AI Techniques for Game Programming (The Premier Press Game Development Series)

by Course Technology PTR

$59.99
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Sales Rank:362052 (lower is better)
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Label:Course Technology PTR
UPC:082039541082
Pages:480
Binding:Paperback
Publication Date:2002-10-14
Published By:Course Technology PTR
ASIN:193184108X
Category:Book

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Editorial Reviews and Product Descriptions

Product Description

"AI Techniques for Game Programming" takes the difficult topics of genetic algorithms and neural networks and explains them in plain English. Gone are the tortuous mathematic equations and abstract examples to be found in other books. Each chapter takes you through the theory a step at a time, explaining clearly how you can incorporate each technique into your own games. After a whirlwind tour of Windows programming, you will learn how to use genetic algorithms for optimization, path-finding, and evolving control sequences for your game agents. Coverage of neural network basics quickly advances to evolving neural motion controllers for your game agents and applying neural networks to obstacle avoidance and map exploration. Backpropagation and pattern recognition is also explained. By the time you're done, you'll know how to train a network to recognize mouse gestures and how to use state-of-the-art techniques for creating neural networks with dynamic topologies.

Customer Reviews

Must have!!! - Reviewed on 2005-04-02
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3 customers found this review helpful.

As mentioned above, this is THE book for AI. It uses plain language and explains different topics using real life examples. If you need/want to learn AI programming, this should be the first book of your collection.
really good intro book for neural nets and GAs - Reviewed on 2004-12-18
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5 customers found this review helpful.

Although other reviewers have already pointed out everything positive about this book, I felt I also had to praise it because it's so good. It's a great introduction to neural networks and genetic algorithms. By the way the author should be congratulated for his "never include any code that you don't throughly explain" philosophy. Although it's over 400 pages because of this philosophy, you can skim/skip around 150 of them if you know some win32 programming and basic high school math/physics. The book is so concise and easy to understand that I went through it in a night and came up having a firm idea about the subject. There are also a lot of good ideas to try out throughout the book(i.e. tinkering with the source included etc.)

To put it shortly, this is a great book, it's really worth the money you spend on it.
definitely easy - Reviewed on 2004-10-18
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2 customers found this review helpful, 5 did not.

You know when a subject is finally becoming stable when simple books like this come out and explain in layman's terms.
Perfect book for the AI newbie, don't miss it! - Reviewed on 2004-10-06
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10 customers found this review helpful, 2 did not.

This book is a little jewel hidden in the usually trashy prima press
game development series.. it gives a great, clear, non-formal introduction to genetic algorithms and neural networks in the context of game programming.. and gives you example code in good C++ (brainy aliens storming towards you, a genetic algorithm controlled lunar lander.. tanks that move around avoiding obstacles....) that actually works and is simple enough to be understandable for a newbie. The writing style is lively but not annoying. I recommend this title to anyone who has an interest for the fun side of programming....
Buckland DE-jargonises the field of AI - Reviewed on 2004-10-01
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9 customers found this review helpful, 1 did not.

This book IS my Masters thesis. I built a multi layered combative system driven wholly by neural networks evolved using genetic algorithms. The learning of agents was unsupervised and they existed collaboratively and adversarily. If all of this made no sense, dont worry! Read this book and it will.
The book covers these techniques (except for multi layered architectures) to a level understood by anyone with a basic knowledge of C++. It totally demystifies NNs and GAs. Other books on these subjects actually put you off the entire concepts of AI by feeding you fear and confusion.
I have completed the book and have read it numerous times. It is going to be invaluable for my development of PHd stuff - his writing introduces areas for potential research.
Im would definately buy other books from this author. I hope he covers other areas of AI soon and puts 'em into print.
Be jaysus, tis mighty I tell ya!!!
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