AI Architectures: A Culinary Guide (GDMag Article) « IA on AI. (This is a slightly edited copy of the feature article I wrote for Game Developer Magazine that appeared in their August, 2012 issue.)
A question that seems to come up regularly from students, designers, and even from veteran programmers is “what AI architecture should I use?” It’s a query that is sprinkled across internet message boards, comes up at GDC dinners, and I’m sure is a frequent topic in pre-production meetings at game studios – indie and AAA alike. As a game AI consultant, I certainly field it from my clients on a regular basis.
More often than not, the less-than-satisfying answer to this question is a resounding, “It depends.” Suspicious Developments. After eight years as a games journalist and two as a part time developer, I have decided what I think of games: I like them.
I’ve also figured out some of the reasons I like them, some of the reasons I sometimes don’t, and which of these things I really care about. I’m far enough through making my own game, Gunpoint, to get a feel for which of these things I can actually do. But I’m still new at this. A lot of them are things I figured out during development, and Gunpoint itself doesn’t reflect them all.
So this is a mission statement: a way for me to be specific and public about what I’d like to do in games, and how I plan to do it. Alex Darby. Education In The Games Industry: Yes or No?