Homework 4: Working with an AI

Short Description:

This assignment is worth 100 points.

Goals

• Have created a NPC with an attached AI element.

Formal Description

• [20 points] Please complete the tutorial Introduction to AI with Blueprints.
  • I have some Notes to accompany this tutorial.
  • Please include a screenshot of the badge showing your have completed this tutorial in your final document..
• [50 points]
  • Create a virtual world occupied by autonomous agents. This world should include
    • [5 points] A navigation mesh which allows the agents to find locations in the world.
    • [10 points] An item cache. This could be a supply of gold, food or some other type of consumable item.
      • You may adapt the "cache" to your ideal world. In my fox world, this would be a cache of food. If you are building a civilization buildoing style world, this could be a wood pile that the agents are harvesting. If this is a wildlife world, this might be a food source, that is consumed by the agents.
      • Your world generates a cache at random at up to four different places during the game. It may, if you wish, be at more than one cache placed at a time.
      • Each cache is worth between 3 and 5 units.
      • When an agent interacts with this cache, one unit of the cache is transferred to the agent.
      • The size of the cache on screen is proportional to the number of items in the cache. Each time an agent removes a unit, the physical size of the cache decreases.
      • When the cache reaches size 0, the item disappears.
      • When ther eare no caches in the world, at least one new cache should be spawned.
    • [35 points] An agent with at least the following behaviors.
      • Initially the agent knows of no locations where a cache occurs.
      • If the agent discovers a cache they will store this location and continue to "mine" the cache until it has been consumed.
      • After "collecting" a unit from the cache, the agent should take this item "home", the location where the agent was originally placed.
        • You do not need to represent the collection of items at "home" graphically, but you may if you wish.
      • The agent should keep a list of locations where a cache has been found.
      • When the agent does not know the location of an active cache, they should visit the list of known cache sites.
      • If an agent does not know of cache sites, or they have visited all of the cache sites, they should explore the map at random.
        • I think I would have the agent keep track of the cache sites and which one should be explored next.
        • I would have the agent decide, through a timer, when it is time to recheck the known sites.
        • This however, is just a suggestion, implement as you wish.
      • The agent should occasionally "go home" to location where it was originally placed.
    • If you wish you could build a second agent. This agent should
      • Have some sort of "sense" that will allow it to locate the caches more quickly, but will not remember where the sources are.
      • You should use the EQS to do this.
        • A cache should create an EQS event when it is created
        • Or possibly continuously after it has been created.
        • The agent should "sense" the cache through the EQS.
      • A neat addition would be to have your second agent somehow inform the first agaent of the find through a different sense in the EQS.
• [30 points] Create a document to accompany your virtual world. This will consist of three parts
  • A screen shot of your achievement badge for from the tutorial.
  • A design document specifying in high level pseudo code specifying
    • The major algorithms involved in each programmable component of your virtual world.
    • The data structures involved with each programmable component of your virtual world.
    • A description of how information will be transferred between different components of your virtual world.
  • For each component provide
    • The name/unreal type of the component.
    • A description of the data structures used by the component.
      • Include types, default values and where/how other values can be added.
      • Include a screenshot of these data structures as implemented in Unreal.
    • A description of the algorithms as implemented in unreal.
      • Include screenshots of the implementation of these algorithms.
      • The final screenshots must be readable, no credit will be given for unreadable screenshots.
    • A description of how the component communicates with other elements in the virtual world.
      • Include screenshots where appropriate.

Submission