A few weeks ago the Game/AI Conference 2012 took place in the beautiful capital city of Austria. It was organized by AiGameDev.com along with the University of Vienna, where the event was held. In this post you'll slides from each talk, my take-away & analysis, as well as photos from the event. The recordings will be available incrementally through AiGameDev.com ULTIMATE membership.
If you're wondering what happened to the Paris Game/AI Conference... Vienna is home to the AiGameDev.com secret laboratory, so the organization team was on home ground! All the little details came together at the University's amphitheatre, from the Wiener hotdogs at the welcome reception to the Apfelstrudel during the coffee breaks that attendees raved about (some complained about gaining a few pounds), as well as the bamboo plants for ambiance and the "Game/AI" backdrop behind the speakers that delighted Petra (our logistics mastermind).
The conference itself featured two days of talks from recent or upcoming AAA games, as well as research presentations from leading academics (September 18th and 19th); the slides and notes for these talks are below. The days before and after the main event contained two workshops, the first on Behavior Trees as a review of the state-of-the-art in the field, and the second on Procedural Animation as a more forward looking day about the next-generation of algorithms. It was a great combination of summarizing what has been achieved and the robustness that AI has reached, along with inspiring look into the technology of tomorrow!
Thanks to Our Sponsors
Beyond the helper crew and the organization team, this event would not be possible without the support of our amazing sponsors, and they're the reason that everyone gained a few pounds on average due to tasty strudels and delicious muffins. We're particularly grateful to Gold Sponsors Autodesk! The company introduced Gameware Navigation at this very conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Thanks also to Havok for their continuing support of the conference as a Silver sponsor this year and the AiGameDev.com website. Find out more about the latest additions and technology behind Havok AI below.
Finally, thanks to PathEngine for their sponsorship of the main conference and Unity for sponsoring the Character Animation workshop.
Table Of Contents
The sessions from the first day, Tuesday September 19th, are here:
- This Year in Game AI
- Scaling Crowds in HITMAN: ABSOLUTION
- Understanding Player Behavior Using Data-Mining
- Motorstorm's AI: Racing while the World Crumbles
- THE RESISTANCE AI Bots Competition
- Design-Driven AI in SPEC OPS: THE LINE
- Behavior Trees for Social Territorial Intelligence
- Rapid AI iterations with Autodesk Gameware Navigation
- How to Have Fun in an Asylum (Batman: Arkham Series)
These sessions are from the second day, Wednesday September 20th:
- What's Next for Game AI?
- Dynamic Sound and Music in VESSEL
- Monte-Carlo Tree Search and Board Games Tutorial
- Implementing the Living City in MAFIA 2's Open World
- Optimizing Steering-based Animation Control
- Reinforcement Learning-based Character Locomotion in HITMAN
- Platforming AI Championship: Level Generation & Turing Test
- The Evolution of Codemasters' Racing AI: From DiRT to Showdown
This Year in Game AI
Session Details
Speaker: Alex J. Champandard
Company: AiGameDev.com KG
Time: 09:30
Duration: 30 min
Description
“In this introductory session, you'll learn the high points of the past year in Game AI, highlighting the advances the industry has made and summarizing the best in AI tips and tricks that the AI community has to offer.”
Slides
This Year in Game AI Alex J. Champandard, AiGameDev.com Download PDF
Scaling Crowds in HITMAN: ABSOLUTION
Session Details
Speaker: Kasper Fauerby
Company: IO Interactive
Time: 10:00
Duration: 60 min
Description
“A key requirement in HITMAN: ABSOLUTION was dense crowds that allowed players to both interact with and influence the behavior of individual characters. This presentation describes the techniques and optimizations used to achieve the 1200 character crowds while still running at 30FPS on current-gen consoles.”
Slides
The Crowds in Hitman: Absolution Kasper Fauerby, IO Interactive Download PDF
References
- Crowds and Pedestrians without Bumper-Car Syndrome, Ken Perlin, Jean-Charles Perrier (Quantic Dream), Mikko Mononen, Bertrand Faure. (ULTIMATE)
- Pedestrians with Airtight Alibis and Level-Of-Detail Trading, Ben Sunshine-Hill. (PREMIUM)
Understanding Player Behavior Using Game Data-Mining
Session Details
Speaker: Christian Bauckhage
Company: Universität Bonn
Time: 11:30
Duration: 30 min
Description
“Wouldn’t it be great if you could predict exactly how successful your game would be post-launch? What proportion of the player spike that your publishers marketing dollars bought will you be able to retain in a week, a month? Turns out, with some data-mining and machine learning skills this is a relatively easy task!”
