Summary

In this chapter, we developed animats capable of predicting enemy movement:

• A physical solution can compute the intersection of any projectile with a moving object.

• It's necessary for animats to observe the players to determine their velocity and possibly their acceleration.

• Using a simulation of the enemy with forward integration, we can predict nonlinear trajectories.

• The bots perform relatively well, although they lack the higher-level capability to predict patterns over time.

The flaws pointed out in the evaluation could be resolved by giving the animats better temporal and spatial understanding. In the heat of the battle, however, these details will often not be obvious, and the inabilities of the animats will be compensated for by other skills.

The other skills involved in shooting are covered in two chapters. Learning can solve a few difficult problems and improve the weapon skills of animats. However, some theory is necessary before moving on to discussing other shooting skills.