Erin 👅

Chemistry and Clean Energy freak. 17. Overachiever. KY. Weird.

[menpale]

[askagamedev]

All that stuff about making Super AI was Super Interesting, but how is the normal not-playing-games-against-itself-to-try-and-win AI designed & developed?

Ok, so… Game AI is a really deep subject. Like… deep enough that there are professional engineers and designers who are employed full time to make this sort of thing happen. I can’t do the entire subject justice in a small post I threw together in one evening. So instead, you’ll all get a multi-part series on the topic because it’s something I find fun. 

Let’s take a look at the eagle-eye view of the topic.

Developing Game AI (Part 1)

Normal game AI is definitely different from experimental/theoretical AI. Experimental AI like Deep Blue, AlphaGO, the UC Berkeley Overmind, or OpenAI are developed to see how far computer learning can go. Game AI is primarily geared towards providing a fun experience for the player. This can have some amount of overlap with experimental AI, but the fundamental goals are different, which necessitates different design and implementation. From the very beginning, we developers establish ground rules for what the AI is supposed to do, as well as its limitations. We have to answer questions like:

Does the AI represent an equal opponent for the player? (E.g. Hearthstone, Chess, Street Fighter)

Will the player fight many AIs at once? Is the AI effectively disposable? (E.g. Dynasty Warriors, Doom)

Will the AI need to cooperate with the player? (e.g. Mass Effect, StarCraft)

Will the AI need to cooperate/interact with other AI? (e.g. Fallout, Skyrim)

Will the AI need to navigate non-uniform terrain? (e.g. Uncharted)

One of the bigger factors to the answers to these questions is how long (we think) it will take us to actually implement these things. We are, after all, always on a schedule. Complicated and extensible AI is great, but not if we can’t fit it into the schedule or budget. Once we figure out the limits of what the AI is supposed to do, we begin with rudimentary design and implementation.

AI development is generally broken into two separate parts - getting the AI to make a choice, then actually executing that choice. These two parts can be (and often are) developed independently of each other. 

Making the choice would be figuring out which card to play, which spell to cast, or which ally to heal. Typically, this involves some sort of prioritization system, where the AI evaluates potential options and chooses one based on some set of established rules. Is attacking more worthwhile than using a spell? How about using an item? Should the AI try to maximize its use of mana per turn for tempo, or should it try to maximize card advantage? Which enemy should the AI target for this attack? The most dangerous one? The one with lowest HP? And how do you quantitatively define “most dangerous” anyway?

Executing the choice is the less sexy, but incredibly important part that most fans don’t think about. In fact, most of the design and implementation time for AI in games is often spent making the execution work. After the AI chooses which spell to cast, how does it actually do it? The AI probably has to move into range, which requires pathfinding. The AI has to cast the spell, which means that it can’t be taking damage, unconscious, silenced, etc. The AI might have to consider environmental hazards when pathfinding. The AI might have to consider its location in the world - say that the player is trying to kite an enemy out of its home base, but the game must stream the environment from the disc. If the player goes too far from the enemy base, it will get unloaded from system memory, and likely take enemy with it. How do we handle such cases?

In addition to that, in many games there’s also an even lower level of AI that often needs to work as well. At its most basic level, the character animation system is governed by AI as well. If the player shoots an enemy, it probably needs to play some sort of take-damage reaction, right? How does the enemy know to do that? Something has to prioritize which animations are playing when, and which take priority over what. Dying usually trumps climbing a ladder or casting a spell. There’s generally an AI that handles what animations a character needs to be playing, and when to transition from one animation to another. Remember, the machine doesn’t have any inherent concept of matching motions or positions or anything; any sort of animation transition must come from some sort of set of rules that we create. That also includes keeping track of states like death, unconscious, aggression, snared, which direction to face, etc. and that AI must be able to override or pause the higher order functions too. After all, the AI shouldn’t be trying to navigate to a point on the map if it’s dead.

Building these sorts of systems require a lot of thought and work. The vast majority of developing game AI is spent solving these kind of core problems on a system-wide level. Things like emulating a personality or adding polish touches often come super late (if at all) in the development cycle, simply because getting the core elements to work requires so much time, effort, and iteration. AI can be as simple or deep as we want, but the very basic stuff requires a lot of work to set up.

Next time, I’ll talk about how we get AI to evaluate choices.

Got a burning question you want answered?

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr

Frequent questions: The FAQ

[hellomyschoolinspirations-blog]

this is wild

[damnglamgina]

Glam Desk Hacks to Make Your Space as Productive as Possible!