Slides
Understanding Player Behavior Using Game Data-Mining Christian Bauckhage Download PDF
References
- Data-Mining RPG Statistics and Predicting Attrition in AION, Dmitry Nozhnin. (PREMIUM)
- Psychology Profiling in SILENT HILL: SHATTERED MEMORIES, Gwaredd Mountain. (ULTIMATE)
Motorstorm's AI: Racing while the World Crumbles
Session Details
Speaker: Kieran D’Archambaud
Company: Evolution Studios
Time: 12:00
Duration: 60 min
Description
“Learn how Evolution Studios created competitive racing AI for the highly dynamic environments of MOTORSTORM: APOCALYPSE. Hear about the challenges for AI when you are racing down the side of a falling skyscraper while the contents of the building rain down ahead, changing the track at every moment.”
Slides
Motorstorm's AI: Racing While the World Crumbles Around You Kieran D'Archambaud, Evolution Studios Download PDF
References
- Physics-based Racing AI Controllers and Track Analysis in SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP, Paolo Maninetti. (ULTIMATE)
- Indie Racing AI in THUNDERWHEELS and Physics-based Vehicle Control, Luis Javier Fornero. (PREMIUM)
THE RESISTANCE AI Bots Competition
Session Details
Speaker: Alex J. Champandard and Richard Kogelnig
Company: AiGameDev.com KG
Time: 14:00
Duration: 30 min
Description
“THE RESISTANCE is a board/card game that combines a perfect combination of hidden information and logical deduction. In this first ever THE RESISTANCE programming competition, watch AI bots compete with each other to find out who is the spy.”
Slides
The Resistance AI Competition Richard Kogelnig, Alex Champandard Download PDF
Design-Driven AI in SPEC OPS: THE LINE
Session Details
Speaker: Daniel Kollmann and Jörg Reisig
Company: Yager Development
Time: 14:30
Duration: 60 min
Description
“This presentation focuses on 2K Games’ controversial cover-based shooter, which places a heavy focus on the player's experience of combat. They will discuss the project history, show examples of the generic enemy and companion behaviors and describe their player-centric design approach and how that affected many AI decisions on the project.”
Slides
Design-Driven AI in Spec Ops: The Line Daniel Kollman and Jörg Reisig, Yager Development Download PDF
References
- Climbing and Sneaking Behind UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES’s AI, Christian Gyrling. (PREMIUM)
- Design Pitfalls and Cryses for Action Shooters, Mikko Mononen. (PREMIUM)
Behavior Trees for Social Territorial Intelligence
Session Details
Speaker: Claudio Pedica
Company: Icelandic Institute for Intelligent Machines
Time: 15:30
Duration: 20 min
Description
“How can you use behavior tree-like structures to describe social behavior, and express territoriality? This research micro-talk shows a hybrid BT / activation network that allows multiple behaviors to be active at the same time, thanks to a subsumption-like architecture.”
Slides
Behavior Trees for Social Territorial Intelligence Claudio Pedica, Icelandic Institute for Intelligent Machines Download PDF
References
- Human Territoriality for the Next EVE ONLINE's Socially Smart Characters, Claudio Pedica. (ULTIMATE)
- Enabling Playable Social Models and PROM WEEK, Josh McCoy and Mike Treanor. (ULTIMATE)
Rapid AI iterations with Autodesk Gameware Navigation
Session Details
Speaker: Guillaume Aldebert
Company: Autodesk
Time: 16:00
Duration: 45 min
Description
“Autodesk Gameware Navigation is a new realtime SDK that supports automatic NavMesh generation, PathFinding and PathFollowing in highly dynamic environments (avoidance, dynamic NavMesh, swappable sectors). Gameware Navigation also offers state-of-the art remote Visual Debugging tools that allow rapid iteration on your AI.”
References
How to Have Fun in an Asylum (Batman: Arkham City)
Session Details
Speaker: Tim Hanagan
Company: Rocksteady Studios
Time: 16:45
Duration: 60 min
Description
“Discover the tricks and techniques behind the creation of gameplay and AI in BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM and BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY. Learn how the team worked together to create multitudes of enemies where controlled in order to create epic hand-to-hand combat which are unmatched in any other game.”
Slides
How to Have Fun in an Asylum (Batman: Arkham City) Tim Hanagan, Rocksteady Studios Download PDF
References
- Special Report on Production & Methodology. (PREMIUM)
What's Next for Game AI?
