Eight Serious Eight Serious Games at ICT: Games at ICT:

Lessons Learned Lessons Learned and Challenges and Challenges

IdentifiedIdentified

Michael van LentMichael van LentUSC Institute for Creative TechnologiesUSC Institute for Creative Technologies

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

Business of Games• 60% of Americans play video games• $25 Billion dollar industry worldwide (2004)

• $7.3 Billion dollars in the US (2004)• $6.1 billion in 1999, $5.5 billion in 1998, $4.4 billion in 1997.• $12 billion in 2006?

• One day sales records• Halo 2: $125 million in a single day• Harry Potter (Half-blood Prince): $140 million single day

• Consoles dominate the industry• Most of the sales (Xbox, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, GameCube)

• Average age of game players is 30• Average age of game buyers is 37

• 55% of game players are men

Games vs. LearningGames vs. LearningGames = LearningGames = Learning

Serious games• An entertaining virtual experience that’s purpose

goes beyond entertainment• Serious game purposes include:

• Education• Training• Communications• Public Policy• Marketing• Mental Health Therapy• Medical Diagnosis

• Training objectives• Originally just to validate the game design• Focus of attention for Company Commander

• Commercial Partners• Legless Productions

• Research technologies• None

• Notes• 4 month production cycle

Full Spectrum Command Boardgame

Full Spectrum Command 1.0

• Training objectives• Military Decision Making Process• Course of action development• Course of action adaptation

• Commercial Partners• Quicksilver Software• Legless Productions

• Research technologies• eXplainable AI

• Notes• 60% of the CPU goes to AI

Full Spectrum Warrior• Training objectives

• Squad-level command• Squad-level team building

• Commercial Partners• Pandemic Software• Sony Imageworks• Legless Productions

• Research technologies• eXplainable AI

• Notes• 2004 E3

• Best original game• Best simulation game

Full Spectrum Command 1.5

• Training objectives• Military Decision Making Process• Course of action development• Course of action adaptation

• Commercial Partners• Quicksilver Software• Legless Productions

• Research technologies• eXplainable AI• Adaptive Opponents

• Notes• Funded by Singapore

Full Spectrum Leader• Training objectives

• Platoon-level command• Combined arms coordination

• Commercial Partners• Quicksilver Software• Legless Productions

• Research technologies• Adaptive Opponents

• Notes• First game that allows

the player to shoot

Every Soldier a Sensor System (ES3)

• Training objectives• Presence patrols• Military intelligence gathering

• Commercial Partners• Warner Bros. Online

• Research technologies• None

• Notes• 90 days from project start to

fielded training system• DoD 2006 Annual Modeling &

Simulation Awards• Training

Joint Fires & Effects Training System

• Training objectives• Forward observer missions in urban environments• Close-air support (CAS) calls for fire

• Commercial Partners• BuzzMonkey Software• Game Production Services

• Research technologies• Adaptive Opponents

• Notes• Installed at Ft. Sill• Over 10,000 soldiers

trained to date

ELECT ATO• Training objectives

• Bi-lateral negotiation• Cultural awareness

• Commercial Partners• Real Time Associates• Game Production Services

• Research technologies• eXplainable AI• Intelligent Tutoring• Social & Cultural Simulation

• Notes• Boardgame prototype

Lessons learned

• What is a video game vs a simulation?• Video game: A virtual experience carefully designed to be

entertaining (among other things)• Simulation: A recreation of key aspects of reality in a

virtual environment• The two are not mutually exclusive

• Identify the learning objectives first• Seems obvious in retrospect

• Guided learning is better than unguided discovery• But both have their place

• Games must be part of a larger curriculum• Practice and maybe demonstration

Lessons learned (con’t)

• Calling it a game just gets you in the door• Games aren’t motivating, but games are fun which can be• Calling it a game sets an initial expectation• But you still need to make sure it’s a fun game

• Immersion helps learning• A article of faith

• Best opponent isn't the strongest opponent• Serious games have different requirements

• Graphics (FSW vs SLIM-ES3)• AI

Adaptive Game Intelligence

• Three inspiring occurrences:• FSC game designers “tricking” the SMEs

Adaptive Game Intelligence

• Three inspiring occurrences:• FSC game designers “tricking” the SMEs• Looking behind the AI curtain in Age of Empires

Static Game AI

Age of Kings Age of Kings MicrosoftMicrosoft

; The AI will attack once at 1100 seconds and then again ; The AI will attack once at 1100 seconds and then again ; every 1400 sec, provided it has enough defense soldiers.; every 1400 sec, provided it has enough defense soldiers.  (defrule(defrule

(game-time > 1100)(game-time > 1100)=>=>

(attack-now)(attack-now)(enable-timer 7 1100)(enable-timer 7 1100)))

  (defrule(defrule

(timer-triggered 7)(timer-triggered 7)(defend-soldier-count >= 12)(defend-soldier-count >= 12)

=>=>(attack-now)(attack-now)(disable-timer 7)(disable-timer 7)(enable-timer 7 1400)(enable-timer 7 1400)))

Adaptive Game Intelligence

• Three inspiring occurrences:• FSC game designers “tricking” the SMEs• Looking behind the AI curtain in Age of Empires• B-training at Ft. Sill

Adaptive Game Intelligence

• Most entertainment game AI is static and scripted• Each level is played a small number of times

• Learning to beat the script is fun

• Variability is expensive• Quality assurance is manageable

• Adaptation is risky• Designer can’t control the player’s experience

• Serious games required variable and adaptive AI• Each level is played a large number of times

• Prevent gaming the game

• Variability & adaptation are essential• Address student’s specific needs• Give instructors “sufficient” control

What does “Adaptive” mean?

• Adapts to the student’s history• Variability

• Adapts to the student’s needs• Pedagogical reasoning

• Adapts to the instructor’s input• Semi-directed

Variable Behavior• Previous efforts have varied individual behaviors

• Behavior parameters, behavior libraries…• Usually less effective variations on a base behavior

• Our approach: Variability at the strategy-level• Generate a new strategy for each game session• Keep track the strategies the student has already seen

• Strategic behavior vs. Tactical behavior• Two-level AI system: Strategy Planner + Execution System• Planner: Generate an abstract strategy• Execution System: Instantiation, execution & plan tracking• Planner: Replanning

Planning Approaches

• Single agent, automated planning (LPG, SHOP…)• Planning vs. Scripted student model

Planning Approaches

• Single agent, automated planning (LPG, SHOP…)• Planning vs. Scripted student model

• Multi-agent, adversarial planning (AP, alpha beta...)• Planning vs. Planning student model

Planning Approaches

• Single agent, automated planning (LPG, SHOP…)• Planning vs. Scripted student model

• Multi-agent, adversarial planning (AP, alpha beta...)• Planning vs. Planning student model

• Multi-agent, collaborative planning (ASD & ITS)• Opponent works with the player but appears as an

adversary • Intelligent tutor helps steer the player

Collaborative Planning

Planning Approaches

• Single agent, automated planning (LPG, SHOP…)• Planning vs. Scripted student model

• Multi-agent, adversarial planning (AP, alpha beta...)• Planning vs. Planning student model

• Multi-agent, collaborative planning (ASD & ITS)• Opponent works with the player but appears as an

adversary • Intelligent tutor helps steer the player

• Pedagogic key framing

• Instructor provides key frame world states• Planner fills in the gaps providing a complete plan