Dream Build Play 2.0 announced

[savage]

Microsoft's Dream Build Play competition for XNA is due to hit 2.0 on the 8th of December. The theme is AI :


artificial intelligence noun: the capability of a machine to
perform functions that are normally associated with human intelligence,
such as reasoning and optimization through experience
[Abbreviation : AI]

Push the limits of Artificial Intelligence while building a game with XNA
Game Studio 2.0. Create a new and innovative use of Artificial
Intelligence in a game and you could win the opportunity to
interview for at an internship with Microsoft Research, Rare Ltd
or Lionhead Studios. Review the Official Rules for more details.

The submission entry period is from December 20, 2007 to January 27,
2008. In the meantime, check out the tabs for guidelines on how to
play, and on the prizes.

Last year they got some amazing entries for their first competition and this year with the imminent release of XNA 2.0, it should be corker!

More info @ http://www.dreambuildplay.com/.

Prize info @ http://www.dreambuildplay.com/main/Prizes.aspx

I think it would great to create a Chrome team for this year's competition. I expect the quality to be as high as the IGF entries.
An innovative game that targets both Xbox 360 and PCs using Chrome. I'll drop the RemObjects guys an email to see what they think.

[savage]

Bumped because Competition Rules now Specified.

Offical prizes are :

We will select up to five Finalist teams. As a finalist, you will receive:


1. An invitation to show your entry at GDC 2008.
Come to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2008 in San Francisco, CA,
on February 18-22, 2007. Finalists that attend GDC may have the
opportunity to show everyone their game. Expo passes to attend GDC
will be provided to each team member.

2. A $3,000 (USD) stipend per team.
Each finalist entry will be awarded $3,000 (USD) per team. This
may be used to help pay travel costs for attending GDC, although
the stipend will be provided even if you cannot attend.

3. A one-year subscription to the XNA Creators Club for each
team member. †

4. An interview for an internship at Microsoft Research,
Lionhead Studios or Rare Ltd in the UK for each team member.
You and your teammate may be interviewed for an internship at Microsoft Research
Ltd Cambridge, Lionhead Studios, or Rare Ltd. In person interviews will be held at GDC,
but we’ll interview you over the phone if you are unable to attend.


Anyone got any good AI ideas?

[WILL]

Oooh... you know that I have lots. ;)

Some time ago I was thinking of this one game concept where you had to acquire or create the best possible AI for a game character so that he can function better. You could do it by either teaching or training new or existing modules or simply gathering ones that you can find as the game goes.

You would then indirectly control your character by issuing simple commands that the character has to fulfill by using it's activated AI modules.

This might work best as either a 2D or 3D platformer, where your main character has a series of goals to to complete in order to progress on to future levels.

You could also expand on this concept and instead of having 1 main character with you as the 'backseat driver' (person behind the scenes giving orders), but instead have a player character that you control yourself with limited abilities. You would then have to use your character to upgrade the much more capable AI-controlled character (robot, animal/pet, alien, etc) to perform the tasks needed to get to progress through the maps or levels to finish the game.

Alternatively you could also take this concept and apply it to a more Lemmings scenario where you have to train a whole tribe or group of AI-controlled creatures to be able to overcome different obstacles or enemies.

Some food for thought, feel free to take this and use any part of it as your own. ;)

[savage]

Some AI resources if anyone needs some :
<ul> AI Forums on GameDev.net: Link (http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/forum.asp?forum_id=9) Game AI for Developers: Link (http://aigamedev.com/) Links and Resources for AI: Link (http://norvig.com/) Generation5 (Old site but might find some good information there still): Link (http://www.generation5.org/) The Game AI Page: Link (http://www.gameai.com/) Wikipedia, Game AI: Link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_artificial_intelligence) AI Wisdom: Link (http://www.aiwisdom.com/) AI-Depot, Artificial Intelligence in Game Design: Link (http://ai-depot.com/GameAI/Design.html) Simple A* Tutorial: Link (http://www.policyalmanac.org/games/aStarTutorial.htm) Simple A* Tutorial using Pacman as a Base: Link (http://www.geocities.com/jheyesjones/astar.html) Pacman Ghost Psychology: Link (http://jongy.tripod.com/GhostPsychology.html)[/list]

[WILL]

Oh and lets not forget AI Junkie Link (http://www.ai-junkie.com/) ;)

Some decent tutorials on Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms. Which are really neat things to play with. I'd love to see a 2D platform game that makes use of NNs for enemy bosses. :P (Think Mega Man 1-on-1 fights, but with a NN/GA that learns. :D)