Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent Gameplay

There is an attention shift within the gaming industry toward more natural (long-term) behavior of nonplaying characters (NPCs). Multiagent system research offers a promising technology to implement cognitive intelligent NPCs. However, the technologies used in game engines and multiagent platforms a...

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Main Authors: F. Dignum, J. Westra, W. A. van Doesburg, M. Harbers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2009-01-01
Series:International Journal of Computer Games Technology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/837095
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author F. Dignum
J. Westra
W. A. van Doesburg
M. Harbers
author_facet F. Dignum
J. Westra
W. A. van Doesburg
M. Harbers
author_sort F. Dignum
collection DOAJ
description There is an attention shift within the gaming industry toward more natural (long-term) behavior of nonplaying characters (NPCs). Multiagent system research offers a promising technology to implement cognitive intelligent NPCs. However, the technologies used in game engines and multiagent platforms are not readily compatible due to some inherent differences of concerns. Where game engines focus on real-time aspects and thus propagate efficiency and central control, multiagent platforms assume autonomy of the agents. Increased autonomy and intelligence may offer benefits for a more compelling gameplay and may even be necessary for serious games. However, it raises problems when current game design techniques are used to incorporate state-of-the-art multiagent system technology. In this paper, we will focus on three specific problem areas that arise from this difference of view: synchronization, information representation, and communication. We argue that the current attempts for integration still fall short on some of these aspects. We show that to fully integrate intelligent agents in games, one should not only use a technical solution, but also a design methodology that is amenable to agents. The game design should be adjusted to incorporate the possibilities of agents early on in the process.
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spelling doaj-art-c579eb270a6c469faf0dd309d4d1c2f22025-08-20T02:18:38ZengWileyInternational Journal of Computer Games Technology1687-70471687-70552009-01-01200910.1155/2009/837095837095Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent GameplayF. Dignum0J. Westra1W. A. van Doesburg2M. Harbers3Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.089, 3508 TB Utrecht, The NetherlandsDepartment of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.089, 3508 TB Utrecht, The NetherlandsTNO Defence, Security and Safety, P.O. Box 23, 3769 ZG Soesterberg, The NetherlandsDepartment of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.089, 3508 TB Utrecht, The NetherlandsThere is an attention shift within the gaming industry toward more natural (long-term) behavior of nonplaying characters (NPCs). Multiagent system research offers a promising technology to implement cognitive intelligent NPCs. However, the technologies used in game engines and multiagent platforms are not readily compatible due to some inherent differences of concerns. Where game engines focus on real-time aspects and thus propagate efficiency and central control, multiagent platforms assume autonomy of the agents. Increased autonomy and intelligence may offer benefits for a more compelling gameplay and may even be necessary for serious games. However, it raises problems when current game design techniques are used to incorporate state-of-the-art multiagent system technology. In this paper, we will focus on three specific problem areas that arise from this difference of view: synchronization, information representation, and communication. We argue that the current attempts for integration still fall short on some of these aspects. We show that to fully integrate intelligent agents in games, one should not only use a technical solution, but also a design methodology that is amenable to agents. The game design should be adjusted to incorporate the possibilities of agents early on in the process.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/837095
spellingShingle F. Dignum
J. Westra
W. A. van Doesburg
M. Harbers
Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent Gameplay
International Journal of Computer Games Technology
title Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent Gameplay
title_full Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent Gameplay
title_fullStr Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent Gameplay
title_full_unstemmed Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent Gameplay
title_short Games and Agents: Designing Intelligent Gameplay
title_sort games and agents designing intelligent gameplay
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/837095
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