Now, we should have a better understanding of why AI is so important and vital for video games, but it's such an extensive topic that it cannot be dealt with in a small chapter like this. Therefore, we will focus on just one particular aspect, which is navigation. Since this is an introductory chapter to the topic, we will hope to understand the basic concepts of navigation, but implement just one of the simple techniques that we will use in our game.
Game characters move within the game and its levels. The movement can be quite simple, such as that of arcade games or NPCs following or targeting you, and others can be quite complex like in fast paced action and adventure games. Fixed routes are simple to implement within a game, but keep in mind that it is possible to break their illusion when objects and other characters get in the way. For example, in games that are highly populated by NPCs (such as Assassin's Creed), characters that roam the environment...