Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
First, we need to be willing to change decisions. We need to not be afraid to
allow our agents to do so. After all, we
real
people do it all the time—and usually for
good reason. On the other hand, the ability to change a decision is like a powerful
weapon that can be deadly if it falls into the wrong hands.
Second, decisions do not exist in a vacuum. We can't simply process the world
as it is at that moment
and expect consistently realistic-looking results. Somehow we
need to step out of the present and look at the whole picture—whether it is the
repetitive strobing behaviors of the past or the possibility that the decision we make
now will not be valid in the future.
Third, we must find that balance between making more decisions or fewer.
More active processing adds to the responsiveness of our agent—but can make him
too
responsive and flighty. Less processing is more efficient and even somewhat more
realistic but can lead to an appearance of indifference, bewilderment, or outright
stupidity.
We can throw one final twist into our decision-making engine, however, and
this
is where the human-ness really sinks in! Rather than changing our mind about
a decision we already made and replacing it with a newer,
better
decision, how
about changing our mind about a decision that we are making and, before we act
on it, decide to replace it with a
worse
one?
Confused? You could always decide to turn the page… unless you have changed
your mind.
