Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 What Is Game AI? -- An Introduction to Visual Basic -- Getting Visual Basic -- The Hit Point Calculator Project -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- References -- Chapter 2 Simple Hard-Coded AI -- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly -- The Good -- The Bad -- The Ugly -- Projects -- A Simple Thermostat -- Analysis -- A More Sophisticated Implementation -- State of the Art -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- Chapter 3 Finite State Machines (FSMs) -- What Are FSMs? -- Design and Analysis -- Single-Transition Review -- Multiple-Transition Review -- Complexity -- Failure Modes -- Projects -- A Brief Foray into Object-Oriented Programming -- FSM Objects -- Creating the MonsterAI Project -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- References -- Chapter 4 Rule-Based Systems -- What Is a Rule-Based AI? -- Design and Analysis -- Advantages -- Disadvantages -- The Minesweeper Project -- Implementing the Basic Game -- Implementing the AI -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- References -- Chapter 5 Random and Probabilistic Systems -- Can That Be AI? -- Computing the Odds -- Monte Carlo Methods -- Precomputing -- Faking It -- Using the Odds: Factors to Consider -- Design and Analysis -- Advantages -- Disadvantages -- The Day in the Life Project -- The Simulation -- Occupations -- The Simulated People -- Complexity -- Implementing the Basic Game -- Implementing the AI -- Finishing the Code -- Results -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- References -- Chapter 6 Look-Ahead: The First Step of Planning -- Evaluation Functions -- Pruning -- Heuristics -- Complexity Without Heuristics -- Complexity with the Line Heuristics -- Complexity with Depth-Limit Heuristics -- Drawbacks to Heuristics -- Discrete Moves -- Knowledge Representation -- Advantages to Look-Ahead.

Disadvantages -- Applicability -- The Fox and Hounds Project -- Moves and Neighbors -- What Is Needed for Game State? -- Evolution of the Evaluation Function -- Game Board User Interface -- Implementing Moves and Neighbors -- Graphical Squares -- Implementing Game State -- Board Code -- Enabling the Player's User Interface -- Adding the AI -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- References -- Chapter 7 Book of Moves -- This Seems Familiar -- Killer Moves -- Hybrid AI -- Chess -- Twixt -- Minesweeper -- Advantages -- Disadvantages -- Projects -- Fox and Hounds -- Minesweeper -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- References -- Chapter 8 Emergent Behavior -- Give My Creature ALife! -- Proven Recipes -- Interaction -- Simple Behaviors -- Between Order and Chaos -- Feedback and Control -- Reinforcement -- Timing -- Beyond Steering -- Advantages -- Disadvantages -- The Cars and Trucks Project -- The Road and the Vehicles -- Movement and Animation -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- References -- Chapter 9 Evoking Emotions on the Cheap -- What Emotions Do Popular Games Invoke? -- Music -- Mood -- Clothing -- Lighting -- Texturing -- Plot -- Camera -- A Wide Skill Set -- Modeling Emotional States -- Advantages -- Disadvantages -- Projects -- Using Action States for Emotion States -- Using a Separate FSM for Emotions -- Modeling Needs and Relationships -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review -- Exercises -- References -- Chapter 10 Topics to Pursue from Here -- A* Path Finding -- An A* Example -- Details in the Lists -- Caveats -- Machine Learning -- Training -- Why Don't These Methods Get Used in Games? -- Neural Networks -- Genetic Algorithms -- Behavior Trees -- Top-Down Evaluation -- Bottom-Up Evaluation -- Advantages -- Planning -- STRIPS -- GOAP -- HTN -- Resources -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter Review.

Exercises -- References -- Appendix: Answers to Chapter Review Questions -- Chapter 1: What Is Game AI? -- Chapter 2: Simple Hard-Coded AI -- Chapter 3: Finite State Machines (FSMs) -- Chapter 4: Rule-Based Systems -- Chapter 5: Random and Probabilistic Systems -- Chapter 6: Look-Ahead: The First Step of Planning -- Chapter 7: Book of Moves -- Chapter 8: Emergent Behavior -- Chapter 9: Evoking Emotions on the Cheap -- Chapter 10: Topics to Pursue from Here -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W.