Title: Bridging Pogamut and Defcon Author: Bc. Radek Píbil Department: Department of Software and Computer Science Education Supervisor of the master thesis: Mgr. Jakub Gemrot Abstract: In this thesis we are going to discuss the support of Pogamut AI frame- work for the Defcon PC game. Defcon is a multiplayer real-time strategy putting player into control of one part of the world's sea force, air force and nuclear ar- senal. We are going to cover five main topics. First is concerned with bridging Pogamut and Defcon. Next discusses provided algorithms useful for agent pro- gramming for such a kind of environment. Third describes the implementation of a purely Java agent. Fourth shows an implementation using Jason MAS frame- work. Final is going to evaluate the performance of the agents. Our main reason for bridging Pogamut is that as the gaming AI becomes more and more prominent in academia, more and more computer games allow programmers to implement their own AI. Pogamut AI platform follows this trend by expanding into two new environments Starcraft and Defcon, which introduce real-time strategy environ- ments to Pogamut, whose origins are in first-person shooters. Keywords: Defcon, Artificial Intelligence, Real-Time Strategy Games, Pogamut

<p>In real-time strategy (RTS) games, the human player faces tasks such as resource allocation, mission planning, and unit coordination. An Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that acts as an opponent against the human player need to be quite powerful, in order to create one cohesive strategy for victory. Even though the goal for an AI system in a computer game is not to defeat the human player, it might still need to act intelligently and look credible. It might however also need to provide just enough difficulty, so that both novice and expert players appreciates the game. The behavior of computer controlled opponents in RTS games of today has to a large extent been based on static algorithms and structures. Furthermore, the AI in RTS games performs the worst at the strategic level, and many of the problems can be tracked to its static nature. By introducing an adaptive AI at the strategic level, many of the problems could possibly be solved, the illusion of intelligence might be strengthened, and the entertainment value could perhaps be increased.</p><p>The aim of this dissertation has been to investigate how dynamic scripting, a technique for achieving adaptation in computer games, possibly could be applied at the strategic level in an RTS game. The dynamic scripting technique proposed by Spronck, et al. (2003), was originally intended for computer role-playing games (CRPGs), where it was used for online creation of scripts to control non-player characters (NPCs). The focus in this dissertation has been to investigate: (1) how the structure of dynamic scripting possibly could be modified to fit the strategic level in an RTS game, (2) how the adaptation time possibly could be lowered, and (3) how the performance of dynamic scripting possibly could be throttled.</p><p>A new structure for applying dynamic scripting has been proposed: a goal-rule hierarchy, where goals are used as domain knowledge for selecting rules. A rule is seen as a strategy for achieving a goal, and a goal can in turn be realized by several different rules. The adaptation process operates on the probability of selecting a specific rule as strategy for a specific goal. Rules can be realized by sub-goals, which create a hierarchical system. Further, a rule can be coupled with preconditions, which if false initiates goals with the purpose of fulfilling them. This introduces planning.</p><p>Results have shown that it can be more effective, with regard to adaptation time, re-adaptation time, and performance, to have equal punishment and reward factors, or to have higher punishments than rewards, compared to having higher rewards than punishments. It has also been shown that by increasing the learning rate, or including the derivative, both adaptation, and re-adaptation times, can effectively be lowered.</p><p>Finally, this dissertation has shown that by applying a fitness-mapping function, the performance of the AI can effectively be throttled. Results have shown that learning rate, and maximum weight setting, also can be used to vary the performance, but not to negative performance levels.</p>

<p>Real-time strategy (RTS) games constitute one of the largest game genres today and have done so for the past decade. A central feature of real-time strategy games is opponent AI which is suggestively the “last frontier” of game development because the focus of research has primarily been on other components, graphics in particular. This has led to AI research being largely ignored within the commercial game industry but several methods have recently been suggested for improving the strategic ability of AI agents in real-time strategy games.</p><p>The aim of this project is to evaluate how a method called qualitative spatial reasoning can improve AI on a tactical level in a selected RTS game. An implementation of an AI agent that uses qualitative spatial reasoning has been obtained and an evaluation of its performance in an RTS game example monitored and analysed.</p><p>The study has shown that qualitative spatial reasoning affects AI agent’s behaviour significantly and indicates that it can be used to deduce a rule-base that increases the unpredictability and performance of the agent.</p>

