Paper: Promising Game AI Techniques

Promising Game AI Techniques

Steve Ravin [2004]

As a follow-up to the paper: Common Game AI Techniques, the same author explains some techniques that can be interesting to use in game development but that haven't (as of 2004) become popular in the industry.

Much like his other paper, he describes each technique and provides a specific game application with each one of them. The techniques described are the following:

• Bayesian Networks: They allow complex humanlike reasoning when faced with uncertainty.
• Blackboard Architecture: Problem solving with the use of a shared communication space.
• Decision Tree Learning: Relate a series of inputs to an ouptut using a series of rules arranged in a tree structure.
• Filtered Randomness: Ensure that random events appear random to players.
• Fuzzy Logic: Extension of classical logic that is based on the idea of a fuzzy set.
• Genetic Algorithms: Search and optimization based on evolutionary principles.
• N-Gram Statistical Prediction: Statistical technique that can predict the next value in a sequence.
• Neural Networks: Complex nonlinear functions that relate one or more input variables to an output variable.
• Perceptrons: A Nerual Network of exactly 1 layer.
• Planning: Series of techniques that allow the AI to perform several actions in order to reach a certain goal.
• Player Modelling: Build a profile of the player's behavior to adapt the game accordingly.
• Production Systems: Architecture for capturing expert knowledge in the form of rules.
• Reinforcement Learning: Learning based on trial and error.
• Reputation System: A model of the player's reputation in the game world.
• Smart Terrain: A technique based on putting intelligence into inanimate objects.
• Speech Recognition: Enable a player to speak into a mic and have the game respond accordingly.
• Weakness Modification Learning: Learning technique that prevents an AI from losing repeatedly to a human player in the same way each time.

You can find more information on each one of them in the book AI Game Programming Wisdom 2.

Rabin, Steve (2004). Promising Game AI Techniques. In Steve Rabin (Ed.) AI Game Programming Wisdom 2 (pp 15 - 27) United States, Charles River Media Inc.