Cute cord management….seems to be one of the biggest issues along with storage organization and innovation today when it comes to glamming up your most valuable space in your home! I have a few tricks to share with you that will help with organization, cord management, and productivity.

Hack #1: It is proven that when you are happy and satisfied that you work more productively. So having cute accessories to go along with your work/study space is almost a given. Say goodbye to that 80′s stapler and upgrade to a matching desk set. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it’s a nice feeling to look forward to adhering that report together with your new stapler. Anything that will give you that extra boost of motivation to complete your tasks is worth investing in.

Hack #2: Instead of investing in a new iPad or tablet case, to make your device stand vertically, try looking for a dish stand/cookbook stand. I picked this adorable stand up at an outlet store for under $5! Like I previously mentioned, revamping your desk doesn’t have to be pricey. Now I don’t have to get rid of my favorite iPad case (let me know if you’d like the information to purchase the case I currently use, it has a kickstand for horizontal use) and the cookbook stand doubles as a clipboard holder for when I’m typing research papers or essays and need to reference information consistently. Other stands that were marketed for the same purpose on online retailers were at least five times the price of this handy stand. Plus, the kickstand in the back is adjustable if you’d like to have the device, paper, clipboard, textbook (yes, it holds my texts books as well and the arrow in front keeps the page from turning!), etc. at different angles. I would recommend this hack to anyone looking for a decorative book/device stand or anyone who needs a book or device stand on a budget. I should also note that Hobby Lobby sells basic versions of these holders in black, brass/gold, and silver. They are extremely affordable, especially if you purchase the plate holder with Hobby Lobby’s weekly 40% off coupon.

Hack #3: This is an example of how the stand works and looks from the front (second photo). I also use the stand for my planner. It is helpful to be able to have your planner/to do list right in front of you while you are completing tasks for the day. I have purchased a Create 365: The Happy Planner and it is set up with three boxes for each day. I use one box for each school (since I attend two different colleges) and the last box for other things I need to accomplish that day. I make little checkboxes inside each box for each task I need to complete and mark them off when I have finished the task. I also color coordinate for each class/school which makes it helpful when I am glancing at the planner so I can differentiate which items are for which class/school. This also helps on the monthly view of the calendar, where I continue to use color coding to write tests and papers. The colors match the binders I use for each class to keep everything consistent. I also have three snap-in tabs in The Happy Planner (I purchased these at Staples). I use the first tab for this month’s monthly view, the second tab I use for this week’s weekly view/today’s view (which you are viewing in this photo), and the last tab I use for next month’s monthly view so I can write down upcoming assignments and appointments. They are handy to have right at the top of the planner because the side view tabs are hidden when the planner is closed (which I do like for aesthetic purposes).

Hack #4: Cord management is a big issue because I have a tv on the wall above my desk. Which means inevitable wires…everywhere! So the one wire that I couldn’t hide, I took a tall floral arrangement and wrapped the cord in there. Which you cannot see from straight-on, but from this angle, it is slightly visable. So if you have cords that hang down the wall and you can’t hide them in the wall, for whatever reason, use a plant, picture, tapestry or lamp even to creatively hide them.

Hack #5: This is an important “hack” because if you don’t stay hydrated you’ll start to get tired and no one wants to be tired when they are in the middle of a great workflow! So stay hydrated so your body can function properly. When I say to stay hydrated, I mean with water. I invested in one of these metal vacuum bottles, I found it super affordable at Tuesday Morning. It holds 25 oz., so I know how much water I am drinking and it keeps my water cold in the car during the summer as well. These bottles can keep your water cold for up to twenty-four hours! Similar to the popular Hydroflask, which I wanted to try a competitor before I invested the full $50 in a Hydroflask. I’ll tell you why I won’t spend $50 on one if you comment and specifically ask me to. But we tend to drink more water if it’s colder, so I highly recommend investing in one of these “stay cold” bottles.

Hack #6: My last hack is to use one a cosmetics organizer as a pen/stationery organizer! I found this cute organizer at Hobby Lobby and used a 40% off coupon to purchase it under $10! It organizes my colored highlighters and felt-tipped pens. It’s an essential if you’re a pen junkie like myself. I also love how it can hold things as large as a post-it and a giant paperweight in the front compartment.

Please let me know if you enjoyed these hacks or have any questions on any of my purchases. I am always more than happy to help or answer questions.

XOXO

[studyspiration]

Someone please provide me with all these cute things thanks xx But for real, I am in love with this whole desk setup 

[hellomyschoolinspirations-blog]

This really makes me want to redo my desk set up! 😍

[harrywantsababy]

I just watched a kid break down in the bookstore because his books for the semester totaled $600 and that’s the american university system in a nutshell

[therainbowprogrammer-deactivate]

I was on the verge of tears when I got to the cashier so yeah, that’s messed up

[nihilisme]

Go here and just, don’t waste any more money okay?

