ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a high-level and simple overview of an AI system that could be used for a networked first-person shooters (FPS) game. It looks into modifications to well-known AI algorithms such as behavior trees (BTs) and animation state machines (ASMs), which were made to suit specific needs of the game. The chapter discusses the ways to keep the BT simple but still reactive to high-priority events by introducing a concept called interrupts. It touch upon animation layers that are designed to handle aiming and shooting animations independent of the BT. The chapter describes the modifications to traditional ASMs to help network animations, allowing cooperative or competitive gameplay across the internet. It focuses on a Blackboard system to solve behavior and animation selection problems. The chapter also introduces techniques that will help keep the Blackboard attributes up-to-date by using a function-based approach.