Session Details
Panelists: Jurie Horneman (Mi'pu'mi),
Peter Cowling (University of York), Gabriel Robert (Ubisoft Paris)
Time: 09:30
Duration: 30 min
Description
“The game development community is in a state of upheaval: large AAA studios are disappearing, business models are changing, niche markets are opening up everywhere and a new console generation is just around the corner. What will this means for the future of Game AI? Come along to find out.”
Dynamic Sound and Music in VESSEL
Session Details
Speaker: Kieran Lord
Company: Strange Loop Games
Time: 10:00
Duration: 45 min
Description
“Find out how a small indie team was able to create a great audio experience using AI techniques such as clustering and behavior trees. You'll learn how to guide the player with music, to simulate the sounds of water and even some tools to telegraph events to the player you may not even have known existed.”
Slides
[FileDownload basename="http://cratesmith.s3.amazonaws.com/VesselTalk/index.html" author="Kieran Lord, Strange Loop Games" title="The Adaptive Music and Sound System of Vessel"]References
- Procedural Music Generation for Games using Statistical Models, Steve Engels. (PREMIUM)
Monte-Carlo Tree Search Tutorial
Session Details
Speaker: Peter Cowling
Company: The University of York
Time: 11:15
Duration: 45 min
Description
“Monte Carlo Tree Search is able to quickly generate plausible initial solutions which can be refined to expert play with additional CPU time. This tutorial will take participants to the point where they can implement MCTS and discuss a range of examples of successful (commercial) application of Monte Carlo tree Search.”
Slides
Monte-Carlo Tree Search for Games Peter Cowling, The University of York Download PDF
Implementing the Living City in MAFIA 2's Open World
Session Details
Speaker: Jan Kratochvil
Company: 2K Czech
Time: 12:00
Duration: 60 min
Description
“What details and implementation tricks are necessary to go through to create the living city and characters of MAFIA II? Jan covers streaming, handling of dynamic objects and most importantly what to do with civilians on foot and in car. ”
Slides
Implementing a Living City for an Open World Mafia 2 Jan Kratochvil Download PDF
References
- High-Performance AI for Dynamic Large-Scale Open Worlds in [PROTOTYPE], Sergio Garces. (PREMIUM)
Optimizing Steering-based Animation Control
Session Details
Speaker: Ben Sunshine-Hill
Company: Havok
Time: 14:00
Duration: 30 min
Description
“There are a lot of great collision-avoidance algorithms out there that fall apart when plugged into an actual game's character animation system. You'll see how to make your steering and animation systems stop fighting each other, and how to bring out the best in both. ”
Slides
Optimizing Steering-Based Animation Control Ben Sunshine-Hill, Havok Download PDF
References
- Collision Avoidance for Game Characters with Velocity Obstacles, Jamie Snape. (PREMIUM)
- Navigation LOOP: Avoid Turning in Circles when Moving Locally, Mikko Mononen. (ULTIMATE)
Reinforcement Learning-based Character Locomotion in HITMAN: ABSOLUTION
Session Details
Speaker: Michael Büttner
Company: IO Interactive
Time: 14:30
Duration: 60 min
Description
“In this talk you'll hear about the novel approach to character locomotion that was used for the crowd characters in HITMAN: ABSOLUTION. The system uses a motion-graph based motion synthesis engine in conjunction with a reinforcement learning based controller logic.”
Slides
Reinforcement-Learning Based Character Locomotion in Hitman: Absolution Michael Büttner, IO Interactive Download PDF
References
- Parametric Animations and AI in CRYSIS 2, Sven Van Soom. (ULTIMATE)
- The State of Character Animation Technology in the Games Industry, Alex J. Champandard. (ULTIMATE)
Platforming AI Championship
Session Details
Speaker: Noor Shaker
Company: ITU Copenhagen
Time: 15:30
Duration: 45 min
Description
“The Platforming AI Championship focuses on two critical aspects of computer games; level generation and human-behavior imitation. This session hosts the Level Generation track and the Turing Test track of the competition, with descriptions of the entries, and a live session of playing and evaluation.”
Slides
The Platforming AI Championship Noor Shaker, IT University Copenhagen Download PDF
References
- Infinite Mario AI using A* Search: The Definitive Interview with Robin Baumgarten, Robin Baumgarten.