[songscloset]

While I entirely support following that link, I also suggest going to Abe Books or Book Depository or even eBay to see if there are inexpensive print versions of books you need. I haven’t paid full-price for any of my texts while I’m in school… because that would DOUBLE the cost of school. I use the ISBN of the require books and search the cheap sites for them. Good luck out there, guys!

[shadesofmauve]

Paging FenrisLorsrai! Come work your resource magic on this post!

[rainydaypaperback]

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED. (but I’ll post on my actual bookstore account)

Quick anddirty meta search for books: Addall. it’ll crawl 40+ book sites at once including ABE, ALibris, Amazon, Half in both domestic AND foreign versions.

Meta search #2! GetTextbooks.com which focuses specifically on textbooks. It omits some foreign sites that AddAll includes, BUT it also includes a whole bunch of rentals as well.  Renting is probably the most cost effective method overall.

NOW, HOW TO SEARCH!

First determine a few things:

Make sure you have the ISBN

IF IT IS A BUNDLE: Determine if you need a software key/CD/workbook/lab book or not.  Many times you do not.  Math classes increasingly NEED the software key, but more on that later

ASK THE PROFESSOR: If this is not the first edition of the book, can you use a previous edition?  One edition back is generally half the cost of current, two is generally about 1/8th the cost.  Generally you can get away with this if its material that doesn’t change rapidly. Your course on the Civil War, you can probably use two editions back. Your computer programming class on latest greatest language… you probably need newest edition.

FOR LITERATURE CLASSES: determine if you book is from before 1929. If it is, its in public domain, you can almost certain get a free copy online.  If they want a SPECIFIC copy for an essay bundled with book, see below.

Now, run your search by ISBN using the two metasearch sites.  Open them in separate tabs.  

gettextbooks shows you WITH the shipping, Addall does NOT show you the shipping.  keep this in mind when you’re comparing.  You’ll see a lot of duplication.  GetTextbooks will also show you SOME variants.

Now that you have those open, open two more tabs.  Run a second search on same two sites using the author and exact title you picked up from search #1.  This will show you all the international editions and weird bundles that don’t exactly match the ISBN of the bookstore

WHAT THE HELL IS AN INTERNATIONAL EDITION: its a paperback version of the US version with an angry notice on the cover saying “NOT FOR SALE OUTSIDE INDONESIA”. Its the same book, but way cheaper.  ignore the angry warning, the US Supreme Court has your back. NO, REALLY. Right of first sale, baby!  ignore the angry warning and you basically have same book, it just isn’t printed with ink made from student tears and unobtanium.

Now filter results based on whether you need any Extra materials or not. 

IF YOU DO NEED THE EXTRA MATERIALS: this is where it gets tricky. an intact bundle is generally the most expensive option or near top end of price curve.  If you NEED the other materials, you may be able to get them cheaper in pieces.  and you can buy mismatched pieces!

Say for example you need a math textbook, but need the software key for the math problem program.  The professor said you can use older book.  Buy a math book that one or more editions back and then buy the software key separately from the SOFTWARE manufacturer.  You’ll find the software keys on booksites all by themselves, but they’re generally way more expensive than buying the key direct from software manufacturer. and no shipping then!

NOW A WORD ON LITERATURE: sometimes profs want you to get a specific edition of something to read a specific essay in the book. You have about 50/50 odds that the essay is in the front of the book. IF IT IS, you may be able to read the essay on Amazon by going to that books page and clicking on the “look inside”.  They generally preview between 10-30 pages of books and that often means its the essay you needed, not the actually BODY of the book.  So you can look up the specific copy of Frankenstein on Amazon, read the essay, then download a free different version from Project Gutenberg.

FOR RECENT NONFICTION, make sure you have an up to date library card for your HOME library and the LOCAL city library where your college is.  Many have digital loans available, where you can check out the ebook for free and popular nonfiction is frequently available that way.

