Programming Game AI by Example
by Mat Buckland · first published 2004
88% recommend13% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Hands-on, practical introduction to game AI techniques with working code, such as finite state machines and simple decision methods; suited to game programmers and developers wanting usable techniques.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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If you are developing AI for games, then Programming Game AI By Example by Mat Buckland are one of the best book for that : https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Example-Wordware-Develope...
on “Ask HN: Best books on AI?” ↗…content can be found online for free. They're still good resources to have on your shelves IMO. In the same vein, I recommend the GPU Gems and Graphics Gems for realtime graphics programming. --- "Programming Game AI by Example" by Buckland is a great, hands on, practical approach to game programming. It is not academic or theoretical by any means, but that's one of its strong traits - it's code driven. It was my first AI read…
on “The Game AI Programmer's Bookshelf” ↗I'll put my vote in for Buckland's Programming Game AI by Example. It is very approachable, code-heavy, and it's also got some great examples to visualize the techniques discussed. Very easy to translate what you learn reading this book into any projects of your own,…
on “The Game AI Programmer's Bookshelf” ↗I would go for "Programming Game AI by example" by Matt Buckland. Also great resource is aigamedev.com.
on “Ask HN: AI is going to be big. How should we learn?” ↗The Matt Buckland books, especially Programming Game AI by Example are very good, for simple, practical techniques.
on “AI Programmer’s Bookshelf” ↗…potentially interesting CS courses at my college were taught by terrible professors who were allergic to code. Thankfully I enjoyed screwing around with game programming, and picked up Matt Buckland's Programming Game AI by Example[1]. I've used essentially the same FSM design described there over and over in my career. [1] http://amzn.to/2FxZ54c
on “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the State Machine” ↗Programming Game AI By Example https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Example-Wordware-Develope...
on “Ask HN: What are some books where the reader learns by building projects?” ↗…it. If you only bought one book I'd recommend this one, but it still has big holes and blind spots. (If you're more of "let me see the source code" kind of person and only buy one book, I'd recommend Programming Game AI By Example by Mat Buckland, also on Orkin's page.) 2. Behavioral Mathematics For Game AI, by Dave Mark (on Orkin's page): Dave Mark is a well-known presence at GDC for running many of the AI panels and talks. His…
on “The Game AI Programmer's Bookshelf” ↗Some years ago I really enjoyed this book: Programming Game AI by Example http://www.ai-junkie.com/books/toc_pgaibe.html
on “Vindinium: An artificial intelligence programming challenge” ↗FYI, one of the most well-known books about writing game entity behavior is literally called "Programming Game AI by Example." (published in 2004) https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Example-Wordware-Develope...
on “The Low-Tech AI of Elden Ring” ↗