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So, how is it exactly that computer players in the simulator Starcraftª can be so smart? Where is it from that terrains are generated in the simulator Simcityª? Here is the place where you can find answers to all the questions you have about Artificial Intelligence in popular games. In addition, for those of you with inquiring minds, there is advanced information on each topic available to you.
Artificial Intelligence in games is quickly becoming more and more popular. Even the simplest things in games usually require some degree of Artificial Intelligence. And, it just keeps getting more and more complicated. As a result of this, the people that make these games are quickly losing the skills to create new and inproved Artificial Intelligence. More and more often people like college professors are hired to devise an AI "engine" for a game.
The goal that we have been trying to achieve for many years is to get computers beyond pure "reactivity." Reactivity, is when the user does somthing, and the computer does something in return. That's not good enough. The computer needs to think for itself. With the use of more advanced routines, the behavior begins to become more adaptive, or not simply responding to what the user does.
Would you like to know more? Read more background. Throughout this section, in some cases we will be referring to things by their common and official names. For convenience, the common name will be followed by the official name in parenthesis. Ok, now that we've got through that, let's take a look at the fun stuff.
| Q: How does the game figure out what to do with its troops? |
| A: If you asked someone on the street this question, the answer would be something like, "Well, it.... just does!" I hope to prove to you that this is not the truth. If you'd like to find out more about Influence mapping, click here. |
| Q: When I'm playing a game like Simcity 2000ª, it randomly generates hills, trees, and water for my playing surface. I've seen this in other games too. How is this possible? |
| A: This is actually a really neat kind of thing. Did you know that its impossible for computers to generate truly "random" numbers? Well, now you do! If you'd like to find out more about random terrain generation, click here. Sources : Excaliber AI in Games section |