1.2 Algorithm and Hack

Algorithm

So where will the algorithm element fit into my game? Well I now have my game planned out as you can see in 1.1 Game Idea, the main element of the zombie AI will be that of algorithm. The first action of the zombies will be to walk between two points in room B, like on a patrol. The algorithm aspect will be basic set of rules that I am giving the zombie AI characters, you can see my post on algorithms from my previous post (Introduction to: NWC603COM – Using AI in Computer Games Assignment 1 - 1.1 Algorithm).

("Simple set of rules of the form of an algorithm to simulate real world behaviour. If we look at games form the past such as pac-man. If we look at the behaviour of the ghosts. They move around the mase is a seemingly random motion then once the player gets close they simply chase the player") (2)

So lets compare with from what Gallear is quoting to my game, well he says that algorithms are used to simulate real world behaviour, I would agree to him to an extent, yes the zombies will be moving like humans, putting one leg forward and then the other but being zombies... they don't exist so it cant be exactly like real world. Gallear refers to the game pacman and how the ghost AI responds to the player character, on my game I want to emulate the same intention but whereas in pacman, when the player character gets to close then the AI will attack, in my game I plan to have the AI chase down the player character immediately when the player character enters room B. So lets look into the role of the zombie AI's:

Zombie A - Will be set to patrol between point 1 to point 2 in room B, when the character player enters room B the zombie AI is then instructed to chase down and attack the player character.
Zombie B - will have the same commands as zombie A but will be tasked to patrol from point 2 to point 1.

So these rules I will be putting in place will be simple yet effective in my game, the algorithms will simulate the real word if zombies were to take over. It has the excitement factor, scariness and killing side of a game which fits the target audience of a lot of current day gamers.


Hack

The hack in this game will apply to the two zombies that there actions will be so predictable, the player character will know what the zombie plans to do before it has even happened. so to emphasise into a little more detail, the code applied to the zombie 1 will be the same applied to zombie 2, otherwise known as lazy code. This is not necessarily a hack but does make a difference in the end user experience, by just doing a little extra and applying a different objective to zombie 2 can make the difference in a game. Yet again hacks can also be useful, so in my game we have two zombies and you need to remember that zombies don't think, the only thing they know is how to chase down and eat the enemy (player character). So because of this if you apply a hack or same code (lazy code) to all of the zombies, if they are predictable and you know what the zombie AI plans to do before it happens then in this case good, zombies are predictable, we know what they are going to do before it happens so in this situation, a hack is a positive implement in this game.

In my first assignment I cover hacks in gaming AI (Introduction to: NWC603COM – Using AI in Computer Games Assignment 1 - 1.3 Hack). I cover where you can find hacks in a game, good and bad but I really need to cover the hacks involved in my game. So I will be apply very similar code to both of my zombie AI's, the only difference is when the zombies are patrolling between the two points in room B. Now as a end user (player) you expect the zombies to just come chasing after you, and they'll be rights, its a simple hack yet a positive hack because it emulates a zombie down to a tea because there predicable and brings a real world experience - well if zombies were to take over the world.