Book Image

Unity 4.x Game AI Programming

By : Aung Sithu Kyaw, Clifford Peters, Thet Naing Swe
Book Image

Unity 4.x Game AI Programming

By: Aung Sithu Kyaw, Clifford Peters, Thet Naing Swe

Overview of this book

<p>This book fills the gap between artificial intelligence (AI) books designed to learn underlying AI algorithms and general Unity3D books written to cover basic scene setup and scripting in Unity3D. Game AI Scripting in Unity3D covers implementing AI techniques such as flocking, pathfinding, path following, and behavior trees in Unity3D with example projects.<br /><br />Game AI Scripting in Unity3D will show you how to apply AI techniques to your Unity3D projects using C# as the scripting language. Unlike other AI books and Unity3D books, this book tries to focus more on the application of AI techniques in the Unity3D engine, with sample projects that demonstrate finite state machines (FSMs), pathfinding, steering, navigation graphs, and behavior trees techniques. <br /><br />This book shows how to implement various AI techniques in Unity3D by implementing the algorithm from scratch using C#, applying Unity3D built-in features, or using available scripts and plugins from the Unity Asset Store. For example, we’ll be implementing our own A* algorithm to do pathfinding but will also explore the Unity3D navigation graphs feature. Then we’ll use the Behave plugin to construct behavior trees for intelligent AI character behaviors.<br /><br />Game AI Scripting in Unity3d&nbsp; covers other AI techniques such as flocking behavior, building a sensory system for taking inputs from the environment and other AI agents, and so on. In the final chapter this book will show you how to build a racing game AI project using Unity3D and applying the techniques described in earlier chapters.</p>

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Unity 4.x Game AI Programming
Aung Sithu Kyaw | Clifford Peters | Thet Naing Swe
Jul, 2013 | 232 pages
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Table of Contents (17 chapters)
Unity 4.x Game AI Programming
Unity 4.x Game AI Programming
Credits
Credits
About the Authors
About the Authors
About the Reviewer
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Introduction to AI
Introduction to AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI in games
AI techniques
Summary
2
Finite State Machines
Finite State Machines
The player's tank
The bullet class
Setting up waypoints
The abstract FSM class
The enemy tank AI
Using an FSM framework
Summary
3
Random and Probability
Random and Probability
Random
Definition of probability
Character personalities
FSM with probability
Dynamic AI
Demo slot machine
Summary
4
Implementing Sensors
Implementing Sensors
Basic sensory systems
Scene setup
Player tank and aspect
AI character
Testing
Summary
5
Flocking
Flocking
Flocking from Unity's Island Demo
Alternative implementation
Summary
6
Path Following and Steering Behaviors
Path Following and Steering Behaviors
Following a path
Avoiding obstacles
Summary
7
A* Pathfinding
A* Pathfinding
A* algorithm revisit
Implementation
Scene setup
Testing
Summary
8
Navigation Mesh
Navigation Mesh
Introduction
Setting up the map
Scene with slope
NavMeshLayers
Off Mesh Links
Summary
9
Behavior Trees
Behavior Trees
Behave plugin
Workflow
Action
Interfacing with the script
Decorator
Behave debugger
Sequence
Exploring Behave results
Selector
Priority selector
Parallel
Reference
The Robots versus Aliens project
Summary
10
Putting It All Together
Putting It All Together
Scene setup
Vehicles
Weapons
Summary
Index
Index

About the Authors

Aung Sithu Kyaw is originally from Myanmar, (Burma) and has over seven years of experience in the software industry. His main interests include game-play programming, startups, entrepreneurship, writing, and sharing knowledge. He holds a Master of Science degree from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, majoring in Digital Media Technology. Over the past few years, he has worked as a Research Programmer at INSEAD, Sr. Game Programmer at Playware Studios Asia, Singapore, and lastly as a Research Associate at NTU. In 2011, Aung co-founded Rival Edge Pte Ltd., a Singapore-based interactive digital media company that provides a technical consultancy service to creative agencies and also produces social mobile games. Visit http://rivaledge.sg for more information. Aung is the co-author of Irrlicht 1.7 Realtime 3D Engine Beginner's Guide, Packt Publishing, and is also a visiting lecturer at NTU conducting workshops on game design and development using Unity3D.He can be followed on Twitter @aungsithu and by using his LinkedIn profile linkedin.com/in/aungsithu.

Thanks to my co-authors who worked with me really hard on this book despite their busy schedules and got this book published. Also, thanks to the team at Packt Publishing for helping us in the production of this book. And finally, thanks to the awesome guys at Unity3D for building this amazing toolset and for making it affordable to indie game developers.

Clifford Peters is a programmer and a computer scientist. He has reviewed the following Packt Publishing books: Unity Game Development Essentials, Unity 3D Game Development by Example Beginner's Guide, Unity 3 Game Development Hotshot, Unity 3.x Game Development by Example Beginner's Guide, Unity iOS Game Development Beginner's Guide, and Unity iOS Essentials.

Thet Naing Swe is the co-founder and Chief Creative Director of Rival Edge Pte Ltd., based in Singapore. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire where he majored in Game Design and Development and started his career as a game programmer at the UK-based Code Monkeys studios. He relocated to Singapore in 2010 and worked as a graphics programmer at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on a cinematic research project together with Aung. Currently at Rival Edge, he's responsible for interactive digital media consulting projects mainly using Unity3D as well as making social mobile games for a casual audience. He can be reached via .

I would like to thank the whole team at Packt Publishing for keeping track of all the logistics and making sure the book was published. I really appreciate that. Besides that, I'd like to thank my parents for raising and supporting me all these years and letting me pursue my dream to become a game developer. Without all of your support, I wouldn't be here today.

And finally, huge thanks to my wife, May Thandar Aung, for allowing me to work on this book after office hours, late at night, and weekends. Without your understanding and support, this book would have been delayed for another year. I'm grateful to have your support with me whatever I do. Love you.

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