AI Characters and Directors for Interactive Computer Games

07/10/09 - I now have my two subjects which will become the focus points of my research for the next couple of weeks.

1. Interactions with NPCs - AI
2. Using psychology to create deep and immersive narratives in games

The subject on player interactions with NPC AI was the first to jump out at me whist looking into different subjects to research. I find it particularly interesting as I personally enjoy the interaction between Players and Non-Player Characters. The relationship of the player and characters in the game world and how the player acts towards different styles of AI programming.

I began searching for academic papers and reports on this subject and managed to come across a PDF report written by 5 students from the University of Michigan which details their work on creating an environment for investigating the role of advanced AI in interactive, story-based computer games.

An interesting point to make at this time is that both this and the previous report in this blog have mentioned the Holodeck from Star Trek, The Next Generation.
The previous report noting the Holodeck to be a form of entertainment where a person can be fully immersed into, what appears to be, a completely new and real world/environment. Whereas in this PDF report it mentions more of it being a system ran by an AI where a single human player is the focus of the game and is therefore able to adapt itself to the player's wants and needs to create whatever the player feels. I feel it would be wise if I researched further into the Holodeck and learn the details about its history and legacy.

Note -- I've not yet fully read this document, only having read the first page, however I intend to finish the whole report fully by tomorrow night at the latest...

Here is a link to the PDF report