[Kde-games-devel] Kapman

[Matthew Woehlke]

Ian Wadham wrote:
> On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:51 am, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
>> Emil Sedgh wrote:
>>> 2)the game is so easy.i passed to level 13 without any problem.it looks
>>> like that the speed of those ghosts-or-whatever-you-call-them increases
>>> in every level, but the increasing level is not enough.
>> I've mentioned the "dumb" AI... the version I've been looking at
>> literally chooses a random direction. Lots of room for improvement, and,
>> while the best idea I have is several hours' work, there are a few
>> techniques that would give a *huge* improvement in about an hour or less.
>>
>> I've already thought about making the AI dependent on a difficulty
>> level. The current AI could be "easy"...
>>
> The ultimate AI would be a path-finding algorithm, see Chapter 11 of
> Martin and Andi's book.  I have toyed with introducing one in KGr, but
> I think it would make the game diabolical.

Oddly enough, I already suggested that. Actually, what I'd like to do is 
only update the path-finding whenever something is eaten (i.e. the 
ghosts are tracking you by sound). Direction finding should still be 
random, but with a higher bias to following the path, but reduce the 
bias as time elapses. That way you don't end up with all ghosts always 
overlapping each other, and they aren't incredibly stupid when you go 
hide and don't eat anything.

The level of "diabolicalness" (wow, TB actually says that's a word ;-) ) 
can be changed by varying the bias... which translates nicely into a 
"difficulty" setting (and is something else that makes sense to 
gradually raise as you progress through the levels).

> IMO the AI should not be *too* "smart" because that can reduce the
> overall fun factor.

Nope, but the 4.0 bias I used in hatman seems to work well, and is 
easily tweaked.

> P.S. The code for that stuff in KGr is a mess and due for a re-write.
> So please do not seek any "inspiration" from it ...

Do you mean the AI, or the graphics stuff? Left to my own devices, I 
could do a good AI without needing to look at KGr (I've done it before, 
after all), but IMO doing something about the graphics is more urgent.

-- 
Matthew
I sure hope they never make a hearse out of a Honda Element. I wouldn't 
want to be caught dead in one.