This study investigates the effects that commercial computer games have on young individuals social comfort and learning progress. As a systematic study of literature, scholarly articles have been analysed in order to illuminate the positive as well as negative effects on social comfort and learning progress that may come with playing computer games. The social effects have mainly been discussed with role-playing games, such as World of Warcraft, as starting point, while the learning effects have been coupled with strategy games, such as Civilization IV. The study does not simply declare how these games can be good for these factors, but also in what respect computer games may prevent the development of young individuals socials skills and learning progress. The study showed that in spite of perpetual prejudices against computer games in the technological age, computer games might actually be good to use as a tool in order to authorize the development of young individuals regarding learning and social aspects. However, computer games may as well become the source of problems regarding time, family and school results.

This study attempts to uncover how the player’s agency is affected by seeing prerequisites of dynamic choices, as opposed to not seeing them. The study’s background presents different definitions of agency, along with what kinds of conclusions previous research has drawn on the term. The background also presents and discusses varying implementations of digital choice interfaces in a variety of different genres of video games. In order to answer the research question, a short strategic experience was created with two versions, one containing visible markers on prerequisites choices and one which hides these markers. A qualitative method was used to investigate how these two versions affected the player’s agency, and whether there was any difference between them. The results showed that visible prerequisites allowed the player a higher chance to experience positive agency because of the clear and direct feedback it gives on the player’s previous choices.

If a computer game company wants to stay competitive they must offer something extra. For many years, this extra has often been synonymous with better graphics. Lately, and thanks to the Internet, the focus has shifted in favour of more multi-player support. This also means that the requirements of one-player games increases. Our proposal, to meet these new requirements, is that future game AI is made more human-like. One way to achieve this is believed to be the use of learning AI techniques, such as genetic algorithms and neural networks. In this thesis we will present the results from an experiment aiming at testing strategy game AI. Test persons played against traditional strategy game AI, a genetic algorithm AI, and other humans to see if they experienced any differences in the behaviour of the opponents.

In eighties, the idea of using potential fields was first introduced in the field of the robotics. The purpose of using potential fields was to achieve the natural movement in robotics. Many researchers proceeded this idea to enhance their research. The idea of using potential fields was also introduced in real time strategy games for the better movement of objects. In this thesis we worked on the idea of using asymmetric potential fields in the game environment. The purpose of our study was to analyze the affect of asymmetric potential fields on unit’s formation and their movement in game environment. In this study performance of asymmetric potential fields was also compared with symmetric potential fields. By literature review the potential field and its usage in RTS games were studied. The methodology to implement the potential fields in RTS game was also identified in literature review. In experimental part the asymmetric potential fields implemented by using the methodology proposed by Hagelbäck and Johansson. By following that methodology asymmetric potential field was applied on StarCraft bot by using the BWAPI. Experiment was also designed to test the asymmetric potential field bot. Asymmetric potential field bot was tested on the two maps of StarCraft: Brood War game. On these two maps, bot implemented with asymmetric potential field and the bot implemented with symmetric potential field competed with four bots. Three bots were selected from StarCraft competition and one was built-in bot of this game. The results of these competition shows that asymmetric potential field bot has better performance than symmetric potential field bot. The results of experiments show that the performance of bot implemented with asymmetric potential fields was better than symmetric potential field on single unit type and two unit types. This study shows that with the help of asymmetric potential fields interesting unit formation can be formed in real time strategy games, which can give better result than symmetric potential fields.

