Hello Everybody: I posted a new poll on the Game AI site back at the start of the month but just realized I never mentioned it here. This month''s poll picks up on something raised at the various roundtables at the recent GDC, when we discussed the issue of AI SDKs or middleware. It seemed as if most developers were definitely interested, but they all had different ideas of what an SDK had to offer them before they''d consider using it. So that''s the topic of the poll this time around. What area or technology should an AI SDK (middleware) focus on to get you interested? I''m curious to see if the answers here match what we seemed to come up with at the GDC. If you''re interested, you can weigh in at GameAI.Com; click on "Game AI Poll" over on the left-hand menu. Ferretman
ferretman@gameai.com www.gameai.com From the High, Cold, Snowy Mountains of Colorado

Very interesting topic Ferretman. It might have been nicer if we could enter several options... and you also collect correlation data on which options are selected together, since I think that an AI middleware should provide the basic tools used most often in the industry (FSMs, FuSMs, Script engine).

I also find it very interesting that so many people don''t seem to care about middleware (around 25% of voters). Another 20% want it to do everything for them, while a further 25% want it to do some of the harder tasks most people seem to struggle with (scripting engine and GAs/ANNs). That''s 70% of respondants.

Now, how you the figures differ if only people actually working for game companies responded? I think it would be very different!

Cheers,

Timkin

Indeed the topic is very interesting. Though I have to agree with Timkin that the poll question and results are dangerously misleading.

The polling system expects mutually exclusive options (one selection only), yet the questions themselves are not. As well as the fact I''m not on a commercial project, I didn''t vote for that reason; ticking one answer would have neglected other options I feel equally strong about.

Also, as Timkin said, I assume many non-commercial developers would have just replied on gut instinct.

Alex


Artificial Intelligence Depot - Maybe it''s not all about graphics...