Learning Game AI Programming with Lua

Leverage the power of Lua programming to create game AI that focuses on motion, animation, and tactics

About This Book

• Focus on programming game AI rather than handling low-level resource management
• Bind Lua to build a script-based game AI using a C++ backend that provides hooks for graphics, physics, and resource handling
• A tutorial-based approach where AI functionalities are layered piece by piece to create fully functional AI

Who This Book Is For

If you are a game developer or a general programmer who wishes to focus on programming systems and techniques to build your game AI without creating low-level interfaces in a game engine, then this book is for you.

Knowledge of C++ will come in handy to debug the entirety of the AI sandbox and expand on the features present within the book, but it is not required.

In Detail

Game AI can be easily broken up into a number of components such as decision making, animation handling, and tactics, but the balance and interaction between each system strikes a balance between good AI and bad AI.

Beginning with an introduction to the AI sandbox, each new aspect of game AI is introduced, implemented, and then expanded upon. Going forward, you will learn to utilize open source libraries such as Ogre3D, Bullet Physics, OpenSteer, Recast, Detour, and Lua to create an AI sandbox with an entire codebase available to expand and step through.

This is done through a step-by-step approach, from learning to move basic shapes to fully animating your soldiers. By the end of the book, your AI will be able to navigate, pathfind, manage animation playback, communicate, and perceive their environment.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Getting Started with AI Sandbox
Chapter 2. Creating and Moving Agents
Chapter 3. Character Animations
Chapter 4. Mind Body Control
Chapter 5. Navigation
Chapter 6. Decision Making
Chapter 7. Knowledge Representation
Chapter 8. Perception
Chapter 9. Tactics