How to Teach Game AI from ScratchBrian Magerko, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Digital MediaGeorgia Tech

A Plethora of Programs●Computational Media (B.S)●Computer Science (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.)●Digital Media (M.S., Ph.D.)●Human-Centered Computing (Ph.D.)

Student Experience●Motivation? ●Coding experience? ●AI background?

Course Design●Appropriate abstraction for beginners & intermediates

Course Design●Appropriate abstraction for beginners & intermediates●Breadth of techniques

Course Design●Appropriate abstraction for beginners & intermediates●Breadth of techniques●Algorithms / Aesthetics

spy party

prom week

party quirks

AIIDE 2011; IVA 2011

Recommended Texts

Course Design●Appropriate abstraction for beginners & intermediates●Breadth of techniques●Algorithms / Aesthetics●Build early and consistently

Course Design●Appropriate abstraction for beginners & intermediates●Breadth of techniques●Algorithms / Aesthetics●Build early and consistently●Focus on enabling soft skills

Soft Skills●Problem identification●Survey classes of approaches●Matching solutions to problems●Presenting rationale & work●Working in teams

Project-based Learning

Project-based Learning●Lecture material tied to projects

Project-based Learning●Lecture material tied to projects●Uses free game AI resources

project 1

project 2

Google AI Challenge

others

Project-based Learning●Lecture material tied to projects●Uses free game AI resources●No algorithmic requirement

Project-based Learning●Lecture material tied to projects●Uses free game AI resources●No algorithmic requirement●Self-selected goal for project

Project-based Learning●Lecture material tied to projects●Uses free game AI resources●No algorithmic requirement●Self-selected goal for project●Experimentation encouraged

Project-based Learning●Lecture material tied to projects●Uses free game AI resources●No algorithmic requirement●Self-selected goal for project●Experimentation encouraged●Process, product, and presentation are evaluated

Project-based Learning●Lecture material tied to projects●Uses free game AI resources●No algorithmic requirement●Self-selected goal for project●Experimentation encouraged●Process, product, and presentation are evaluated●Community of practice

Final Project

Final Project●Team project

Final Project●Team project●AI as Aesthetic vs. Board Game AI

Final Project●Team project●AI as Aesthetic vs. Board Game AI●Open-ended requirements

Student Examples

mapstermind

zombies (h)ate my neighbors

ra

dominion

spy game

power grid

Takeaways●Student-driven projects●Focus on soft skills & breadth●Make use of available environments●Algorithms & Aesthetics

Thanks!

magerko@gatech.eduhttp://lcc.gatech.edu/~bmagerko6

http://adam.cc.gatech.edu