AI for Game Developers

Chapter 8. Scripted AI and Scripting Engines

This chapter discusses some of the techniques you can use to apply a scripting system to the problem of game AI, and the benefits you can reap from doing this. At its most basic level, you can think of scripting as a very simple programming language tailored to a specific task related to the game in question. Scripting can be an integral part of the game development process, as it enables the game designers rather than the game programmers to write and refine much of the game mechanics. Players also can use scripting to create or modify their own game worlds or levels. Taken a step further, you can use a scripting system in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORG) to alter the game behavior while the game is actually being played.

You can take several approaches when implementing a scripting system. A sophisticated scripting system might interface an already existing scripting language, such as Lua or Python, for example, with the actual game engine. Some games create a proprietary scripting language designed for the needs of the individual game. Although it’s sometimes beneficial to use those methods, it’s easier to have the game parse standard text files containing the scripting commands. Employing this approach, you can create scripts using any standard text editor. In a real game, the scripts can be read in and parsed when the game first starts, or at some other specified time. For example, scripts that control creatures ...