Another great AI page is http://www.ai-depot.com. You may also want to check out what Alex J. Champandard has done with his "fear" AI engine over @ http://fear.sourceforge.net/. Though that relates to First Person shooter I am sure it could be tweaked for other game genres.

Boids and the whole flocking algorithm thing have been used before LOTR, in such films as Jurrassic Park ( remember the scene when the dinosours are running around Sam Neil ), and also the Lion King ( stampede scene )and probably a few more. For simulating group movement, I have yet to see anything better.