Paul Roberts’ Game AI Uncovered Focus: Character AI brings together twenty chapters from the first six volumes of the Game AI Uncovered series into a handy single volume that focuses on the many different aspects of character AI in game development. The techniques covered in these pages cover the underlying development of a wide array of published titles, including City of Gangsters, The Survivalists, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, The Persistence, Alpha Beta Gunner, Luna Abyss, Assassin’s Creed Nexus, The Sims, Zoo Tycoon, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Alien Isolation. Contained within these pages are overviews and insights covering a host of different game character AI techniques, including defining the context within which a character exists and how to test for believability, utility AI, animation‑driven behaviour, buddy AI, simulating social norms, simulating player behaviour, environmental cues, boss behaviour, and dumbing down AI. Beginners to the area of game AI, along with professional developers, will find a wealth of knowledge that will not only help in the development of your own games but also spark ideas for new approaches. This anthology includes chapters written by Dr Nuno Vicente Barreto, Dr Vicky Bloom, Richard Bull, Michele Condò, Sarah Cook, Steven Dalton, Dale Green, Johan Holthausen, Tobias Karlsson, Vincent Breton Kochanowski, Dr Fernando Penousal Machado, Alessia Nigretti, John Reynolds, Matthew Reynolds, Lisa Ridley, Paul Roberts, Dr Licínio Roque, Huw Talliss, Dr Tommy Thompson, David Wooldridge, and Dr Robert Zubek.
