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5 books on AI for Games [PDF]
Updated: May 10, 2024 | 15 |
Books on AI for Games serve as invaluable resources for startups delving into the world of AI-powered game development. They offer a comprehensive foundation, equipping entrepreneurs with the essential knowledge to navigate the complexities of AI applications in gaming. These resources delve into topics such as pathfinding, behavior trees, decision-making algorithms, and procedural content generation, illuminating the ways in which AI can enhance gameplay, create lifelike non-player characters, and optimize game design. Moreover, they often include practical examples and case studies from successful game developers, enabling startups to understand how AI can be effectively integrated into their own projects.
1. Artificial Intelligence Video Games: Fundamentals and Applications
2023 by Fouad Sabry
In the book titled "Artificial Intelligence Video Games: Fundamentals and Applications," the reader is taken on a journey into the realm of artificial intelligence's role in video games, where it is harnessed to craft lifelike, adaptive behaviors in non-player characters (NPCs) akin to human intelligence. Ever since the inception of the video game industry in the 1950s, artificial intelligence has been a pivotal element of this medium. In this context, AI differs from its academic counterpart, as its primary goal is to enrich the gaming experience for players rather than focusing solely on machine learning or decision-making algorithms. The book also delves into the historical development of AI opponents, which gained popularity during the golden age of arcade games, featuring graduated difficulty levels, unique movement patterns, and in-game events influenced by player input. Today, modern games rely on established techniques like pathfinding and decision trees to shape NPC behavior, alongside less conspicuous AI applications such as data mining and procedural content generation, all contributing to an immersive gaming experience.
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2. General Video Game Artificial Intelligence
2022 by
The book titled "General Video Game Artificial Intelligence" introduces the concept of a comprehensive video game AI framework and competition, which serves as a platform for researchers to rigorously assess their preferred AI methodologies across a vast array of games generated using the Video Game Description Language. Since its inception in 2014, this open-source framework has been instrumental in hosting a global challenge where participants submit their cutting-edge approaches aimed at achieving robust generalization across diverse games. Moreover, educational institutions have incorporated this framework into their AI curricula, employing it as assignments or proposed projects for both undergraduate and Master's students as well as Ph.D. candidates. Authored by the developers and organizers of the framework, this book offers an insight into the most noteworthy research endeavors undertaken by these experts over the years within this domain. It highlights their contributions to game-playing techniques, content generation, and video game optimization, while also outlining potential future research avenues in this field, which brims with numerous promising directions.
Download PDF
3. Artificial Intelligence and Games
2018 by Georgios N. Yannakakis, Julian Togelius
This groundbreaking textbook, titled "Artificial Intelligence and Games," delves into the realm of applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to the world of gaming. Beginning with introductory chapters that lay the foundation by elucidating AI fundamentals and gaming concepts, the authors then delve into the practical aspects of using AI for gaming, including gameplay, content generation, and player modeling. This comprehensive resource is well-suited for both undergraduate and graduate courses spanning games, artificial intelligence, design, human-computer interaction, and computational intelligence. It also serves as an invaluable reference for professionals in the gaming industry seeking self-guided exploration. To further enhance the learning experience, the authors have established a companion website (http://www.gameaibook.org) that offers supplementary exercises, lecture slides, and recommended readings to complement the book's content.
Download PDF
4. Artificial Intelligence for Computer Games
2011 by Pedro Antonio González-Calero, Marco Antonio Gómez-Martín
This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for computer games, drawing on valuable insights and prototypes from academic research. Over the past decade, academia has made significant strides in various aspects of AI for games, encompassing pathfinding, decision-making, and learning. A recurring theme throughout the book is the creation of flexible, non-prescriptive AI for in-game agents. In the realm of pathfinding, the book introduces real-time search methods that enhance AI performance and explores learning pathfinding behavior by observing player interactions. Decision-making tools are also covered, enabling game designers, often non-programmers, to construct behavior-controlling software through the reuse of patterns or past behavior instances. Additionally, the book delves into approaches that transform conventional pre-scripted narratives in commercial video games into interactive, player-driven stories. These approaches incorporate layered AI architectures, incorporating beliefs, intentions, and emotions, inspired by agent system research. Furthermore, the book delves into techniques for autonomously or semi-autonomously learning complex behaviors by analyzing recorded traces of human or AI players, leveraging combinations of reinforcement learning, case-based reasoning, neural networks, and genetic algorithms. This book serves as an invaluable resource for academic researchers, game developers, and industry professionals looking to integrate cutting-edge AI techniques into contemporary electronic entertainment games.
Download PDF
5. AI for Game Developers: Creating Intelligent Behavior in Games
2004 by David M Bourg, Glenn Seemann
Designed for novice AI programmers, AI for Game Developers introduces key techniques, including finite state machines, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and more, using clear and accessible language. The book incorporates code samples throughout (written in C/C++) to illustrate concepts. Starting with fundamental methods such as chasing, evading, pattern movement, and flocking, it progresses to cover genetic algorithms, presenting a blend of deterministic (traditional) and non-deterministic (newer) AI techniques suitable for beginners in AI development. Additional topics encompass potential function-based movements for tasks like chasing, evading, swarming, and collision avoidance, basic pathfinding and waypoints with a dedicated chapter on the A* pathfinding algorithm, AI scripting, rule-based AI (including variants beyond fuzzy logic and finite state machines), basic probability, and Bayesian techniques. Unlike comprehensive AI books, AI for Game Developers focuses on practical, advanced techniques that can be immediately applied to enhance games, extend their play-life, increase challenge levels, and, most importantly, make them more enjoyable.
