Unreal Engine 4 AI Programming Essentials

Peter L. Newton · Jie Feng

Mar 2016 · Packt Publishing Ltd

About this ebook

Create responsive and intelligent game AI using Blueprints in Unreal Engine 4About This BookUnderstand and apply your Game AI better through various projects such as adding randomness and probability, and introducing movementConfigure and debug Game AI logic using multiple methodologiesBridge the gap between your knowledge and Game AI in Unreal Engine 4Who This Book Is For

This book is for programmers and artists who want to expand their knowledge of Game AI in relation to Unreal Engine 4. You are recommended to have some experience of exploring Unreal Engine 4 prior to this book because we jump straight into Game AI.

What You Will LearnUnderstand the fundamental components of Game AI within Unreal Engine 4Skillfully introduce Game AI within Unreal Engine 4Configure, customize, and assign Navigation and AI components to your pawnCreate, debug, and analyze Game AI behaviorDesign responsive Game AI using the Behavior Tree methodologyCreate smart objects designed to interact with AIUtilize advanced AI features within your project to maximize the user experienceIn Detail

Unreal Engine is a powerful game development engine that provides rich functionalities to create 2D and 3D games. Developers have the opportunity to build cross-platform mobile and desktop games from scratch. This book will show you how to apply artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to your Unreal project using blueprints as your scripting language. You will start with an introduction to AI, and learn how it is applied to gaming. Then you'll jump right in and create a simple AI bot and apply basic behaviors to allow it to move randomly. As you progress, you'll find out how to implement randomness and probability traits. Using NavMesh, you will impart navigation components such as character movement, MoveTo nodes, settings, and world objects, and implement Behavior Trees. At the end of the book, you will troubleshoot any issues that might crop up while building the game.

Style and approach

This easy-to-follow project-based guide throws you directly into the excitement of Game AI in an approachable and comprehensive manner.

Ratings and reviews

Stupid

About the author

Peter L. Newton gravitated toward computers at a young age. As his appetite for technology grew, web applications were his first exploration into development. The excitement of programming is what kept Peter diving further into different software designs and programming patterns. He is a self-taught programmer who has spent countless hours in reverse engineering assembly and arm instruction executables just for the joy of learning. Peter has several years of experience as a web developer, software developer, database architect, and hardware technician. His recent years were dedicated to the Virtual Reality/Gaming industry experience, working with such companies as Create, Sony Pictures, and the developers of Unreal Engine 4, Epic Games. Peter's most recent VR project was Can You Walk The Walk?, which won Digital Hollywood's "Best In Virtual Reality Based on a Cinematic or Television Experience" award.