The Evolution of Codemasters' Racing AI: From DiRT to Showdown
Session Details
Speaker: Nic Melder
Company: Codemasters
Time: 16:15
Duration: 60 min
Description
“All Codemasters racing games in the DiRT, GRID and F1 series have been built from the same AI engine even though each of these titles has a very different racing style. This presentation will give you an overview of the different AI components, what they do and how they've evolved over the course of the years. ”
Slides
The Evolution of Codemasters' Racing AI: From DiRT to Showdown Nic Melder, Codemasters Download PDF
References
- Physics-based Racing AI Controllers and Track Analysis in SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP, Paolo Maninetti. (ULTIMATE)
- Indie Racing AI in THUNDERWHEELS and Physics-based Vehicle Control, Luis Javier Fornero. (PREMIUM)
Take-Away Summary
The official theme for this year's conference was originally "Game AI for Everyone" throughout the call for submissions. Building on last year's turning-point event where AI publicly established itself in a wide variety of domains within traditional video games (design, gameplay, analysis, level generation, etc.), this year's theme emphasized the trend that games are now ubiquitous beyond consoles and AI must follow. Though AI on mobile and in browsers is effectively decades behind PCs and consoles, it's only a matter of time before it catches up. Part of this theme played out in sessions such as the Monte-Carlo Tree Search tutorial that highlighted the explosion of AI-heavy card & board games for instance. However, it generally seemed that AI on mobile and in browsers hadn't yet caught up in all other genres. The conference theme was possibly ahead of its time, though the trend is set to unfold in the next 6-12 months with Key games such as Clumsy Ninja, Creatures, City Conquest, Cotillion finally set for release, following Field Runners 2. These games not only push the limits of AI on mobiles but in general.
The current state of mobile and free-to-play has left the traditional games industry in somewhat of a comfort zone (at best). There were whispers after the GDC AI Summit that our field appeared to be in a rut — but that's a bit too extreme. There's progress being made in a variety of important technical areas and better understanding the implications of existing technology with modern designs / workflows. But in general there was a certain familiarity with solutions being used. Multiple of the biggest franchises (across genres) are effectively using the same AI as they were N years ago. That's not necessarily a problem but it showcases a lack of risk-taking and innovation in design that's portrayed by the stagnation of the AI & gameplay in many sequels and presents a surprisingly short-term risk. Luckily, the tide is turning in AAA games, almost as I write this, with simulation and behavior-heavy games such as Dishonored, Far Cry 3, Hitman: Absolution and Assassin's Creed 3 or even Gunpoint and Monaco — setting the scene for an exciting Autumn for AI enthusiasts.
If that's not enough excitement, over the next few weeks we'll be unveiling our masterplan for the Vienna Game/AI Conference 2013 — scheduled for the first week of September. This time, rather than reiterate on the same format we're going to redefine everything — getting those of you that were so enthusiastic (either in person or online) involved in the process. If you want to join the movement, stay tuned to the conference mailing list! Bonus points if you can figure out how The AI Sandbox™ is involved...
Your Feedback & Comments
“Nice format and excellent content! Game/AI Conference definitely offered the right context to get inspired and share ideas.”
— Aris Theophanidis, AI Technical Lead, Ubisoft Montreal
“The conference was not just packed full of useful insights during the main talks; I learnt as much mingling with the other AI guys between presentations as I did in the lecture theatre. Definitely looking forward to bringing my whole team along next year. PS: The food was amazing!”
— Tim Hanagan, AI Lead at Rocksteady Studios
“It was my first time and I had a great time at the conference! You've done a great job, thank you. I look forward to seeing more cool stuff next year.”
— Marek Roefler, Programmer at CDProjekt Red
“The Game/AI Conference continues to be a highlight of the year for any AI developer or researcher. As the years go on, academia is managing to sit and talk as equals alongside industry veterans, now wanting to work with the industry. Without this conference, I such progress would not have been made as quickly. It feels that when the next big step happens in Game AI, it will thank this event as its catalyst.”
— Kieran D’Archambaud, Lead Game Programmer at Evolution Studios
“The Game/AI Conference is an interesting and valuable part of my year as a game AI developer.”
— Tim Gosling, AI Developer, The Creative Assembly
“The organisation was flawless, the talks were mind-opening and the people were truly amazing. Big thumbs up for the whole Game/AI crew!”
— Julien Desaulniers, Lead Gameplay Programmer, Ubisoft Montreal
“The Game/AI Conference is a great event to meet both AI industry and academic experts in the same place. The AiGameDev.com team does an awesome job of selecting a mix of relevant presentations and useful networking events.”
—Michaël Rouillé, VP Engineering at Golaem
“This event is getting better every year! And Vienna is so nice and friendly place to stay. Thank you very much and see you next year!”
— Petr Kalandra, Student, Czech Republic
“A very enjoyable, interesting and thought-provoking conference. This event represents, for me, one of the most important events to bring together AI games industry developers and members of the AI research community, but with a focus on what is going on in the current generation of commercial games.”
— Peter Cowling, Professor, University of York
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