Pacman AI

[Phobia]

Hi, I wonder if anyone has a fast algorithm for a ghost's AI in pacman.

Am I wrong or a pixel-test is faster than reading one value from a matrix?

I had this one but it's pretty dumb the ghost walks randomly; does not chase the user:

Assuming that:
E=X coordinate of the ghost
F=Y coordinate of the ghost
when I say left;right;etc I mean the coordinate being tested (the [A] matrix stores the walls at each coordinate)
####################################
:not([A](left))-not([A](right
:E-Ans+not(Ans)not([A](left))(1-2randInt(0,1->E
:"Test if it is eating my pacman..."
:not([A](down))-not([A](up
:F-Ans+not(Ans)not([A](down))(1-2(randInt(0,1->F
:"Test again if it is eating my pacman
####################################

This came from here:

each ghost has it's list with boolean values:
{left,up,right,down}

at each turn I test the directions attainable by him (if there are walls or not) and refresh this list
If he can go in a direction (no wall) the value is one

Now I'm thinking of improving this in this way:

If my absolute position in the game is to the ghost's left I will double the {left} direction (in X my coordinate is smaller - X-A<0), If i'm at it's right i will double the {right} value
I can also keep track of the ghost's last direction taken so that he'll prefer going "forward"/not turning around though this is probably not necessary (I'm already the approach of the ghost with the last step)

Then it goes in the direction of the biggest number in the list. If there are several, I'll use randInt (I could use the first too but probably if the maze is too convuluted the ghost will get stuck in the same zone)



Any suggestions? 'Cause I want the game to be faster..

Thanks

[woodswolf]

Although I don't have an AI somewhere, making an AI for a ghost is not that hard.

Here is something you could try

X. Direction of the ghost, this can be 1,-1,+i,-i
x1+iy1->A. These are the coordinates of pacman
x2+iy2->B. These are the coordinates of one of the ghosts

If the ghost comes at an intersection:
then
A-B
If abs(real(Ans)) => abs(imag(Ans
Then
real(Ans)/abs(real(Ans -> X
Else
i(imag(Ans)/abs(imag(Ans -> X
end
end

If A=B
Lose

Or something like that, you could also do it with list L1 and L2, whereas pacman = L1(1) and L2(1) (coordinates and direction) and ghosts are L1(2,3,etc.etc.) and L2(2,3,etc.etc.)

[Phobia]

sorry I didn't understand this:

[woodswolf]

in X (or any other variable), you can put the direction of the ghost. Pacman and ghosts can go up, down, left and right

i is an imaginair number, a variable can store a number as x+yi. Go to mode and put a+bi, instead of REAL.

1 = up
-1 = down
i = up
-i = down

x1 + iy1 was just another way of writing x+yi, it can store the x coordinate and y coordinate.