In real-time strategy (RTS) games, the human player faces tasks such as resource allocation, mission planning, and unit coordination. An Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that acts as an opponent against the human player need to be quite powerful, in order to create one cohesive strategy for victory. Even though the goal for an AI system in a computer game is not to defeat the human player, it might still need to act intelligently and look credible. It might however also need to provide just enough difficulty, so that both novice and expert players appreciates the game. The behavior of computer controlled opponents in RTS games of today has to a large extent been based on static algorithms and structures. Furthermore, the AI in RTS games performs the worst at the strategic level, and many of the problems can be tracked to its static nature. By introducing an adaptive AI at the strategic level, many of the problems could possibly be solved, the illusion of intelligence might be strengthened, and the entertainment value could perhaps be increased. The aim of this dissertation has been to investigate how dynamic scripting, a technique for achieving adaptation in computer games, possibly could be applied at the strategic level in an RTS game. The dynamic scripting technique proposed by Spronck, et al. (2003), was originally intended for computer role-playing games (CRPGs), where it was used for online creation of scripts to control non-player characters (NPCs). The focus in this dissertation has been to investigate: (1) how the structure of dynamic scripting possibly could be modified to fit the strategic level in an RTS game, (2) how the adaptation time possibly could be lowered, and (3) how the performance of dynamic scripting possibly could be throttled. A new structure for applying dynamic scripting has been proposed: a goal-rule hierarchy, where goals are used as domain knowledge for selecting rules. A rule is seen as a strategy for achieving a goal, and a goal can in turn be realized by several different rules. The adaptation process operates on the probability of selecting a specific rule as strategy for a specific goal. Rules can be realized by sub-goals, which create a hierarchical system. Further, a rule can be coupled with preconditions, which if false initiates goals with the purpose of fulfilling them. This introduces planning. Results have shown that it can be more effective, with regard to adaptation time, re-adaptation time, and performance, to have equal punishment and reward factors, or to have higher punishments than rewards, compared to having higher rewards than punishments. It has also been shown that by increasing the learning rate, or including the derivative, both adaptation, and re-adaptation times, can effectively be lowered. Finally, this dissertation has shown that by applying a fitness-mapping function, the performance of the AI can effectively be throttled. Results have shown that learning rate, and maximum weight setting, also can be used to vary the performance, but not to negative performance levels.

Diegesis and Spatiality are fundamental to visualization techniques in games. The impact of integrating user interfaces into the game world is a contentious issue between minimizing the heads-up display or maximizing functionality above realism. Previous studies have shown conflicting results determining what approach is better, but these studies have focused on conventional genres like the First Person Shooter. Strategy games, or more specifically, the grand strategy genre, is different in perspective and role of the player, as the genre places a heavier emphasis on panel elements than other genres. In this paper, we created two similar prototypes that differed in their focus on integration or superimposition. We then evaluated their impact on performance and the user experiences. The results showed that strictly spatial integration attributed to negative results, but diegetic integration was better received. Additionally, we identified several areas where implementing diegetic interfacing in grand strategy games is different from other genres of games. Finally, we gave recommendations to enhance the strengths and overcome the limitations of diegetic interfacing in grand strategy games. / Datorspel är levande världar som strävar efter att spelare ska ha kul. Olika spel har olika fokus på spelupplevelse, men också olika mängd gränssnitt som finns fastsatt på skärmen kontra inuti spelvärlden. Valet mellan fastsättning och integrering beror på genre och preferens, men mycket av nutida forskning fokuserar på mer vedertagna genrer såsom förstapersonskjutare. Strategispel, och mer specifikt, “grand strategy” spel följer inte samma konventioner, då perspektivet och rollen på spelaren är annorlunda. I detta examensarbete evaluerade vi hur en förändring i fokus mellan fastsättning och integrering av spelelement förändrade spelarprestandan och användarupplevelsen. Resultatet visar att strikt placering av panelelement i världen gav dålig användarupplevelse, men att diegetisk integration gynnade upplevelsen. Till sist analyserade vi hur utveckling av integrerade användargränssnitt inom genren var annorlunda gentemot andra genrer, och gav sedan rekommendationer på styrkor och svagheter som genrenhar.

