This unit will introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques that can be used in games development. General capabilities of AI technology, behaviours/circumstances that need to be simulated/learned/reproduced by the smart non-player characters/environments in smart games, AI techniques (such as evolutionary and neural computations) used in the development of smart games will be discussed at length. This unit will build upon previous programming skills, and provide a strong grounding for further study in this area, especially related to games engine development. The unit will examine intelligent game creation using C++.
2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk
Students will be expected to spend a total of 12 hours per week during semester on this unit as follows:
and up to an additional 8 hours in some weeks for completing lab and project work, private study and revision.
Alan Dorin
Consultation hours: 3-4pm, Wednesday by arrangement during labs & lectures or email
Alan Dorin
Zoe Bukovac
| Week | Activities | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0 | |
| 1 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Artificial Life (AL) | |
| 2 | A History of AI and AL in Games | |
| 3 | Basic Search Algorithms, their significance for AI and AL | |
| 4 | The Interactive Game Loop, Finite State Machines and Agent Decisions | |
| 5 | Vectors and Steering Behaviour | |
| 6 | Cooperative strategies for agent behaviour | |
| 7 | Mid-semester revision and assignment discussion | Assignment 1 due Week 7, 26 April 2013, 6pm |
| 8 | Growing plants and forests intelligently and realistically | |
| 9 | Artificial Evolution | |
| 10 | Virtual Ecosystems | |
| 11 | Advanced Search Algorithms: A* Search | |
| 12 | Neural Networks | Assignment 2 due Week 12, 31 May 2013, 6pm |
| SWOT VAC | No formal assessment is undertaken in SWOT VAC | |
| Examination period | LINK to Assessment Policy: http://policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/ academic/education/assessment/ assessment-in-coursework-policy.html |
*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.
Examination (2 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%
| Assessment Task | Value | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1 - Non-Player Character Game Controller | 20% | Week 7, 26 April 2013, 6pm |
| Assignment 2 - Coordinated Non-Player Character Game Controller | 20% | Week 12, 31 May 2012, 6pm |
| Examination 1 | 60% | To be advised |
Faculty Policy - Unit Assessment Hurdles (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/staff/edgov/policies/assessment-examinations/unit-assessment-hurdles.html)
Academic Integrity - Please see the Demystifying Citing and Referencing tutorial at http://lib.monash.edu/tutorials/citing/
You will be assessed on how efficiently you write the software and on how well your controller plays the game including how frequently it hits and sinks other ships and how infrequently it is hit itself.
Please consult the detailed online document that will be provided for further info.
You will be assessed on how efficiently you write the software and on how well your controller plays the game including how frequently it hits and sinks other ships in a coordinated strategy with its allies and on how infrequently it is hit itself, especially by its allies.
Please consult the detailed online document that will be provided for further info.
No prescribed text is required. Recommended reading lists will appear each week with the lecture notes. Video materials covering some background aspects of the course will also be available.
Monash Library Unit Reading List
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html
Submission must be made by the due date otherwise penalties will be enforced.
You must negotiate any extensions formally with your campus unit leader via the in-semester special consideration process: http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/equity/special-consideration.html.
It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/plagiarism-procedures.html) for students to submit an assignment coversheet for each assessment item. Faculty Assignment coversheets can be found at http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/. Please check with your Lecturer on the submission method for your assignment coversheet (e.g. attach a file to the online assignment submission, hand-in a hard copy, or use an online quiz).
If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.
Please check with your lecturer before purchasing any Required Resources. Limited copies of prescribed texts are available for you to borrow in the library, and prescribed software is available in student labs.
On-campus students may use the software which is installed in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook.
You will need access to:
Monash has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and to provide advice on how they might uphold them. You can find Monash’s Education Policies at: www.policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/academic/education/index.html
Key educational policies include:
The University provides many different kinds of support services for you. Contact your tutor if you need advice and see the range of services available at http://www.monash.edu.au/students. For Sunway see http://www.monash.edu.my/Student-services, and for South Africa see http://www.monash.ac.za/current/.
The Monash University Library provides a range of services, resources and programs that enable you to save time and be more effective in your learning and research. Go to www.lib.monash.edu.au or the library tab in my.monash portal for more information. At Sunway, visit the Library and Learning Commons at http://www.lib.monash.edu.my/. At South Africa visit http://www.lib.monash.ac.za/.
For more information on Monash’s educational strategy, see:
www.monash.edu.au/about/monash-directions and on student evaluations, see: www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/quality/student-evaluation-policy.html
Previous feedback has highlighted that the unit's assignments are considered to be exciting and engaging for students.
Previous feedback has also indicated that vector arithmetic was in need of greater coverage. Hence, lecture notes and tutorial material now provide further detail on vector arithmetic for applications in steering behaviour computation.
If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to
https://emuapps.monash.edu.au/unitevaluations/index.jsp
Some useful web resources
www.ai-depot.com
www.generation5.org
www.ai-junkie.com
www.gamedev.net