IF YOU CAN GET YOUR BOOKLIST BEFORE GOING TO SCHOOL: shop for the mundane things locally first.  There will be 50 people in CollegeTown looking for that book, you may be the only one in your home town.  supply and demand, if you found it in collegetown, it may be 10X price of your local bookstore.

and check you local library as well!  You may be able to check out some of those books from your local library and take them to school with you and renew them online one or more times, depending on how in demand they are.  There will be NO copies in CollegeTown library because there’s 50 people asking for it.  But your HOME town, you may be able to renew it twice since its low demand. Write on your calender when they’re due or need to be renewed.  Renew them OR tuck the whole pile into a Priority Mail flat rate box and send them home to your folks.  The cost of the priority box to send several library books home is probably way less than what you’d pay for them. (or if its stuff you know you need AFTER a break where you’ll be home, request a hold from school, pick up at home)

ONE LAST WORD BEFORE YOU BUY…

You determined you HAVE to buy a book and you’ve narrowed it down to a few choices of source.  Run a search for “coupon + Sitename” what looked like the lowest priced may not if you find a coupon for the 2nd or 3rd lowest priced option. Gettextbook will generate some automatically, but you may be able to find even better ones.

So make yourself some food, get a beverage, put on some tunes and compare prices!

and if you’re reached point of wanting to curl up in a ball and die, you can send us an ask with the ISBN for your book and answers to questions aobe (extra materials, previous edition, etc) and we’ll send you back an note with a link to the cheapest one we can find.  I do this for a living, send an ask and I’ll get it done usually within about 12 hours.

[eintsein]

HOW TO APPROACH CLASSES A guide to getting the most out of your classes and lectures

By Eintsein

Design inspired by this post by @journalsanctuary

[kiraoji]

art cheats

hello i am here today to not lose track of the art cheats i have discovered over the years. what i call art cheat is actually a cool filter/coloring style/way to shade/etc. that singlehandedly makes art like 20 times better

80’s anime style

glitch effect

glow effects

adding colors to grayscale paintings

foreshortening ( coil )

foreshortening ( perspective )

clipping group (lines)

clipping group (colors)

dramatic lighting ( GOOD )

shading metal

lighting faces

that is all for today, do stay tuned as i am always hunting for cool shit like this

[drrexdexter-deactivated20211029]

URGENT ALERT: LAKE CONROE DAM OPENED—TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. [https://youtu.be/qacX3b9KLt4] Aug 28, 2017 -  Started streaming 5 hours ago. NATIONAL WEATHER STUDIO

[thetreacherouskind]

I don’t know all the people who follow me who live in Texas but please stay safe. If you’re aren’t from Texas, reblog anyway. Thank you!

[hellomyschoolinspirations-blog]

my planner used to be so empty... now i'm running out of space. 😭😭😭😭

[iloveyeri-remade]

me after watching a full 20 minute buzzfeed unsolved video and ryan says the mystery will always remain…………………unsolved

[chaoticum]

They know enough who know how to learn. 

- Henry Brooks Adams

[chaoticum]

At some point in our lives we’ve all had to learn and therefore memorize something. Sometimes learning, memorizing and understanding a particular topic can be hard. The question that pops in our minds before we have to study for an extensive exam is: How do I make it easier for me? How do I learn more efficient and quicker?

Hopefully, this post will provide you a partial answer to two questions mentioned above. 

The pyramid below shows how much we remember by participating in certain activities. To quickly sum it up: We learn the most by teaching others. 

Learning is a skill. It can be acquired and improved. Following methods and tips have been proven to be efficient when it comes to learning:

Do not learn by heart, sooner or later you’ll forget what you’ve learned

Have a positive approach

Take good notes (write neatly, use colors)

Use more or all of your senses

Underline only key words and cruical terms (approx. 10% - 20% of text)

Make a study plan

Do your homework

Divide topic into groups, systems, visualize it, make it more familiar

Make associations

Try to understand what you are learning

Participate in class if you can

Ask your teacher if you don’t understand

Be focused when studying

When studying take breaks (30-50 mins)

Write questions and then answer it

Be active when studying - make mind-maps, graphs, tables, summary of notes …

Repeat, at first more oftenly and then less.

Make sure you study somewhere where there are minimal amount of distraction and where you feel comfortable.

Every person has its own unique style of studying, so not everything will work for everyone. You have to figure out what style suits you. What I’ve written above is only a few of things you can do to memorize and learn things easier. In the end the outcome of learning is dependant on learner’s mental abilities, motivation, feelings, phyisical state, environment, family, friends and school. 