Ray tracing comes together with a tremendous computational cost [1]. Therefore, Keller et al., expressed that possible cost reduction appears when a hybrid rendering pipeline is implemented by combining rasterization and ray tracing, which have already been introduced to the film and game industries. Such a rendering method within Grand Strategy Games (GSG) has been an unexplored task. The standard rendering method of GSG has been rasterization. Implementing hybrid rendering for GSG would allow this niche to follow the continuously developing rendering techniques. Therefore, this thesis examined the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid rendering compared to a path traced pipeline. The study measured different camera angles applied to three GSG-inspired scenes by rendering time and quality according to pixelby-pixel comparison focusing on effects like shadows and reflections. Closeup images have been taken on the rendered scenes to evaluate interesting pieces in the scenes. Steady time performance for all angles was the significant advantage of the hybrid pipeline. The angles at lower grades resulted in an increased difference in shadows and reflections for two out of three scenes. Additionally, the entire pixel-by-pixel comparison did not generate more than ten percent difference for any scene and not more than twelve percent difference on closeup images. Still, differences were noticeable to the eye since the path tracer was superior for developing sharp shadows. The hybrid pipeline generated a massive reflection compared to the path tracer. Since the path tracer was defined as the ground truth, this quantity of reflections was not considered positive. The thesis concludes that a simple hybrid rendering pipeline could be an exciting future for GSG, especially for angles above 67.25◦ . Additionally, improving the sharpness of the shadows for the hybrid rendering pipeline could increase the interest in hybrid rendering for GSG even at angles below 67.25◦ . Some interesting future work is rendering advanced 3D map-based GSG scenes, including more shadows and reflections. Another suggestion is a qualitative analysis of users playing a game with the two rendering pipelines before attending a user study about their possible improved graphical experience and how the game experience has been affected. / Strålspårning kommer tillsammans med en stor beräkningskostnad [1]. Därför har Keller m.fl. uttryckt att kostnaderna kan reduceras genom att implementera en hybridrenderingsmetod baserad på en kombination av rastrering och strålspårning, vilket redan har introducerats till film- och spelindustrin. En sådan renderingsmetod inom Grand Strategy Games (GSG) har dock varit ett outforskat område. Standard renderingsmetoden för GSG har varit rastrering. Implementering av hybridrendering för GSG skulle tillåta denna nisch att följa de ständigt utvecklande renderingsteknikerna. Därför undersöker denna avhandling fördelarna och nackdelarna med hybridrendering jämfört med en renderingspipeline baserad på strålspårning. Studien har mätt olika kameravinklar applicerade på GSG-inspirerade scener mätt med renderingstid och kvalitet enligt pixel-för-pixel-jämförelse och med fokus på effekter som skuggor och reflektioner. Närbilder har tagits på de renderade scenerna för att utvärdera intressanta delar i scenerna. Stabil tidprestanda av samtliga vinklar var den betydande fördelen med hybridpipelinen. Vinklarna vid lägre grader resulterade i ökad differens av skuggor och reflektioner för två av tre scener. Dessutom resulterade hela pixeljämförelsen inte mer än tio procents skillnad för någon av scenerna och inte mer än tolv procents skillnad på närbilderna. Ändå var skillnaderna märkbara för ögat eftersom strålspårningen var överlägsen för att generera skarpa skuggor. Hybridlösningen genererade en stor andel reflektion jämfört med strålspårningen. Eftersom strålspårningen definierades som målbilden var denna mängd reflektioner inte positiva. Avhandlingen drar slutsatsen att en enkel hybridmetod kan vara en spännande framtid för GSG, speciellt för vinklar över 67,25◦ . Dessutom kan en förbättring av skärpan på skuggorna för hybridrenderingen öka intresset för hybridrendering för GSG även vid vinklar under 67,25◦ . Intressanta framtida arbeten är rendering av avancerade GSG scener, som inkluderar fler skuggor och reflektioner. Ett till förslag är kvalitativ analys av användare som spelar ett spel med de två renderingsmetoder följt av användarstudie om deras möjliga förbättrade grafiska upplevelse och om spelupplevelsen har drabbats.