ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at a range of different artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled movement algorithms, from the simple Pac-Man level up to the complex steering behaviors used for driving a racing car or piloting a spaceship in three dimensions (3D). One of the most fundamental requirements of game AI is to sensibly move characters around. A dynamic movement algorithm needs to work harder. Even games that are rendered in 3D usually have characters that are under the influence of gravity, sticking them to the floor and constraining their movement to two dimensions. The chapter also looks at large-scale movement: the movement of characters around the game level, rather than the movement of their limbs or faces. Emergent formations provide a different solution to scalability. Moderating the formation motion requires that the anchor point of the formation always be at the center of mass of its slots.