Download PDF
How to download PDF:
1. Install Google Books Downloader
2. Enter Book ID to the search box and press Enter
3. Click "Download Book" icon and select PDF*
* - note that for yellow books only preview pages are downloaded
1. Artificial Intelligence Video Games: Fundamentals and Applications
2023 by Fouad Sabry
In the book titled "Artificial Intelligence Video Games: Fundamentals and Applications," the reader is taken on a journey into the realm of artificial intelligence's role in video games, where it is harnessed to craft lifelike, adaptive behaviors in non-player characters (NPCs) akin to human intelligence. Ever since the inception of the video game industry in the 1950s, artificial intelligence has been a pivotal element of this medium. In this context, AI differs from its academic counterpart, as its primary goal is to enrich the gaming experience for players rather than focusing solely on machine learning or decision-making algorithms. The book also delves into the historical development of AI opponents, which gained popularity during the golden age of arcade games, featuring graduated difficulty levels, unique movement patterns, and in-game events influenced by player input. Today, modern games rely on established techniques like pathfinding and decision trees to shape NPC behavior, alongside less conspicuous AI applications such as data mining and procedural content generation, all contributing to an immersive gaming experience.
Download PDF
2. General Video Game Artificial Intelligence
2022 by
The book titled "General Video Game Artificial Intelligence" introduces the concept of a comprehensive video game AI framework and competition, which serves as a platform for researchers to rigorously assess their preferred AI methodologies across a vast array of games generated using the Video Game Description Language. Since its inception in 2014, this open-source framework has been instrumental in hosting a global challenge where participants submit their cutting-edge approaches aimed at achieving robust generalization across diverse games. Moreover, educational institutions have incorporated this framework into their AI curricula, employing it as assignments or proposed projects for both undergraduate and Master's students as well as Ph.D. candidates. Authored by the developers and organizers of the framework, this book offers an insight into the most noteworthy research endeavors undertaken by these experts over the years within this domain. It highlights their contributions to game-playing techniques, content generation, and video game optimization, while also outlining potential future research avenues in this field, which brims with numerous promising directions.
Download PDF
3. Artificial Intelligence and Games
2018 by Georgios N. Yannakakis, Julian Togelius
This groundbreaking textbook, titled "Artificial Intelligence and Games," delves into the realm of applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to the world of gaming. Beginning with introductory chapters that lay the foundation by elucidating AI fundamentals and gaming concepts, the authors then delve into the practical aspects of using AI for gaming, including gameplay, content generation, and player modeling. This comprehensive resource is well-suited for both undergraduate and graduate courses spanning games, artificial intelligence, design, human-computer interaction, and computational intelligence. It also serves as an invaluable reference for professionals in the gaming industry seeking self-guided exploration. To further enhance the learning experience, the authors have established a companion website (http://www.gameaibook.org) that offers supplementary exercises, lecture slides, and recommended readings to complement the book's content.
Download PDF
4. Artificial Intelligence for Computer Games
2011 by Pedro Antonio González-Calero, Marco Antonio Gómez-Martín
This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for computer games, drawing on valuable insights and prototypes from academic research. Over the past decade, academia has made significant strides in various aspects of AI for games, encompassing pathfinding, decision-making, and learning. A recurring theme throughout the book is the creation of flexible, non-prescriptive AI for in-game agents. In the realm of pathfinding, the book introduces real-time search methods that enhance AI performance and explores learning pathfinding behavior by observing player interactions. Decision-making tools are also covered, enabling game designers, often non-programmers, to construct behavior-controlling software through the reuse of patterns or past behavior instances. Additionally, the book delves into approaches that transform conventional pre-scripted narratives in commercial video games into interactive, player-driven stories. These approaches incorporate layered AI architectures, incorporating beliefs, intentions, and emotions, inspired by agent system research. Furthermore, the book delves into techniques for autonomously or semi-autonomously learning complex behaviors by analyzing recorded traces of human or AI players, leveraging combinations of reinforcement learning, case-based reasoning, neural networks, and genetic algorithms. This book serves as an invaluable resource for academic researchers, game developers, and industry professionals looking to integrate cutting-edge AI techniques into contemporary electronic entertainment games.
Download PDF
5. AI for Game Developers: Creating Intelligent Behavior in Games
2004 by David M Bourg, Glenn Seemann
Designed for novice AI programmers, AI for Game Developers introduces key techniques, including finite state machines, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and more, using clear and accessible language. The book incorporates code samples throughout (written in C/C++) to illustrate concepts. Starting with fundamental methods such as chasing, evading, pattern movement, and flocking, it progresses to cover genetic algorithms, presenting a blend of deterministic (traditional) and non-deterministic (newer) AI techniques suitable for beginners in AI development. Additional topics encompass potential function-based movements for tasks like chasing, evading, swarming, and collision avoidance, basic pathfinding and waypoints with a dedicated chapter on the A* pathfinding algorithm, AI scripting, rule-based AI (including variants beyond fuzzy logic and finite state machines), basic probability, and Bayesian techniques. Unlike comprehensive AI books, AI for Game Developers focuses on practical, advanced techniques that can be immediately applied to enhance games, extend their play-life, increase challenge levels, and, most importantly, make them more enjoyable.
Download PDF
How to download PDF:
1. Install Google Books Downloader
2. Enter Book ID to the search box and press Enter
3. Click "Download Book" icon and select PDF*
* - note that for yellow books only preview pages are downloaded
