How to Teach Game AI from Scratch Brian Magerko, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Digital Media Georgia Tech
Feb 20, 2016
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