Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Only through changing the name slightly do we
imply
that a subatomic particle is
missing or that there is an extra one along for the ride. So, despite being divisible
(and putting the lie to the original meaning of their name), atoms are still the core
building blocks from which everything we see, touch, and feel is made.
We can say the same for individual choices in game AI. When we look at a
game character on a screen, we see many
actions
. Some are individual
choices
(e.g.,
“use the gun instead of my fists�), and some are actual physical events (such as “fire
the gun one time�).
We also witness conglomerations of multiple actions (such as “draw the gun,
raise the gun, aim the gun, fire the gun�). We sometimes refer to these collections
of actions as
behaviors
. Behaviors are roughly analogous to molecules (Figure
14.1). They are often composed of multiple actions (atoms). Some behaviors have
many actions; some only have a few. Some actions combine well together to make
a stable, understandable behavior; other actions don't bind quite as readily to each
other (e.g., “draw the gun, throw the gun up in the air, pick the flower, smell the
flower, aim the flower, eat the flower�). Choices and actions are the atoms we use
to make up those behavior molecules.
The subatomic particles—the electrons, protons, and neutrons—in my obscure
metaphor are the bits and pieces that we use to construct the individual decision.
FIGURE 14.1
Choices and actions are the atoms of game AI.
We think of them as the smallest building blocks of character behavior.
