«
Robert Hicks
Software Development
Pathing and Planning : Formation-based Real-time Combat
The goal of my thesis was to build a framework for a 2D formation-based realtime combat game . The thesis included a 2D grid-based navigation system and AI ( Artificial Intelligence ) system using a hierarchical planner and a subsystem to control combat .
I chose this thesis because my focus has always been on game AI , and this type of AI is rarely seen in games , with the Total War franchise being the prime example of it having been done correctly . I knew when I chose this as my topic how important the architecture of the system would be .
The size of the project , involving both navigation and planning of a large system , caused the total time spent on the project to extend well over 500 hours .
All this work in the end was worth it , as I gained valuable experience in architecting my own AI and navigation systems . I learned the importance of flexible design , the use and implementation of robust visual debugging tools , the need for regular iteration , and the difficulty of maintaining a large system .
While this thesis is only a first pass and there are far more polished and extensive systems in the gaming industry ( such as Creative Assembly ), I can see this being a foundation for my own personal work as I continue in the industry .
I feel that any AI programmer should at some point build their own system to understand the complexity of keeping all the parts in sync and how making small changes to parts can affect the whole .
94 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT