Comments on: Random Steering – 7 Components for a Toolkit

By: Tips for Designing and Implementing a Stimulus Response Agent · code-spot

Tips for Designing and Implementing a Stimulus Response Agent · code-spot — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:59:47 +0000

[...] agents base their actions not on inputs, but on their internal state alone. See for example how random steering algorithms can lead to interesting [...]

By: Game AI Mega-Roundup Week #49-50 2008: 9 Stories, 1 Video, 1 Demo — AiGameDev.com

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:31:29 +0000

[...] Random Steering – 7 Components for a Toolkit [...]

By: rascunho » Blog Archive » links for 2008-12-09

rascunho » Blog Archive » links for 2008-12-09 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:23:35 +0000

[...] code-spot · Random Steering – 7 Components for a Toolkit Random steering is often a useful for simulating interesting steering motion. In this post we look at components that make up a random steering toolkit. These can be combined in various ways to get agents to move in interesting ways. (tags: code-spot.co.za 2008 mes11 dia9 steering random swarm toolkit code) [...]

By: Byder

Byder — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:59:00 +0000

Very True! With out you guys, we artists may as well be drawing on paper!!

C
Game Dev Journal

By: herman.tulleken

herman.tulleken — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:43:22 +0000

@Alex: Tweaking can be the death of any complex system. On the racing games I worked on, I had to replace “sophisticated” analytical systems with just telling the vehicle what to do by tagging the road with instructions everywhere – because I couldn’t tweak the “sophisticated” system to work… So I can totally understand how steering algorithms can fall short for human motion.

@Byder: In the end programming under the hood is just a private (almost secret) satisfaction; it is all about how that is perceived (visually, mostly) that counts… glad I help to keep that interest!

By: Byder

Byder — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:23:48 +0000

Brilliant read!!!
U know what you do so well! U keep a mere artist like me, interested in the programming side of everything!!!
Great post!!!

By: alexjc

alexjc — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:41:32 +0000

For things like AAA games with character animations, all this steering stuff goes out of the window for this reason; it's far easier to tweak animations and motion-capture data, along with a motion synthesis algorithm, than it is to rely on steering to provide natural patterns. (Though I'd definitely use steering for non-human characters.) Alex AiGameDev.com

By: herman.tulleken

herman.tulleken — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:03:18 +0000

Thanks

I think it is exactly this borderline art-science effect that makes motion so compelling – and why adding a bit of motion (animals or machines) can do so much for a scene. But like you said – tweaking it can be very difficult, especially if you do not understand the range and limitations of the system you are trying to tweak.

By: alexjc

alexjc — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:45:57 +0000

Great post!

It’s amazing how this steering stuff is always on the borderline between art and science. Just goes to show how long it can take to tweak the motion so that it looks just right in a game!

Oh, and thanks for the link too.

Alex
AiGameDev.com