Oh yeah and one more thing. I am going to be writing a article on Neural Nets, Fuzzy Logic, Genetic Algorithms, and other types of AI techniques in a muiltiple parts if anyone has any suggestion on what they want in it or anything like that.

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-Ben Hanson
-CEO Immortal Games
-http://immortalg.webjump.com

If you are going to the time and effort to write a multi-part article on these techniques, then I hope you will discuss the implementation issues of using these techniques in computer game AI, instead of just presenting definitions and descriptions of the various techniques.

Most articles on ANNs, FL and GAs found on gaming sites, simply describe the techniques and gloss over (or avoid) discussing the more critical issues of "How to use an artificial neural net in a game?" or "What can an artificial neural net do for you in a game?" or "How can a genetic algorithm be usefull in computer game AI?" or "Why use fuzzy logic instead of a finite state machine?".

For instance, one would not want to use an ANN, FL or a GA for solving a pathfinding problem in a computer game, when the AStar algorithm has proven itself (via widespread usage, implemenation and practice) to be a much better way to find a path (in almost all types of worlds). Describing "why" the AStar is better than ANN, FL and GAs (for this type of computer AI problem), is more useful than just presenting what an AStar is.

Anyway, good luck on your article.

Geta

I totally, totally agree.
I have read articles in Games Developer on "AI : The state of the industry" and they may be okay to get a vague overview of what AI is, how it can be used and what it can do, but they do little to describe how, when and why to implement specific systems.
Like any major aspect of games programming, once you've made you're decision to implement a specific form of AI to solve a problem, it becomes increasingly difficult to scrap it and restart once you come to the various lmitations of the different methods.
It would be great to think that we have the time and funding to write various testbeds with which to try out different styles of AI to produce the most realistic, quickest, producer pleasing solutions but often there are more limitations than freedoms.
This is where a good reference on guidelines would come in extremely handy explaining where different forms of AI would be the most useful and why some might work better than others in different situations.

I plan on having the first article on Neural Networks. It will show you how to code them and pretty much as much information on them as I can find. Then im going to make an article on Fuzy Logic. It will show you all the information you need to know to write some Fuzzy Logic code(C\C++ will be used in all the articles and examples). Then Im going to make an article on Genetic Algorithms that will tell you all the information you need to know to create genetic algorithms. The last section of every article will show the tool's application to games, and a small example using the information learned. Then in the last article i show you how to create a very advanded character that evolves, learns, and does pretty much everything a human can do. Tell me what you think of these ideas, it would be greatly appreciated

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-Ben Hanson
-CEO Immortal Games
-http://immortalg.webjump.com

that sounds like a good idea as long as you put a lot of detail into it even if it takes longer to make it i think everyone would rather wait for something good
cant wait for this one!!!! ive been wondering about this stuff

Excellent idea. About time someone did it.

Anyways, what is the book called?
And, where will you be posting the tutorials?

Look forward to it.

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If I had just 1 wish, I'd ask for a big enough ass for the whole world to kiss - Eminem

The book is called C++ Neural Networks & Fuzzy Logic. I plan on the article going through gamedev.

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-Ben Hanson
-CEO Immortal Games
-http://immortalg.webjump.com

Hey about 2 weeks ago I got this book and was wondering if anyone else has read it. I found it to be a great AI book and very informative. I definitly recommend this book if anyone is looking for a good Neural Net or Fuzzy Logic book. But you can not day dream at all when you are reading it or you will be lost. If your not very good at math it has an appendix that teaches you all the math you need to know. I give it a ***** rating. Has anyone else read this book? I would like to hear what you thought of the book.

This is a great idea for an article. I just hope that it is not a thesis on the theory of Neural Networks. I would love to see implementation suggestions of Neural Networks in Games.