Jumpgate Evolution: Dev Journal: AI System Nuts & Bolts

MMORPG.com published an entry by NetDevil's programmer Steve Hartmeyer, who talks about the intricacies of developing A.I. systems for the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution. Here's an excerpt:

We began simply, with the AI system's chief task being to populate space. The plan was to make large numbers of AI ships that would travel around the game, performing real tasks in real ways, using a list of available behaviors and incorporating forms of mutual communication. To begin realizing this design, we considered the basic tasks that every player must employ simply to fly her ship around the Jumpgate game universe. Each possible role, be it hauling, mining, piracy, or whatever, was considered in terms of both its unique behaviors and common activities. Each process became an algorithm. Each major type of AI bot, as defined by role, became a class. The behaviors themselves became polymorphic functions inherited by the role-based classes from more generic parent classes, such as "mobile bots" or "stationary bots". As an example, nearly all mobile bots inherit and use a "Travel" behavior, which manages the process of long-range navigation. Likewise, there are common "Dock", "Launch", "Jump", and "Avoid" utility behaviors employed by everything that must move.

Read the rest at MMORPG.com