests placed into the world
“Organic feel”

31. Board Game / Turn-based AI
Othello/Reversi
Use information in game to determine best moves (optimal solutions) in the near future
Minimax and other ‘searching’ techniques
Heuristics to speed up calculations

32. Game-Playing AI Genetic Algorithms & Neural Networks
NN with 14 inputs, 20 hidden neurons, 5 outputs
trained by a genetic algorithm

33. Game-Playing AI Genetic Algorithms & Neural Networks
Code:

34. Reinforcement Learning
Training a neural network (NN) to play by itself and learn on its own
Reward-based learning
DQN Paper:

35. DeepMind – Using AI to play video games

36. Coding: Get started Get Visual Studio Community (2013 or 2015).
Sign up for Microsoft account to make it free (just need renewal from time to time)
Get MonoGame (install or fork it)
Start on some simple tutorials

37. Any Questions?

38. We shall play some games in this week’s lab…

39. Play & Tell Pong Pacman Galcon http://www.freepacman.org
Pacman
Galcon
Class Discussion: Can you identify (in your own words) the game AI that is in these games?