Game Artificial Intelligence

Syllabus | Main menu: Main | Schedule | Assignments and Projects | Resources

Each day in the schedule shows what topics will be covered in class and what readings should be done before class on that day. Due dates for assignments and paper deadlines are also noted. Reading responses are due every Friday unless otherwise noted.

This schedule is subject to change over the semester. Any major changes will be announced in class.

Last update: November 5, 2014 2:32 PM

Course Overview

In-Class
Course overview, what is a game and what is game AI?

In-Class
MDA framework, game design activity
Reading
“Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics”, Robin Hunicke et al.
(graduate) Chapter 7, Game Design Workshop, Tracy Fullerton

In-Class
Knowledge representation, low-level vs. high-level AI
Reading
Chapter 1, AI Game Engine Programming, Brian Schwab

Friday, September 12

Due
Paper Outline

In-Class
Game AI and Society
Reading
"Do Artifacts Have Politics?", Langdon Winner
(graduate) Selections from "Artificial Knowing: Gender and the Thinking Machine", Alison Adam

In-Class
Paper Outline Discussion / Observing Human Behavior (weather-permitting)
Due Before Class
Paper Outline - Peer Feedback
Reading
The “Real World Bad AI” twitter feed
"A Scenario-Based Design Method with Photo Diaries and Photo Essays", Kentaro Go [consider participating in such an activity as part of your reflection]
(graduate) “Grounded Theory in Ethnography” (pp. 21-25), from Constructing Grounded Theory, Kathy Charmaz

In-Class
Pathfinding, A*
Reading
Chapter 4 – 4.4, Artificial Intelligence for Games, Ian Millington & John Funge
(graduate) “The AI Systems of Left 4 Dead”, Michael Booth [note that these are just ppt slides, and will require some interpretation]

In-Class
Flocking and Steering; Scripting vs. Emergence
Reading
“Flocks, Herds, and Schools: A Distributed Behavioral Model”, Craig Reynolds

Behavior AI

In-Class
Finite State Machines
Reading
Chapter 5 – 5.3 Artificial Intelligence for Games, Ian Millington & John Funge [link goes to all of chapter 5!]

In-Class
Slip Time / Assignment 1 - Discussion & Work Time

Friday, October 3

Due
No reading response this week.
Assignment 1

Sunday, October 5

Due
Midterm draft

In-Class
Behavior Trees - Guest Lecture from Damian Isla
Reading
Chapter 5.4; 5.9, Artificial Intelligence for Games, Ian Millington & John Funge [link goes to all of chapter 5!]
“Introduction to Behavior Trees”, #AltDevBlog, Bjoern Knafla
(graduate) "A Behavior Language for Story-Based Believable Agents", Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern

In-Class
Planning
Reading
“Three States and a Plan: The A.I. of F.E.A.R.”, Jeff Orkin
(graduate only) Chapters 3 & 4, “Plans and Situated Actions”, Lucy Suchman

NO CLASS - Columbus Day

In-Class
Guest Lecture: Alessandro Canossa - Game Analytics

Friday, October 17

Due
Midterm paper - peer feedback on draft

In-Class
Guest Lecture - Kevin Dill, Utility-Based AI
Reading
"A Game AI Approach to Autonomous Control of Virtual Characters" - Kevin Dill
(graduate) "Building an Angry Grandmother" - Kevin Dill