*This post is a short summary based on notes I’ve taken in my “Learn how to learn” class last year

[skunkbear]

[teamrocketing]

i’m so glad i live in 2016 so i dont have to deal with these massive terrifying animals except the blue whale, but shes gentle and good

[mautlyn-deactivated20170727]

wait is it really called Hell Pig

[determinationandcaffeine]

Flashcard Tip

That speech to text button on your phone’s keyboard? It allows you to study your notes and make flashcards on your phone at the same time (if you revise out loud). Simply open your flashcard app of choice and start revising this way:

1

Read through a topic/paragraph, try to memorize it

Go to the ‘front of the flashcard’ field, tap the mic button, state the topic or a question that would be answered by the paragraph

Go to the ‘back of the flashcard’ field, tap mic, explain everything you just studied. Any mistakes you made can be easily fixed by typing, which will also help you remember those mistakes

[sushi-studies]

Handwritten Econs notes ☺️🤓

[academedic]

school mindset

essays - make each essay you write better than the last


 small assignments - aim for 100s, expect 100s, get 100s


 homework - pretend they’re assignments


 homework that’s not graded - pretend! they’re! assignments!


 tests - study for 100s, expect less


 long term projects - act like it’s due in four days -even when it’s not- until you’re done with it


 group projects - do not get angry


 presentations - pretend you’re obama

disclaimer - this works for me, it may not work for everybody, do not push yourself too hard!!

[studying-chan]

This is such a great way to treat college work!

[hellomyschoolinspirations-blog]

i love this just because I had long term projects last year and I wish I would've done this, same with math homework.

[stvdybuddies]

hey I really like your account especially your studyblr posts. Do you have any suggestions on any stationery to buy when you make your pages? Thanks!

Hey there anon :) 

We’re so glad that you like our posts <3 When it comes to stationary, we made a little ‘starterkit’ post a couple of weeks back :) It covers some of the most typical stationary one sees in the studyblr community, and we use a lot (though not all) of these ^_^ 

[delphicoracle]

planning a research project.

hi ! i got a few requests on my insta @delthenerd to share my essay planning technique. every time i have an essay to write, i make sure to set aside a half hour to plan it out.

the topic

picking the subject is always my first step. if the teacher provided options, i read through all of them and try to pick the most interesting one (obviously). don’t just go for the easiest, pick something that gives you options, that allows you to learn new things, to write about stuff that you like.

if there aren’t any suggestions, i brainstorm a little bit about what i could write about. i recommend reading through your class notes to find interesting themes. also, try to find things that you’re passionate about. writing an essay on something you find boring will inevitably be boring ! i try to include feminism in every single one of my essays, so i often choose things related to feminism, women, equal rights, etc.

the questions

what ? when ? where ? who ? why ? how ?

answering these questions will help you figure out all the details of your essay : your research question, your outline, your key words for researching and even your introduction ! you can use the answers to produce even more questions you’ll want to answer or topics you’ll want to mention.

i’ll give you an example. i’m currently writing an essay about how the government creates mechanisms of normalization. i answered my 6 questions to figure out exactly what i wanted to talk about :

what : normalization mechanisms

when : in modern society

where : in occident

who : governments

why : to create complacent citizens

how : this is what we’re trying to figure out !

by doing this, i figured out my research questions (how do governments create normalization mechanisms ?, basically) and thought of new questions : what other mechanisms do they use ? what else can those mechanisms do ? is it only in modern society ? only in the western world ? does it truly work ? are governments the only ones creating these mechanisms ? and i could go on !

the research

using all your questions and answers, figure out the key words of your research. in this example, i could use “government” and “normalization”. from those key words, try to find synonyms (”state”, “censorship”, etc.) and use all of your collected words to research your topic.

use as many ressources as you can : the library, google scholar, scientific magazines, etc. build up your list of ressources and just start reading ! while you read (and take notes on what you’re reading), start figuring out a plan for your essay.

don’t be afraid of adjusting what you already planned : sometimes you’ll start researching and find out that your hypotheses weren’t right, so you have to readjust your previous work.

hope this helps !

more posts

taking notes in class

del the nerd’s guide to bullet journaling

the art of skipping class

annotating texts

things no one told me before college

5 things to do at the end of a semester

on how to write a history essay

[hellomyschoolinspirations-blog]

This is so wildly helpful for me!!!

[peachisty]

how to learn more about a person:

read the things they write

ask their go-to movies

observe the way they treat their pets

check out the songs they listen to

ask them if they prefer tea or coffee

converse with them under the stars

do they like summer over winter?

observe how they act when they’re mad

do they sleep with lights off or on?

when they watch the skies, do they observe the moon or the stars first?

would they rather eat alone?

how do they treat those who are ‘inferior’ to them?

the way they approach strangers when they’re lost

if they like texting better than calling

how they act when they’re scared

if they like rewriting their notes for an exam

during what situation do their eyes shine the brightest?

the things they say when they’re partly intoxicated

how they act when they’re alone and with their friends

how they look at the people they love

what is their most favorite thing about themselves?